A batch of new screenshots for Lara Croft’s next adventure Rise of the Tomb Raider have been released, showcasing a treacherous land of ice and snow.
Crystal Dynamics returns at the helm of the re-imagined iconic heroine, continuing Lara Croft’s journey with gritty realism in a brand new locale.
Originally announced at E3 2014, the game caught criticism when it was revealed that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) snagged a timed exclusive deal for Xbox consoles.
No plans have been announced yet for a release on PlayStation consoles, but Microsoft’s own Phil Spencer affirmed that it’s not off the table since their deal is time-sensitive, much like Destiny‘s PlayStation exclusives.
Rise of the Tomb Raider will feature a number of improvements and in-game additions including dynamic weather systems–rising winds, blizzards, storms–along with day-to-night cycles, and interactive wildlife.
A new scavenging system will fuel crafting, and it appears that Lara will be able to swim in the next game.
Enigmatic puzzles, which have also been a big part of the classic Tomb Raider franchise, will be reintroduced in Rise of the Tomb Raider in full force. Fans cited that Lara Croft’s 2013 reboot had many optional side puzzles that gamers could skip altogether, but the new game will remedy this.
Speaking with Game Informer, Crystal Dynamics creative director Noah Hughes iterated that the team has learned from their past mistakes.
“Puzzles are an important part of the Tomb formula, so we’re excited to have more tombs in the game, featuring more puzzles.
“You’ll still see a spectrum of difficulty for puzzles, so some of the secret tombs are larger and in some cases might have more difficult puzzles, but we’re trying to put them in the game in a ramped kind of way.”
I for one am psyched for the new game. After the amazingly well-crafted E3 reveal trailer I’ve been looking forward to any new info on the game, and the screenshots are pretty impressive.
Hopefully we’ll get to see some gameplay footage soon, but these new images will help tide us over for the new adventure.
On a side note, Rhianna Pratchett, who just so happens to be the daughter of renown author Terry Pratchett, is writing the game’s story. She’s worked on a number of games including Mirror’s Edge, Heavenly Sword, and the original Tomb Raider reboot.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is slated to release Holiday 2015 for Xbox One and Xbox 360.
