Original Tomb Raider Creators Resisted Calls from Japanese Publisher to Make a 'Manga
IGN • • technology
Key Points:
- Tomb Raider co-creator Paul Douglas revealed that Core Design's Japanese publisher, Victor Interactive Software, requested a "Manga" style redesign of Lara Croft late in development to better appeal to Japanese players, but only manual illustrations were altered, not the in-game model.
- The publisher initially wanted extensive changes including in-game and cutscene models, but the design team, especially co-creator Toby Gard, resisted, resulting in minimal visual changes limited to promotional materials.
- The Manga-style redesign examples have surfaced, showing exaggerated features like larger eyes and head, but these were never implemented in the game itself.
- Upcoming Tomb Raider projects include Legacy of Atlantis (2026) and Tomb Raider: Catalyst (2027), with new actress
