What We Know: Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The third entry in Lara Croft’s adventure is about to start. So, why not have a quick rundown of everything we know? If you have been curious about the new Tomb Raider then here is everything we know about the upcoming game.

Release Date and Where to Play

Shadow of the Tomb Raider will release on September 14 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Season Pass

The game will have a season pass which will give players seven new tombs to raid. One tomb will come out each month until everything has been released.

Hardest Entry Yet and Difficulty Options

That is right, Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be harder than its two predecessors. How it is difficult has not been detailed, but expect smarter AI and challenging puzzles.

“This will be, I would say, the most difficult Tomb Raider of all the Tomb Raiders. That is important because this is a more experienced Lara. This is going to be bigger, it’s going to be harder, and that tomb shows the first ever puzzle you’ll solve, and it’s very difficult. The checkpoints are not far away from when you die, so having these gruesome deaths make you feel bad to fail, and do everything to stay alive,” Daniel Chayer-Bisson, creative director for the game, told Edge Magazine.

Most games throughout gaming history let you choose easy, medium, or hard difficulty. Sometimes there is some variation such as very hard or very easy. This time you get to decide what elements you want to be hard or easy. These settings include easy, medium, or hard for combat, puzzles, and exploration. The new system will allow players to get the most challenging aspects in what they feel confident in and go easier in others where they feel less confident.

Story

Lara is finishing the fight with the Evil Trinity organization in South America. On top of this threat, the world is ending from what the Mayans predicted (yeah, 2012 all over again). Lara must race against the clock to defeat the organization along with stopping this apocalypse.

Gameplay Changes

If you haven’t played one of the other two games then what you need to know previously about the gameplay is simple. Lara utilizes her ax to climb and interact with objects. Climbing and using the environment has always been vital. Crafting has always been important to improve your ax, guns, or other skills. The light RPG elements in leveling up will reappear along with other features that players are familiar with.

What is different is the extent to the environment interactions. Lara can hide easier to sneak up on enemies by using the trees or bushes. While nature is on your side, it is your enemy. Instead of using the environment to help you during challenging puzzles, it will work against you in many ways.

Exploration will be more critical than ever. This has not been too detailed, but we can expect to find plenty of secrets that will either help Lara on her journey or get some trophies/achievements for the completionists out there.

We don’t have to wait too much longer for Lara’s third adventure. Shadow of the Tomb Raider releases next week on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. You can pre-order the game below: