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Slay the Spire 2Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider 2 (Tomb Raider II, 1997) is Core Design's first sequel, sending Lara Croft after the Dagger of Xian from the Great Wall of China to Venice, a sunken ship and Tibet. It holds an 85 on Metacritic for PlayStation, one of the best scores in the series.
Tomb Raider 2 is the 1997 sequel to Tomb Raider (1996), made by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive for PC and PlayStation, and it is still one of the best-reviewed games in the series: 85 on Metacritic for PlayStation, from 13 critics, 12 of them positive. Lara Croft hunts the Dagger of Xian, which Steam's description says gives its holder the power of a "fire breathing dragon". It added vehicles, flares and more guns, and today it is easiest to play in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, which includes its expansion.
Quick facts
| Official title | Tomb Raider II |
| Released | Nov 21, 1997 (Metacritic's date) |
| Developer | Core Design |
| Publisher | Eidos Interactive |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation; later iOS and others |
| Lara's voice | Judith Gibbins |
| Levels | 18, plus the Lara's Home training level and an epilogue |
| Expansion | Golden Mask (also called The Gold Mask), 5 levels |
| Metacritic | 85 (PlayStation), 53 (iOS), as of Nov 1, 2026 |
| Steam reviews | Very Positive, 85% of 951, as of Nov 1, 2026 |
| Length | 16 hours main story, 21.5 completionist (HowLongToBeat) |
| Buy today | Steam or Tomb Raider I-III Remastered |
Sources: Metacritic, Nov 1, 2026; Steam, Nov 1, 2026; Stella's Tomb Raider Site, Nov 2, 2026; LevelUp, Oct 31, 2021; HowLongToBeat, Nov 2, 2026.
What is Tomb Raider 2 about?
Lara goes after the Dagger of Xian, an ancient Chinese blade said to turn whoever drives it into their own heart into a dragon, per Steam's description, written by the series' current owners. She is not alone in wanting it. Stella's Tomb Raider Site, quoting the game's manual, explains that a Venetian cult, the Fiamma Nera, led by Marco Bartoli, races her for it. Where the first game sent her to Peru, Greece, Egypt and Atlantis, this one trades lost civilizations for a world tour: China, Italy, the open sea and the Himalayas, then back to China.
Levels in brief
Stella's Tomb Raider Site lists 16 full-size levels and two shorter ones at the end, plus a training level at Croft Manor and an epilogue there:
| Region | Levels |
|---|---|
| China | Great Wall |
| Venice | Venice, Bartoli's Hideout, Opera House |
| Offshore and the sunken ship | Offshore Rig, Diving Area, 40 Fathoms, Wreck of the Maria Doria, Living Quarters, The Deck |
| Tibet | Tibetan Foothills, Barkhang Monastery, Catacombs of the Talion, Ice Palace |
| China again | Temple of Xian, Floating Islands, The Dragon's Lair |
| Croft Manor | Home Sweet Home (epilogue) |
Source: Stella's Tomb Raider Site: Tomb Raider 2 Game Info and Walkthrough, Nov 2, 2026.
Every level hides three secrets, a silver, a jade and a gold dragon statue, and collecting all three in a level gives bonus items, usually ammunition, in Stella's account. There is no reward for finding every secret in the game.
What changed since Tomb Raider (1996)
The sequel leans harder on fighting: Stella's guide finds "quite a bit more combat and bloodshed" than in the original. It lists the additions: a harpoon gun, an M-16 and a grenade launcher, with automatic pistols in place of the Magnums; flares for dark places; ladder climbing; and the series' first vehicles, a speedboat in Venice and a snowmobile in Tibet. Unlike the PlayStation version of the first game, it lets you save anywhere on every platform.
Reception and sales
Critics liked it: the PlayStation version's 85 Metascore ties it with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, behind only Tomb Raider (2013) and Rise of the Tomb Raider among the series' top scores. Players agree: the original PC version, still sold on Steam, was Very Positive, at 85% of 951 reviews, on Nov 1, 2026.
The owners have never published a sales figure for Tomb Raider 2 alone. The series totals they have given, from 28 million in 2006 to over 100 million in 2024, are on Tomb Raider Sales.
Golden Mask expansion
The PC and Mac versions got a five-level expansion, and the name differs by source: "Golden Mask" on the Remastered Steam page and "The Gold Mask Expansion" on Crystal Dynamics' I-VI page. It takes 3.5 hours for the main path, by HowLongToBeat's count, and it is included in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.
How to play it today
The original PC version is on Steam. The better choice for most players is Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (Aspyr, Feb 14, 2024), which bundles Tomb Raider 2 with Golden Mask and lets you switch between the original and new graphics at any time. Every store is on Where to Buy Tomb Raider Games, and the order of the games is on Tomb Raider Games in Order.
Frequently asked questions
When did Tomb Raider 2 come out? Tomb Raider 2 came out in November 1997 for PC and PlayStation; Metacritic dates it Nov 21, 1997.
How many levels are in Tomb Raider 2? Tomb Raider 2 has 18 levels by Stella's Tomb Raider Site's count, 16 full-size and two shorter ones at the end, plus the Lara's Home training level and a short epilogue at Croft Manor.
How long is Tomb Raider 2? HowLongToBeat puts Tomb Raider 2 at 16 hours for the main story and 21.5 hours to complete everything, as of Nov 2, 2026.
Who voices Lara in Tomb Raider 2? Judith Gibbins voices Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2 and Tomb Raider 3, taking over from Shelley Blond of the 1996 game.
Is Tomb Raider 2 in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered? Yes. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered includes Tomb Raider 2 and its Golden Mask expansion, with a switch between the original and remastered graphics.
What is the Dagger of Xian in Tomb Raider 2? The Dagger of Xian is the artifact Lara hunts in Tomb Raider 2: a Chinese blade said to give whoever plunges it into their heart the power of a dragon.
Sources
- Tomb Raider II, Metacritic, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider II (1997), Steam, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft, Steam, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider I-VI Remastered, Crystal Dynamics, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider 2 Game Info and Walkthrough, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, Nov 2, 2026
- Tomb Raider: actrices de voz originales de Lara se reuniran en nuevo juego de la serie, Mardokeo Galvan, LevelUp, Oct 31, 2021
- How long is Tomb Raider, HowLongToBeat, Nov 2, 2026
- New Voice Of Lara Croft Revealed, Game Developer, Feb 23, 2006
- Tomb Raider Series Sells 100 Million Copies, Rhiannon Bevan (TheGamer), OpenCritic, Oct 11, 2024
- History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018), Nick930, Sep 7, 2018 (video)
Moments
History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018)
Nick930
Related
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Crystal DynamicsCrystal Dynamics is the California studio that has made Tomb Raider since 2003, from Tomb Raider Legend to the Survivor trilogy. Owned by Embracer Group since 2022, it is making Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis with Flying Wild Hog and Tomb Raider Catalyst, both published by Amazon Game Studios.
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Lara Croft Spin-offsThe Lara Croft spin-offs are the Tomb Raider games outside the main series, led by the co-op games Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010) and Temple of Osiris (2014), the puzzle game Lara Croft GO (2015), the runner Relic Run (2015) and Tomb Raider Reloaded (2023).
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Rise of the Tomb RaiderRise of the Tomb Raider (2015) is Crystal Dynamics' second Survivor game, sending Lara Croft to Siberia in search of the Lost City of Kitezh. Critics rated it among the best Tomb Raider games, at 86 on both Metacritic and OpenCritic.
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Shadow of the Tomb RaiderShadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) ends the Survivor trilogy, with Lara Croft trying to stop a Maya apocalypse in the jungle. Eidos-Montréal led it with Crystal Dynamics; critics liked it less than the two before it, at 82 on Metacritic for Xbox One and 80 on OpenCritic.
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The Angel of DarknessTomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (Tomb Raider 6, 2003) was Core Design's last Tomb Raider, a troubled PlayStation 2 and PC game rated 52 and 49 on Metacritic, the lowest of any main-series game. Weeks after it launched, Eidos moved the series to Crystal Dynamics.
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The Last RevelationTomb Raider: The Last Revelation (Tomb Raider 4, 1999) is Core Design's Egypt game, in which Lara Croft frees the god Set and must imprison him again, and which ends with her apparent death. Metacritic lists no critic score for it, but its users rate it 8.3.
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Tomb Raider 3Tomb Raider 3 (Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft, 1998) is Core Design's third game, in which Lara Croft tracks four artifacts carved from an Antarctic meteorite through India, Nevada, the South Pacific and London. It scores 76 on Metacritic and is the longest classic Tomb Raider to finish.
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Tomb Raider ChroniclesTomb Raider Chronicles (Tomb Raider 5, 2000) is Core Design's fifth game, four short flashback adventures told by Lara Croft's friends at her memorial after The Last Revelation. It scored 57 to 63 on Metacritic, and its PC version came with the Tomb Raider level editor.
See also
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Tomb Raider (1996)Tomb Raider (1996) is the first Tomb Raider game, made by Core Design in Derby and published by Eidos Interactive in late 1996 on Sega Saturn, PlayStation and PC. Lara Croft hunts the Scion across 15 levels in Peru, Greece, Egypt and Atlantis; it sold over 7 million copies.
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Core DesignCore Design was the studio in Derby, England, that created Tomb Raider and Lara Croft, made the first six games from 1996 to 2003 for publisher Eidos, then lost the series to Crystal Dynamics. Toby Gard, credited with creating Lara, left after the first game and returned at Crystal Dynamics in 2004.
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Tomb Raider I-III RemasteredTomb Raider I-III Remastered is Aspyr's Feb 14, 2024 collection of the first three Tomb Raider games and their expansions, with new graphics you can switch off at any time, modern or classic controls and a photo mode. It scored 75 on Metacritic for PS5; a Challenge Mode came on Mar 12, 2026.
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AtlantisAtlantis is the lost civilization behind Tomb Raider's story and the last region of the 1996 game, played in three levels: Natla's Mines, Atlantis and The Great Pyramid. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis calls it a mysterious Mediterranean island and has not shown it as of Nov 2, 2026.
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Tomb Raider (2013)Tomb Raider (2013) is Crystal Dynamics' reboot, Lara Croft's origin story on a stormbound island, published by Square Enix on Mar 5, 2013 with Camilla Luddington as Lara. It scored 86 to 87 on Metacritic and had sold 11 million copies by 2018, though Square Enix first called its sales below target.