14 DAY TRIAL // The Tomb Raider series has had its ups and downs, but mostly downs recently. However, with the release of Tomb Raider Legend, people started to like the posh British adventurer once more and before Anniversary was announced, fans and newcomers alike were already hooked. As the title hasn't been announced for the Xbox 360 (although Lara has met with Microsoft's machine before), fans of both the series and the Xbox 360 should be furious. Not to worry, there's still chance that the game will see an adaptation, but not in the actual form you'd think.
When Tomb Raider: Anniversary was announced for the PlayStation2, PlayStationPortable, PC, and the Wii (last as always), everyone held their breath for Eidos to announce it for the 360. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, but there is serious reason to believe that Lara will eventually grapple herself onto Microsoft's next-gen console, via Xbox Live Arcade/Marketplace, under the form of a mini-series. I know, it doesn't sound that appealing, but it's the only possible option given that the ESRB (rating board) has rated the game 5 times.
That's right, according to the ESRB site, they've rated Tomb Raider: Anniversary: Croft Manor, Tomb Raider: Anniversary: Egypt, Tomb Raider: Anniversary: Greece, Tomb Raider: Anniversary: Lost City, and Tomb Raider: Anniversary: Peru have all been rated T for Teen due to violence and mild suggestive themes, as Gamespot reports.
Since these ratings all happen to be actual locations/stages in Tomb Raider Anniversary, the only question that pops into one's mind is "why?" Why would Tomb Raider Anniversary need five ratings? It's only because the game is eventually going to be split into five chunks, most likely for becoming downloadable assets via Xbox Live Marketplace.
As usual, there's no official word on this, but we'll keep you posted as soon as any details hit the surface. But just so you don't lose hope, think about it this way: the PS2 will see it, the PSP will see it, the PC will of course see it and even the Wii is going to get some of Lara's feminine touch, so why wouldn't the 360 get some? Plus, they're making it available through all the means possible, including Valve's Steam. XBLA sounds like cherry pie compared to this.