The videogaming world’s most famous heroine, Lara Croft, has come a long way since she first burst onto the scene way back in 1996, and today series creator Eidos Interactive has announced that the latest entry in the long-running Tomb Raider series, subtitled Underworld, will be released in Europe for the Microsoft Xbox 360 on November 21.

Tomb Raider: Underworld once again sees Lara on a globetrotting adventure, one that begins when she discovers proof of the existence of the mythical hammer of the Norse God Thor, a weapon many believe to hold enough power to destroy huge landscapes, and even the Gods themselves. For the greater good, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea if the hammer got into the wrong hands, and so our adventurous protagonist sets off to track down clues to solve the mystery behind the legend.

Underworld is the first Tomb Raider title build from the ground-up for next-generation consoles, and Eidos is hoping this will show in its graphical splendour, with environments that are more detailed and expansive than ever before.

“We’re thrilled to bring back Lara Croft and Tomb Raider at Christmas time on all formats,” said Patrick Melchior, Head of European Distribution. “Lara Croft has never looked, acted or played so realistically before. Tomb Raider: Underworld will delight fans and gamers alike as well as being a great gift for the Christmas season!”

Features

• Master your surroundings: Reach new heights with the broadest range of acrobatic abilities and utilize objects within the environment to uncover new paths to explore.
• Explore epic and unknown worlds: Discover ancient mysteries of the underworld hidden within the coast of Thailand, frozen islands of the Arctic Sea, the jungles of Mexico, and more.
• Treacherous and unpredictable challenges: Each level is an elaborate multi-stage puzzle masked within an interactive environmental playground offering more flexibility over how the area is solved.
• New state-of-the-art gear: Utilize the latest technology in Lara’s upgraded inventory to navigate the world including:
  - Multi-purpose grapple: A claw-like device with a high-tension cable designed for climbing, rappelling, performing wall runs and manipulating objects within the environment.
  - All-terrain hybrid motorbike: A unique vehicle design built to drive on everything from mud to snow and ice.

The biggest and best Tomb Raider ever? Only time will tell.