The Tomb Raider team has officially revealed Rhianna Pratchett as their lead writer on the game.
The award-winning, English-born writer began her career as a games journalist before moving on to pen narratives for titles including Overlord, Mirror’s Edge, and Heavenly Sword.
“I grew up playing Tomb Raider, uncovering the world’s secrets and unearthing its treasures; I have lived and died as Lara Croft, but nothing comes close to the challenge of re-writing her,” Pratchett said. “Seldom do we get the opportunity to re-imagine and reinvent a legend, so getting my narrative hands on Miss Croft was a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. It was going back to the genesis of videogame action heroines and exploring how to make such an iconic character meaningful and relatable for gamers today.”
Pratchett has been working on the game since its early inception. She will appear at two SDCC panels for Tomb Raider.
It's good to see more women assuming top roles in the industry, but the announcement works in Crystal Dynamics' favor, too. Considering the "rape" controversy surrounding the game, Pratchett's involvement proves that the developer relied strongly on a female perspective for the new Lara.
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