Raptors, a T-Rex, dual pistols and a waterfall puzzle with no paint telling you where to go. Here's what I played, plus everything the new 30th anniversary trailer shows ahead of the February 12, 2027 launch.
Our take Most Anticipated
Some games remind you why you fell in love with a series in the first place. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis did that for me. I got my hands on it, and one word sums up the whole session: epic. Then the new 30th anniversary trailer dropped and showed even more of what I was hoping for.
Watch the video preview
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Hands-On Preview: One Word, Epic, and the New Trailer Only Backs It UpIf this is any indication, Legacy of Atlantis is shaping up to be a remake done right.
CMoney, OnPoint 4 Gamers
What it is
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is a full reimagining of the original 1996 Tomb Raider, Lara Croft’s debut adventure. It’s developed by Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog, published by Amazon Games, and built in Unreal Engine 5. You hunt for the scattered pieces of the Scion, an artifact of immeasurable power, across the jungles of Peru, the ruins of Greece, the deserts of Egypt and a mysterious Mediterranean island. The official pitch promises modern game design and “new surprises” while honoring the spirit and atmosphere of the original.
It launches February 12, 2027 on Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch 2.
What I played
I played a pre-release build at Summer Game Fest 2026, and the session was split into two parts.
The puzzle. Most of my time went into a classic temple puzzle. You hunt down missing cogs to repair a massive turntable and redirect a roaring waterfall to open the way forward. There are no glowing markers and no yellow paint pointing at the answer. You have to stay observant and actually explore. The challenge was right where I want it, engaging without ever tipping into frustrating, and every discovery felt earned.
The traversal. Movement feels responsive and modern while staying true to Lara’s acrobatic roots. The grappling hook is a delight. You use it to swing across chasms, yank objects into place and pull down obstacles. I love the new running animation and the sense of momentum it has, and the iconic swan dive off a high cliff into the water is pure exhilaration. The little touches sell it, too. Lara crosses her arms before she plunges feet first, and she throws an arm up to shield herself when she’s standing under a pounding waterfall. She feels like a living, breathing adventurer.
The combat. The second half turned up the heat with aggressive raptors as the first real threat. The dual pistols are back with infinite ammo, so you can focus on moving. You can pull off slow motion flips and dodges in every direction while you lay down fire, and it looks and feels great. The raptors put up a real fight. I went down more than once learning their patterns, which made beating them that much more satisfying. It all built to a huge set piece, running alongside charging raptors while a towering T-Rex came thundering through the jungle after us, capped with a brutal enemy takedown. Edge of your seat stuff.
An Amazon Games rep told me the slice I played was only a small part of the larger area, so there’s a lot more room for exploration, secrets and collectibles in the full game.
It looks stunning
Visually, this is an absolute stunner. Unreal Engine 5 makes the sunlight coming through the jungle canopy feel real. Lara’s model is incredibly detailed and expressive, the environments are packed with texture, foliage and distant detail, and the cutscenes look cinematic. It’s the kind of game that makes you stop just to soak it in.
What the new trailer shows
What are you most hyped for in Legacy of Atlantis?
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Crystal Dynamics, Flying Wild Hog and Amazon Games released a new 30th Anniversary teaser on October 25, 2026, after it debuted at the TR30 celebration in Derby, England, and played at MCM Comic Con London. Here’s what it confirms and shows: – Release date locked: February 12, 2027. – Three editions: Standard, Deluxe and Collector’s. – Pre-order bonus: Lara’s Survivor outfit from the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot comes with every edition. – 48-hour early access for Deluxe and Collector’s Edition owners. – Classic puzzles: Lara pushes a huge boulder along a groove in the floor. – Acrobatics: flipping on bars sticking out of the walls, flips in the middle of gunfights and dives into pools. – More enemies: fights against human enemies and a leopard, plus the cat mummies fans remember from the original. – Classic Lara: she’s in the classic tank top and shorts look.
The trailer lines up with exactly what I played: big environmental puzzles, the acrobatic gunplay and that old school sense of discovery.
[Embed: official trailer, Tomb Raider channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQsO_cecRR0]
Verdict: Most Anticipated
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis left me hungry for the full adventure. It brings back that sense of wonder and discovery from the original and updates everything from the controls to the visuals so it feels vital today. If this is any indication, it’s shaping up to be a remake done right, one that honors the past while carving its own exciting path. Epic. February 12 can’t get here fast enough.
This is a hands-on preview, so there’s no score here.
Screens from a pre-release, work-in-progress build. Featured image: OnPoint 4 Gamers.
