A site claiming to have a mole inside Eidos has published pictures purportedly of concept art and other collateral for a Tomb Raider reboot sequel, which figures to be both open-world and survival horror.
It's hardly shocking that Eidos - bought out by sequelmeisters Square Enix of course - would be planning another Tomb Raider. Existing IP is a big chunk of a studio's value as an acquisition target, and Eidos' Ian Livingstone even said to expect a Lara Croft reboot a couple months ago. Still, this is someone else's rumor and someone else's photos. We've emailed Eidos PR if they want to take a swing at this rumor, first reported today by 4Player Co-Op.
In the shots (which you may see here) you can see a mounted Lara (on horseback, stupe) firing arrows at zombiefied creatures with gnarly, ouchy-looking appendages. The concepts for her foes are barely more than silhouettes, but they all look ugly and threatening, Lara herself has a look that backs off the overt sex appeal and makes her into a more athletic, ass-kicky fighter.
From the descriptions, this figures to be a reboot origin story similar to the kind of treatment Batman, James Bond and even the Hulk have gotten in cinema. Livingstone had hinted that would be the tack of this story. Here's a transcription of some of the text on the screen, which appears to be from an internal website:
When a sudden storm destroys her research vessel, a young and inexperienced Lara Croft finds herself stranded on a mysterious and remote island hidden off the shores of Japan. Despite several signs of various inhabitants the island is oddly deserted, and an uneasy feeling settles in as strange sounds emerge from the shadows. With only her determination, inner strength, and resourcefulness to help her, Lara must overcome the challenges of a harsh and unforgiving journey that will take her across a vast island wilderness and deep into the claustrophobic and menacing underground tombs from the island's past. As she struggles to prevail through brutal combat encounters and treacherous exploration, Lara will be pushed to her limits and forced to adapt to her situation in order to survive and escape from the lethal predators that stalk her every move.
[...]
• Origin story. "This new Tomb Raider concept reboots the franchise by exploring the origins of Lara Croft's transformation into a hardened adventurer as you unravel the story behind the island's mysterious past."
New weapons, new ways to use them, and a reworked combat system are also hinted at in the text. If anything else dribbles out about this leak, we'll be sure to update it here.
Tomb Raider Reboot - The First Details? [4player Co-Op via Joystiq]