Franchise general manager for Tomb Raider, Dallas Dickinson, explained that the team is proud to be a part of the launch of Unreal Engine 5, saying:
“This new engine translates into next-level storytelling and gameplay experiences, and that’s why we’re thrilled to announce today that we’ve just started development of our next Tomb Raider game, powered by Unreal Engine 5.”
“Our goal is to push the envelope of fidelity and to deliver the high-quality cinematic action-adventure experience that fans deserve from both Crystal Dynamics and the Tomb Raider franchise. We can’t wait to take this journey together.”
The developer was behind the most recent Marvel Avengers title, which got a pretty big patch at the end of March. This new Tomb Raider is in very early stages, it seems, with a huge amount of jobs available for applicants on the Crystal Dynamics website, from production to enemy design and animation director roles all listed.
Epic Games has launched Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) at the recent State of Unreal event. It was first announced two years ago with a PlayStation 5 demo video. Later, we also got to witness another application of it in The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience video. Well, this City Sample game project is now release to the public with some tweaks. Not only that, Epic’s own Fortnite and other popular franchises like Tomb Raider and Witcher are also coming up with new games made on UE5.Advertisements
Unreal Engine 5 Download, Supported Games, And Features
Lyra Starter Game
UE5 brings several new-gen technologies called Nanite, Lumen, Temporal Super Resolution, and MetaSounds. Simply put, these are enhancements in terms of lighting and audiovisual effects that aim for more realistic or immersive graphics.
To showcase this, the company has released:
- Lyra, is a “hands-on learning resource that incorporates many key engine features, includes multiple maps and modes, and comes with a fully networked multiplayer environment.”
- City Sample from The Matrix Awakens includes “a complete city with buildings, vehicles, and crowds of MetaHuman characters,” but without Keanu Reeves or any other movie characters.
Epic Games says, “As developers from independent teams to AAA powerhouses create their next-generation games, Epic has confirmed that over 85 game studios are already part of the UE5 community, with more on the way—representing a deeply talented pool of creative and technical talent around the world. This group includes The Coalition, CD PROJEKT RED, Crystal Dynamics, and many other world-class teams.”
We have already covered the Witcher based on Unreal Engine 5 before. Thus, Crystal Dynamics’ announcing Tomb Raider with UE5 is the news. Here are the details:
New Tomb Raider On Unreal Engine 5 Announcement
Rise Of The Tomb Raider is use for representational purposes.
Four years since the last Tomb Raider game, developer Crystal Dynamics has revealed it is working on a new title with Unreal Engine 5. Dallas Dickinson, director of this franchise said, “this new engine translates into next-level storytelling and gameplay experiences.”
As already mentioned, this is just one among the several developers that would be releasing their Unreal Engine 5 games.
We will be keeping tabs on them and perhaps even share our experiences with you.
Dickinson is also reportedly head of a studio that was formed in 2021, dubbed Crystal Southwest, which IGN reported in May would be “a major part of all current and future Crystal Dynamics titles”. It’s unclear if Dickinson’s role has changed, or there’s some overlap.
Crystal Dynamics didn’t reveal any details about the next Tomb Raider game’s plot or setting during the State of Unreal, but franchise director Will Kerslake dropped some hints in a 2021 community update. Kerslake said Crystal Dynamics wants to tell stories that take place after both the studio’s own Tomb Raider trilogy, which explored Lara’s origins and the earlier games, which feature her as an experienced adventurer. That means the next game will likely focus on world-shaking adventures in the explorer’s later career. He also noted the goal is to eventually “unify” the timelines of the existing games.
Conclusion
To demonstrate this, the business has issued:
Lyra is described as a “hands-on learning resource that combines several major engine features, contains various maps and modes, and provides a fully networked multiplayer environment.”
The Matrix Awakens City Sample, which features “an entire city with buildings, automobiles, and throngs of MetaHuman individuals,” but without Keanu Reeves or any other movie characters.
While you can’t infer much about a game based on its engine, the State of Unreal event did include some impressive footage of Unreal Engine 5 in action. The engine will likely help Crystal Dynamics “push the envelope of fidelity” with cutting-edge graphics, as Dickinson said in his presentation.
LARA CROFT HASN’T raided a tomb since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but that’s set to change soon. As announced at the recent State of Unreal 2022 event, a new Tomb Raider game is on the way. Details on the upcoming adventure are scarce so far, but given fans’ love of the long-running and generally excellent series, the announcement is already plenty to get excited about.
