Meet Lara's new nemesis

By Ellie Gibson Published 6 March, 2006

She sounds pretty mental.

With just over a month to go until Lara's latest adventure hits the shops, more details of Tomb Raider: Legend have been revealed - including news that she's set to face off with a mysterious figure from her past.

According to IGN, Legend will introduce us to Amanda Evert, a social anthropologist and old friend of Lara's. After studying all manner of crazy old belief systems, she came to the conclusion that spiritual enlightenment was possible by bringing together various strands of ancient religions.

Lara didn't think much of this theory, but that didn't stop the two of them from becoming mates, or from going on an expedition to Peru together with a load of graduate students. Whilst exploring a tomb which Lara believed was occupied by the last queen of Tiwanaku, or something, they accidentally awoke an evil entity which slaughtered the entire party - except for Lara and Amanda.

The two of them made a run for it, but Amanda set off another trap which closed off the room. The roof caved in and Amanda drowned, leaving only Lara to tell the tale - and to have loads of flashbacks about it in TR: Legend.

But wouldn't you know it, turns out Amanda didn't die after all, and now she's on the same archaeological trail as Lara. Amanda will stop at nothing to get what she wants - even if that means killing off her old chum. Well, trying to, anyway.

You can see more of Amanda over on Eurogamer TV - there are also some new screenshots, too.

It's also been revealed that it's not just Lara's physical appearance which has changed in recent years - she's also had a bit of a personality overhaul. Speaking to MTV, producer Morgan Gray said you can expect less wisecracking and a more sensitive attitude towards local wildlife. Although Lara will still kill off animals, she'll express regret when she does so, "Saying things like, 'That was too bad.'"

Apparently Lara is "Very cosmopolitan and elitist about the world views her and how she views the world," and will be "Posh and chic, but not overly so; she won't wear a baseball cap when she's dressed casually," for example.

Which can only be good news as far as we're concerned. Now all we have to do is wait and see whether Lara's new adventure can claw back some of the credibility lost with Angel of Darkness which, Gray conceded, wasn't helped by the fact that the design team "lost passion for their own game."

Tomb Raider: Legend is out on PC, PS2 and Xbox on April 11th, with PSP and Xbox 360 versions to follow soon after.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Markusdragon #1 6 years ago

    "Although Lara will still kill off animals, she'll express regret when she does so, "Saying things like, 'That was too bad.'""

    Lara Croft: Ecowarrior!

  • Blerk #2 6 years ago

    Morgan Gray said you can expect less wisecracking and a more sensitive attitude towards local wildlife. Although Lara will still kill off animals, she'll express regret when she does so, "Saying things like, 'That was too bad.'"

    What a load of old rot! Killing wildlife ftw!

    "That was too bad... that I didn't have a rocketlauncher! Furry little shite."

  • Tyronne #3 6 years ago

    Lara kill the bunnies!!!!!! if i wanted a ecological soundbite I would go listen to friends of the earth.

    What next,crying because she ran over some flowers?

  • ElephantMonkey #4 6 years ago

    Why would amanda not be friends with Lara anymore just because she didn't die?

    /confused

  • Blerk #5 6 years ago

    So we're all set up for a grand-slam 'mud-wrestling cat-fight' finale, then?

    /books tickets

  • Blerk #6 6 years ago

    Why would amanda not be friends with Lara anymore just because she didn't die?

    Watch the snippet on EGTV - she's narked because Lara presumed she was dead and didn't try to dig her out.

    She looks a bit like Cruella de Vil.

  • Sko #7 6 years ago

    Evil entity? Old colleague left behind makes surprise re-appearance? Is it me or does that not just billboard 'future plot twist' to anyone else?

  • jack_klugman #8 6 years ago

    But will she wear a hooded top? WELL?

  • bionutz #9 6 years ago

    "Posh and chic, but not overly so; she won't wear a baseball cap when she's dressed casually,".
    I don't think that's chic, except in weirdo rap world.

  • kangarootoo #10 6 years ago

    >>
    "Why would amanda not be friends with Lara anymore just because she didn't die?

    Watch the snippet on EGTV - she's narked because Lara presumed she was dead and didn't try to dig her out. "

  • TurdBreaker #11 6 years ago

    I expected Lara's nemesis to be a sports bra...

  • McGeeza #12 6 years ago

    "Posh and chic, but not overly so; she won't wear a baseball cap when she's dressed casually,".

    Morgan's obviously never been to Essex. Twat.

  • Ginger #13 6 years ago

    This news item is useless without pics

    /leaves

  • Triggerhappytel #14 6 years ago

    "Legend will introduce us to Amanda Evert, a social anthropologist and old friend of Lara's."

    Yes, but we really just want to know one question: how big are her breasts?!

  • Xerx3s #15 6 years ago

    Its Christie! \0/

  • max #16 6 years ago

    I bet she's Lara's sister.

    Max

  • GuiltySpark #17 6 years ago

    "i mean how hard can it be to figure out why tomb raider 1 and 2 were good games and every tomb raider game since then have been cack.. everyone else seems to beable to do it, Except for the people making the bloody games! "

    true..

    but they do actually seem to be trying to make a good game this time round

  • Feanor #18 6 years ago

    3 was clearly better than 2.

  • Drakron #19 6 years ago

    Its just me or she looks like Jolie.

    Anyway I am reserving judgement, the "eco warrior" did not sit well and I am not interessed in playing PoP.

  • freedumb #20 6 years ago

    'Having only ever played the demo of Tomb Raider 2 on PS1 i may well give this latest offering a stab'

    You really should play the whole thing. Tomb Raider 2 is the best one, and the level design is varied and inspired.

  • Jimmy__Fury #21 6 years ago

    I'm still hoping they might include a few old classic Tomb Raider levels with the new game engine, eg, St Francis Folly, Lost Valley, Venice...

    This new villian sounds fine enough to me. Though Lara has a worrying track record of leaving her friends behind to die in Tombs!

    Oh, and I'm interested to see she expresses sadness when she kills animals. What about the humans?! I'm glad they are getting Lara 'back to her roots' so to be speak. She kind of became a cold killing machine as the games wore on... Her early promotional shots, she was all smiles, later it was "merciless grim hunter".

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #22 6 years ago

    Lara being nice enough to say "that was too bad" won't make much sense if the player decides to blow up a bunny with a bazooka, now will it?
    Edited by 1 at 06/03/06 @ 20:37

  • Sko #23 6 years ago

    Should we be worried that they're fixating on the main character's eco attitude and dress sense? Or have they just run out of things to 'big up'?