As mentioned on The Finger Guns Podcast!

Listen to the episode here!

The Finger Guns Podcast

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Pixel Addict

This is a thoroughly enjoyable deep dive into one of the most iconic franchises of all time. This is really a glimpse into what development was like in the 90s and it’s a window into a world many will simply not have considered exists. Daryl sets the scene before you hear from those who painstakingly put the first two games together in their words. Weeks and weeks of research has clearly gone into this and as a result the book is immediately accessible to both newcomers to gaming development and those who just want to confirm what they might have suspected. Brilliantly realised, this comes highly recommended.

Amazon Customer, Mike

Brilliant, in-depth book on the history of Tomb Raider from Daryl. Highly recommend to any fans of the Tomb Raider series.

Amazon Customer, Ethan

Tomb Raider is my favourite video game of all time, so I was really excited to read this book. It was fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It took me back in my mind to many years ago, when I first started playing the Tomb Raider games on my Playstation 1. I have so many amazing memories from that time, as well as over the years that I have played Tomb Raider.

This book goes into detail about how Tomb Raider first came about, how Lara Croft was created, who created her, and the team that created and birthed the first two games. This was so interesting to me, and I loved reading about it. I love Lara Croft, and I was so excited to read about her, as well as everything that went into making the games, such as the art, the music, the acting, the voice acting etc.

The book itself has lovely images and photographs, and a lot of detailed text. This book would make a great gift for any Tomb Raider fan. I loved it, and I am sure you will too! Highly Recommended!

Amazon Customer, Catherine Craig

I love anything Tomb Raider, so when I spotted this, I just had to read it. This was a great look at what it’s like to design and build a game back in the 90s. I loved the in-depth look at how one of my favourite characters was born. The trials and tribulations. The disagreements and failures. The pictures included really did bring back memories. If you were scared of the T-Rex attack and enjoyed locking the butler in the freezer, then this book is definitely for you. Or if your just into game development then pick this up.

Amazon Customer, Kim_Reads

If you trembled with terror as the T-Rex thundered towards you, prayed you would reach the end of a level with only a sliver of health or tried to lock the elderly butler in the freezer, then this rigorous unofficial history of the birth of Tomb Raider and its sequel is the book for you.
I vividly remember loading up Tomb Raider for the first time and being dumbstruck by its atmosphere and realism. It cost around £40 which was a fortune back in 1997, but I still have it and play it. This was something nobody had seen before; it required an entirely new sklllset from the player. The freedom of movement, though limited by today’s standards, was mind blowing. Once it clicked, I lost hours of my life inside its world.
Released in the time of the Spice Girls, Tony Blair and Britpop, Tomb Raider quickly became a global phenomenon. Author Daryl Baxter has interviewed every member of the creative team behind the games (including Lara’s voice artists) and vigorously verified every fact so this is the definitive, true story. The book is richly illustrated with iconic images from the games and rare, original drawings of schematic outlines for the levels. There is plenty of detail on the technology used to code the game and also a chapter on the music and its composer.
Very much a nostalgia-fest for anyone who loves the game, the book reminds the reader of a simpler time when video games were made by talented amateurs rather than money-driven committees. It is a book written by a fan for fans, and is a joy to read.

Amazon Customer, Kid Ferrous

An in-depth look at the true making of the first two Tomb Raider games. Even as a fan for years there was so much I learned from talks with the original developers. Illustrated with HQ screenshots - I couldn’t put this down and so glad it was made.

Amazon Customer, Jonathan Lawson

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Tomb Raider is my favourite video game of all time, so I was really excited to read this book. It was fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It took me back in my mind to many years ago, when I first started playing the Tomb Raider games on my Playstation 1. I have so many amazing memories from that time, as well as over the years that I have played Tomb Raider.

This book goes into detail about how Tomb Raider first came about, how Lara Croft was created, who created her, and the team that created and birthed the first two games. This was so interesting to me, and I loved reading about it. I love Lara Croft, and I was so excited to read about her, as well as everything that went into making the games, such as the art, the music, the acting, the voice acting etc.

The book itself has lovely images and photographs, and a lot of detailed text. This book would make a great gift for any Tomb Raider fan. I loved it, and I am sure you will too! Highly Recommended!

NetGalley, Catherine Craig (Angelic Light)

‘At times the book is almost like a transcribed version of a filmed documentary where the original team was just sitting down at a table sharing stories, with Daryl popping in from time to time to narrate some context and keep the timeline moving forward.’

Read the full review by Mark Smith here.

Game Chronicles

I love anything Tomb Raider, so when I spotted this, I just had to read it. This was a great look at what it’s like to design and build a game back in the 90s. I loved the in-depth look at how one of my favourite characters was born. The trials and tribulations. The disagreements and failures. The pictures included really did bring back memories. If you were scared of the T-Rex attack and enjoyed locking the butler in the freezer, then this book is definitely for you. Or if your just into game development then pick this up.

NetGalley, Kimberley Chapman

The Making of Tomb Raider is an unmissable and essential read.

Read the full review here

Alternative Magazine Online

Boasting a hardback, 139 A4 pages and 11 chapters, the book focuses on the depths of the first two games in the franchise. Specifically the games that were developed by CORE design. Daryl has taken the time to interview the members responsible for the development of Tomb Raider 1 and 2, and the people involved of those who are alive today. The book recounts interview transcripts that were conducted by himself during the COVID-19 pandemic. What you read within this book, you may have heard of in other forms, but not in the depth where you can literally read this from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

From the offset, the book invites you to get to know Daryl – Why is he writing this book? What got him into writing? Why does he care 25 years on? This book is a documentary, paying tribute to the games that have shaped his childhood. Within 10 pages of this book, I feel as if I can hear his voice and the excitement in the written word for what he is about to share.

Read the full review here

Finger Guns

Video review featured on Raidercast

YouTube, Raidercast

I inhaled this. I'm a huge fan of the early Tomb Raider games and have read and listened to a huge amount of what's been written about their production, story and reception. Despite that, Daryl Baxter's oral history of the making of the first two games finds a niche for itself as a gossipy retelling, rich on technical detail that's sure to delight even the most familiar fan. Disagreements are picked over, differing takes given, and a surprising number of perceived failures admitted to. A great little account of how games were made, back in the day.

NetGalley, Michael Mills

An absolute must for long-time Tomb Raider fans. A real geek-fest of programming challenges from the early days when 3D graphics were in their infancy.
However, I believe this will appeal to older fans and people who spent hours trying to program their Zx Spectrum or PC. For the modern aspiring game programmer, this book will make you grateful for the tools you have - these guys had to jimmy-rig photos from library books to get textures!
It makes me wish I'd been part of it - a simpler time, a kind of positive wild west for gamers. Ps. There was a kid in my primary school that programmed one of the well-known speccy games - something to do with Tarzan!

NetGalley, Joshua Cartwright

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

If you trembled with terror as the T-Rex thundered towards you, prayed you would reach the end of a level with only a sliver of health or tried to lock the elderly butler in the freezer, then this rigorous unofficial history of the birth of Tomb Raider and its sequel is the book for you.
I vividly remember loading up Tomb Raider for the first time and being dumbstruck by its atmosphere and realism. It cost around £40 which was a fortune back in 1997, but I still have it and play it. This was something nobody had seen before; it required an entirely new sklllset from the player. The freedom of movement, though limited by today’s standards, was mind blowing. Once it clicked, I lost hours of my life inside its world.
Released in the time of the Spice Girls, Tony Blair and Britpop, Tomb Raider quickly became a global phenomenon. Author Daryl Baxter has interviewed every member of the creative team behind the games (including Lara’s voice artists) and vigorously verified every fact so this is the definitive, true story. The book is richly illustrated with iconic images from the games and rare, original drawings of schematic outlines for the levels. There is plenty of detail on the technology used to code the game and also a chapter on the music and its composer.
Very much a nostalgia-fest for anyone who loves the game, the book reminds the reader of a simpler time when video games were made by talented amateurs rather than money-driven committees. It is a book written by a fan for fans, and is a joy to read.

NetGalley, Wyn Lewis