A new action adventure arrived in the Congo wilderness of Doswell, Virginia on March 19th, 2005 when thrill seekers found themselves being tossed through the air sixty feet above the ground and dangling headfirst over a pit of flames. The ride's name is Tomb Raider: Firefall, and Paramount's Kings Dominion wanted to give its guests the chance to feel like a part of the Tomb Raider movies with the new experience. Kings Dominion's sister Paramount Park Kings Island in Ohio first tested out the concept in 2002 in opening the first ever Giant Top Spin spinning ride model from Huss Rides and original attraction to use the Tomb Raider theme with its enclosed dark ride Tomb Raider: the Ride. So, as had been the case at Kings Island, a hot new Hollywood-themed attraction arrived on the scene as the Paramount chain continued a focus on turning big-name big-screen hits into major theme park marketing material.

Taking its theme from Paramount's video game-to-cinema adaption of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, the new ride uses themes, intense sensory effects, and movie props to absorb guests in the story. Originally announced as Tomb Raider: the Ride, Kings Dominion later changed the name to Tomb Raider: Firefall for originality before the ride's March 19th debut. And while the original Tomb Raider: the Ride predated Paramount's movie sequel Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, Kings Dominion's experience incorporates theming from both movies. But the more noticable difference is in the ride design itself: unlike the Paramount's Kings Island version, the 2005 Tomb Raider is a non-enclosed experience using Huss' new Floorless Top Spin design first introduced in 2004 at Knott's Berry Farm so that riders have nothing below them but the ground and nothing above but the sky as they get tossed and flipped through the air and dangled over steam, water geysers, and flames. Replacing the Volcano Grill (originally the station of the park's defunct Safari Monorail) just across from Volcano: the Blast Coaster, Tomb Raider has the perfect midway-side location for onlookers to watch the ride in action as it goes through its cycle. The actual ride experience may be the main investment, however Tomb Raider has a significant focus on theming as an experience in itself. Throughout the time in line, the queue will lead adventurers through heavy theming before they come across the central ride area, a recreation in itself of a scene from Tomb Raider. Tomb Raider: Firefall arrived at Kings Dominion as the theme park's second spinning ride with major vertical action or inversions, twenty-one years after the looping ship Berserker made its debut.

Upon entering the park, Kings Dominion visitors anxious for a ride on Tomb Raider: Firefall head back into the Congo, into the realm of such other rides as Volcano: the Blast Coaster, Flight of Fear, and Anaconda. Inside the section, the ride stands directly ahead, and visitors find themselves in the entrance plaza with the queue line just beyond. In line, visitors wander past evidence of past Congo expeditions gone wrong. Soon, the queue leads explorers past ancient artifacts, various statues, and idols. Traveling through the line, future riders are engrossed in the detailed theming surrounding the Tomb Raider storyline. The legend goes that as part of a tribal ritual, a massive machine was erected to toss anyone brave enough to survive the ride and prove their valor. But with shoulder harnesses in place, conquerors of this ancient thrill ride have nothing to worry about, and thirty-eight riders strap themselves into two rows between two giant arms with legs dangling freely. Once ready, the machine begins to move, whisking the vehicle up into the unknown and beginning to flip head over heels in the first mid-air rotation. Not knowing exactly what to expect next, the ride dives forward as steam and flames erupt from the ground in front of passengers. More acrobatic maneuvers follow as riders whip and spin through the air to avoid the chaos on the ground, up into the sky and back down again. The sound of tribal drums fills the air as thrill seekers on Firefall complete five inversions in all while they dive towards the earth and then fly upwards again to the six-story top of the ride. Finally, riders are lowered back to where they got on, after surviving over two minutes of ride time.