Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is more than a remake. It’s more than a reboot, and it’s more than a remaster. It’s all of these things, but it’s more of a recalibration of what Lara Croft’s first adventure felt like. I still have my oddly-shaped Eidos box with the jewel case from the first game, and I remember sinking countless hours into the blocky world and tank controls, but any nostalgic memories are broken the second you fire it up or check out a gameplay video on YouTube. Flying Wild Hog and Crystal Dynamics could have easily taken the nostalgic play, or just upgraded the graphics a touch, but instead they’ve rebuilt a classic with all of the advancements of Unreal Engine 5, modern controls, and all of the feeling that made the original game from 1996 an absolute classic. This is a game that remembers its roots, and it’s not afraid to flex them. Let me tell you why this short demo gave me every reason to award them with a Best of Summer Game Fest Award, and how they earned it.
The demo drops you into the Peruvian Lost Valley, and the first thing that hits you is the scale. More vertical than ever, and without the dense performance-saving fog so prevalent in those early 90s titles. Dense foliage, cliff speckled with mist, and water tech that looks absurdly good for a pre‑alpha build have to be seen to be believed. Facial animations on Lara and her friends are phenomenal, and when we meet a few enemies later on, the feathers and rough, scaly skin of some iconic creatures. But before we get to all that, we need to solve some puzzles.
The first head-scratcher we encounter is the cog puzzle from the first game. Previously, you had to just wander through various square rooms and find the cog-shaped blobs, then bring them back to plug into the puzzle to solve it. WOW, is that no longer the case? The jungle is close, and in all directions. Yes, you need to find the cogs, but the jungle is no longer the yellow-paint-covered freebie it once was. Twice, I got turned around because plants all look the same in an unfamiliar place. Not only that, it’s FAR more vertical. Climbing higher and then figuring out how to swing across rivers that would speed you down the waterfall to the bottom, where the cog puzzle resides, was a challenge solved with dangerous jumps and careful application of the grappling hook.
While the story seems to be the same, thus far, the new environment and fresh voice actress put Lara in a different headspace. With as demanding as the jungle is, and the challenge of traversing it, you’ll earn everything you find. By intentionally withholding guidance, it puts you in the same headspace – Lara is an explorer, not a tourist.
When you do get into trouble, and it doesn’t take long, combat makes its presence known fast. Raptors are fast and lethal, their rainbow-feathered covered bodies flying everywhere as they attack with so much reckless abandon that they practically throw themselves off their own feet. Knocking Lara down, they leap on top of her, attempting to disembowel her with massive razor-sharp talons. Lara comes with a few tricks of her own; however, able to flip, cartwheel, and otherwise launch into the same acrobatics as the original, but with far better animation this time around. After gunning down a few of these vicious raptors, the other star of the show makes its appearance – the massive T. rex.
The T. rex in the original was a sight to behold, but here it’s as tall as a school bus, with teeth the size of swords. This monster will rip you limb from limb, and your dual pistols will do nothing to dissuade it. Your only option is to run, and run fast. This chase is exactly the kind of set‑piece you want from a remake like this - chaotic, cinematic, and just a little bit unhinged. It’s a reminder that Tomb Raider used to be weird in the best possible way, but without completely disconnecting from the new look and feel the teams are trying to create.
The game is Alpha, so it’s not a surprise that not everything is polished yet. That’s fairly standard for game demos, but it’s also making it clear that the move to next year is less about anything Grand Theft-shaped and more about ensuring players have the best possible experience. The build at SGF had occasional framerate issues, the controls occasionally felt more like a negotiation than precision, and more than once, I felt like I was floating into position. The foundation is solid; it just needs tightening, so why would it win an award?
The team did the impossible here – they recaptured the soul of the original game, but with the aesthetics and modern conveniences of a current game. What impressed me most is how confidently Legacy of Atlantis walks the line between eras. It honors the original’s DNA with ancient ruins, chunky puzzles, Atlantean myth, bears, dinosaurs, and gigantic set pieces, while also borrowing the best ideas from modern action‑adventure contemporaries. Exploration already feels purposeful instead of linear (though it’s likely both). The puzzle designs feel like an update without a full redesign, leaving them tactile and mysterious. Combat has bite, literally, and feels like it’ll challenge you more than the original. Lara herself? Alix Wilton Regan sounds like she was born to play Lara. Her voice flows like silk, but with a confident edge that bridges the gap between the acrobatic legend and the grounded survivor. If this slice is any indication, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is shaping up to be the rare remake that doesn’t just recreate a classic — it reclaims it.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on February 12th, 2027, and is a nominee for our Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 Award.
