Its critical and commercial success prompted Core Design to develop a new game annually for the next four years, which put a strain on staff. Additional media has been developed for the franchise in the form of film adaptations, comics and novels.ĭevelopment of Tomb Raider, the first video game, began in 1994 it was released in October 1996. Gameplay generally focuses on exploration of environments, solving puzzles, navigating hostile environments filled with traps, and fighting enemies. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, then by Square Enix Europe after Square Enix's acquisition of Eidos in 2009, the franchise focuses on fictional British archaeologist Lara Croft, who travels around the world searching for lost artefacts and infiltrating dangerous tombs and ruins. Tomb Raider, also known as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider between 20, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design.