The Japanese publisher of Tomb Raider wanted to redesign Lara Croft

In the early years of PlayStation, the difference in approach between Eastern and Western markets was reflected in the visual identity of many games. A similar situation occurred with Tomb Raider, and information shared years later has brought it back to light. The fact that the iconic character Lara Croft was designed differently for the Japanese market is an interesting detail in the game’s history.

The Unchanging Lara Croft Decision in Tomb Raider

Paul Douglas, a member of the Tomb Raider creative team, revealed that a redesign of Lara Croft specifically for Japan was considered. At the time, Victor Entertainment, the Japanese publisher of the game, felt that a Western-style character design wouldn’t be appealing enough to Japanese players and prepared alternative artwork. These designs offered a Lara Croft interpretation closer to softer lines and manga aesthetics.

According to Douglas, Victor submitted these designs to the team quite late in the development process. Some images in the magazine even showed that Lara Croft’s 3D model was being prepared according to this new style. However, at this point, series creator Toby Gard intervened and was not keen on changing the character’s in-game appearance.

Ultimately, a compromise was reached. Lara Croft’s in-game model was preserved, while only the instruction manuals and guides included illustrations specific to Japan. Thus, although Tomb Raider experimented with different identities for different markets, it chose to preserve the essence of the main character.

These details, revealed years later, show how Lara Croft was pulled in different directions before becoming a global icon. This small but interesting note about Tomb Raider history offers a new window into the past for fans of the series.

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