" linked to the end of the Mayan calendar, so we have to understand that perfectly: the purpose of this calendar and the prophecy and everything. The team worked with professors and cultural consultants to ensure its treatment of myth, tradition and daily life was precise.
Immersion is key to the success of Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the team at Eidos Montréal wanted its portrayal of the Mayan and Incan culture to be both historically accurate and respectful. Lara explores an ancient site in "Shadow of the Tomb Raider." Square Enix She will live with Maya and Inca civilizations throughout the game, so she will learn that brutality is not the only answer, but there is something other than that." But she will learn through the game-sorry, spoiler!-that it's totally unreachable. Lara is, at the beginning of the game, very driven by revenge. "But also, there's a mythology around the gold temples … something unreachable. It's a very brutal civilization, but a very educated civilization at the same time," said Anfossi. "We wanted Lara to experience extreme situations, and the Mayan culture is very extreme in the sense that they have this cult around death. The rituals and traditions of Mesoamerican cultures made for an optimal setting in which to explore this definitive chapter in Lara's life, now that she's finally mastered the survival skills she learned in Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider. You cannot do that with a caricature," Anfossi explained. "You want to work with this very iconic character and explain what she faced to become this tomb raider, the person she is now. Not because she has-sorry!-big boobs and shorts."įor the team at Eidos Montréal, Lara's personal growth and evolution is every bit as important to the story of Shadow of the Tomb Raider as its daunting exploration and exotic environments. Now she's iconic and respected because of her true character, facing obstacles and learning from that and becoming a strong woman. "She is iconic because of the previous games, but for me it was the wrong way to be iconic. Maybe it was good for this time, I don't know," Eidos Montréal Head of Studio David Anfossi told Newsweek, speaking of the mid-1990s version of the character. Lara has a thoughtful moment in "Shadow of the Tomb Raider." Square Enix