Rise of the Tomb Raider: Lara against nature

Lara Croft readies her first true expedition as a tomb raider, chasing the secret of immortality into Siberia. The gameplay trailer below shows exactly how Rise of the Tomb Raider turned survival itself into the star mechanic.

The video walks through Lara’s expanded skill set in the game’s remote and lethal wilderness, where every resource matters. The wild is an active threat — bears and wolf packs patrol the environments, guarding hidden secrets — and Lara has to hunt, gather, and craft her way through. Outnumbered encounters are the norm, and that’s where the crafting system earns its keep: ammunition, medical supplies, and upgraded weapons are the difference between predator and prey.

Hunting rewards experience that feeds Lara’s skill trees, and combat supports a full spectrum of approaches: stealth with the bow, blunt force with firearms, or a blend of both. The maps run two to three times larger than the previous game, dotted with side challenges and quests from friendly survivors — worth taking, since allies reward Lara not just with experience but with access to new areas, items, and abilities.

Whether sabotaging communications equipment or hitting an enemy outpost head-on, the option space keeps expanding as Lara’s war with the Trinity organization escalates. Crystal Dynamics’ game launched November 13 on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, with PC in early 2016 and the PlayStation 4 edition closing out the year — the release pattern that famously sank its launch sales before the game found the audience it deserved. It’s since become regarded as the high point of the survival trilogy, and Rise of the Tomb Raider is a cheap essential today.