Tomb Raider

This was previously a rumour, but it's now been confirmed! So be prepared to get down and dirty on a mysterious Japanese island, in the prequel to the Tomb Raider franchise --- aptly named, Tomb Raider

Confirmation

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"When a sudden storm destroys her research vessel, a young and inexperienced Lara Croft finds herself stranded on a mysterious and remote island hidden off the shores of Japan. Despite several signs of various inhabitants the island is oddly deserted, and an uneasy feeling settles in as strange sounds emerge from the shadows. With only her determination, inner strength and resourcefulness to help her, Lara must overcome the challenges of a harsh and unforgiving journey that will take her across a vast island wilderness and deep into the claustrophobic and menacing underground tombs from the island’s past. As she struggles to prevail through brutal combat encounters and treacherous exploration, Lara will be pushed to her limited and forced to adapt to her situation in order to survive and escape from the lethal predators that stalk her every move."

Hunt or be Hunted: Evade, outsmart, track and kill the mysterious enemies that hunt you as prey.
Survival Action: Brutally attack and defend yourself as you fight to survive the visceral one-on-one melee combat.
Strategic Weapons: Gain an advantage in combat by finding an array of different melee and ranged weapons including a variety of guns and the hunter’s ultimate weapon, the bow.
Creative Survival: React and adapt to the island by using only that which you can salvage from the environment like climbing axes, rope, and machetes that can be used to unlock new traversal and combat gameplay options.
Free Movement: Scramble up a vertical cliff wall, sprint and leap across a huge chasm, steer mid-air to land a misdirected jump. There is no one right way to traverse, survive, and explore the harsh environment of the island.
One Cohesive World: the diverse multi-region island is an open playground alive with creatures, weather, and natural events.
Origin Story: This new Tomb Raider concept reboots the franchise by exploring the origin of Lara Croft’s transformation into a hardened adventurer as you unravel the story behind the island’s mysterious past.

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What are your thoughts on this? It sounds like an interesting concept, but I'm sure TRUE Tomb Raider fans won't be too keen on this. It definitely seems like they're targeting a new audience and it will be interesting to see the reception for this new title (if it's true).

Expect more details soon as Game Informer will have 10 pages on the game when it releases on December 11th.

UPDATE 6/12/10

Lara is 21 in this game
It’s not only a reboot of the franchise but a reboot of the entire brand. As a result there will be no “real” Lara model this time.
They’re doing performance capturing with this game
There are brutal deaths in the game this time. One is described as a deranged man stabbing Lara in the chest and then closing her eyes after she’s dead. Another includes a boulder falling on her leg to trap her before another falls and crushes her head.
Crystal Dynamics won’t talk specifics on weapons but concept art shows a bow, shotgun and pistol
The lock on targeting system is gone and it now has a free aim system. CD says that it can compete with any of their competitors.
“I think that the major difference between this game and the old is the concept of smoke and mirrors,” begins Darrell Gallagher, the studio head at Crystal Dynamics. “There was an illusion of freedom because of streaming and loading that would pop you out in a different location, but this is absolutely real. You can literally go any direction that you see and carve your own way to the finish line instead of being guide.”
“It was important in the game to not only deliver the character arc of Lara Croft emotionally, but to deliver it in gameplay as well so the player gets to grow into a hardened survivor,” says experienced director Noah Hughes. As the game unfolds, Lara will scavenge new tools and gear that augment her abilities. Lara’s athletic prowess will also evolve. Some areas begin inaccessible due to physical limitations or scarce supplies. With the right skills and gear, however, the island is Lara’s for the taking.
There are base camps in the game. Here you can combine items to create something new and access a skill system to upgrade Lara’s abilities. You’ll also be able to use base camps to fast travel to different locations to minimize backtracking.
You’ll need to gather food and water in order to survive
There are humans in the game, including some of the crew members from the shipwreck off the coast of the island.