While we might have thought we had a lot of the details down for the next Lara Croft adventure, one we certainly didn't see coming was that Lara has to fend off a rape as part of her coming of age tale.
This isn't some shock tactic, but an attempt to make the series darker. Think Batman Begins, but with a British girl on an island.
Now confirmed for release on March 5th 2013, the reboot of the Tomb Raider series was already seen to feature as a more lifelike and therefore hopefully more relatable Lara. However, developer Crystal Dynamics has said that instead of attempting to embody the character, they want to make players care for her.
Apparently she's going to get beaten up in this game; a lot. To the point where developers describe her as a cornered animal, where she must fight or die.
Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix are both hoping that this early days prequel will help reinvigorate the series, which is much less relevant than it used to be. Taking the somewhat long-in-the-tooth hero in a new, youthful and more vulnerable direction, could be the way to do it.
To read our run down of the future Tomb Raider title, check out the editorial here.
