Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Lets Players Tune Combat, Puzzles and Traversal Separately

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis will let you adjust combat, puzzle and traversal difficulty separately, giving players more control over how challenging each part of the game feels.

The upcoming reimagining of the original 1996 Tomb Raider includes three difficulty levels for each of those areas: easy, medium and hardcore. Instead of choosing one setting that applies to the entire game, you can mix the options based on your preferences.

For example, you could set puzzles to hardcore while keeping combat on easy and traversal on medium. This means players who want the puzzle design to feel closer to the original game can increase that challenge without making every other system equally demanding.

Difficulty area	Available settings	What it affects
Combat	Easy, medium, hardcore	Enemy encounters and fighting challenge
Puzzles	Easy, medium, hardcore	Puzzle complexity and assistance
Traversal	Easy, medium, hardcore	Platforming and movement challenge
Configuration	Independent	Each category can use a different setting

Difficulty can be customized for different parts of the game

The developers say the system was designed so players can build a difficulty setup that fits the way they want to experience Lara Croft's adventure.

That is particularly useful for Tomb Raider because combat, puzzles and platforming can appeal to different audiences.

Someone who enjoys solving difficult environmental puzzles may not necessarily want demanding combat. Another player may prefer challenging fights while using easier traversal settings.

Allowing each category to be changed separately avoids forcing everyone into the same overall difficulty profile.

The developers specifically noted that players who want a puzzle experience closer to the 1996 original can select hardcore for puzzles while leaving the other settings lower.

This approach also makes it easier for newcomers to experience the game without removing harder options for long time Tomb Raider players.

Legacy of Atlantis is being treated as a reimagining

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is not being developed as a straightforward remaster of the original game.

The project is described as a reimagining built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5.

That gives the development team room to preserve recognizable locations, moments and ideas from the 1996 release while updating systems that were designed around much older hardware and control standards.

The separate difficulty system is one example of that modernization.

Instead of recreating the original challenge exactly, the game allows you to decide how closely certain parts should resemble the older experience.

The developers have previously said the reimagining format gives them more flexibility while retaining important moments from the original Tomb Raider.

Hardcore puzzles can provide a more traditional experience

The puzzle difficulty setting may be especially important for returning players.

Classic Tomb Raider games often relied on exploration, observation and environmental problem solving with limited guidance.

Modern adventure games frequently provide more visible hints or assistance, which can change how those sections feel.

By selecting hardcore puzzle difficulty, players should be able to reduce some of that assistance and create an experience closer to the design philosophy of the original game.

At the same time, those who mainly want to experience the story and environments can choose easier settings.

The same principle applies to traversal and combat, allowing the challenge to be adjusted without affecting unrelated systems.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is scheduled to launch on February 27, 2027, for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.