If you trembled with terror as the T-Rex thundered towards you, prayed you would reach the end of a level with only a sliver of health or tried to lock the elderly butler in the freezer, then this rigorous unofficial history of the birth of Tomb Raider and its sequel is the book for you.
I vividly remember loading up Tomb Raider for the first time and being dumbstruck by its atmosphere and realism. It cost around £40 which was a fortune back in 1997, but I still have it and play it. This was something nobody had seen before; it required an entirely new sklllset from the player. The freedom of movement, though limited by today’s standards, was mind blowing. Once it clicked, I lost hours of my life inside its world.
Released in the time of the Spice Girls, Tony Blair and Britpop, Tomb Raider quickly became a global phenomenon. Author Daryl Baxter has interviewed every member of the creative team behind the games (including Lara’s voice artists) and vigorously verified every fact so this is the definitive, true story. The book is richly illustrated with iconic images from the games and rare, original drawings of schematic outlines for the levels. There is plenty of detail on the technology used to code the game and also a chapter on the music and its composer.
Very much a nostalgia-fest for anyone who loves the game, the book reminds the reader of a simpler time when video games were made by talented amateurs rather than money-driven committees. It is a book written by a fan for fans, and is a joy to read.
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