Lara Croft's path to Tomb Raider is an 'involuntary obsession'

Lara Croft's path to becoming a Tomb Raider is "almost an involuntary obsession" and will require her to prioritize aspects of her life, creative director Noah Hughes said during a recent forum Q&A session.

According to Hughes, in response to questions of whether or not Lara would engage in a romantic relationship any time soon, she simply doesn't have time.

"[Lara's jouney] starts as her being an archeology geek, but it becomes an all-consuming passion that ultimately she's willing to risk her life for," Hughes said. "And so part of Lara's journey is to struggle with balancing what it means to be a young person growing up, and what it means to have the responsibilities of a Tomb Raider. Lara has to prioritize. She doesn't have room for a significant other in her life — she doesn't have enough left over after archeology and what becomes Tomb Raiding. But that doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings."

Hughes said that the team is attempting to create a look at not a normal life, but the "Tomb Raider Life." Lara's early years will instead include the tension of the life she could have lived if her journey had been different.

Square Enix confirmed that a Tomb Raider sequel is "well into development" earlier this month. No details on the future title have been announced.