Tomb Raider at State of Play

Whilst the original Tomb Raider was first released on the Sega Saturn 30 years ago, the action-adventure video game franchise became synonymous with PlayStation.

During Tuesday's State of Play, pre-order details and a release date trailer dropped for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.



Read the official synopsis:

"Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is a stunning reimagining of the 1996 genre-defining game.

As Lara Croft, harness your wits and athleticism to explore exotic locations lost to time—from the jungles of Peru to the ancient ruins of Greece, the deserts of Egypt, and a mysterious Mediterranean island shrouded in myth. Traverse treacherous landscapes, solve deadly contraptions, and face lethal predators as you hunt for the scattered pieces of the Scion, an artefact of immeasurable power.

Whether you're a veteran raider or new to Lara's world, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis delivers jaw-dropping visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5, modern game design, and new surprises, while honouring the spirit and atmosphere of Lara Croft's debut adventure."

Controversy has marred the reveal after Crystal Dynamics shared an AI-generated content disclaimer on Steam. The developer has released an official statement:

"At Crystal Dynamics, we leverage AI tools to help our teams iterate on ideas faster and more efficiently, while ensuring that all finished content in the final product is human-crafted. Our goal is to empower the creativity and flexibility of our developers to deliver the highest-quality experiences for players everywhere."

I've been a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise since the original PlayStation, and the reboot Survivor trilogy was amazing. Alix Wilton Regan replaces Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft. Mass Effect fans (myself included) will recognise her as the voice of Samantha Traynor.

In related news. Hasbro has teased a Tomb Raider x G.I. Joe collaboration for Yo Joe! June. As a fan of both franchises, I can't wait for the action figure to be officially unveiled this month.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis will be released on PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC on 12th February 2027. Tomb Raider: Catalyst, a sequel to Tomb Raider: Underworld, is arriving sometime in 2027.

Pre-order Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis at Amazon (affiliate link).

Are you looking forward to Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis? Are you concerned about the use of AI-generated content in video games? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars director Gareth Edwards on AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) remains a divisive ethical issue as studios scramble to respond.

From deepfake technology to the replacement of creatives in the pursuit of profit, AI is deeply embedded in our daily lives.

Star Wars and Jurassic World director Gareth Edwards, who directed the AI-themed tale The Creator, has come out in support of AI.

Edwards speaking at AI on the Lot, an event in Culver City, California, organised by Amazon, said: “I can’t see a reason why you wouldn’t become interested in this stuff as a film-maker. It’s so clearly a tool that might be up there with the camera. It’s going to be better than CGI.”

Edwards said that AI is most useful in preproduction, saying: “It’s only good for iteration and discovering what the movie should be, and then once you know what it is, go in and start making it your movie.”

He added, “It has no taste whatsoever. It is a f***ing genius at helping you. I view it like having a second-unit director who is a billionaire on acid. Like, it’ll do anything you ask, not a problem. Sometimes, it’ll [go] batshit crazy. And you’ll give it notes, and it’ll be like, ‘I don’t do notes. I’ll just do something totally different.’ But it’s worth it.”

The use of generative AI imagery in film and television has garnered a mixed reaction from critics (myself included).

Edwards, however, said that the pace of change in AI technology made it impossible to predict its future. “We don’t know where it’s going to go. I think anybody saying they know exactly what’s going to happen over the next five years is just a liar.”

What are your thoughts on AI? Is it more Star Slop than Star Wars? Let me know in the comments below.

Marcia Lucas, who saved Star Wars, dies aged 80

Marcia Lucas, an Oscar-winning editor of Star Wars and ex-wife of Star Wars creator George Lucas, has passed away from cancer at the age of 80.

“Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a generous host, and a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered. Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love,” Marcia Lucas’ family said in a statement.

Lucas was a founding force behind Star Wars and helped shape its culture-defining success in 1977.

“Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity — a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen,” the statement added.

During the filming of Star Wars, she suggested to her then-husband that Obi-Wan Kenobi should sacrifice himself fighting Darth Vader on the Death Star. That narrative decision raised the stakes for the film’s third act and set up the conflict between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the sequels.

Along with editors Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew at a fledgling Lucasfilm, Lucas literally saved George Lucas' space opera in the editing suite. The climactic Death Star battle succeeds because of her tireless dedication to storytelling. Forming a foundation for the wizardry of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and John Williams' legendary score.

George Lucas credited her with helping make sense of the vast amount of footage filmed for the climactic Death Star battle.

"It was extremely complex and we had 40,000 feet of dialogue footage of pilots saying this and that," he told Rolling Stone shortly after the film's release.

"Nobody really has ever tried to interweave an actual plot story into a dogfight, and we were trying to do that."

She also collaborated with director Martin Scorsese on a string of his acclaimed 1970s films, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Taxi Driver and New York, New York.

Lucas would go on to work with George Lucas on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark in an uncredited capacity, and, finally, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

In a poignant quote shared by Lucasfilm, Lucas once described her passion for the craft of editing.

“I love film editing,” she said. “I have an innate ability to take good material and make it better, and to take bad material and make it fair.”