Tomb Raider: Legend

This article is about the 2006 video game. For the 2024 animated TV series, see Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.
Tomb Raider: Legend
A brown-haired woman looks out, pictured against a clouded sky.
Developer(s)Crystal Dynamics[a]
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive[b]
Producer(s)Morgan Gray
Designer(s)Riley Cooper
Doug Church
Programmer(s)Rob Pavey
Writer(s)Eric Lindstrom
Aaron Vanian
Toby Gard
Composer(s)Troels Brun Folmann
SeriesTomb Raider
Platform(s)
Release
7 April 2006
  • PS2, Win, Xbox, X360
    • EU: 7 April 2006
    • NA: 11 April 2006
    • AU: 13 April 2006
    PlayStation Portable
    • PAL: 9 June 2006
    • NA: 21 June 2006
    GBA, DS
    • EU: 10 November 2006
    • NA: 14 November 2006
    • AU: 17 November 2006
    GameCube
    • NA: 14 November 2006
    • EU: 1 December 2006
    PlayStation 3
    • NA: 22 March 2011
    • EU: 25 March 2011
    • AU: 31 March 2011
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Tomb Raider: Legend is an action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the seventh main entry in the Tomb Raider series, and is described as a "reboot" of the series and its protagonist Lara Croft. The game was released in 2006 for PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and mobile phones. A PlayStation 3 port was released in 2011 as part of The Tomb Raider Trilogy.

Legend details Lara Croft's quest for the mythical sword Excalibur, racing across the world against her former friend Amanda Evert. Gameplay features Lara navigating linear levels, fighting enemies and solving environmental puzzles to progress. The DS and GBA versions share the game's story while sporting gameplay adjusted for the platforms. The mobile version adapts locations from the game into on rails command-based platforming and combat scenarios.

Following the critical failure of Core Design's Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Eidos transferred development of the next Tomb Raider to American developer Crystal Dynamics, who began production in 2004. The aim was to revitalise the franchise, with both the gameplay and Lara herself being redesigned. Lara's creator Toby Gard was brought on board to help with this and was deeply involved with the project. Composer Troels Brun Folmann designed the music to change during levels as the player progresses.

Legend received generally positive reviews, with many praising the game as a return to form for the series, and either won or was nominated for multiple gaming awards. The GBA and DS ports received lower scores due to the impact of hardware limitations on the gameplay. Selling over three million copies worldwide, Legend helped revitalise the Tomb Raider brand and re-established Lara Croft as a gaming icon. The game was followed by two further games set in the same continuity; Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a remake of the first game in the series that released in 2007, while a direct sequel to Legend, Tomb Raider: Underworld, followed in 2008.

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