The enduring legacy of the classic Tomb Raider series is kept vibrantly alive by a dedicated and creative modding community. This passionate group of fans has spent decades crafting intricate custom levels, expanding the game's universe far beyond its original boundaries. Their commitment not only preserves the spirit of the early adventures but also continues to push the boundaries of what's possible within the game's framework. This communal effort has fostered a unique environment where both seasoned designers and newcomers can share their visions and contribute to a rich, evolving world of exploration and puzzles, ensuring Lara Croft's original journeys remain a captivating experience for generations of players.
Axel Hatté, inspired by the level editor included with 'Tomb Raider: Chronicles' in 2000, embarked on his journey into custom level creation in 2013, coinciding with the release of a more modern Lara Croft incarnation. His initial excitement for map design for Core Design's original games matured over 13 years before he actively participated. The discovery of the 'Tomb Raider' mapping community was a pivotal moment for Hatté, ultimately guiding him into a professional career within the gaming industry. He emphasizes that without the collaborative support and shared knowledge of this community, his significant creative achievements would likely not have materialized.
The fascination with designing levels for early 'Tomb Raider' titles might seem unusual today, given their reputation for challenging gameplay and sometimes awkward controls. However, this phenomenon mirrors other successful modding scenes, such as those for 'Quake,' 'Thief,' and 'Half-Life.' These communities share a profound appreciation for 3D level creation, a desire to build upon the foundational concepts of the original developers, and a knack for adapting older tools to achieve novel designs previously considered unattainable in the 1990s.
The history of this community is as rich and extensive as those surrounding the iconic first-person shooters of its era, boasting thousands of custom maps spanning over two and a half decades. Remarkably, the earliest fan-made levels for 'Tomb Raider' predated the official level editor's release, thanks to a user-developed toolkit by a modder known as Turbo Pascal. Klona, an administrator for TRCustoms, a fan website hosting a vast collection of custom 'Tomb Raider' missions, notes that despite its limitations and bugs, this early editor allowed for the creation of levels using the 'Tomb Raider 1, 2, and 3' engines. Evidence of levels appearing on websites a year before the official 'Tomb Raider Level Editor' confirms this early burst of creativity.
The official level editor, commonly known as TRLE, became the cornerstone for the majority of subsequent custom maps. Its compatibility with the TR4 Engine explains why most custom creations are tailored for 'Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation.' Over time, community ingenuity expanded TRLE's capabilities through custom tools and fan-made patches, paving the way for the emergence of 'Tomb Editor' in 2017. Klona highlights that 'Tomb Editor' provided a much-needed revitalization, offering enhanced functionalities that enabled creators to develop content for any of the classic game engines.
While the 'trle.net' website was a long-standing hub for the 'Tomb Raider' mapping community, a new platform, TRCustoms, was co-founded by Klona and fellow fan mapper Dinne in 2022. This initiative arose from dissatisfaction with the archaic nature of 'trle.net,' where submissions and fixes required manual email correspondence with the webmaster. With the consent of 'trle.net''s webmaster, TRCustoms was established, leveraging historical data from the original site but building a completely new platform with independent systems. Both platforms collectively host nearly 4,000 custom 'Tomb Raider' levels, with over 3,000 designed for 'Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation.' These levels span a wide range, from classic adventures like 'Himalayan Mysteries,' depicting a young Lara's survival after a plane crash, to inventive concepts such as 'Enterprise,' where Lara explores the famed Star Trek spaceship.
The community has nurtured numerous esteemed level designers, including BradTRe, who began his journey after discovering the level editor. He was deeply impressed by the custom levels created by other builders and has been crafting his own adventures ever since. For Brad, the ability to design and share his unique challenges with other players is an incredibly fulfilling experience. Over the past 18 years, Brad has developed nearly a dozen new Tomb Raider adventures, many of which are ambitious, multi-level projects, each stage distinct from the last.
Brad's creative process begins by envisioning the end goal of a level, whether it's the discovery of an artifact, an escape, or another specific objective. He then meticulously plans the key elements, integrating gameplay mechanics, enemies, and traps to ensure a cohesive flow towards the conclusion. His notable works include his most recent endeavor, 'Curse of Camazots,' and the elaborate holiday-themed adventure, 'Another Bloody Christmas,' which took him two years to complete. He describes it as his most ambitious project, featuring extensive levels, scripting, cutscenes, dialogue, and an intense storyline.
Meanwhile, Axel Hatté has produced seven maps since 2013, gaining recognition for his demake of 'Tomb Raider: Legend,' Crystal Dynamics' debut in the series. He reimagined the PS2-era game in the classic 'Tomb Raider' style, focusing on creating levels he himself would enjoy playing. His preference leans towards more linear experiences, emphasizing platforming and traps over complex puzzles. While many acknowledge the challenge of revisiting Core Design's 'Tomb Raiders' due to their controls and often obscure puzzles, members of the community, like Klona, argue that their unique appeal lies in embracing their environmental puzzle nature. Hatté, while recognizing the games as an 'acquired taste,' values their focused design, lack of constant interruptions, and the freedom to explore vast environments.
The 'Tomb Raider' community proved transformative for Hatté's career. In 2023, he was recruited by Saber Interactive's technical director to contribute to the 'Tomb Raider' remasters. Despite his limited professional experience and hastily assembled portfolio, his profound knowledge of the classic games and modding expertise secured him a position as an environment artist, primarily working on 'Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered.' This opportunity was, for Hatté, a life-changing experience, for which he is immensely grateful. With new 'Lara Croft' adventures recently announced, including a second remake of the original game and a sequel to 'Tomb Raider: Underworld,' the community hopes these titles will re-embrace the core design principles and unique gameplay style that made the original games so compelling, as Klona expresses, allowing players to once again get lost in maze-like levels and uncover objectives through environmental understanding.
