Crystal Dynamics' tidligere Tomb Raider-spil var alle teknisk set prequels, altså forgængere, og deres nyeste spil er ligeledes et forsøg på at forene deres trilogi og de tidligere i spil, både i kronologi og tone.
Derfor bliver Tomb Raider: Catalyst det i sandhed "nyeste" kapitel kronologisk. I et interview med GamesRadar fortæller instruktær Will Kerslake at det foregår det seneste kronologiske kapitel, 2008's Tomb Raider: Underworld.
"From a timeline perspective, Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set years after the events of Tomb Raider: Underworld, with the reboot trilogy serving as her origin story, so we're seeing a more experienced Lara Croft."
Dog slår han fast at kronologi ikke er det vigtigste for Tomb Raider-universet:
"What's important to know is that this is a new chapter in Tomb Raider. So whether you followed Lara from the start, or this is your first Tomb Raider game, Tomb Raider: Catalyst is designed to stand on its own as an adventure that can be enjoyed by everyone."