Tomb Raider franchise will continue to evolve says Square Enix CEO

As part of the year-long celebration of Tomb Raider's 20-year anniversary, Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda has stated that the long-running series will be "evolving more" over the next few years.

"Regarding what Lara Croft and Tomb Raider means for me: it was in 2009 when Eidos joined up with us," Matsuda said. "I believe Tomb Raider will be evolving more and you can enjoy playing the new Tomb Raider title," he added. "So I am looking forward to your continuing support for Lara and Tomb Raider."

Discussing his favourite memories of the series, he stated: "I remember I was very happy with a deep feeling because I could be one of the Tomb Raider team. What is more Tomb Raider than the coolness of Lara?"

"I like Tomb Raider Legend very much, especially the stage of Tokyo. In the boss battle of the stage of Tokyo, it was a good memory that I was defeated by the old guy again and again. Couldn't bring him down. And Lara was so cool. It was the action adventure, a really impressive game."

Ron Rosenberg, co-head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics, said in a statement earlier this year: "Since its introduction, Tomb Raider has held a significant place in video game history, and further cements that with this milestone. We look forward to celebrating with fans, and honouring the iconic Lara Croft with special events, retrospectives, giveaways and other surprises throughout this year of Tomb Raider."

The latest addition to the famed series, Rise Of The Tomb Raider, was released on 10 November 2015 for Xbox One and 28 January for PCs. The game will be released on PS4 later this year, after Microsoft's 12-month console exclusivity deal expires.

Earlier this year, Rise Of The Tomb Raider won the Writers Guild of America's Outstanding Achievement in Video Game Writing, beating notable contenders Assassin's Creed Syndicate, The Witcher 3 and Pillars Of Eternity.

IBTimes UK's review praised the title as a "stellar sequel" that "is visually fabulous, boasting stunning environments, and improvements to the core exploration and combat gameplay."