Lara Croft Meets The Lands Between: Elden Ring’s Malenia Shaping Future Tomb Raider Bosses?

Alright, fellow Pakistani gamers, get ready for some exciting chatter that’s got the gaming world buzzing! We’re always eager to hear about what’s next for our favorite adventurer, Lara Croft, especially with whispers of a new installment like “Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis” floating around. But what if we told you that the future of Lara’s epic boss battles might be taking a leaf out of Elden Ring’s notoriously challenging playbook?

That’s right! According to recent reports, the very person heading up boss fight development for a potential new Tomb Raider game is reportedly looking towards none other than Elden Ring’s iconic and infamous boss, Malenia, Blade of Miquella, as a shining example of how to craft truly ‘fair’ encounters. Now, for anyone who’s faced Malenia, ‘fair’ might not be the first word that comes to mind, given her brutal difficulty and devastating Waterfowl Dance attack!

But let’s dive deeper into what this could mean. In the world of game design, ‘fairness’ often doesn’t mean ‘easy.’ Instead, it implies that a boss, no matter how difficult, has discernible patterns, tells, and weaknesses that dedicated players can learn, adapt to, and eventually overcome through skill and practice. Malenia, despite her reputation for being one of gaming’s toughest challenges, fits this description perfectly. Every attack has a wind-up, every combo has a rhythm, and mastering her requires precise timing, movement – and yes, maybe even learning to “shimmy sideways until you dodge her sword.”

So, what does this philosophy mean for Lara Croft’s next big adventure? Could we see a shift in Tomb Raider’s boss design, moving away from more puzzle-centric or quick-time event heavy encounters towards more skill-based, pattern-recognizing, and genuinely challenging showdowns? Imagine Lara, not just solving an environmental puzzle to defeat a giant beast, but engaging in a truly intense, one-on-one duel that tests your combat prowess and reflexes, much like a Souls-like boss.

This approach could inject a fresh dose of adrenaline into Tomb Raider’s gameplay, pushing players to truly master Lara’s combat abilities. It’s a bold direction, for sure, especially for a series known more for its exploration and puzzle-solving. But if done right, taking inspiration from Elden Ring’s masterful boss design could lead to some of the most memorable and rewarding boss fights in Tomb Raider history.

What do you all think about this? Are you excited by the prospect of facing more ‘fair but fierce’ bosses inspired by the likes of Malenia in Lara’s next journey, or do you prefer the traditional Tomb Raider boss encounters? Let us know your thoughts!