Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider is poised to breathe new life into the franchise, but there were still a few features the developer couldn't manage to get into the final game. CD's brand director Karl Stewart spoke with Official PlayStation Magazine about what got left on the cutting room floor, and how the developer came to the conclusion it was time to refresh the franchise.
Stewart revealed a lot of time and effort went into the decision to go back to Lara's origins, and start with a clean slate. "“One of the hardest decisions was that we knew we needed to make a change," Stewart said. "We looked at all the games that were out at the time, studied them, did research, read reviews. And we realised that we needed to make something new. Some of our soul-searching was about [asking] how we bring Lara to life in a way we’ve never done before. She’s had a personality, but not anything like what we show now with that emotion and intensity.”
As for elements Crystal initially wanted to include, but ultimately cut, Stewart related a few different instances. "We added a little girl at one stage. She was going to be a companion, a way to show Lara in a different light," Stewart stated. "We had a horse, too. It was great for her to move around on, but we soon realised that a horse implied ‘open world’, like, ‘Why can’t I gallop around the whole island?’ So the horse had to go."
It would have been great to have that horse, but Crystal is right in thinking it didn't make sense from an exploration sense. Lara has never struck us as a matron figure, so removing the little girl aspect makes a lot of sense too. Since the game isn't out until early next year, we likely won't learn much else about what was left out of the final game, but we're still eager to take part in Lara's earliest adventure.
SOURCE: VG247
