The modern Tomb Raider games have done an excellent job of humanizing Lara Croft and making her into an even more compelling figure within the video game realm. But Lara’s legacy extends back over two decades to the earliest days of 3D platform gaming. Back in 1997, Tomb Raider II became the first in a long line of sequels for the series. Twenty years later, Lara’s second adventure is getting a fan remake called Tomb Raider: The Dagger of Xian.
Via Kotaku, a fan calling themselves Nicobass is overseeing the development of The Dagger of Xian, which re-imagines Tomb Raider II with updated visuals that were created on Unreal Engine 4. It’s not a one-person effort; Alexandre Serel has provided a new script, while Inna Vjuzhanina and Dean Kopri have contributed new art and music, respectively. Jennifer Milward is the voice actress behind Lara in this new incarnation of the game.
Nicobass has released a playable demo for Tomb Raider: The Dagger of Xian, which you can find here. So far, the results are very impressive. As much as we love the modern Lara, classic Lara was at the height of her abilities as an explorer and a fighter. By that point in time, there really wasn’t much that she couldn’t handle.
Within the original game, the Dagger of Xian was a mystical artifact that was used by the Emperor of China to command his army; it also allowed him to transform into a dragon. During her quest to find the dagger, Lara went up against the cult of Xian and Marco Bartoli, a mob boss obsessed with the legend behind the dagger.
We’re very intrigued by this fan project and we’re eager to see how it plays when it is completed.
What do you think about Tomb Raider: The Dagger of Xian? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Want more video games?
- A 30th anniversary cartridge for Street Fighter II.
- See Hellboy in Injustice 2.
- Learn about a 3D remake of Secret of Mana.
Image:Â Nicobass
