Tomb Raider II

Overview

Tomb Raider II (also known as Tomb Raider II: Starring Lara Croft) is a 1997 action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was first released on Windows and PlayStation. Later releases came for Mac OS (1998), iOS (2014) and Android (2015). It is the second entry in the Tomb Raider series, and follows archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft hunting the magical Dagger of Xian in competition with an Italian cult. Gameplay features Lara navigating levels split into multiple areas and room complexes while fighting enemies and solving puzzles to progress, with some areas allowing for or requiring the use of vehicles.

Production began in 1996 immediately after the success of the original Tomb Raider, being completed in between six and nine months, a short development period which was physically and emotionally stressful for the team. Original staff members Toby Gard and Paul Douglas left over creative differences with Eidos, though many remained including composer Nathan McCree. A Sega Saturn version was scrapped due to technical limitations and a console exclusivity deal signed between Eidos and Sony.

Tomb Raider II was well-received by critics upon its release, with many noting its expanded gameplay and smoother graphics. It went on to sell nearly seven million copies worldwide. An expansion pack entitled The Further Adventures of Lara Croft was in development in late 1997 but was cancelled. Some elements from the project were carried over to the 1998 sequel, Tomb Raider III. An expansion entitled The Golden Mask was released the following year, containing new levels focused on Lara's quest to find a golden mask in Alaska. A remastered version of the game, alongside The Golden Mask, was included in Tomb Raider I, III Remastered in 2024.

Official trailer

Gameplay Video. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Shooter, Platform, Puzzle, Adventure

Developer

Core Design

Publisher

Eidos Interactive

Series

Tomb Raider

Platforms

PlayStation 3, Windows, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable

Age rating

ESRB T

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

ESRB

T

PEGI

12

Release dates

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player only, with no online features.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Credits

Publisher

Eidos Interactive

Developer

Core Design

Released

1997-11-21

Age rating

ESRB T

Region

US

Time to beat

about 16.7 hours