Crystal Dynamics have dropped a treasure trove of new details on their upcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider in the latest issue of Game Informer.
The sequel to 2013’s critically and commercially successful reboot of Tomb Raider will see Lara Croft as a more alienated and bitter person. Having survived a harrowing adventure in the first game that saw her defeat an ancient spirit on a mystical Japanese island, Lara is disappointed to find that nobody is buying her account of what happened. As a result, she embarks on another suicidal adventure to set the record straight and make a name for herself.
Unlike its predecessor, which took place entirely on the Japanese island Yamatai, Rise will apparently take place across a more diverse array of locales. One confirmed area is Siberia, in which Lara and Jonah Maiava, a recurring character from Tomb Raider 2013, are on the hunt for an invisible city built by the Grand Prince of Vladimir way back in the 13th century. However, other areas featuring forests and deserts have been hinted at. The game world is described as being two to three times larger than its predecessor.
Rise will feature a greater emphasis on survival gameplay, with Lara having to scavenge for all manner of items that can be used to craft weapons, ammunition, traps, and medication. The previous game had a single general supply item that could be scavenged to craft all weapon upgrades.
Animals will also be smarter and more reactive to the player, and hunting them will take more effort than walking up to a deer and blasting it in the face with a shotgun. As such, Lara will be able to fine tune her kit in greater detail, with several variety of bows, lures and traps at her disposal.
Enemies, both man and animal, will be affected by weather effects like rain and fog, so this can be used to the player’s advantage.
And of course, given that this is a Tomb Raider game, there will be no shortage of tombs and puzzles to plunder, although apparently they will be more difficult. One puzzle, for example, requires players to decipher an ancient language.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is scheduled for release towards the end of 2015 as a timed exclusive for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. It is currently unknown when the PC and PlayStation 4 versions will be available.