During Microsoft’s gamescom press conference last week, we got a brief new look at Rise of the Tomb Raider. While the stage demo provided a nice look at the title, the publisher has now released the full 13 minute gamescom demo that was on display on the show floor.
Taking place in a new desert location, the demo showcases a new side of the highly-anticipate game. While the stage demo was more preoccupied with the action-heavy focus the reboot featured, Rise of the Tomb Raider won’t be entirely centered on wasting foes, as it turns out. Instead, this clip features Lara doing some actual tomb raiding, which is certainly a welcome sight for fans.
Over the course of the 13-minute video, Ms. Croft gets to demonstrate not only her physical skills, but also her mental strength. She scurries up cliffs, busts through walls, brushes off scorpions and even comes face to face with a spooky skeleton. It’s a thrilling clip that proves that exploring and puzzle-solving can be just as thrilling as waging guerrilla warfare on enemies.
Even as a fan of the 2013 reboot, I’m happy to see the full return of some good old-fashioned tomb raiding. While we may not have a great idea yet of what’s in store for Lara Croft this time around, I think it would be best if Square Enix could find a happy balance between action and exploration. Also, it can’t be stated enough just how gorgeous the title looks.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is currently set to debut on Xbox One and Xbox 360 on November 10. As previously revealed, Windows PC and PlayStation 4 versions of the title are expected to be released in early 2016 and late 2016, respectively.
