After wrapping up the Survivor trilogy and getting the remaster treatment for her first six games, treasure hunter extraordinaire Lara Croft is going back to her roots in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. This remake is a complete, from-the-ground-up reimagining of the 1996 debut title, taking the original story and globe-trotting quest, but updating it with modernized gameplay, new mechanics, and entirely new visuals, while still keeping the spirit of the original game intact. We had the chance to go hands-on with an early build at this year’s Summer Game Fest, and, well, we walked away wanting even more.

If the basic setup for Legacy of Atlantis sounds familiar, that’s because the foundation the original was built on has largely been left intact. A younger Lara Croft finds herself jet-setting across the world in an attempt to recover the Scion — an artifact that originated from the lost civilization of Atlantis — for her employer, wealthy businesswoman Jacqueline Natla. Her first stop takes her to the Lost Valley of Peru, where the first piece of the Scion is hidden, and this is where the demo we played at Summer Game Fest kicks off.

Seconds after taking control of Lara, it’s clear that Legacy of Atlantis has made sweeping changes to the way the titular tomb raider goes about her business. There are no tank controls to be had here; instead, Lara can move and run around just like, well, every other protagonist from your modern AAA action game. She can clamber, climb walls and vines, jump, sprint, and swing from her grappling hook with ease. Sure, some of her jumps have that same, predictable parabolic arc that I associate with some of the older Tomb Raider titles, but it’s a night-and-day difference compared to her adventures from the late ’90s.

She also has a few new tricks and gadgets up her sleeve. Lara’s trusty scanner can provide additional details on objects in the environment. Although only a few items can be scanned, it’s nice to have a way to highlight and hone in on important items nearby. Lara is also able to scour and forage resources in the environment, from artifacts that shed more light on ancient civilizations, to herbs and other ingredients that can be used to craft healing items.

For me, one of Legacy of Atlantis’ biggest selling points was how the Lost Valley was laid out. To be clear, this is still a linear adventure through and through, but there are enough circular paths and secrets tucked away in side areas that it genuinely feels fun and rewarding to explore every nook and cranny. Even in the moments where I got lost or ended up circling back around to an area I had already visited, I never felt like my time was wasted, but rather, that I had just pieced together a bit more as to how a level or particular area was laid out.

After taking in the sights and sounds (as well as solving an introductory puzzle that involved retrieving a few gears strewn around the area), the demo whisked me away a bit further into the game, and it didn’t take long for a handful of deadly raptors to ambush Lara. Tamping down my lingering questions about how dinosaurs still survived into the modern day, I quickly whipped out Lara’s signature pair of pistols and began going to town, taking out dinosaurs left and right while not considering that I may have just completely eliminated an entire species from existence.

Much like how Lara can platform with ease, she’s also much more fluid during combat sections. Aside from being able to sprint and roll out of the way, you can also make use of the game’s Focus system, which allows Lara to slow down time to line up a shot, all while pulling off some trademark acrobatics like her sideways flips and rolls. After taking out a pack of Raptors, the iconic T. rex made its debut, chasing Lara throughout the jungle while also taking out a few leftover Raptors along the way. This particular chase sequence was well choreographed and never overstayed its welcome, and even included a (very) brief section where Lara is running towards the screen — as you can imagine, as an old-school Crash Bandicoot fan, I had a huge smile on my face during this fleeting moment.

We only got to go hands-on with a small slice of what Legacy of Atlantis has to offer, but if it’s any indication of what’s in store for players, fans, and newcomers alike, they are in for a real treat.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is set to release on February 12, 2027, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2.