Video game star Lara Croft exits the tomb and into podcasts
"No Man's Sky" features "Game of Thrones" and "Killing Eve" stars in Beyond
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) -– In a man's world, Lara Croft may be the biggest female gaming star.
The star has raided tombs from Peru to Egypt in a series of blockbuster video games going back 25 years. Now, the adventurer is taking on a new media and a new medium in "Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals."
Sophie Turner and Phoebe Waller-Bridge enter the world of "Tomb Raider"
In it, Croft, voiced by "Killing Eve" and "Fleabag" star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, leaves behind the jungles and ruins of her past adventures for the sound of her own voice.
(LISTEN: Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals)
"Tomb Raider has always been about pushing boundaries. And this podcast is no exception," said Waller-Bridge in a statement.
"It's a thrilling adventure story, told in a completely new way. And I can't wait for you all to hear it."
The eight-episode series, part of a deal between Spotify and Crystal Dynamics, dropped its first two episodes on Jan. 12.
It joins a growing list of podcasts inspired by the world's most famous video games.
As video games reach new levels of storytelling and filmmaking quality, podcasts are offering them a way to delve deeper into their narratives or enter new ones.
"The Last of Us" and "The Witcher" get podcast prequels
HBO’s breakout series "The Last of Us" was preceded by the podcast "The Last of Us Podcast," which told the story of the first game in the series as well as the journey of adapting it for television.
Netflix's "The Witcher" released a podcast prequel, "Tales from the Continent," in 2021.
And last year, Spotify released a "God of War" podcast, "Fallen God," which starred "Game of Thrones" star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
"No Man's Sky" recruits "Game of Thrones" stars for story expansion
The biggest of these may be Hello Games' "No Man's Sky," which recruited the talents of Sean Bean, Mark Strong and Stephen Fry to voice characters in their latest story expansion, "Beyond."
In the game, players must explore a procedurally generated universe on foot and in spacecraft, completing quests and managing their resources and survival.
"Beyond" adds a new story that sees players confronting a powerful alien threat alongside the voices of the veteran actors.
"I'm a huge 'No Man's Sky' fan," said Bean in a statement.
"So I jumped at the chance to be a part of this new chapter in the game's story.
"I can't wait for players to experience it."
As this new generation of video game podcasts and expansions continues, gamers will have more options than ever to connect with the stories and characters they love.
