The Rise of the Tomb Raider
Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release Date: November 11, 2015
Author: S.A.
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Remember the plucky indie hero that barely made it through scrapes with nothing but a gun, a whip, and his trusted hat? Well here’s his estranged feminine cousin with her own story to tell in The Rise of the Tomb Raider. In November we are slated to see the second release in the new grittier world that Crystal Dynamics has brought to life in splendid fashion.
The growth that many players witnessed in the previous Tomb Raider game has carried over, allowing for a new type of heroine to be seen from the very start in the short but stunning game play trailer released by Crystal Dynamics at this year’s E3. This short glance showed us the new breath taking graphics that the game is now employing due to its port to a next gen system, and allows us our first glance into Laura Croft’s new world. In it we glimpse her on an expedition in the tundra, and her luck immediately going from bad to worse in the winter wonderland as she is systematically broken off from not only her partner but the rest of her equipment as well. That said, instead of complaining our hero seems to take to the change like a duck to water. There is no reluctant nature to her step like in the previous game, but rather a determined walk that speaks of a confidence founded on both experience and loss.
As the gameplay continues we witness the young Tomb Raider encounter her first set of enemies. Instead of having to confront or hide from them on the ground, as per the previous game rules, new game mechanics are displayed as Laura takes the fight to the foe by way of climbing a tree for an overhead attack. Similar new concepts are revealed when not only does Laura take out her foes with knock out gas concocted from the environment, but she also uses an enemy walkie talkie as a means of distraction. The game has evolved beyond a simple run and gun, incorporating stealthier options to dispose of your foe. For those of you who loved the Splinter Cell Series, this one’s for us.
The trailer ends with our hero facing down a black bear with nothing more than her make shift bow and climbing axe. It makes for a hard fight, one that has the gamer scrambling for not only time to recover but also a chance to rattle off an effective shot. It also introduces a very seemingly important new element into the game that is a huge divergence from the previous game, as past players will soon come to realize. That change being the health system. The player no longer heals after staying clear of danger for a given period of time, but rather must now perform first aid on themselves. While seemingly insignificant at first, I’m sure this new add on will have gamers scrambling for cover quite often. The pause to heal seems significant, especially in the life or death fights that are sure to occur on this new quest.
All in all it seems like a beautiful game that will likely win a few awards during its release year. However, it might have also set itself up for failure with its limited exclusivity deal with Microsoft. That’s right gamers; it won’t be released to any other system other than the Xbox for at least a minimum of a year. There seems to be extreme unrest within the gamer community due to not only this sudden change in availability, but also Crystal Dynamics’ sudden departure from the Sony world. Its long standing partner in video games seems to no longer be its number one love, and it has spread its wings and flown the coop to a new nest. Whether it is to be successful or not remains to be seen. Though let it be said, not owning an Xbox won’t stop this gamer from stepping into this new adventure.
