Crystal Dynamics is putting the 'tomb' back in 'Tomb Raider'
2013's Tomb Raider was a reboot of a game that defined the 3rd-person adventure genre. It represented a change in direction for the series, one that took cues from successful titles like Uncharted to breathe fresh life into what had become a tired franchise. But while critics rightfully praised the game's many strengths, the core of the original's gameplay -- tomb raiding -- was pushed to one side, with most of the game consisting of stealth, combat, and survival. For the timed Xbox exclusive Rise of the Tomb Raider, developer Crystal Dynamics is bringing back tombs in a big way, and making some intelligent design decisions to update the old gameplay for the modern era.
At Gamescom this year, Microsoft offered us a brief demo that showcases what tomb raiding will feel like in Rise. Since the "Siberia" demo shown at E3, Lara has made her way over to the Syrian desert on the trail of a hidden treasure. We begin with a cut scene where, of course, things quickly go awry, and are left on a cliff face by the entrance to a mysterious cave. By a marvelous coincidence, that cave just so happens to be the entrance to the hidden tomb Lara's been looking for. So we enter.[more]