Lara Croft is having a resurgence as of late. Thanks to the recent releases of the Netflix animated series “Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft” and the video game Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, along with news about a brand-new video game from developer Crystal Dynamics and live-action TV series from Amazon, the famed British archaeologist and protagonist of the “Tomb Raider” media franchise has re-entered the pop culture discussion. (There’s even a remaster of the original fourth through sixth games that’s slated to release in February.
) The sudden deluge is a welcome respite from the six-year drought that fans have had to contend with: The last major franchise entries — the Alicia Vikander-led “Tomb Raider” movie and the Shadow of the Tomb Raider game — were both released in 2018. If all that weren’t enough, let’s add one more: The Tomb Raider Experience, a massive, escape room-like attraction in downtown Seattle that officially opens this weekend right across from Post Alley Pizza. The 4,000-square-foot attraction promises a “one-of-a-kind immersive experience” set in the “Tomb Raider” universe.
As a longtime “Tomb Raider” fan, I was curious: How does it connect to the “Tomb Raider” canon? Is it catered more toward fans or escape-room lovers? How many complicated puzzles will I have to solve? And, most important, does it deliver on that promise? Here was my experience joining Lara on one of her epic journeys: Part escape room, part.
