Tomb Raider Catalyst Is Reportedly Going Full Open World, And I Am Terrified
The next Tomb Raider appears to be chasing the biggest trend of 2015, and I am already dreading the map icons.
We have been waiting years to see where Crystal Dynamics takes Lara Croft next. If the latest leaks are to be believed, they are taking her to the same place every other developer has gone for the last decade: a massive, bloat-filled open world. According to a prominent leaker named V Scooper, Tomb Raider Catalyst is ditching the distinct regions of the past for a single, continuous map.
I know some people love "value for money" and 200 hours of gameplay, but I am begging developers to stop. It is time for linear games to make a comeback.
THE LEAK THAT KILLED MY HYPE
The report comes from V Scooper, a leaker who previously identified the game's Northern India setting correctly back in 2024. They analyzed a specific shot from the game that shows snowy mountains, jungles, and deserts all visible on the horizon at the same time.
V Scooper argues that this visual continuity suggests a single map rather than isolated zones. It aligns with the marketing talk about this being the "largest Tomb Raider world yet," which is a phrase that used to excite me but now just makes me tired.
I don't want a "continuous map." I want a well-paced story. I want to enter a tomb, solve a puzzle that makes me feel smart, shoot a bad guy, and then move to the next awesome set piece. I do not want to ride a horse for twenty minutes across empty fields just to find a collectible feather.
THE FEAR OF THE BLOAT
I am clearly not alone in this burnout. User Rino on X (formerly Twitter) summed it up perfectly when they said that "9 out of 10 times, open world games tend to be bloated and fun for 3 hours stretched to 80".
This is the exact problem. Linear games respect your time. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Open-world games have a beginning, 60 hours of "filler," and then a rush to the end because you forgot the plot three weeks ago. Rino also pointed out that this structure kills the sense of a grand journey. Instead of traveling across a country, it just feels like wandering around one big, generic city.
COULD IT ACTUALLY WORK?
Okay, let me play devil's advocate for a second. V Scooper did try to defend the design shift. They claimed that this change seems made to "fit a vision of broader systems and mechanics, not fillers".
If, and this is a massive "if", Crystal Dynamics uses the open space to create complex traversal puzzles or genuine survival mechanics where you have to plan your route, it could be cool. Imagine actually having to navigate a jungle rather than just holding forward on the analog stick.
But history is not on their side. Most of the time "broader systems" just means crafting menus and repeating the same three side activities until you lose your mind. I am skeptical. I miss the days when a game knew exactly what it was and didn't try to be everything all at once. We will see if Lara can pull it off, but for now, I am keeping my expectations firmly in check.
Got a hot take on this? I know you do. Head over to r/neonlightsmedia to discuss it.
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