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Slay the Spire 2Tomb Raider: Underworld
Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008) is Crystal Dynamics' third Tomb Raider, in which Lara Croft confronts Natla and learns what happened to her mother, ending the Legend story. It scored 70 to 80 on Metacritic, and Eidos said it sold about 1.5 million units by the end of 2008, below its forecasts.
Tomb Raider: Underworld came out in November 2008 for PS3, PC, Xbox 360, DS, Wii and PS2, made by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive, and it closes the story Tomb Raider: Legend began: Lara Croft confronts Natla and learns the truth about her mother's end. It brought back Jacqueline Natla, the villain of Tomb Raider (1996). Critics rated it 80 on PC and 75 to 76 on PS3 and Xbox 360, and Eidos admitted in January 2009 that its sales of about 1.5 million units were below internal forecasts. It was the last main game before the 2013 reboot, and the one Tomb Raider: Catalyst will follow in story.
Quick facts
| Released | Nov 18, 2008 (Metacritic's date) |
| Developer | Crystal Dynamics |
| Publisher | Eidos Interactive |
| Platforms | PS3, PC, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, DS |
| Lara's voice | Keeley Hawes |
| Locations | Mediterranean Sea, Coastal Thailand, Croft Manor, Southern Mexico, Jan Mayen Island, Andaman Sea, Arctic Sea |
| Collectibles | 179 treasures and 6 relics (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) |
| Metacritic | 80 (PC), 76 (Xbox 360), 75 (PS3), 70 (DS, Wii), as of Nov 1, 2026 |
| Sales | About 1.5 million units sold through by Dec 31, 2008 (Eidos estimate) |
| Length | 10 hours main story, 19 completionist (HowLongToBeat) |
| Buy today | Steam |
Sources: Metacritic, Nov 1, 2026; Stella's Tomb Raider Site, Nov 2, 2026; Game Developer, Jan 9, 2009; HowLongToBeat, Nov 2, 2026.
What is Tomb Raider: Underworld about?
Lara learns that her mother was not taken to Avalon, as Legend suggested, but to the Norse underworld, Helheim, and to get there she needs Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, as Stella's Tomb Raider Site sets out the opening. The search ties together the underworld myths of several cultures, from the Hindu Bhogavati to the Mayan Xibalba, with each turning out to have a real place behind it. Her old friend turned rival from Legend is back, as are Zip, Alister and the butler Winston, and so is Natla, the villain Lara fought in 1996.
Levels in brief
| Level | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Prologue: Croft Manor | No Illusions |
| Mediterranean Sea | The Path to Avalon, Niflheim, The Norse Connection, God of Thunder, Realm of the Dead |
| Coastal Thailand | The Remnants, Bhogavati, The Ancient World, A Puppet No Longer |
| Croft Manor | Protected by the Dead |
| Southern Mexico | The Unnamed Days, Xibalba, The Midgard Serpent, Land of the Dead |
| Jan Mayen Island | Gate of the Dead, Valhalla |
| Andaman Sea | Rituals Old |
| Arctic Sea | Helheim, Yggdrasil, Out of Time |
Source: Stella's Tomb Raider Site: Tomb Raider: Underworld Game Info and Walkthrough, Nov 2, 2026. The Wii and PS2 versions differ enough to need their own walkthroughs, and each lacks at least one chapter.
Stella lists the new tools: a spear gun for underwater, a tranquilizer gun, sticky grenades and Mjolnir itself as a weapon, plus new climbing moves and melee attacks. Lara rides a motorbike in Southern Mexico and on Jan Mayen Island. The six relics each heal her fully and raise her maximum health, so finding all six roughly doubles it. Two extra levels, Beneath the Ashes and Lara's Shadow, came only to Xbox 360.
Reception
Critics liked the look and disliked the camera. Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson gave it 7 out of 10, writing that Crystal Dynamics had kept its promise to bring back all the classic elements, but had "also delivered all the rubbish elements." She liked Southern Mexico most, and found the plot forgettable. Metacritic's scores run from 80 on PC to 70 on DS and Wii.
Sales and what followed
On Jan 9, 2009, Eidos said Underworld's "global sell-through is currently estimated at only 1.5 million units," below its internal forecasts. It blamed weak economic conditions in North America, where shops cut stock and discounted deeply, and Game Developer noted one of the most crowded Christmas schedules in years. Eidos cut its revenue guidance, and its share price fell the same day. Three months later, in April 2009, Square Enix completed its purchase of Eidos, and the next main game was the reboot, Tomb Raider (2013).
Where Underworld sits in the story
Crystal Dynamics now treats its classic-era games and its new ones as one history. Its game director Will Kerslake said Tomb Raider: Catalyst picks up Lara's story "years after the events of Tomb Raider: Underworld," while Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, the 2027 remake of the 1996 game, brings Natla back again, played by Adrienne Wilkinson. See Tomb Raider Games in Order.
Frequently asked questions
When did Tomb Raider: Underworld come out? Tomb Raider: Underworld came out in November 2008 on PS3, PC, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2 and DS; Metacritic dates it Nov 18, 2008.
Is Natla in Tomb Raider: Underworld? Yes. Jacqueline Natla, the villain of the 1996 Tomb Raider, returns in Tomb Raider: Underworld, and Lara confronts her there.
Do you need to play Legend before Tomb Raider: Underworld? It helps. Tomb Raider: Underworld finishes the story of Lara's mother that Tomb Raider: Legend starts.
How many copies did Tomb Raider: Underworld sell? Eidos estimated in January 2009 that Tomb Raider: Underworld had sold through about 1.5 million units worldwide by Dec 31, 2008, below its forecasts.
How long is Tomb Raider: Underworld? HowLongToBeat puts Tomb Raider: Underworld at 10 hours for the main story and 19 hours to complete everything.
Is Catalyst a sequel to Tomb Raider: Underworld? Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set years after Tomb Raider: Underworld, Crystal Dynamics' Will Kerslake said in December 2025, with a more experienced Lara.
Sources
- Tomb Raider: Underworld, Metacritic, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider: Underworld, Steam, Nov 1, 2026
- Lara Croft, Crystal Dynamics, Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider: Underworld Game Info and Walkthrough, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, Nov 2, 2026
- Tomb Raider: Underworld review, Ellie Gibson, Eurogamer, Nov 19, 2008
- Eidos Admits Disappointing Tomb Raider Sales As Share Price Falls, David Jenkins, Game Developer, Jan 9, 2009
- Court approves Square Enix buyout of Eidos, Ben Gilbert, Engadget, Apr 22, 2009
- Tomb Raider Devs Explain Series Timeline, Lara Croft's New Voice, And Links Between, Charles Harte, Game Informer, Dec 15, 2025
- Meet Natla, Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Game Studios, Aug 31, 2026
- How long is Tomb Raider, HowLongToBeat, Nov 2, 2026
- History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018), Nick930, Sep 7, 2018 (video)
Moments
History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018)
Nick930
- Tomb Raider: Underworld came out in November 2008 for PS3, PC, Xbox 360, DS, Wii and PS2, made by Crystal Dynamics and…
- Stella lists the new tools: a spear gun for underwater, a tranquilizer gun, sticky grenades and Mjolnir itself as a…
- Critics liked the look and disliked the camera. Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson gave it 7 out of 10, writing that Crystal…
- On Jan 9, 2009, Eidos said Underworld's "global sell-through is currently estimated at only 1.5 million units," below…
Related
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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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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 (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.
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Tomb Raider 2Tomb 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.
See also
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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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Tomb Raider: LegendTomb Raider: Legend (2006) is Crystal Dynamics' first Tomb Raider, a fast, short adventure in which Lara Croft hunts the pieces of Excalibur to learn her mother's fate. It scored 82 on Metacritic and shipped over 2.9 million units in its first months.
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Jacqueline NatlaJacqueline Natla is the villain of the 1996 Tomb Raider, an Atlantean ruler posing as a businesswoman who hires Lara to find the Scion. In Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis she is the CEO of Natla Technologies, played by Adrienne Wilkinson.
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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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Tomb Raider: CatalystTomb Raider: Catalyst is Crystal Dynamics' next all-new Tomb Raider game, set in Northern India and published by Amazon Game Studios. Official pages still say 2027, but Amazon Games' Jeffrey Gattis said 2028 in July 2026, and Amazon has given no date since.