8 Possible Settings For The Next Tomb Raider Game

Highlights

• Lara Croft’s future adventures post-Survivor Trilogy may include locations like Iraq, Jordan, Colombia, California, Maldives, Laos, Pearl River Delta, and North Carolina.
• Tomb Raider franchise now under Amazon promises exciting new locations with remasters of earlier games and new games using Unreal Engine 5 in development.
• Lara Croft’s potential visits to places like the Round City of Baghdad, Petra, Ciudad Perdida, Pearl River Delta, and Roanoke Colony offer intriguing possibilities for her next missions.

As Lara Croft enters a fascinating time in her storied history, it’s hard not to think about what’s next. Post-Survivor Trilogy, the Tomb Raider franchise feels like it’s in a strange, yet somewhat familiar place. It isn’t the first time that Lara has been left without a direction after some critically divisive entries.

Tomb Raider is now owned by Amazon after having been sold off by Square-Enix’s western division, so it’s likely that Lara’s next globe-trotting adventure is going to have some bucks behind it. With a remaster of the first three games on the way and a new game confirmed to be in development using Unreal Engine 5, it’s exciting to think about where she’ll be heading next.

Updated on February 18, 2024, by Maddie Fisher: This list was updated to include a few more speculative locations for Lara Croft to visit next. Entries for Iraq, where Lara could visit the lost capital known as the Round City of Baghdad or the Citadel of Erbil, as well as Jordan, where the intrepid adventurer could find her way to Petra. Additionally, both Iraq and Jordan have never appeared in the Tomb Raider franchise beyond a few brief mentions in various games. Developer Crystal Dynamics is early in development of the next title in the series, so these new locations could feature some amazing new areas for Lara to explore, adding to the franchise’s already incredible list of fascinating places.

8 Iraq

Lara Could Explore The Forgotten Former Capital City Of Iraq

• The Round City of Baghdad
• The Citadel of Erbil

The Round City of Baghdad was lost due to a civil war between the two sons of Harun al-Rashid, which resulted in its long decline. Once one of the most prosperous cities in the entire world, the Round City is but a mere memory today.

It’s this ancient conflict that makes it a perfect place for Lara to visit. As Tomb Raider has often visited sites that bear interesting sociopolitical backgrounds, the Round City and its place in the history of Iraq would make a phenomenal location for Crystal Dynamics to take Lara next.

7 Jordan

Amazing Archaeological Site Would Be A Great Fit For Lara’s Next Stop

Petra was originally planned to be a location in the very first Tomb Raider game, but was cut from the final game for unknown reasons. It’s a shame, as this stunning location is right up Lara’s alley, and it would be wise for Crystal Dynamics to re-examine it.

Located south of Syria in West Asia, Jordan is also home to Petra. This mesmerizing architectural site is one of the most beautiful and surreal locations in the world, and its complex history is one that would be ideal for Lara to uncover next.

6 Colombia

Lara’s Next Adventure Could Explore The Preservation Conflict In Santa Marta

• Salt Cathedral
• Ciudad Perdida
• Gold Museum

Hidden deep in the grassy hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Santa Marta, Colombia, is an ancient, forgotten city. It’s known as Ciudad Peridia or “The Lost City” and was discovered in 1972 and has since been the subject of a few interesting events. It was heavily affected by the still ongoing Colombian armed conflict and is being preserved by the Global Heritage Fund.

It has a rich, complex history, which means that it’s a perfect spot for Lara to visit. Not only does it have a fascinating origin point for its discovery, but the ramifications surrounding its preservation attempts could make for a fabulous story for Lara’s next adventure. Preservation of indigenous locations and history has been a constant mission for Lara, making this a great spot for her to explore in the future.

5 California

Exploring The Dark Canyons Of Los Angeles

• Death Valley
• Anza-Borrego Desert

Despite visiting the surrounding areas a few times, Lara hasn’t yet set her boots into West Coast wonderland. Tomb Raider games rarely stay in the confines of the United States, except for stops in places like New York City and Las Vegas, so letting Lara soak up some sun could lead to some fun adventures.

Exploring some of California’s oldest tunnels and caves could be fun, but maybe the most interesting one would be to allow Lara to connect her adventure with the Battle of Los Angeles, a strange event from the early 1940s that involved air raid sirens and unseen attackers. It’s perfect fodder for Lara Croft to investigate.

4 The Maldives

Lara Could Examine The Fascinating Matriarchal Society Of The Maldives

• Alimathaa Island
• Huruki Miskiiy Mosque

One of the more interesting aspects of the early history of The Maldives, an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, involves the inhabitants known as the Redin who settled in Sri Lanka. Perhaps even more interesting is that they were a matriarchal society, one ruled by a woman.

The Maldives is filled with fascinating, unique history and is a location that feels perfect for Lara. It’s somewhat isolated, existing in its own ecosystem within the ocean. Dropping Lara off here and having her have to uncover some sort of mystery feels too good to pass up.

3 Laos

This Dark Piece Of Vietnam War History Could Be Lara’s Next Voyage

• The Plain of Jars
• Pha That Luang
• Vat Phou

Located in Laos, Vietnam on the Xiangkhoang Plateau, the Plain of Jars is a dusty landscape that features several hundred stone jars. As strange as that sounds, what’s even more unusual is how they are jammed deep into the ground and are filled with dangerous remnants from the Vietnam War, including bombs dropped by the U.S. that never exploded.

The story surrounding the plain is equally fascinating, telling about a race of giants that used large jars to store alcohol. This rich and complex history that bounces between fantastical and historical is a spot that would be a great landing zone for Lara’s next trek.

2 Pearl River Delta

Lara Croft Could Explore The Seedy Heart Of A Criminal Underworld

• Pearl River Megacity
• Bocca Tigris

Lara previously visited this location in other games, but the Pearl River Delta, which is located in Southern China, has been left untouched. Planned to be the setting for the canceled Sleeping Dogs sequel, the Pearl River Delta is a sprawling megalopolis that is one of the richest in the world.

As a result, it stands to reason that Lara could get up to all sorts of trouble here. Specifically, the Bocca Tigris is a strait lying within Pearl River that has a lot of interesting military and combat history that can be examined. Or perhaps even better, due to Pearl River Delta’s status as a megacity of sorts, Lara could sink deep into a criminal underworld that may exist there. Perhaps she could even dust off the old “race an ambiguous criminal organization to an ancient artifact” trope and go to town.

1 North Carolina

The Lost Roanoke Colony Is An Intriguing Mystery For Lara To Solve

• Dare County
• Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

Though she spends most of her time traveling to exotic places located all around the world, Lara’s trips stateside have been just as interesting. One that Lara could be right at home in is North Carolina, a place that feels unassuming until one considers the possibilities.

The mysterious disappearance of the Roanoke Colony is a perfect fit for Lara, as it allows her to explore something that could ground her new journey, as the most interesting theories surrounding the colony’s fate stem from either a disastrous return to England or something related to the word “Croatoan,” which was scatched into a tree in the colony. The supernatural elements will come, but allowing Lara to explore something somewhat more mundane could be just what the doctor ordered.