How developers used movie-inspired 'rippomatics' to build the world of Lara Croft
In short: To craft the sequel to their 2013 reboot, the team behind Rise of the Tomb Raider created a collection of film scenes to define the game's tone. By blending cinematic inspiration with player feedback, they evolved Lara Croft from a survivor into a confident, intelligent explorer of ancient mysteries.
Development of Rise of the Tomb Raider began just two weeks after the team finished the 2013 reboot. Led by creative director Noah Hughes and game director Brian Horton, the developers aimed to create a more personal experience that showcased Lara Croft’s progression. To establish the game's visual and narrative tone, the team built a 'rippomatic'—a curated collection of movie clips. Films like Rambo: First Blood Part II inspired the stealth mechanics, while Terminator 2: Judgment Day influenced the portrayal of a protagonist burdened by a truth no one else believes. Scenes featuring encounters with bears and wolves drew inspiration from The Grey and The Edge, while the tundra setting was conceived with help from Alien vs. Predator and The Day After Tomorrow.
The team prioritized player feedback, reducing quick-time events and increasing the focus on traversal, stealth, and tomb-raiding. They analyzed older titles in the series to distill their best features, incorporating physics-based puzzles that were often nested and interconnected. To ensure the world felt like a living, dynamic environment, developers spent six months creating specialized snow technology, including systems for avalanches and snow tracks. They also traveled to Turkey and Yosemite National Park to research Byzantine culture and Greek architecture, using these findings to design the game's semi-open hubs and the legendary city of Kitezh.
Technical innovation was central to the game's development. Powered by the in-house Foundation engine, the team utilized global illumination and physics-based rendering to manage light and shadow. For the protagonist, they used Mova fluorescent paint on actress Camilla Luddington to capture 7,000 reference points, though they initially found the motion-capture footage too realistic for the character's intended design. To achieve more natural movement, they implemented wrinkle maps and pose-based deformers, allowing for subtle facial expressions and realistic physical reactions, such as muscles tensing during climbs or skin blotching in the cold. By the time the game was declared gold on October 9, 2015, the developers had created a title that balanced survival elements with a deeper, more rewarding exploration of ancient myths.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Rise of the Tomb Raider
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