The Cancelled Tomb Raider Anniversary Edition Game - Can We Play It? 

Hearing Tomb Raider Legend being called "dated" makes me feel really old.

They should make Tomb Raider 2 Anniversary.

Fantastic video, but I have a nitpick. Asking Crystal Dynamics for permission is futile. They won't say yes, because they don't have the rights to say yes. They're only the developers, the intellectual property belongs to the publisher, which is Square Enix. They're the ones we need to target, as well as the Tomb Raider social media accounts.

I've played every single TR game, the first 3 are still my fave :) Would love to play the old style TR with upgraded graphics, new secrets and cool stuff

I would love to play this Tomb Raider

Watching this makes me so sad and yet so hopeful at the same time. It's just overall sad to see Core Design got screwed over the way they did. Brilliant games in the making, Like this Anniversary one, and never had a chance to show us the full AoD trilogy either... If we could revive both from the ashes and have them show what they originally planned... Golly that would be a dream coming true.

The original graphic still look beautiful to me. Very impressed at how they were using the original textures and assets to spice up the new stuff.

Awesome video! I do wish as a fan base we could all come together and show a little respect for one another, regardless of which game/Lara is your favourite! The Core version of Anniversary really does sound like a lost treasure! I would love to play that Natla boss fight and Melissa too! :D

The coolest thing ever would be Heather Gibson pitching ideas on bits of the levels, plus of course, Shelley Blond voicing Lara

Core Design's TR1 Anniversary Edition looks like a remix between Legend/Anniversary and Angel Of Darkness. I can still see some of those AoD stylistic choices bleed through the environment and animation.

Damn Tomb Raider History could be lost if we don't get this released.

Tomb Raider had a very dark an intriguing atmosphere, a game full of mysteries, puzzles, keys of all kinds to open new paths, a lonely exploration that makes you feel disolated, abandoned, and besides, everything you see were real places, because core always visited countries like Egypt, London, many South american countries, and tons more, and took pictures to design each level in the game, that's why no other designer like crystal dynamics or even worse, square could ever do, but the preasure of TR Fans, and mistakes from core, mainly because of not explaining what happened to Lara after the incident of the great pyramid, and her "assumed" death, all that ended in Core's getting fired, a great failure from eidos if you asked me, and the only ones that truly lost with this decision were us... the real TRfans that coul have experienced more real magical moments, we have to be more comprehensive, forgive when needed, core claimed that they were making 2 more TR games to explain what happened to Lara, and the explosive pseudo-fans didn't let core amend their mistakes, maybe one of those games was this one. TR: As a fan of TR and legacy of Kain series, I feel like eidos decisions killed both games at once. Hope you Understood my english, I did my best 😃

Crystal don't give af. We've been calling and screaming for a TR with classic roots for 10+ years. They're just gonna keep doing their thing and go with what ever attracts the most money.

“If you remember it.” Oh I remember it. Thanks for making this, that st frances folly waterfall is so damn pretty. While I like anniversary as it stands, I do think the core version has much darker lighting; which I like. Although; Egypt in anniversary was beautiful.

Level Editor is still being used today. I hope crystal would allow the assets to be released

Azrael, you've showed me so much hidden Tomb Raider goodies that I've never heard of before, I have to thank you for being a Tomb Raider historian. This was such a treat for the eyes! And now I'm sad because I never liked the Anniversary game and would've loved to see a Core Design version of it. 😔

Man I would love to play the classic games with some upgrades. Especially tomb raider 2. But I actually really enjoy the new games as well. They definitely aren't anything like the classics so I also understand why people don't buy into them. You have think of it as a different time line exploring a different way of how lara is becoming tomb raider. But I also miss already spunky and sassy young lara of the classics. Games are a lot more story driven these days with a lot of character depth where as the classic games tended to just have a loose, over arching storyline. It's "you have to get the next piece in these next levels" vs "this is the story of laras outer and internal struggle and she's gonna tell you exactly why she's doing what she's doing as she does it so you feel like you're really involved in the story and can feeellll the realness". Both have their appeals. I enjoyed the puzzle solving of the old games but I also enjoy the depth of the new games. Also the classics were always lara wanting something, lara realizing others want the same thing but for bad reasons, lara deciding she has time to ruin their plans while she gets what she wants. The new games make everything personal to lara and not so much about the actual treasure hunting. I'm hoping that they will either skip ahead a few years or just finally get to the part where we get confident, sassy lara with dual pistols who just wants to discover shiz.

After the remastered trilogy announcement (and all the mystery about what will be changed in that version) I started to think, again, about TRAE, and ended up watching this video. I remember when the trailer appeared from nowhere, 17/16 years ago, and how I wanted so much to play Core's remake through all these years. This is what they should be doing, using all the work that Core made years ago, specially now that we know they have the old builds and assets. I know it's not realistically, but the remastered collection is obviously targeted for old school tomb raider fans, and what we want more than TRAE? Nothing!

Thanks for making this video! It's great and very useful to explain to new people what the game is about, the features and how to help getting it published. I'll add a link to it on my article. :)

Sad story... Eidos killed Core Desing & Looking Glass Studios... :( Thanks for the video! :)

There was also a Cancelled Canon continuation of Underworld dlc sequel game which you play as Lara Croft's clone/doppelganger which was going to be multiplayer co-op you and your friends playing as multiplayer Lara Croft clones/ doppelgangers

You brought me to tears. I love Core Design's Tomb Raider !!! That was my LIFE.

Amazing content as usual 🤯♥️ I hope Crystal Dynamics sees this as a win/win because like you said, TRAE has no commercial value and won't impede the success with The Avengers. They still get to promote their own games and TR fans would still get to enjoy this unreleased treasure 😎

Not the biggest gamer in the world but Tomb Raider is one of my all time favourite franchises. This game’s graphics are awesome. I’d love to play it!

I've been hoping this would leak online for over a decade, would love to play it so much ;-;

Thank you for making this video! Exactly what we need right now! I remember the crazy times at TRF when this dropped

"Fearcly ramped up wars between fans" *shows page of trforums as background =)))))) I loved the video it was really beautiful ! A true gift to the fans :)

I had forgotten about this but damn it sounds so much better than what we got. And don't get me started on the modern lara. lol

Finally I had time to watch the video! It's such a great overview and I even learnt a few things I didn't know, like how T-Rex fight would go. I guess I should check what I did and didn't read about TRAE yet... Ah and you also did well with playing with our feelings! :D Haha well, it's hard not to get emotional for Classic TR fans when talking about TRAE. I really hope we will manage to get it out, even though I myself wouldn't be able to do anything with it, I'd just hope other fans would create something out of it. This is such a great part of TR history to be lost forever...

Personally I’m a big fan of the legend games but I would love to see what they had in store for their anniversary edition

An incredible vision of Core Design! Of course, Cristal had her ideas of action during the game... But, the world in Core's vision wins!

Soñaba con ver este juego, finalmente podemos probar un poco del gran trabajo de Core Design 👍 Excelente video

Awesome Video! Thank you for giving us hope again 🖤. I waaaant it 🥺

I actually love the old Tomb Raider animation even if they were going to use it in the CORE design remake

Amazing work as always 👏 this game honestly sounds so amazing, its almost a crime it was cancelled.

I don’t mind the Crystal Dynamics games until the reboot. Ever since Tomb Raider was rebooted, it didn’t felt like Tomb Raider anymore and Lara Croft, the badass with twin pistols didn’t felt like Lara anymore (seriously, even the first two movies understood that). EDIT: Dude, we need to get the Core team back together. Only they could do this game series justice. Even if I like the first 3 CD games, only Core Design managed to give these games that special feel (a mix of creepy, scary, mysterious and exciting) that even AoD had.

That Co-Op idea was so awesome!

Great video! I really hope this can happen with out that dumb quick time aim

i dont care if core design or crystal dynamics, i just want a new tr game in classic style that has very hard puzzles, hard controls that should be mastered, exciting stories with short cutscenes, no survival instinct or hints, and a lara holding a dual pistol that auto aims.

I love Crystal Dynamics but CORE intimidated them with this trailer. They were afraid they take the series back and they want those royalty checks from the brand. They knew this would have became popular enough to get remakes up to Last Revelations and Crystal Dynamics blocked on them.

Personally, I don't care for this exact project, but would love anything TR. 💖🏹💖 awesome video as usual! 💖🏹💖 Also: 5:33 is my tweet I think! 😸💖🏹💖.

Honestly going to Crystal was a huge mistake, they're the most interested in making this build disappear. If it was leaked, Resident Evil 1.5 style, we would already been working on it, by trying to make it playable or at least ripping the textures and objects to create at least a TRLE version of it. Sad to say this will remain on Ash's PC for a long time. At least we know it's safe, but as long as Crystal Dynamics is involved with the franchise, their disdain for the Core era will prevent that anything comes from that build. They're obviously not Nintendo so I don't see them sending cease and desist letters, especially on a fanbase that is building custom games with original assets officially for the last 20 years. But this is corporate business, and they're very protective with how the TR brand is handled, so they will never allow, especially if it allows comparisons with their cherished TR1 remake.

It looks like the exact kind of Tomb Raider I want to play and it's such a shame it was never made (Except that trapdoor spider. Fuck that spider) It would be so good to have something playable or more tangible of TRAE

Great job getting these screenshots. I never saw Croft Manor and it looks much better than the Crystal Dynamics remake.

Awesome video, you illustrated the whole situation perfectly! I have a question...what the heck was that animation of Anniversary Lara? I've never seen it...or just don't remember it XD

while i loved tomb raider anniversary and thought it was fantastic, this would have been even better. I didn't mind crystal dynamics to begin with but after Underworld they ruined the series. I would love to see this finished, finally a proper tomb raider game again.

Yes people but, hard to say, i’m really grateful that this didn’t came out... the current official TRA is waaay more playable and graphically good. This TRA concepts and sceneries are nice as the atmosphere that embraces it but guys this would look 30 years old now and you couldn’t enjoy playing it as you can with the official one. I’m just sad that everything that came out after TRU (except for the Lara Croft’s spin off which i found very fun to play) Square Enix didn’t get a shit about the tomb raider aim and spirit making the reboot trilogy games too much “reality oriented” focusing too little on storytelling, personalities and the gameplay as it used to be. Don’t know about you but if the next TR game won’t have auto targeting, acrobatics, shorts and attitude i won’t buy another single game form Square Enix :3

I mean, I'm very happy with the Tomb Raider: Anniversary that we got, but yeah, this absolutely blows it away.

No, no. Don't pester Crystal Dynamics about it, but Square-Enix fellas. The publisher has more of a say on what can be made available publicly, legal or otherwise. Developers can't be expected to approve such things, otherwise employees within said company would be at risk of voiding their work contract and getting fired. If you all truly want Core's TR Anniversary assets to be made available, that's how you get their attention.

This looks like it would have been brilliant. I wonder what they'd want to hold onto it for? So cool that we're able to see so much of what would have otherwise just been lost forever.

Imagine getting back your baby for one last time and hoping to impress everybody enough to be allowed to keep it, and then right when you're done working on it and present it, somebody else hands in their complete work first right in front of you. Core Design gets fucked over so badly it's not even funny anymore. Taken away from them after AoD and prefered Crystal dynamics for the anniversary of Core Designs game. This is so disrespectful it hurts me.

I wonder why they won't just let CORE and Crystal Dynamics let their Tomb Raiders run side by side.

More please more ! Thank you so much I am quite disappointed by the 25th anniversary which really didn't mean and didn't give very much to fans

The old tomb raider games were the best, but I'm not a fan of the new games.

Have anyone made a tutorial on how to run the game?

Anniversary and legend are most i love on this series. Though i have played for three, last revelation and chornicles still legend and anniversary were made me felt to this series. I denied accept those survival tomb raider series ( PS 3 above ) as lara croft I know

New tomb raider games have lost the ecstatic of the franchise. The legendary series initially was good, but this realistic idea is not the real lara. (Or realistic for that manner, lol) lara is meant to be an early devilmay cry or bayonetta. What i mean is lara does amazing things easily and is always cool and collect. She isnt as extreme as the two examples but she is the first of this genre. It is sad to see her watered down to her current iteration

First lara was the best and tomb raider 2 my childhood! I would see a remake like anniversary but for tr 2!

Glad to see more people are joining the cause. :) I've wanted to play the _real_ Tomb Raider 1 remake ever since I first read about it back in 2008 when googling Anniversary, especially after seeing Tomb of Ash's collection of screenshots, watching all the trailers/animation demos and reading the design doc. The Extra Boss level, Escape from Atlantis as well as Atlantis in general are my favourite parts of the Core remake and I long to actually play them. I did hear rumours that Escape from Atlantis had only been designed but not implemented by the time it was cancelled though. Maybe when Crystal allow it to release, the Tomb Raider community can contact/get together with the original TRAE team from Core Design to implement the missing parts. #TRAE

what is that version of tomb raider 1 with better resolution with shadows and water animation? Min 13:16 for example

Thank you for this video

I wish the newer games were like the older ones like the ones from crystal dynamics :’(

I remember when this was leaked, and until the release, I kept praying that somehow Core Design's would be the one that we got to play. Stopped buying Tomb Raider after Core Design was dumped. #allhailAsh

For me it was never about Crystal vs. Core, as TRL/TRA/TRU were quite close in spirit to the classics. But I got upset when Crystal started selling a female Robin Hood survival shooter game as TR, the reboot trilogy.

Eidos denied us this gem and gave us Crystal's ledge hopping rubbish instead.

Man i wish i could try this version out

this sounds amazing!

So sad this never saw the light of day... The Crystal Dynamics remake was dreadful.

Can we get Fear Effect inferno now?

i want core back making tomb raider. they should re do the games from 1 to 4 . just re master, dont change the game play. id pay full price for those again. on ps5 they would be mind blowing. :-)

Quick question: does this mean Core was not fired after the disappointing release of Angel of Darkness? Does this mean they were still on board, but this time on competition with Crystal Dynamics?

Por favor habilite as legendas para que eu possa assistir com a tradução automática.

I'd really like to see them reboot 2 and 3 at least. 3 is the best one

As a kid who played the OG TR games they were very tough however going through Anniversary it really balances out alot of the bullshit from the original game tho I still hate what they did to the Trex boss.

Well, I signed the thing. A couple of million signature more........... and we are in business.

And would you believe the Nivida leak included a game called Tomb Raider Anniversary 2021!!! Just a few days ago

Still I think the Tomb Raider Anniversary we officially got was a pretty fine game overall. Still I think I would have wanted 2-4 remade as well. ( yeah I know, dagger of xian but it is only the first level). Still I hope Anniversay gets a tech upgrade on xbox consoles to look like the PC version.

To paraphrase what a wise man once said about a game in a similar situation to TRAE: "You know how people say something's always alive so long as you keep it in your hearts? That might work for Grandma but not Lara Croft. We _could_ have Core Design's Tomb Raider Anniversary Edition as it should have been. It's not unthinkable, it's not impossible, it only requires the will. And the balls." ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rSv8J6mpKLw.html

I like that co-op idea.

When you said "thats what Lara would do" i almost shed a tear. Idk why lol

I really liked ALL the Lara iterations INCLUDING AOD by Core, Anniversary & Underworld done by Squire Enix, but the TR2013 Trilogy Lara is just not Lara anymore.. Just a Far Cry clone

Goosebumps!

I was so disappointed that this game never got released. I did not like Crystal's Tomb Raider Anniversary.

Is the atlantian part not included in core design's 10th anniversary game?

Still waiting for a remake of Dagger of Xian!

Quiero a Lara Croft la original de Core design , no me gusta que traten de hacer a Lara con el aspecto de una persona real , me encariñé mucho con Lara de los 90's , tenía mucho carisma y me inspira simpatía hasta hoy en día, los desarrolladores deberían trabajar más con ese diseño de Lara mejorando texturas y formas mucho más, por esa Lara es que amé y amo Tomb raider .😔💚

1:25 What track did you use?

This is almost a Duke Nukem Forever scenario.

It was only a teaser and it worked.lol production team couldn't see eye to eye on it, and this was to get fan pressure and hype up for the game. Money is a motivator.

TR -PS1, TR -PS2 ,TR -PS3 and up today i like the G8J female model from Tomb Raider Anniversary G8J female model is also in Tomb Raider underworld this female model have lot more body then what was used in last 3 Tomb Raider Games of the series thank you

now i have to go play the original again, always a fave and wow this version would be awesome to play

Hello, I have a question. Now that Square Enix has sold off Tomb Raider, what happens now? Is this the end of Tomb Raider as a whole?

Crystal Dynamics fucked Tomb Raider up so completely that I can't stand the franchise any more and haven't played any of the last 3 games.

One of numerous issues was how Core design was behind the curve. TR legend and Core Design TR anniversary were probably developed next to each other but Core Design games never updated their mechanics and graphics, they were way too Playstation 1 era,

We need this.. omg classic tomb raider all the way 😁🤘

I love both type of Tomb raider. Both had their strengths and weaknesses. I hate the latests trilogy though. Uncharted Raiders has nothing to do with the base idea of the game or even the characters.

Wow classic TOMB!!!!!!

They did remake the original TombRaider. I have the PC copy of the game. Or is this something entirely different?

I've copied and edited my Crystal email to send to Square Enix as well now. I used the email address "Media.UK@eu.square-enix.com;" from this site: square-enix-games.com/en_US/documents/media "Good Afternoon Square Enix, I initially wrote this as a comment on one of Crystal Dynamics’ youtube videos since I couldn't find their actual company email address when I looked on the actual company website before facebook (the former just had a support ticket messenger or something in the Contact Us tab) but I intended to send this request via email, of which I have already sent Crystal a copy: I and many others have been fans of Tomb Raider since at least 1998 or 1999 and while I love Crystal’s Tomb Raider games as well like Legend and Underworld, Tomb Raider Anniversary leaves a lot to be desired. However, I learned that Core Design were working on their own remake first, TRAE (Tomb Raider 10th Anniversary Edition) for PSP & PS2 (and possibly PC?) with some Legend influences as well back in 2006 and It looked much better, like a cross between Legend (Xbox Classic version) and TRAOD. Here is what I was thinking at the time I read about this back in 2008: "A new Tomb Raider game by Core themselves that remakes TR1 Black Mesa style i.e. faithful to the original but with big differences in the right ways, with a Legend style Lara that controls like TRAOD meets Underworld, crosshair targeting, some moves inspired by both Legend & Core's Free Running and brand new stuff like Escape from Atlantis and a unique spin on Legend's great secrets system? My money could not exit my wallet fast enough...if it wasn't cancelled." Tomb of Ash is where I go to look at all things TRAE related in order to fill the gap for this missing gem not unlike Duke Nukem Forever 2001. I love going there and reading up on Core's game; It makes me happy knowing what Core were doing for us back then and it makes me miss this game and the style of the best Tomb Raider games in general. (Core's 7 counting TRAE, Legend and Underworld) Now that Shadow of the Tomb Raider has wrapped up the prequel trilogy/second reboot what-have-you, the cut ending to it showed Lara receiving a letter from Natla (possibly to meet her through Larson in Calcutta) and Lara's 25th Anniversary is coming up, I humbly request that you and Crystal Dynamics allow Tomb of Ash and the Tomb Raider community to publish Core's TRAE assets. It would serve as not only the best 25th Anniversary gift we could get but also a good way to hype people for any future Tomb Raider games made. It should even boost sales of Tomb Raider Anniversary itself: someone who plays or views TRAE will see it and think "Gosh, this is pretty damn cool for a formally cancelled game. I need more of this so I think I'll try the Crystal remake for comparison. Hell, I love most TR games so I'll just get them both anyway." If they try TRAE and it isn't their cup of tea, they might buy TRA instead and those who do like TRAE will actually have it, meaning everybody wins. Personally I'd take both Core's Tomb Raider Anniversary Edition & Crystal’s Tomb Raider Anniversary as despite going off the latter in favour of Core’s one, it still has some nostalgic memory for me like James Rolf has for Castlevania 2. After all, I love Croft Manor and Peru up until Tomb of Qualopec in TRA as well as Lara's outfits (especially the PSP exclusive ones like Antarctica), plus it was the first way I had to play TR1 again after Windows stopped supporting DOS games until I got GLIDOS and later DOSbox later in 2008. However, I owe it to Core Design for getting me into video games in the first place at 3 years old thanks to Tomb Raider 2+3, so me getting and playing their cancelled remake would be my way of showing my gratitude, plus it looks soooo good especially Atlantis (the main pyramid shaft, Natla's Mines and Natla's War Machine from the new final level most of all), the Core Lost Valley with its volcano in the skybox, the old but improved Cistern, St. Francis Folly's chapel tower with the waterfalls and round platforms, the Obelisk of Khamoon and the new Sanctuary Sphinx, which now looks like a TR4 level in the TRAOD engine. So as but one part of the Tomb Raider fanbase, please allow permission to release the Core's Anniversary Edition stuff. I'd be eternally grateful for it like I was when you gave us Tomb Raider 0 (2013), Shadow of the Tomb Raider and when Crystal gave us the other 2006 Tomb Raider gem that is Legend. Kind Regards, LOC #TRAE"

I think they said not since their making a anniversary edition and probably don't want the attention took away from the new game to this one. I'm glad they didn't fully shut him Ash done and tell him to get rid of it. So hopefully they say yes after 25th anniversary comes out