Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-04-08T09:25:02.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: 6 classic Tomb Raider games are 'free' this week, but they do have some glaring issues
items: Tomb Raiders: All 10 actors who've played Lara Croft across games, movies and TV
items: I wrote the book on Tomb Raider - here's how Sophie Turner and Alix Wilton Regan will rewrite Lara Croft's history
items: The surprising true story of gaming's first ever boss battle: "We'd be really, really rich now"
items: Retro heroes return in One More Life gaming podcast with Daryl Baxter
items: Tomb Raider: Lara Croft creators on birthing an icon as franchise turns 25

6 classic Tomb Raider games are 'free' this week, but they do have some glaring issues
type: item
date: 2026-04-06T10:16:21.000Z
creator: Daryl Baxter
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Comment
subject: Review
description: Ready for some retro Lara?
encoded: 2024's Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is now available for free for PS Plus subscribers throughout April – but back in March, I wouldn’t have recommended buying or playing it. On March 12, developer Aspyr released Patch 5, which, in addition to introducing a new ‘Challenge Mode’, also brought a slew of issues. This included the title music continuously playing when entering a level, wrong sound effects on different enemies, traps not working as they should, and lots more. More concerning was a new company taking charge of this ‘Challenge Mode’ patch, instead of a team of Tomb Raider community members who created this remastered collection, complete with remade textures. The fan community was in uproar. So much so, Aspyr announced on March 18 an initiative for players to submit issues to be fixed in a future patch. The first one came out on March 31, fixing many issues, but others remain. Fans have gotten in touch with this writer, highlighting how Lara’s braid in photo mode still moves, and the ninja enemies toward the end of Tomb Raider II either throw Tiger heads or nothing instead of daggers. It’s a disappointing fall from grace for a collection released to huge acclaim in February 2024, thanks to its faithful recreation of the original games, but with photo mode, new textures, and the three expansion packs. But it’s also telling how quickly this first fix was rolled out – perhaps because Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is now available for PS Plus subscribers. Despite a few bugs still present around all six games, here’s why they’re still worth playing. Back to the Croft Having written the book on the first two Tomb Raider games, as well as a follow-up coming later this year, which goes up to 2000’s Tomb Raider: Chronicles, I’ve got plenty of experience in playing every one of these games over the past 30 years. But first, a little history. The first Tomb Raider set a benchmark for how a fully-3D adventure could look and play for a whole new audience. Inspired by the…

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Tomb Raiders: All 10 actors who've played Lara Croft across games, movies and TV
type: item
date: 2026-02-14T08:00:04.000Z
creator: Daryl Baxter
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
description: 10 actors, 30 years.
encoded: You may have already noticed that Tomb Raider’s 30th anniversary is in full swing. Developer Crystal Dynamics has already announced two games: Legacy of Atlantis, a reimagining of the first title from 1996, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, the newest entry, coming in 2027. But one big factor that fans love to get into is the actor who’s set to play Lara Croft. This time, two are taking on the mantle of the archaeologist. Alix Wilton-Regan is voicing her in the two upcoming games, while Sophie Turner, known for Game of Thrones and the X-Men series, plays Croft in the Amazon Studios TV show. With it deep in filming, it’s likely we won’t see its premiere until early 2027. Nevertheless, you can play many of the previous Tomb Raider games right now on consoles and PCs, thanks to the remastered collections, released in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The very first voice actor was Shelley Blond in the 1996 debut, bringing plenty of sass, humour and independence to the Britpop era, back when the Spice Girls were achieving world domination. You’ve likely heard different grunts, moans, and ‘No’ sounds from Lara over the years, but you’ll have a favourite. Much like Doctor Who, fans have their preferred Lara throughout the years – whether that’s Judith Gibbins in Tomb Raider II and III, or Camilla Luddington in the Survivor Trilogy from 2013 to 2018. Nevertheless, if you’re new to Tomb Raider and you want to find out every actor who played Lara Croft in the past 30 years, we’ve got you covered. And, by the way, Lara Croft's birthday is canonically 14 February! Tomb Raiders: All 10 actors who've played Lara Croft Games Shelley Blond Back in 1996, Core Design was looking for someone who could give Lara the impudence and fun, which resulted in Shelley Blond landing the gig. Voicing Croft just for the first Tomb Raider game, the entire recording session took only five hours in one day around May 1995, as she revealed in my book, The Making of Tomb Raider: “I remember being in a studio wit…

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I wrote the book on Tomb Raider - here's how Sophie Turner and Alix Wilton Regan will rewrite Lara Croft's history
type: item
date: 2026-01-17T08:00:26.000Z
creator: Daryl Baxter
subject: Fantasy
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Exclusive
description: Lara is back - in more ways than one.
encoded: Since its 1996 debut, Tomb Raider has remained an iconic franchise, with protagonist Lara Croft jumping, shooting and plundering tombs for almost three decades. Tomb Raider is a series that’s been a constant presence in my career. There’s no greater example than having a book published about the first two games in 2021, along with a follow-up coming out later this year. 2026 marks the series’ 30th year, and Crystal Dynamics, the current custodians of Tomb Raider in gaming, have announced two new titles. The first, called Legacy of Atlantis, is a re-imagining of the first game, out later this year, while Catalyst is the latest all-new entry in the series, coming out in 2027. New Tomb Raider games usually feature a new voice actor for Lara, and Alix Wilton Regan was indeed announced as the latest to voice Croft. I suspected as much when I saw her interviewed on Radio Times Gaming’s TikTok channel. And with the Sophie Turner-starring Amazon series looming a little further on the horizon, there’s a clear theme being instilled — the classic retro Lara that you remember from the old days is back, in more ways than one. An old favourite for a new audience This year’s Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis game is a reimagining of the 1996 original. However, I have heard that the game is leaning more towards 2007’s Tomb Raider Anniversary remake in its narrative and level design. It makes sense, as Crystal Dynamics long ago said that every mainline entry was going to be part of a unified timeline. This means that the 2013 reboot is the earliest game, speaking from Lara’s point of view, and 2008’s Tomb Raider Underworld is the most recent in her timeline. Confused? Understandable. But with Atlantis and Catalyst coming soon, both with Alix Wilton Regan voicing Lara, it should be easier than ever for new players to jump in and understand what’s going on. As Legacy of Atlantis will be set early on in Lara’s timeline, this means that we'll hopefully get to see the wit and British humou…

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The surprising true story of gaming's first ever boss battle: "We'd be really, really rich now"
type: item
date: 2024-06-26T13:12:33.000Z
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Exclusive
description: Read an exclusive excerpt from Daryl Baxter's new book, 50 Years of Boss Fights: Video Game Legends.
encoded: Intro by Rob Leane, RadioTimes.com gaming editor: “When I first read Daryl Baxter’s new book, 50 Years of Boss Fights: Video Game Legends, its first chapter made a real impression on me. Rather than simply kicking things off with an obvious gaming boss like Bowser or Dr Robotnik, Baxter went all the way back to 1974 to get exclusive insight from the makers of gaming’s first ever boss. It’s from a game that younger readers may not have heard of, but it sent massive ramifications into the nascent gaming industry of the time, and its impact is still being felt today. In fact, it feels quite fun to be talking about this at the same time that present-day players are diving into Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which you could call the pinnacle of boss battles (certainly in terms of difficulty, at least). The book goes on to touch on loads of memorable bosses from the decades that followed the idea’s inception, charting a progression from 1974 to 2024, one gruelling encounter at a time, with heaps of insight from the ingenious creators of the bosses. Read on to discover that first chapter for yourself!” 50 Years of Boss Fights by Daryl Baxter (White Owl, RRP £22) Available at www.pen-and-sword.co.uk <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/06/52076-90b4650.jpg" width="404" height="602" alt="The cover art for the new book 50 Years of Boss Fights: Video Game Legends, written by Daryl Baxter, showing the book's title against a purple background. Bowser, Dr Robotnik and Metal Gear REX." title="The cover art for the new book 50 Years of Boss Fights: Video Game Legends, written by Daryl Baxter, showing the book's title against a purple background. Bowser, Dr Robotnik" /> In order to look at the memorable bosses in gaming, we need to look back at what is considered the first ever boss in a video game, while having its two creators tell the story of how it came to be. In 1974, two individuals created a game inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, t…

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Retro heroes return in One More Life gaming podcast with Daryl Baxter
type: item
date: 2023-10-25T07:00:59.000Z
creator: Daryl Baxter
subject: Gaming
subject: News
subject: Technology
description: Sonic, Mario, Solid Snake and Lara Croft discussed!
encoded: Retro gaming is definitely having a moment right now, with October 2023 proving to be a huge month for classic characters and beloved franchises, and this week's episode of the One More Life podcast is a celebration of that. With Sonic Superstars, Super Mario Bros Wonder and Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1 all launching in the space of a week, plus Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered coming early next year, it was clear that we needed a retro gaming expert to come on our show. Listen to our One More Life podcast - the new episode is about retro gaming! Enter journalist and author Daryl Baxter, the man who literally wrote the book on Lara Croft. And he's also a lifelong fan of all the iconic franchises mentioned in the previous paragraph. By day, Daryl is the Features Editor at iMore, an outlet that covers all things Apple, from iPhones to Macs and beyond. By night, he writes books about gaming, the first of which was published in 2021 and titled The Making of Tomb Raider. In this chat, Daryl spoke about the nostalgia around retro gaming, which is reaching a fever pitch right now, and he also shared some recommendations for players on Apple Arcade (reacting to a reader request from our Apple Podcasts reviews). Daryl also delves into his own gaming habits, from his favourite mid-session snack and drink to his earliest memories of playing games back in the day. Stay tuned to One More Life in the weeks to come, as we have a really fun mix of expert fans and games developers popping up on the show to talk about their lives with gaming. From a retro angle, we have an upcoming episode with Pokémon Go developer Timothy Nguyen, where we touch on all the weird rumours that surrounded Pokémon Blue and Red back in the day. View Green Video on the source website Listen to our One More Life podcast, subscribe to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter for all the latest gaming intel. Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide. Try Radio Tim…

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Tomb Raider: Lara Croft creators on birthing an icon as franchise turns 25
type: item
date: 2021-10-14T09:03:14.000Z
creator: Daryl Baxter
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Exclusive
subject: RT Rewind
description: "It wasn’t big boobs – it was the outfit, it was the attitude, it was the backstory and the whole world that created the success of TR."
encoded: This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Tomb Raider franchise, meaning it's also a landmark birthday for Lara Croft herself - the original Tomb Raider game launched on 25th October 1996, and the series is still going strong today. To mark this special occasion, author and journalist Daryl Baxter has penned The Making of Tomb Raider, an unofficial book that chronicles how the original game came into being in the 1990s. It all happened at CORE Design, a Derby-based game-development company. In this exclusive excerpt from the book - which you can pre-order now at Amazon, Waterstones or Pen & Sword Books - Baxter pulls together an oral history of Lara's creation from the people that made it happen. Everyone at CORE was in awe at this tech demo. In previous years it was cartoony platformers and soul-searching spaceships with galactic music, here it was a 3D landscape where you could fight against a Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, the Lara Croft we know today was not originally named Lara Croft. Susie Hamilton, who handled PR for CORE Design at the time, reveals some interesting facts about her genesis: "Tomb Raider was first unveiled to us in an offsite meeting—the company was looking for inspiration for a new character/concept and this was a chance for the various teams to reveal what they had been working on. I definitely remember [character designer] Toby Gard speaking to us about a female version of Indiana Jones and unveiling his first sketches of Lara Croft. At that point she was called Lara Cruz. I think we were all very intrigued and so the team continued with the development." Troy Horton, producer of the first Tomb Raider game, offered further remarks on Lara Croft’s origins: "I don’t remember when I first came onto the project but I do recall Adrian Heath-Smith [the brother of Jeremy Heath-Smith, founder of CORE Design] who was a producer on the project, being in his office and showing me a wireframe animation of a woman swinging on a rope from one ledge to an…

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