Today we chat with Alexandre Serel, the author of L’Histoire de
Tomb Raider (The History of Tomb Raider).

Hi Alexandre, Thank you so much for agreeing to spare some time and speak to us today

No problem Ash, I hope everything’s ok in Manchester!

Tell us how you’ve got an idea to write this stunningly looking book.

When I was a child, I wanted to be a game designer at CORE
Design so, I think as an adult it was obvious to write a book about Tomb
Raider! More seriously, I had the idea in 2012 when visiting a french event
about the Japanese culture, Japan Expo. My publisher, Pix N Love, was there to
present books about video games. As simple as that, I told myself “There’s
something to do with Tomb Raider”. I started doing research and, in 2014, I
started writing a few things which would become this book.

I know you were writing another book, Lara from L to A, how different is it to “the history of Tomb Raider”?

That’s the same book ! « Lara From L to A » was the first
title of « The Story of Tomb Raider ». We (my publisher and I) thought that «
Lara From L to A » was a strange name. It became « The Story of Tomb Raider :
Lara Croft’s Odyssey». Why « Lara Croft’s Odyssey » ? Because « Odyssey » is
the name of the very first video game console and « Lara Croft’s Odyssey » is
my very first book. It’s a simple nod.

What readers should expect from this book

It’s a kind of story telling. I didn’t want to write
“Nathan McCree, interview page 56”. It was rather talking to CORE developers
so they could tell me their work, anecdotes and who they really are. Once I got
these information, I had to assemble them in order to tell a story.

The original script for Tomb Raider 1, provided by Core Design.

How long it took you to write this book?

It took me one year to “understand” the history of CORE and
another one to “assemble” the whole thing. After one year, a big draft was in
my computer. But, to be clear, I was unsatisfied with the results. So, I
rewrote whole passages. Then, one day, I received lots of documents from
Richard Morton. So, hundreds of documents had to be translated, a huge work
from Anaïs Orhant. It took a few months. While waiting for the translations, I
was finishing passages.

Alexandre, Célia and Pix n’ Love team

I’m sure you’re extremely proud of it. What was the most challenging in writing
“The History of Tomb Raider”?

No, I’m not really proud. Some people were able to read the
book, saying it was really good. But I’m an Eternal dissatisfied person and I
only find defects. The hardest thing ? Angel of Darkness without hesitation.
The game development was so chaotic that I spent weeks trying to put the right
things back in place. I had to manage lots of information. Pieces of stories
that were scrapped, things that were written by Murti Schofield or other people
form CORE Design… that was tiring. There were also incoherent game design
documents… I remember spending entire days telling myself « It will be hard to
put things back in order » The most important thing is to think of the reader.
So, trying to tell him / her a coherent story and to make him / her understand
that things were complicated with this game. I unfortunately believe that
there’s not « one reality » about Angel of Darkness but several. Each person
has a different version of the story and this is quite normal. Richard will
remember this point, Murti another one and another person has yet another
version… So many years later, I’m still very sad that this caused the fall of
CORE Design. Every employee of the studio is an immense artist. I would love to
see them working together again. Wouldn’t it be great ?

I know that there are plans on English version, could you comment on that? Any
other languages you might plan to translate it to?

We are in talks for the English version, but nothing is yet
decided. The other countries might have a « different » version because it
would not be fun just translate the book. Moreover, some passages talks about
the Tomb Raider phenomenon in France, so this not interesting for English
readers. It needs a few challenges. I would like to add a few things to the
English version, like a meeting with Meagan Marie, English Lara Croft voices,
etc… But nothing is set in stone.

The History of Tomb Raider has one of the best (if not the best) covers I have ever
seen. Who designed it?

Three of us have worked on the cover. With Célia Beauduc,
who is also the illustrator, we’ve got the idea of a cover that “calls for
adventure”. The first draft was showing Lara from back, looking at the horizon.
But I wasn’t convinced and found it a little too “classic”. So Célia, who is
very talented, started thinking about a concept, the idea of Lara turning to
the reader, inviting him / her to read the book and going on an adventure. Then
Luc Pétronille, who is the creative director of Pix N Love took Célia’s
illustration and reworked it into a final version. He then created the Atlantis
Edition all by himself. He is also really talented and he impresses me every
time.

One of the early cover designs

On behalf of an entire Tomb Raider community and Core Design fans, thank you for
your effort.

Thank YOU! Don’t change and please continue to make CORE Design life in your mind.

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Peter Connelly, the composer for Tomb Raider 4-6, released an unused music track that he wrote for Tomb Raider 3. 

“This is a first draft of a tune I originally wrote for Tomb Raider 3 – Adventures of Lara Croft (the FINAL boss level). Unfortunately, it was too late to get this into the game so I kept it for TR4. I thought the version in TR4 was EXACTLY the same as the one I wrote for TR3 but, after finding the original work folders and listening to it, it’s not :)” 

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Murti Schofield, the writer of the Angel of Darkness, send us some details on this unreleased character from the game.

Mogau Nanuaat Madura Vasiley is the character I always saw as the lynch-pin of both of the follow on AOD games. Her back history is interwoven with many of the central characters in AOD and she is pivotal to what happens as Karel reforms the Cabal and sets out to re-establish the return of the Nephilim Race in The Lost Dominion and Dreams of Resurrection.

Morgau was mentioned once in some preparatory notes back in the early days of AOD but I never had the opportunity to develop or share what my thinking was for her. Now, I can.

Her part of the unwritten story leading up AOD in Paris and Prague is essential even though she doesn’t appear. Her involvement with Lara and Kurtis comes later and, I think, promises truly epic scope for exciting tales to come.

Using Morgau’s  back story, as well as that of Lara & Kurtis I now have chance to lay out some over arcing  concepts. It always intrigued me why Lara Croft may have become the kick ass heroine she is. I wanted to examine the mega-myth of what could bring all these extraordinary human beings together. And now I have the chance to re-examine the notes I made at the time and expand on them with ideas that have occurred since.  

And I have to say it will be a huge relief to finally put it into the public domain and let go of it once and for all.  How did the Chirugai come into Kurtis’ hands? How was Konstantin Heistuurm murdered? Has Lara suspected that there is more in her past than even she remembers? What was Kurtis/Vance Renner up to after his stint in the Legion? Was there only ever a single Chirugai? What grotesque secrets does the much underused Rouzic keep in his grisly Hall of Trophies? When the lifelines of so many unique individuals are interwoven throughout a story that spans centuries does anyone really know what is happening – or is everything merely chance? Does Janice work as an Agency recruiting officer and have a past even her clients are unaware of? What is the true significance of the names on the Knights’ pedestals in AOD? What is the Assassin’s story? What is a Nephuman and have they figured in history before without us knowing?

I scribble hundreds of such questions and ideas down when laying out the map for AOD and now it’s finally time to answer some of them. Not all, but some.

What the fans and detractors care to make of it is entirely up to them.

From this point on it’s out of my hands.

I don’t think I will be taking Lara, Kurtis, Karel or other AOD characters any further myself. Of course I’ve welcomed the chance to refamiliarise myself with them all and am still incredibly excited by how they took on a life of their own.

The continuing story potential with the AOD material is vast – the Cabal, the hopefully ‘regenerated’ Lux Veritatis and so on. So, if anyone wants to take these ideas further I wish them well and dedicate this final offering from my notebooks and thoughts of 16x years ago to the many fans who have kept the flame bright and unflagging  over the years. The energy and enthusiasm of AOD fans is what makes it great.

Happy daze.

Murti

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20 Years of Tomb Raider Signed Poster

Signed by Core Design team members, who attended PLAY Expo Manchester 2016

Part of my collection

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In 2015 Studio Wildcard hosted a  tournament where 70 Let’s Players competed for their lives in the Survival of the Fittest game. 

The last tribe standing received a grand prize of $20,000. The 2nd place tribe received $10,000 while the 3rd place tribe received $5,000.

You can find many streams of that event but we particularly enjoyed this epic 4 hour survival by LetsMakeFriends and xoVESPER. Watch how this tribe of two lasted for hours on primitive tools and weapons!

Studio Wildcard is known for being close and engaging with its community and they hosted another tournament this year, you can watch it here

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Just came across this parody account for Janice! She moved to Los Santos apparently

@JaniceTraod

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3DS Max

See more of my renders

Prints available

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Over Here

3DS Max

See more of my renders

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Kurtis Trent

3DS Max

See more of my renders

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We’re giving away Lara Croft Temple of Osiris Steam download codes! Enter here

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