With the release of Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition for current generation consoles coming up later this month, I think it’s about time we sit down and ask ourselves what we really want from our dear old Lara Croft this time around. If you’re as big a nerd on the franchise as I am, we have much to discuss!

I’m wondering what sort of situation Lara will be thrown into this time. Last time we saw her first ever encounter with true danger and peril, cast away onto a mysterious island of supernatural beings and violently religious cults. The way it ended opened up the possibility of sequels in the franchise. I wish I could know whether or not it will be her choice to face against adventure or if again it will be thrust upon her. Maybe we’ll even see characters from the last game are going to tag along. It’s hard to know what direction the game could take, there are just so many possibilities! Well, not really. She’s an archaeologist – she’ll discover some mysterious place or artifact and have a big adventure. Even though the franchise has been using this formula since the 90s, I’m sure the writers will find a way to keep it interesting.

For me, what made last year’s game such a momentous hit was the complete reboot of Lara Croft’s character. While many may have loved her sassy, sexy self in previous years, I truly admired this new inexperienced Lara. Gamers, regardless of gender, could relate to her so much better. We see Lara as a realistic young woman who was put in a horrific situation but was able to rise to the occasion. The modern incarnation of Lara Croft is such a treat in a market so saturated with flat, cliché and superfluously sexualized female characters.  So kudos to the team behind bringing her to life!

I sincerely hope that designers Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix do little to change this. I wouldn’t mind a little tweaking here and there of course–the story will demand that after all she experienced in the previous game–and character development is a great addition to a captivating storyline. But so long as the new game doesn’t come around featuring the 1996 Lara, I’ll be content!

As for gameplay, the game’s combat system was just as exhilarating as an adventure game should be. The aspect of collecting salvage in order to improve your weapons was also a nice addition, giving you the perfect excuse to explore the beautiful landscape. But,  like many Tomb Raider fans, I did miss the puzzles. The only puzzles included were in mediocre side quests. I craved the intense, really brain-testing puzzles that pushed everyone to the edge of insanity in past games. I realize this may or may not be a form of Stockholm Syndrome, but I want them back anyway.

The next Tomb Raider game is supposedly due for release onto current generation consoles in late 2014 and is currently in development by Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics. They have yet to release any information or details concerning the new game, so sadly it’s left to fans like me to ponder what may lie in store for us all. But what do you think might come up in the next instalment? A yet vaster world of intense exploration, or just bigger breasts?

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