Crystal Dynamics’ information policy makes it really hard to understand what’s going on in Croft Manor. As an positive effect CD made some big headlines, though almost every Tomb Raider fansite i saw only stated unconfirmed or wrong information – including mxm.

Even most professional online game magazines still post wrong facts about Tomb Raider 9 and LCatGoL! This leads to a disappointed fanbase and big loads of comment trolling. Lady Croft won’t be amused.

I hope the following statement will help to stop the confusion:

The game announced as “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” IS NOT “Tomb Raider 9″.

Crystal Dynamics has not pushed out any information about Tomb Raider 9 yet. They only speak mysteriously about a second project they are already working on.

I might be right that LCatGoL is more or less a side product to build a bridge between Underworld and TR9, make the waiting time more entertaining for the fans and help Lara to jump onto the front pages more often.

If you have a TR-Fansite or even are a pro magazine editor i highly recommend to follow CrystalDynamics on twitter (of course you should follow me as well).

Some new screenshots and a First-Look post on gamespot have been released in the meantime. Thanks to @fylaracroft for mentioning it.

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It seems that LCatGoL is not meant to be the next real Tomb Raider sequel. To me it looks more like a promotional mini game or something like that. Hard to believe that i shall open my purse for it…

Back to the 80′s!

This is how gamespot describes it: “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (…) is an arcade-inspired action romp with a fixed isometric camera and a focus on high scores and replay value…”

After the first shock is over it becomes clear to see that this piece of bits and bytes really has nothing to do with Tomb Raider. It seems to be a side-product and reminds me on some 80′s Jump n Run games…

I mean fixed isometric camera, high scores and arcade-inspired… really not my genre. And when i want to play such stuff i’m sure i can find Mario in the forgotten box underneath the bed.

Maybe not that bad!

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light probably isn’t that boring. Nobody played the game yet. It can happen that it’s an entertaining, nicely done game for a lazy weekend or two.

After all, such an unexpectedly strange looking Lara Croft game is better than nothing. Maybe it’s the perfect thing to shorten the waiting time until the true Tomb Raider 9 comes out.

Still a remaining questions is about the platforms. I still don’t believe that it comes for the PC, but anyway, everything is possible, even that “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” is available for free download (Huh, have i really said that?).

I’m sure the Games Developers Conference will bring more news.

If you are a Tomb Raider fans as well you can follow developer Crystal Dynamics on Twitter. The guys trying hard to satisfy the needs of Lara’s fans. Check them out.

First-Look post on gamespot.com (The game is sorted under “xbox 360″ there)

The rumors are no rumors, they’re real!

Game developer studios Crystal Dynamics confirmed the production of “Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light“, the next Tomb Raider sequel…

Tomb Raider 9 comes in 2010!

First the good news: “Tomb Raider 9 – Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light” will be released this year. This makes me believe that relevant news, screenshots, videos and art work will see the daylight soon.

Thinking about art and beauty the Tomb Raider series always was most eye-catching, especially since CD held the scepter.

But current information policy is very annoying and so we poor souls from the fanbase need to cross-read through magazine posts and try to catch a fact here and there…

If those new rumors are true i can also filter out some bad news:

Lara Croft is no Tomb Raider anymore!

The Tomb Raider series is now owned by some Japanese publisher, i forgot their name. I guess they have published some bonbon-colored pokemon playing cards before, or Manga puppies made from cheap plastic. Something that way, it doesn’t really matter…

The first thing the guys did to Lara was to take the term “Tomb Raider” away from her. Woot! This seems to be a part of their excitingly brilliant new strategy! Laugh out loud!

I’m not impressed. The new game will be called “Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light”. No Tomb Raider tale in the title. It’s only a little detail but i guess it originally was a “cool” idea of some market strategist or what-else economy expert – which would be a disturbing fact for emotional first-hour Tomb Raider addicts like me.

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“Tomb Raider” 9 only downloadable!

Okay, i was a bit too harsh. Only a change of the title shouldn’t be enough to paint Lara in black.

But what really sucks is the fact that “Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light” (couldn’t they find a longer title?) will be available via Download only.

Nobody says it loud though it’s clear to see: The game formerly known as “Tomb Raider” is for consoles only!

Oh, i can be wrong here (i take any bet) but in case i’m right and Tomb Raider 9 LCATGOL is not for PC, then, who ever idiot is responsible for that: Fuck you!

Crystal Dynamics is not to blame!

Let me say it clear, i’m still trusting Crystal Dynamics. With “Tomb Raider Legend” they’ve created a fantastic comeback, “Anniversary” was so full of love and respect to the original game, and “Underworld” will always be one of my personal “best-ever” games.

The guys at Crystal Dynamics really are able to create high quality games and have proofed that they respect the icon Lara Croft very much.

They will somehow manage to create a cool game. If “Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light” will give you the be-loved Tomb Raider feeling again or not, if you still want to call it Tomb Raider 9… the future will tell.

I really hope that CD will stop the mysterious information strategy and spit out tons of relevant news very soon!

And i hope that my whole Tomb Raider 9 analyses is wrong and the big Lara Croft Sellout is only a nasty product of my fantasy.

Links:

Official Site: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light dot com

Image source: lushgrass.com, website of Tomb Raider artist Shao Wei Liu

It seems that the game will feature a “rebooted” young Lara and tells how she became to be the well-known archaeologist, the tomb raider we know so well.

The problem is that the whitepaper seems to be released by accident. Neither the script nor the concept art is validated so far – but interesting to look at…

Open-World Adventure!

If the rumors are true, Tomb Raider 9 will play in a huge open-world for the first time in the history of the series.

It can be exciting to lead Lara through that scenario like in other adventure games. On the other hand it can destroy the typical Tomb Raider feeling easily.

The new Lara Croft! :-) Only kidding.

Though i love adventure games like the “Gothic” series or “Elder Scrolls” and i’m looking forward to “Risen” by Piranha Bytes i’m still not sure if i would like a Tomb Raider game in such style.

My feelings about this are fifty-fifty.

Where are Lara’s Boobies?

This point is clear. When the guys at Crystal Dynamics – who already did a great job with “Legend”, “Anniversary” and “Underworld” – decide to remove Lara Croft’s characteristic balloons and make them look like in the artwork, then my friends, we don’t need Lara Croft no more.

Pretty much old school torch and pretty small boobs - the next Lara Croft?

Don’t let Lara Croft look like a flat teeny! She is an icon, maybe the strongest icon of all, the queen of computer generated heroes. Stop cutting here and there. The body proportions of the Underworld-Lara were pretty nice. Come on, don’t be feminists!

More Sex would be nice!

The other ingredients of the recipe for Tomb Raider 9 are simple: More of everything.

More freedom, more violence, more monsters… even more sex? That would to good to be true.

Lara Croft riding on a horse and shooting at monsters with a bow. Very dynamic scene.

After all, i don’t know where the journey goes to. But i trust Crystal Dynamics, it’s a known fact that i’m a fan of the last 3 parts of the show. I think CD can make the trick to bring Lara’s future into the past…

The game will play before Tomb Raider 1, that’s what the “secret” whitepaper says.

Anyway, good to hear news about good ol´ Lara.