Tomb Raider II is an action-adventure game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive for Windows and PlayStation on 21 November 1997. Victor Interactive Software released the PlayStation version in Japan on 22 January 1998, and a Mac version followed in October 1998. Development took only six to nine months, a crunch that programmer Gavin Rummery later called "insane".
A Sega Saturn version was cancelled because a 1997 deal kept Tomb Raider's console versions exclusive to PlayStation until 2000. Judith Gibbins replaced Shelley Blond as Lara's voice. Players became known for locking the butler Winston in the freezer at Croft Manor, and the final shower scene, where Lara breaks the fourth wall, was Core Design's answer to the "Nude Raider" fan patch.
The Golden Mask expansion arrived on PC in 1999. Later re-releases came to PlayStation Network, iOS and Android, and Tomb Raider I-III Remastered was released on 13 February 2024.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Tomb Raider IISame day in Europe. | Windows | Nov 21, 1997 | Eidos Interactive | 1 |
| NA | Tomb Raider IISame day in Europe. | PlayStation | Nov 21, 1997 | Eidos Interactive | 1 |
| NA | Tomb Raider IIPorted by Westlake Interactive. | Mac | October 1998 | Aspyr | 1 |
| JP | トゥームレイダー2 | PlayStation | Jan 22, 1998 | Victor Interactive Software | 1 |
| WW | Tomb Raider II: The Golden MaskExpansion; Mac version January 2000. | Windows | 1999 | Eidos Interactive | 1 |
| WW | Tomb Raider IIPlayStation Network. | PlayStation 3 | Sep 7, 2012 | — | 1 |
| WW | Tomb Raider II (1997)Steam release; GOG.com re-release also in 2012. | Windows | Nov 28, 2012 | Crystal Dynamics | 2 |
| WW | Tomb Raider II | iOS | Dec 3, 2014 | Square Enix | 1 |
| WW | Tomb Raider II | Android | Oct 28, 2015 | — | 1 |
| WW | Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara CroftRemaster with The Golden Mask; also on Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. | Windows | Feb 13, 2024 | Aspyr | 3 |
Also known as: Tomb Raider II: Starring Lara Croft WW1トゥームレイダー2 JP1
Box art by region
NA Tomb Raider II
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
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GraphicsPC
The Windows version was built for Windows 95 and supports high-resolution display.1
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GraphicsPlayStation
The PlayStation version adds transparencies and other effects; the developers said the two versions differ little beyond graphics.1
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Contentre-releases
Several re-releases left out The Golden Mask expansion because of licensing issues; Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (2024) includes it.1
Translations
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Spanish Official
Aspyr / Crystal Dynamics2024Windows · RemasteredReleased · complete
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (2024) includes Spanish (Spain) text.3
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Japanese Official
Aspyr / Crystal Dynamics2024Windows · RemasteredReleased · complete
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (2024) includes Japanese text and full Japanese voice-over.3
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Russian Official
Aspyr / Crystal Dynamics2024Windows · RemasteredReleased · complete
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (2024) includes Russian text and full Russian voice-over.3
Where to play legally today
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GOG Purchase
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GOG Purchase
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Steam Purchase
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Steam Purchase
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft
2024 remaster of Tomb Raider I-III, includes The Golden Mask
Checked: 2026-10-133store.steampowered.com
Reception
The PlayStation version scored 85 on Metacritic, and Electronic Gaming Monthly named it Adventure Game of the Year in its 1997 Editors' Choice Awards. The game had sold about 6.8 million copies worldwide as of 2009.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
Spotted a mistake? Write to atlas@old-games.net.