Chris Carpineti

We’re fast approaching the 20th anniversary of Lara’s sixth outing, and I want to extend Raidercast’s library of media to include writing. Articles and letters from fans of the series, sharing their passion and fascination for various aspects of the world of Tomb Raider.

Raidercast began in fall 2019 as a place for me to ramble on about my love for Tomb Raider in a long-form setting. I hadn’t planned for it to be anything other than an audio-only series which I could contribute to as and when something came to mind.

Episode 19 |

In this cosplay community episode I brought together the stories of eight Lara Croft fans from around the world, to talk about their experiences embodying the Tomb Raider. Naturally this may seem like a very visual episode, and I highly recommend seeing the video below.

Episode 22 |

As we near the actual anniversary of Lara’s debut, I sat down with author Daryl Baxter who talks us through the creation of his 25-year celebration book: ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’, which features some exciting interviews covering the first two years of Croft adventures at Core Design!  

Episode 7 |

How does Tomb Raider’s depiction of demons and demonology compare to our real-world myths? This episode strayed into some pretty dark territory. I don’t expect it’ll actually give anyone nightmares, but some parts are chilling! Just don’t listen in the dark, and don’t go wandering off into any lakes if you think you can hear a baby crying, ok?

Episode 11 |

For the premiere of Season 2, I sat down for a world-first interview with the one and only Jonell Elliot, the voice of Lara Croft 1999-2003!

Episode 16 |

In this episode I speak with Jennifer Milward about the proposed “Unification of the Timelines”, and the challenges it presents. Can Lara’s backstory from three different timelines merge successfully?

Episode 8 |

Our special guest in this episode is known for her Tomb Raider Twitch livestreams, cosplay, and fan art. We go on a journey to Lara’s roots and examine how her character and motivations grew, evolved, and even outright changed over time.

Episode 5 |

In this episode I’m going to blow the lid off an in-game conspiracy that was hidden in plain sight since the very beginning. Join me as I investigate the artefacts of Tomb Raider, the race behind them, and a grand unifying theory that ties everything together.

Episode 25 |

From tombs and skeletal remains to ghosts and everlasting life, Lara’s world presents a mixed view of what happens when we die. But while the topic might seem grim, the series presents a surprisingly hopeful view on it: this is Death In Tomb Raider.

Episode 13 |

Monster Manual Vol 2 invites returning special guest Sacha Coward to tell us more about the real-world myths behind some of Tomb Raider’s cursed critters.

Episode 18 |

In this episode, special guest and Tomb Raider movie super-fan Jonathon takes us on a dive into the myths presented in the 2003 cult classic ‘The Cradle of Life’. Tune in and help us open Pandora’s Box.

Episode 14 |

Five years ago Rise of the Tomb Raider was released, and to celebrate the occasion I chatted with the wonderful narrative designer and writer Rhianna Pratchett!

Episode 27 |

Back in October and November 2021, in the spirit of the 25th anniversary of TR1, I introduced my husband to Tomb Raider. Here’s how he got on, and answers your questions! This episode went out earlier on the Raidercast Youtube channel, so some of you may have heard it before. 

Episode 17 |

The fans have spoken! In recent polls on Twitter/IG/Youtube with numbers in the thousands, an overwhelming 97% of people voted YES to seeing Tomb Raider ports, remakes and remasters on modern consoles. I sat down with community legends Laurie (Survivor Reborn / Confessions of a Gaming Mum) and Steve (Steve of Warr), to discuss the potential for seeing Lara’s old adventures being given new life.

Episode 12 |

We’re going down a spooky path for Halloween! Special guest, author, and artist, Claire Waller talks about her journey with Lara, and we discuss our top three moments of horror in Tomb Raider!

Episode 9 |

What if Lara Croft wasn’t the star? In the Survivor timeline, Lara’s father is massively important to the story. We investigate her ‘daddy’s issues’, and ask what if we had a Tomb Raider game where he was the main character instead, and how would it work?

Episode 15 |

In this special episode, I chat with astrophysicist, gamer, (and husband!) Dr. Carpineti about Lara’s cosmically-entangled adventures. Inspired by the upcoming eclipse visible from parts of South America, we chat about the science behind how outer space is presented across the Tomb Raider games and films.

Episode 2 |

In this episode, I’m joined on the phone by my first special guest: Lara Croft’s original voice actress, Shelley Blond, for a conversation about globetrotting, and Lara’s relevance in 2020.

Episode 26 |

Welcome to the third Raidercast In Partnership with TombRaider! I sat down with Kam Yu, Sze Jones, and Rob Cheng from Crystal Dynamics to talk about the development of 2008’s Tomb Raider Underworld.  

Episode 10 |

The S1 finale of Raidercast is for the community, by the community. A love letter to Tomb Raider and Lara Croft across the ages, with personal stories of the impact they’ve had on our lives. This is why the series is still important!

Episode 1 |

In this first episode, join me on a nostalgic adventure as I think back over my Tomb Raider journey from its roots until the present day.

Episode 24 |

Have Tomb Raider and Lara inspired your creative side? In this episode, I spoke to two creative fans who were brought together by their mutual love of Tomb Raider. Say hello to Vic and Jason, whose Vault podcast inspired the creation of Raidercast! 

Episode 6 |

Venture back to the myths of ancient Egypt with special guest Jennifer Milward, and behold the war of Horus and Set!

Episode 4 |

In this episode, folklorist Sacha Coward and I investigate some of the Tomb Raider series’ monsters and the myths they’re based on.

Episode 3 |

In this episode, I delve into Lara’s debut adventure and investigate an unearthly civilisation from the dawn of time. How did Tomb Raider’s interpretation of Atlantis between Core Design and Crystal Dynamics?

Episode 21 |

Don’t miss the second Raidercast In Partnership with @TombRaider! Myself and TR social media manager Neha sat down with Jason Botta and Noah Hughes from Crystal Dynamics to talk about the development of Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider Anniversary.

Episode 20 |

In this first collaboration episode, community manager Meagan Marie and myself chat with four members of Core Design behind The Angel of Darkness.

Episode 23 |

It’s been 25 years of Tomb Raider! I was fortunate enough to speak to Lara’s voice actress from Tomb Raiders 2 and 3, Judith Gibbins, at the celebration event in Derby, where it all began. 

Episode 28 |

Since the burning issue was so popular, I really wanted to share what was sent to me because a LOT of people had very strong opinions, some raise great points, and some are particularly entertaining! 

Episode 8 |

In this episode I compare all the different versions of Tomb Raider 1.

Episode 1 |

I have an annoying habit of praising the original Tomb Raider game so much that anyone listening would think it must be some kind of absolutely untouchable, flawless, perfect masterpiece. And while I’d fight for the opinion that it practically is – admittedly, it does raise quite a number of questions that are left unanswered, and mysteries left unexplained. Let’s poke some fun!

Episode 9 |

The first 10 days of 2021 have brought with it an unbelievable amount of progress for Core Design’s lost gem. Here are some parts I want to highlight, with some investigation onto the code, some chat about where fans are taking this game, and why it’s important.

Episode 7 |

Rumors have been flying around about an alleged “Ultimate Experience” for some time, so I decided to dig into all that legal jargon and try to make sense of all those trademark timestamps in an attempt to explain what *might* be happening behind the scenes.

Episode 5 |

It took me far too long to finally make one of these videos! Here are my Top 10 (ancient!) Tomb Raider levels.

Episode 3 |

A deep-dive into the history of Core Design’s Tomb Raider 10th Anniversary Edition. This video was made shortly before fans managed to experience the game first-hand.

Episode 2 |

This time, we follow Lara to Paris and Prague. Can she evade the police? Can she stop shouting at people for five goddamn minutes? Can she focus on raiding tombs instead of working at a nightclub?...

Episode 4 |

Well, this is just downright silly. So many plot holes. What the hell, TR2? Join the Fiamma Nera cult and sell your soul to the dragon! Or, y’know, just grab a T-shirt.

Episode 7 |

How does Tomb Raider’s depiction of demons and demonology compare to our real-world myths and spirituality? Tomb Raider and the supernatural have always gone hand in hand. What can be seen as advanced technology can sometimes be unquestionably magic, and sometimes Lara’s world is downright horrifying.

Episode 2 |

In the second episode of the Raidercast podcast series I chat on the phone to Lara's first voice actress, Shelley Blond, and we talk about globetrotting, and the Tomb Raider community. Her words about Lara's relevance are so passionate and unifying.

Episode 1 |

Welcome to Raidercast! The podcast that dives into the myths, mysteries, and monsters of Tomb Raider. In this first episode, join me on a nostalgic adventure as I think back over my Tomb Raider journey from its roots until the present day. I hope this episode gives context to my feelings towards the series as one of Lara’s millions of fans worldwide.

Episode 4 |

In this episode I chat to folklorist and ‘monster hunter’ Sacha Coward about a selection of creatures and critters from the Tomb Raider series, and the real-world myths that surround them.