Tomb Raider Switch games delayed

The release of two Tomb Raider spin-off games on the Nintendo Switch has been delayed yet again, after the games’ publisher revealed they had been moved to 2023

Feral Interactive has announced that two Tomb Raider spin-off games headed to the Nintendo Switch have been delayed, after initially planning to release in 2022.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris were first released in 2010 and 2014, respectively. The games are multiplayer co-operative isometric adventure games, with a big focus on environmental puzzle-solving and arcade-inspired combat.

They were both praised upon release for their inventive puzzles, visuals, and challenges, and for offering a fresh but enjoyable take on the Tomb Raider franchise. However, they’ve been criticised by reviewers and players for lacklustre storytelling, which critics have said is lacking in personality compared to some other Tomb Raider games.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light/Temple of Osiris are now coming to Nintendo Switch in 2023. We look forward to sharing more in the new year!

— Feral Interactive (@feralgames) December 21, 2022

Nintendo Switch ports were announced by Feral Interactive in late-2021, with a scheduled release sometime in 2022. However, the publisher has missed its target, and has quietly revealed on Twitter that the ports would instead be released in 2023.

The games were initially developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix Europe, but gaming giant Embracer Group acquired Crystal Dynamics and a number of intellectual properties, including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and more from Square Enix in August 2022.

It’s not known how the acquisition has affected the porting process, but Feral Interactive has said that the games will still release, despite their delay. It was also revealed that Embracer and Crystal Dynamics are also working with Amazon Games on the next mainline Tomb Raider game, which will be developed in Unreal Engine 5 and published by Amazon.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, as well as its predecessor, support up to four-player multiplayer. Picture: Crystal Dynamics

They aren’t the only delays happening, however. The upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie has been delayed in Australia by a week. The previous release date would have seen Australia among the first in the world to watch the movie, but now Australians will have access to it just two days before the US.

Of course, delays aren’t always a bad thing, when the end product is good. Aussie game Sports Story got a surprise release on Christmas Eve after over a year of delays. The follow-up to 2017’s Golf Story, the Brisbane-developed game adds a dozen more sports and activities to enjoy.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.