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''Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation'' is an
action-adventure An action-adventure game is a video game genre, video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements f ...
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
developed by
Core Design Core Design Limited (known as Rebellion (Derby) Ltd between 2006 and 2010) was a British video game developer based in Derby. Founded in May 1988 by former Gremlin Graphics employees, it originally bore the name Megabrite until rebranding as Co ...
and published by
Eidos Interactive Eidos Interactive Limited (formerly Domark Limited) was a British video game publisher based in Wimbledon, London. Among its franchises were '' Championship Manager'', '' Deus Ex'', ''Hitman'', '' Thief'' and ''Tomb Raider''. Domark was founded ...
. It was first released for
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
and
Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
in 1999, then on
Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
and
Mac OS Mac operating systems were developed by Apple Inc. in a succession of two major series. In 1984, Apple debuted the operating system that is now known as the classic Mac OS with its release of the original Macintosh System Software. The system ...
the following year. It is the fourth instalment in the ''
Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an Action-adventure game, action-adventure video game series created by British video game developer Core Design. The franchise i ...
'' series. The narrative follows archaeologist-adventurer
Lara Croft Lara Croft is a character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise ''Tomb Raider''. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British adventurer and archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins arou ...
as she races to imprison the Egyptian god
Set Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...
after accidentally setting him free. Gameplay features Lara navigating levels split into multiple areas and room complexes, fighting enemies and solving puzzles to progress. Production of ''The Last Revelation'' began in 1998. Due to the strain of developing ''Tomb Raider'' titles non-stop since 1996, and general fatigue with the character, the Core Design staff wrote the narrative to end with Lara's death. While the same basic engine was used, it was extensively redesigned for better graphics and more intelligent enemy behaviour. The Dreamcast version emerged following the end of Sony's PlayStation exclusivity agreement with Eidos. The music was composed by
Peter Connelly Peter Connelly is a British video game composer and sound designer known for his work on the action-adventure ''Tomb Raider'' series. He has been part of several video game releases working mainly with Core Design, Eutechnyx and Ubisoft. Car ...
in his first major work on the series. Reception of the game was generally positive, with many praising it as a return to form, but noting a lack of major innovation. Several critics felt the series was becoming stale. The Dreamcast port was generally criticised for its poor technical performance compared to other platforms. As of 2009, ''The Last Revelation'' was the fourth best-selling ''Tomb Raider'' title with over five million copies sold worldwide. Eidos insisted the series continue, and two more ''Tomb Raider'' titles began production at the same time; '' Tomb Raider: Chronicles'' for the same platforms as ''The Last Revelation'', and ''
The Angel of Darkness ''The Angel of Darkness'' is a 1997 crime novel by Caleb Carr that was published by Random House () and is both a sequel to '' The Alienist'' (1994) and the second book in the Kreizler series. Plot summary The now-adult Stevie Taggert, a to ...
'' for the next console generation. A remastered version of the game was included in '' Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered'', released in 2025.


Gameplay

''Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation'' is an
action-adventure An action-adventure game is a video game genre, video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements f ...
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
in which the player assumes the role of archaeologist-adventurer
Lara Croft Lara Croft is a character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise ''Tomb Raider''. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British adventurer and archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins arou ...
, exploring a series of ancient ruins and tombs in search of ancient artefacts. The levels are split between a mandatory two-level tutorial area set in
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
, and the other levels taking place across locations in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
. Levels are separated into different zones, and some level areas need to be revisited to progress further into the game. As with earlier ''
Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an Action-adventure game, action-adventure video game series created by British video game developer Core Design. The franchise i ...
'' titles, the game is presented from a third person perspective. Key to progress is solving puzzles scattered through the level, which can rely on both pulling different types of switches or finding key items. During some levels, Lara has access to a
Jeep Jeep is an American automobile brand, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with other assets, from its previous owner, American Motors Co ...
and a
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...
with a sidecar for vehicle sections. As with previous entries, Lara is controlled through levels using
tank controls Tank controls are a control system used in video games whereby players control movement relative to the position of the player character, rather than the perspective of the game camera. They have become less common over time and free-roaming cam ...
. In addition Lara can sprint, walk, move certain objects, take manual control of the game camera to look around the area, climb, monkey swing using suitable overhead surfaces, crawl through narrow spaces, roll, and jump across gaps. There are also secret actions such as turning mid-jump, performing swan dives into water, and performing a handstand. In deep bodies of water, Lara can swim around, with a limited amount of breath before she must surface or risk drowning. In shallower water, Lara can only wade at walking pace and jump vertically. In addition to her standard and returning moves, Lara can climb up poles and ropes, swing on ropes to cross gaps or navigate between the floors of a level, use a scope to aim a weapon accurately, and climb around corners. Some environmental elements such as torches can also be interacted with. Combat involves Lara engaging enemies which appear at certain points in the environment. Lara's main weapons are her recurring dual pistols with unlimited ammunition. A shotgun, Uzis, revolver, grenade launcher, and crossbow can also be found across the game; all have limited ammunition, and some have multiple types for different effects on enemies. Players can switch between manual and automatic targeting systems. A laser scope can also be found, which when attached to a compatible weapon allows for accurate aiming from a first-person perspective. Key items in multiple levels are the binoculars for seeing distant areas, the crowbar for prying items from set places or opening some doors, and flares for illuminating dark areas. The inventory system is different from earlier entries, which used a ring system. ''The Last Revelation'' uses horizontal scrolling menus, and adds another layer for combining items or switching ammunition types for weapons. Consumable items such as
health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
packs and ammunition can be found through the level, including secret caches of supplies.


Plot

''The Last Revelation'' opens with a flashback to a teenage Lara Croft in 1984, when she and her mentor Werner Von Croy are exploring a section of
Angkor Wat Angkor Wat (; , "City/Capital of Wat, Temples") is a Buddhism and Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia. Located on a site measuring within the ancient Khmer Empire, Khmer capital city of Angkor, it was originally constructed ...
for an artefact called the Iris. Upon discovering the Iris, Von Croy's haste to retrieve it triggers a trap, forcing Lara to escape without him. In the game's present of late 1999, Lara is in Egypt exploring the Tomb of Set, where the titular god of chaos is said to be imprisoned. She finds the legendary Amulet of Horus within the tomb, and escapes with it after being betrayed by her guide, who is working for Von Croy. Writing on the Amulet reveals that Lara's actions have released Set. Guided by her friend Jean-Yves, Lara explores ruins beneath
Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...
and enters the tomb of
Semerkhet Semerkhet is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the First Dynasty. This ruler became known through a tragic legend handed down by the historian Manetho, who reported that a calamity of some sort occurred during Semerkhe ...
, human ally to Set's rival
Horus Horus (), also known as Heru, Har, Her, or Hor () in Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as the god of kingship, healing, protection, the sun, and t ...
. Having foreseen Lara's actions, Semerkhet left instructions for summoning Horus into the world at the turn of the millennium by cladding a stone statue of the god in his Armour and empowering it with the Amulet. While at Karnak, Von Croy ambushes Lara and steals the Amulet. Reaching
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, Lara and Jean-Yves race against Von Croy's minions to retrieve the Armour of Horus from the buried ruins of
Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...
's palace, while Set's forces move in to guard ancient sites. While Lara recovers the Armour of Horus, Von Croy kidnaps Jean-Yves and holds him for ransom in Cairo, asking for the Armour in exchange. On his way to Cairo, Von Croy is possessed by Set. Lara arrives to find Cairo overrun by Set's forces. With help from the Egyptian Army sergeant Azizas, Lara gathers triggers for a truckload of explosives to kill a giant serpent blocking the path into the
Citadel of Saladin A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...
. Azizas sacrifices himself driving the truck into the serpent. Lara rescues Jean-Yves, then pursues Von Croy into the Crusader vaults beneath the Citadel to retrieve the tablet containing Set's binding incantation. While Set offers Lara a chance to be his ally, Lara refuses and retrieves the Amulet. Beneath the
Great Pyramid of Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. Built , over a period of about 26 years ...
, Lara begins summoning Horus, but Set disrupts the ritual and attacks Lara. Lara escapes, using the Amulet to trap Set beneath the pyramid. Exhausted and injured as the temple crumbles, Lara meets Von Croy waiting outside. Unsure about whether he is himself, Lara does not take his hand as she hangs from a ledge, and Von Croy is forced to run as the temple collapses, leaving Lara's fate uncertain.


Development

Production of ''The Last Revelation'' began in mid-1998, with development running parallel to ''
Tomb Raider III ''Tomb Raider III'' (also known as ''Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft'') is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows platform ...
''. By this point, series developer
Core Design Core Design Limited (known as Rebellion (Derby) Ltd between 2006 and 2010) was a British video game developer based in Derby. Founded in May 1988 by former Gremlin Graphics employees, it originally bore the name Megabrite until rebranding as Co ...
had produced games annually for publisher
Eidos Interactive Eidos Interactive Limited (formerly Domark Limited) was a British video game publisher based in Wimbledon, London. Among its franchises were '' Championship Manager'', '' Deus Ex'', ''Hitman'', '' Thief'' and ''Tomb Raider''. Domark was founded ...
since completing the original game. This led to both franchise fatigue, and emerging physical and mental health issues among the staff. They were also running out of ideas for keeping the franchise relevant. Since they were being given a large amount of creative freedom by Eidos, the staff secretly decided to kill off Lara and close the series. They formed the plan over a fortnight, and managed to keep it secret until it was too late to make any changes. When Core Design CEO Jeremy Heath-Smith discovered the team's plan, he reprimanded the team. Despite ultimately failing, the team were generally happy to have killed off Lara. The story was created by Andrew Sandham, Pete Duncan, Kieron O'Hara and Richard Morton; the script was written by Sandham and Hope Caton. The title and concept came from the team wanting to create something new, a "revelation" for the series. The development team began by reading books on ancient civilizations, then designed levels based on these, which Sandham shaped into the plotline. Sandham's extensive involvement in the story was due to no-one else wanting to be involved. The limited location kept the narrative and aesthetic focused, while also giving a rich mythology from which to draw enemies and environments. While the location provided a lot of interesting elements, it also proved challenging due to a potentially-limited colour and texture palette. A trip on location was initially planned, but production deadlines meant it was cancelled, with the team instead going to the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
's Egyptian section and finding books on the region with lots of reference images. The story goal was kept simple and clear, although there were several twists to the narrative. In an early draft of the planned finale, Sandham had Lara decapitated, but dropped the concept as Core Design's executives would not stand for it. In a series retrospective, Sandham noted that Core Design's attempted killing-off of Lara provided some catharsis for the team despite knowing it would likely not succeed. Lara's relationship with Jean-Yves was compared by staff to that between
Fox Mulder Fox William Mulder () is a fictional FBI Special Agent and one of the two protagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by David Duchovny. Mulder's peers dismiss his many theories on extraterr ...
and
Dana Scully Dana Katherine Scully, M.D., is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists in the Fox science-fiction, supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by Gillian Anderson. Scully is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Spe ...
from ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
''. The character of Jean-Yves caused controversy due to his coincidental resemblance to French archaeologist
Jean-Yves Empereur Jean-Yves Empereur (; born 1952) is a French archeologist. He studied classic literature in the University Paris IV Sorbonne ( DEA, CAPES, Agrégation de lettres in 1975, Doctorat in archeology in 1977). He is a former member (since 1978) ...
. Eidos issued a public apology to Empereur following complaints from him about the character, and decided not to use the character in future instalments. The atmosphere and puzzle design deliberately harkened back to the design principles of the original ''
Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an Action-adventure game, action-adventure video game series created by British video game developer Core Design. The franchise i ...
''. The puzzle elements focused back on the solving of problems rather than exploring large environments for keys as had been happening in earlier sequels. Several elements, such as the UI menus and the opening tutorial level, were entirely redesigned so the game would act as a reintroduction of the character to players. In addition to new moves, Lara's existing moveset and animations were tweaked to be easier for players to activate. The targeting system was improved so Lara would lock into enemies within range and could toggle between them. In addition, the enemy AI was reworked to be more reactive and strategic. Speaking on the companion AI, Sandham remembered it being difficult to program effectively as it was a new feature in gaming at the time. While a multiplayer option was considered, it was rejected due to time and resource limits. A separate tutorial area was similarly removed to reduce workload, with tutorial elements instead incorporated into the opening levels. While using the same basic engine design as had been used up to ''Tomb Raider III'', the team redesigned and rebuilt it as far as possible, with an estimated 90% of the code being new. The engine redesign allowed the environment to have more 3D architecture and interactive objects within levels than earlier titles, along with more context-sensitive lighting. Lara's model was redesigned to remove the polygonal appearance of earlier instalments as much as possible. She was also given more animation during cutscenes, allowing her to blink and have lip movements when talking. The cutscene design, which had real-time sequences merging into gameplay and "natural" zone transitions linking the narrative, was inspired by the cinematic style of ''
Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation. The seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was released in Japan by Square and internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment, becoming the first ...
'' and ''
Metal Gear Solid is a franchise of stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operative (usually S ...
''. To make the game more accessible, the inventory rings were replaced by simpler scrolling inventory menus, and the loading screens were removed. Previous instalments had first been produced for
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
and then ported to PC without any changes. With ''The Last Revelation'' a dedicated PC version was developed. As a result, the team could incorporate additional graphical elements and techniques such as bump mapping which were unachievable on the PlayStation hardware. The ''Tomb Raider'' series had been exclusive to Sony's PlayStation following an exclusivity deal during production of ''
Tomb Raider II ''Tomb Raider II'' (also known as ''Tomb Raider II: Starring Lara Croft'') is a 1997 action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was first released on Windows and PlayStation. Later releases came ...
'' in 1997. With the end of the deal in 1999, Core Design decided to port the game to
Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
's new
Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
console. The aim was to have the title running at 60 frames per second, and incorporate improved lighting alongside graphical features from the PC version.


Audio

The game's music was composed by
Peter Connelly Peter Connelly is a British video game composer and sound designer known for his work on the action-adventure ''Tomb Raider'' series. He has been part of several video game releases working mainly with Core Design, Eutechnyx and Ubisoft. Car ...
, who had previously worked on ''Tomb Raider III'' and been credited as "Additional Sound Effects". He drew inspiration from the original ''Tomb Raider'' scores created by
Nathan McCree Nathan McCree (born 27 January 1969) is an English music composer and sound effects editor for multimedia projects including computer games, television, live events, and radio. He worked with Core Design between 1996 and 1998, for the first thr ...
, in addition to the music of
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
,
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...
and
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...
. The main theme "kind of just came to im, with the opening harp motif appearing first. Due to the game's location, Connelly wrote it to have Egyptian-style themes and motifs. He used early level designs and story drafts as inspiration for his themes. Connelly reused a piece he had written for ''Tomb Raider III'', the final boss theme that did not make it onto the disc due to time constraints, in ''The Last Revelation''. The Dreamcast release included an exclusive music track created by British DJ
Paul Oakenfold Paul Mark Oakenfold (; born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Ma ...
, which played in a bonus art gallery. The voice of Lara was recast from the earlier game, with Judith Gibbins being replaced by Jonell Elliott. Elliott had an established career in voice over prior to auditioning for the role of Lara. She said that she was fortunate enough to have the voice they were looking for, and her ability to voice Lara as a teenager also helped her land the role. Elliott would voice Lara for the next two titles, with actress
Keeley Hawes Clare Julia Keeley Hawes (born 10 February 1976) is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including '' Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and '' Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Hawes rose to fame for her portray ...
taking over in 2006.


Release

The first rumours of ''The Last Revelation'' emerged in May 1999. The PlayStation version released on 24 November in North America and 3 December in Europe. The PC version was released 24 November in North America, and 3 December in Europe. A "Millennium Edition" for the PC version included a limited edition comic from
Top Cow Productions Top Cow Productions is an American comics publisher, an imprint of Image Comics. It was founded by Marc Silvestri in 1992. The company is known for publishing titles such as '' Cyberforce'', '' The Darkness'', ''Sunstone, Wanted,'' and '' Witch ...
's ''Tomb Raider'' comic series, a pewter figurine of Lara, and an exclusive collectable card game. The edition was sold through Eidos, Babbage's, Software, Etc. and
Electronics Boutique EB Games (formerly known as Electronics Boutique, EBX, and EB World) was an American computer and video games retailer. First established as an American company in 1977 by James Kim with a single electronics-focused location in the King of Prus ...
. The PC version was re-released on
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
on 29 November 2012. The Dreamcast version was released on 24 March 2000 in Europe and 25 March in North America. The PlayStation and Dreamcast versions were published in Japan by
Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
on 19 July. A port for Mac OS, developed by Westlake Interactive and published by
Aspyr Aspyr Media, Inc. (pronounced " aspire") is an American video game developer and publisher founded by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Originally founded to port gaming titles to macOS, the company, since 2005, has become a publi ...
, was released in North America on 12 June. ''The Last Revelation'' will also be released for
Evercade The Evercade is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by British company Blaze Entertainment. It focuses on retrogaming with ROM cartridges that each contain a number of emulated games. The Evercade was released on 22 May 2020, and ...
in April 2025 as part of ''Tomb Raider Collection 2'', published by the console's designer Blaze Entertainment in partnership with current developers
Crystal Dynamics Crystal Dynamics, Inc. is an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California. The studio is best known for its games in the ''Tomb Raider'', '' Legacy of Kain'', and '' Gex'' series. Madeline Canepa, Judy Lange, and Dave Morse ...
. A Gold Edition of the game, developed by a veteran team led by Phil Campbell, was originally in production. The level plans would have followed a plot with Lara pursuing the
Fountain of Youth The Fountain of Youth is a mythical Spring (hydrology), spring which supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in t ...
. The Gold Edition was scrapped for unspecified reasons, and Campbell would move on to
Quantic Dream Quantic Dream SA is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in 1997, the company has developed five video games: '' The Nomad Soul'' (1999), ''Fahrenheit'' (2005), '' Heavy Rain'' (2010), '' Beyond: Two Souls'' (201 ...
to help develop ''
The Nomad Soul ''The Nomad Soul'' (known as ''Omikron: The Nomad Soul'' in North America) is an adventure game developed by Quantic Dream and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for Microsoft Windows in 1999 and Dreamcast in 2000. The player can ...
''. Eidos promoted ''The Last Revelation'' heavily starting in October 1999, allotting a budget of $5 million. Described by Eidos vice president Paul Baldwin as the company's largest marketing campaign to date, it included billboard advertisements in multiple cities, themed products at multiple stores, ads using the ''Tomb Raider'' comic, and a demo disc distribution deal with
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut, LLC is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by brothers Dan and Frank Carney. The chain, headquartered in Plano, Texas, operates 19,866 restaurants worldw ...
. As part of the promotion in the UK, Eidos collaborated with ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' to create a standalone level; the narrative pretext features Lara in conversation with ''Times'' editor
Peter Stothard Sir Peter Stothard (born 28 February 1951) is a British author, journalist and critic. From 1992 to 2002 he was editor of ''The Times'' and from 2002 to 2016 editor of ''The Times Literary Supplement'', the only journalist to have held both rol ...
before going on an adventure to Egypt. The level was offered for download from a special website, and bundled into the Evercade release.


Reception

Review aggregate website ''
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
'' gave the PlayStation release a score of 79% based on 18 reviews. The PC release saw a slightly lower score of 75% based on 23 reviews. The Dreamcast version was the lowest-rated version, scoring 62% based on 22 reviews. A common point raised across all versions was the attempt by ''The Last Revelation'' to reinvigorate the series with its return to tomb environments. The most common complaint for the Dreamcast port were technical issues which made existing problems controlling Lara using tank controls stand out more. James Price of '' Official PlayStation Magazine'' gave the game a perfect score, praising it as the best game in the series to date and noting its improved graphics and gameplay mechanics over ''Tomb Raider III''. James Mielke of ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' noted a continued solid foundation for the series, but accused Eidos of milking the series due to the lack of evolution over the annual releases. Stephen Frost of ''
Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...
'' highlighted a lack of innovation in some areas such as the controls and basic gameplay design, but overall felt the game to be an enjoyable entry in the series. ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
''s David Zdyrko, while saying it was more of the same established gameplay at its core, praised ''The Last Revelation'' as the best yet in the series but unlikely to win over new fans. In its review of the PC version, ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'', felt the graphics were held back by catering to the PlayStation's limitations, and while enjoyable was lacking as a sequel. Steve Smith of ''GameSpot'' also noted solid technical performance, and felt it was the best of the sequels produced up to that point, praising the more coherent story and its positive influence on the gameplay and puzzle design. Vincent Lopez for ''IGN'' was less enthusiastic than Zdyrko due to the lack of innovation in the gameplay and engine design, while noting that the PC version was technically stable. UK publication '' Official Dreamcast Magazine'' was positive about the series' return to Sega consoles, enjoying the game design and content but noted that its graphics looked dated for the time. ''
Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...
'' was generally positive about the game but disliked the control scheme as it led to multiple deaths. Mielke voiced similar sentiments to the PlayStation version in addition to technical problems. ''Next Generation''s Jess Lungridan was highly critical of the port, feeling that its technical problems undermined the presentation and compounded previously-raised issues. ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The magazine was fou ...
'' felt it was an underwhelming game originally, and the technical performance on Dreamcast made it worse. Justice was underwhelmed by the game overall, and panned the gameplay as slow and clumsy. In his review for the Mac version, Christopher Breen of ''
Macworld ''Macworld'' is a digital magazine and website dedicated to products and software of Apple Inc., published by Foundry, a subsidiary of IDG. History ''Macworld'' was founded by David Bunnell and Cheryl Woodard (publishers) and Andrew Fl ...
'' gave it four stars out of five, calling it "a worthy sequel in an already formidable franchise." ''The Last Revelation'' was a bestseller for two months in the UK. The PC version received a "Silver" sales award from the
Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) is a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the United Kingdom (UK). Ukie was founded in 1989 as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), then chang ...
(ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 100,000 units in the UK. ELSPA gave the game's PlayStation release a "Platinum" certification, for sales of at least 300,000 units in the region. As of 2009, the game has sold around five million units worldwide, making it the fourth best-selling ''Tomb Raider'' game at the time after the first three games in the series.


Legacy

Retrospective articles on the game itself and the series describe it as a strong game, but showing the beginning of the series' decline during the Core Design era. The game's developers remembered ''The Last Revelation'' as one of their favourite titles despite the circumstances of its production. Despite Core Design's attempt to kill off Lara Croft, Eidos insisted that the ''Tomb Raider'' series continued. The production team split into two groups, working on separate projects. A veteran team, composed of many staff from ''The Last Revelation'', developed the direct sequel '' Tomb Raider: Chronicles''. ''Chronicles'' was intended as the finale of the old ''Tomb Raider'' engine and gameplay style. The game was released in 2000 for PlayStation, Dreamcast and PC, and in 2001 for Mac OS. A new team within Core Design began work on '' Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness'', a title for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
that was intended as a reinvention of the series. The game ran into multiple production difficulties during its three-year development, including narrative cuts explaining Lara's survival of the events from ''The Last Revelation''. After a mixed to negative reception at its 2003 release, Eidos Interactive took the franchise away from Core Design and gave it to Crystal Dynamics for future entries. The narratives of ''The Last Revelation'', ''Chronicles'' and ''The Angel of Darkness'' form a loosely-connected trilogy. ''The Last Revelation'' was re-released as part of '' Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered'', a high-definition remaster for
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
,
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
,
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
, and
Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series, succeeding the previous generation's Xbox One. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part o ...
. The collection was released on 14 February 2025, and it was developed and published by Aspyr in partnership with
Crystal Dynamics Crystal Dynamics, Inc. is an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California. The studio is best known for its games in the ''Tomb Raider'', '' Legacy of Kain'', and '' Gex'' series. Madeline Canepa, Judy Lange, and Dave Morse ...
. The remaster includes options for new control schemes, and revamped graphics. This version also included the Times Exclusive level.


Notes


References


External links

* {{Tomb Raider series 1999 video games 3D platformers Angkor Wat Aspyr games Classic Mac OS games Core Design games Dreamcast games Eidos Interactive games Fiction about mummies Great Pyramid of Giza PlayStation (console) games PlayStation Network games Single-player video games Last Revelation Video game sequels Video games about cults Video games developed in the United Kingdom Video games scored by Peter Connelly Video games set in 1984 Video games set in 1999 Video games set in Cambodia Video games set in Egypt Westlake Interactive games Windows games