Home Gaming We’ve been playing Rise of the Tomb Raider–here’s how it looks

We’ve been playing Rise of the Tomb Raider–here’s how it looks

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Rise of the Tomb Raider video preview

Rise of the Tomb Raider is, technically, Microsoft’s last big exclusive for the year. It’s a timed one, but also a game that will be exclusive to the platform for the next few months (and a whole year on console too). Following the stellar reboot, Crystal Dynamics has been working hard to ensure that Rise of the Tomb Raider builds onto what can become a gleaming franchise. We can’t say yet for sure if it achieves that, but the opening few hours are filled to the brim with promise.

Unfortunately, we can’t exactly show too much, but what we have is something of particular interest. Tomb Raider has small hubs spread out throughout its campaign, which broke up the pace nicely and offered a little less scripted exploration. Rise of the Tomb Raider expands on this in a big way, making these hubs larger, filled with side activities and a host of distractions to keep you off the predictable path.

This is just one of those hubs, which features an NPC that hands out side-quests for gear, game to hunt, secret caves to explore and larger, more expansive tombs to discover (the one here is sadly off limits to recording too). They’re excellently placed points that break up the so far exhilarating pace of the main campaign, giving you a breather to take stock of supplies, upgrade weapons and generally gawk at the beauty of the game itself.

Seriously – just looks at that orange glow stick and how it bounces off cave walls. So pretty.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is shaping up quite nicely so far, and we’ll have our full review ready and published on Monday next week. Just before it releases on Xbox One and Xbox 360 the day after.

Last Updated: November 3, 2015

69 Comments

  1. You shot that buck in its ass!

    Reply

  2. justlikemo

    November 4, 2015 at 06:46

    Good game, synonymous with a typical Lara title. Like the fact how she interacts with the environment, when she gets cold when the wind blows.

    Reply

  3. Captain JJ the Goo

    November 4, 2015 at 06:53

    Haha. Cool review.

    Timed exclusive = not interested in the game

    Reply

    • Rock789

      November 4, 2015 at 07:09

      But not having it will eat away at you… Slowly… Until one night you’ll wake up in a cold sweat, having shouted “Lara” whilst sleeping!

      **Queue the awkward conversation with the wife regarding shouting that name out** 😉 😛

      Reply

    • Kromas untamed

      November 4, 2015 at 07:11

      This is the first time a “timed exclusive” might actually work out for the company.

      Who in their right minds launches their game the same day Fallout and SC launches??!!

      Reply

      • Nikola

        November 4, 2015 at 07:19

        MS does lol….

        Reply

        • Kromas untamed

          November 4, 2015 at 07:24

          Just remember these are also the guys who proclaimed Halo is the most anticipated game of this year. Believable considering no one was interested in the Star Wars BF Beta and the obvious fact that no one will buy fallout 4 ….. oh wait. 😛

          Reply

          • Nikola

            November 4, 2015 at 08:19

            hahaha yeah they really don’t think things through! I mean nobody is interested in Fallout 4 or Star Wars LOL!!!

          • Pieter Kruger

            November 4, 2015 at 08:28

            Rookie mistake underestimating Halo and it’s potential sales……????

        • Brady miaau

          November 4, 2015 at 08:41

          MS DOS lol?

          Reply

          • Nikola

            November 4, 2015 at 08:45

            hahaha:)

      • Captain JJ the Goo

        November 4, 2015 at 07:46

        I know, they really didn’t think any of this through, clearly.
        I’ll get this Tomb Raider when it’s on 75% sale one day, or in a bundle. But it’s lost a bit of its flair now that it’s a timed exclusive.

        Reply

        • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

          November 4, 2015 at 08:30

          That’s exactly it! When we eventually get the game it’ll be like a used car, you’ll know you’re not the first one to take the ride…Almost like an ex girlfriend…

          Reply

          • Brady miaau

            November 4, 2015 at 08:31

            Or, you know, nothing like an ex Girlfiend. Or something.

            Ever heard of pre-loved?

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            November 4, 2015 at 08:32

            Something else comes to mind, but yes, pre-loved suites best…

          • Brady miaau

            November 4, 2015 at 08:34

            Well now, this is getting a bit off topic…

            Hey look, a dolphin and it is so cute, it is coming up to that big fish to play with it, ah, cute, how… Arg. My work. Well. That cannot be unseen. Who knew?

          • Brady miaau

            November 4, 2015 at 08:35

            I watched a documentary on BBC about Sexism in Britain and it is so easy to be sexist without even thinking about. Makes me rethink a lot.

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            November 4, 2015 at 08:42

            That is true, especially once you have your own daughter, you’ll shift mountains for her, I’m two weeks away from becoming a father to a little girl, but completely unprepared at that….

          • Brady miaau

            November 4, 2015 at 08:46

            Good luck, as most on here now I have a little one, turning two at the end of this month. It does change things, but one of the big things I found:

            I am not, seemingly, like other fathers. Nor you will be. I think no one is. Everyone will tell you not to compare your child to others, but…

            we were at the park on Saturday and I sat in the parking lot for ten minutes trying to get a sleeping baby out the car into the carrier (Ergo, it is expensive, but it works well) and I saw something: 5 cars stopped, mother and child(s) get out and car drives off. Um. What? 5 times?

            (If this is your 2nd, 3rd or whatever,, please ignore and tell me get knotted or something – Dutch, that is not an invitation to tell me to get knotted)

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            November 4, 2015 at 09:18

            That grinds me…. There is nothing better than family time, looking at my son, the last two and a half years have passed way too quickly, why intentionally avoid it? And then when you hit 50 you wonder where all those years went…

          • Captain JJ the Goo

            November 4, 2015 at 08:40

            That’s what happened to GTA V on pc. By the time it came to pc no one was interested anymore and Witcher 3 was here. Not one of my friends own GTA V, but most do Witcher 3 (except for a few who have no clue ;P)

    • CaptainNemo42

      November 4, 2015 at 08:10

      I’m not getting it on the XBone out of principle. Will buy it on PS4 next year.
      Fallout 4!

      Reply

      • Nikola

        November 4, 2015 at 08:19

        Good man!!

        Reply

      • Pieter Kruger

        November 4, 2015 at 08:51

        Well wishing you a wonderful year then…..????????????

        Reply

        • CaptainNemo42

          November 4, 2015 at 08:56

          Why thank you. That is so kind of you. Much appreciated.

          Reply

          • Brady miaau

            November 4, 2015 at 09:24

            I love your particular brand of polite sarcasm.

          • CaptainNemo42

            November 4, 2015 at 09:27

            Who me? Never! 😛

      • Captain JJ the Goo

        November 4, 2015 at 08:58

        Yes. This.

        Reply

  4. Nikola

    November 4, 2015 at 07:19

    Tomb Raider what is that? Never heard of that game!!

    Reply

  5. WitWolfy

    November 4, 2015 at 07:30

    Getting it day one!!!

    Reply

  6. Captain JJ the Goo

    November 4, 2015 at 07:47

    FALLOUT4

    Reply

    • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

      November 4, 2015 at 08:19

      FFFFAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOUUUUUUUTTTTTT 444444444!!!!!!

      Reply

    • Nikola

      November 4, 2015 at 08:19

      Fallout 4 ALLL THE WAAAAAAY!!!

      Reply

  7. Pieter Kruger

    November 4, 2015 at 08:03

    Also day one purchase for sure! ????????????

    Reply

  8. Greylingad[CNFRMD]

    November 4, 2015 at 08:27

    With this game launching on the same day as Fallout4, I could only wish Microsoft the best of luck in generating revenue…Stupid timed exclusive….

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      November 4, 2015 at 08:29

      Nah, as said before I think the two games have appeal to different types of gamers. I may well still give in and buy Fallout 4, but I will not buy Tomb Raider till it is cheaper a really cheap thing.

      Of course, those that play both types of games, well, they (you?) must make a choice.

      Reply

      • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

        November 4, 2015 at 08:31

        Luckily I don’t own an Xbox of any kind, so that problem is solved…

        Reply

        • Brady miaau

          November 4, 2015 at 08:39

          indeed! BUT, did you want it or not?

          Reply

      • Captain JJ the Goo

        November 4, 2015 at 08:38

        Yea, I agree. I think the only place where they will feel it are the people who can choose only one and love both types..because most will probably choose Fallout. I mean, why wouldn’t they? 😉

        Reply

        • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

          November 4, 2015 at 08:45

          That would also trickle down to the ones that can afford two consoles and support them, dipping into the exclusives… Buying both games will account for R1800 in a single go… that’s a relatively cheap cars’ payment…

          Reply

          • Captain JJ the Goo

            November 4, 2015 at 08:47

            Eish. That’s true. And two consoles!
            That’s way too much for me. Most expensive game I bought was Witcher 3. And that was R500. Fallout 4 is only R400. But this, of course, on pc.

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            November 4, 2015 at 09:13

            Exactly! It’s simply unaffordable to have two consoles, I don’t know how people do it…

      • Pieter Kruger

        November 4, 2015 at 08:54

        Agree 100% that the two games appeal to different gamers. I will get ROTTR day one and wait for Fallout 4 GOTY edition with all DLC and until mods are live on Xbox One.

        Reply

      • CaptainNemo42

        November 4, 2015 at 09:06

        There are plenty of people that’s interested in both types of games. I count myself as one of them. But I think RROTR is going to suffer sales, because I think a lot more people will make the choice of Fallout. But that is a personal estimate.

        Remember, Max Payne 3 released the same day as Diablo III, as sales suffered because of it, and that was the other way around, with Diablo III being the platform exclusive game.
        So releasing with something as big as Fallout 4 will make an overall difference in sales.

        Reply

  9. DragonSpirit009

    November 4, 2015 at 08:40

    I can’t wait to play the game… Might have to wait for a long time before I can play it but it’s a good thing I have a lot of patience.

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      November 4, 2015 at 08:41

      Well, good for you, on patience. I find that hard to come by sometimes, then I buy games quickly and take a while to regret it.

      Reply

      • DragonSpirit009

        November 4, 2015 at 08:47

        Sometimes patience isn’t such a good thing… It gets annoying at some point.

        Reply

        • Captain JJ the Goo

          November 4, 2015 at 08:48

          Getting impatient with your patience. O_o

          Reply

          • DragonSpirit009

            November 4, 2015 at 08:52

            Yup pretty much this

        • Nikola

          November 4, 2015 at 08:48

          Especially when everybody is playing the new game and raving about it how good it is and you sitting there like but I am patient I can do this;)

          Reply

          • DragonSpirit009

            November 4, 2015 at 08:53

            Yeah this is always the problem. Was patiently trying to save for a PS3 then BAM! A PS4 came out. Now I have to wait even longer <_<

          • Nikola

            November 4, 2015 at 08:56

            Ouch! Well that sucks sorry! At least you are getting the right console ;P

          • DragonSpirit009

            November 4, 2015 at 09:00

            The thing that sucked the most is when I was younger we had no internet or anything to do a bit of research and I was just getting into gaming. So with my first pay check I went out and bought a PS2. I felt awesome…. Then a month later they released PS3. I exploded like a volcano. I sulked in my room the whole week.
            I think I’ll always lean more to PS than Xbox.

          • Nikola

            November 4, 2015 at 09:05

            Nooo that sucks sorry:( I can actually relate to this quite a bit had a PS one when it came out then waited for ever saving to get a PS2, meanwhile PS3 came out so I was stuck with an old console for years that I never even bought a PS3 just played PC. Same in your situation growing up we did not have internet at all so I did not know only when I moved to South Africa in like 2004 started using the internet lol

          • Captain JJ the Goo

            November 4, 2015 at 08:58

            I hate it when I tell people I can’t play a certain game because it’s on a specific platform, and they’re like: But why don’t you just buy it.
            Yes, sure, let me dig into my gold-lined pocket where I keep my million dollars and buy a PS4. Maybe I’ll just buy one for each person I know!

          • DragonSpirit009

            November 4, 2015 at 09:01

            I can so relate to this!!!

          • Nikola

            November 4, 2015 at 09:07

            hahaha dude I would have probably stayed on PC but as luck turns out my leave at work got cancelled a month before PS4 came out got paid out for it and just pre-ordered a PS4:))

    • Captain JJ the Goo

      November 4, 2015 at 08:43

      Fallout 4 and Witcher 3 are the only two games I really bought on release lately. I’ve never felt rushed to play a game though. As long as no one spoils it for me…an old game is a new game if you haven’t played it yet.

      Reply

      • Nikola

        November 4, 2015 at 08:48

        You know what this console generation I bought everything on release not anymore I learned to wait for reviews and take my time to finish my backlog then buy a new game few months later which I can get cheaper on special or pre-owned. Patience is key!

        Reply

        • Captain JJ the Goo

          November 4, 2015 at 08:49

          It really is. Steam is good at teaching patience though…there’s always a sale coming… 😉

          Reply

          • Brady miaau

            November 4, 2015 at 08:52

            Life lessons as learnt through online game purchases.

            In the 80’s I was taught many life lessons by MAD Magazone

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            November 4, 2015 at 09:21

            This^

          • Brady miaau

            November 4, 2015 at 09:23

            Ah, you read them too? They have changed in the late 90’s though, not as cool at all.

            BUT MAD Magazines certainly helped shape me as a person, helped me to see the world in a different way. Satire, at its best, is a fantastic mirror to the society, a way to reflect on current status and ask “Are we actually happy with this?”

            A lot of people miss that.

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            November 4, 2015 at 09:27

            Exactly!! With satire comes the blatant honesty of what is wrong with the world, there is nothing more revealing than that!

      • DragonSpirit009

        November 4, 2015 at 08:49

        I only buy specials. In other words I buy games once in a blue moon. But every game I play is a new adventure for me. No matter how old it is.

        Reply

        • Captain JJ the Goo

          November 4, 2015 at 08:53

          Exactly.
          I bought Mark of the Ninja two weeks ago for $5. What an awesome game.
          I’m still to play Assassin’s Creed Black Flag too…and looking forward to it.

          Reply

      • Mossel

        November 4, 2015 at 09:17

        Yup, started with Fallout:NV on Sunday, it’s brand new for me!

        Reply

  10. Ir0nseraph

    November 4, 2015 at 08:50

    The game looks good, but it won’t be a day one purchase for me, they should have gone for a quieter release month.

    Reply

  11. iusedtobe(a)regular

    November 4, 2015 at 10:31

    Looks good, is it open world? Call me old fashioned but this is not a tomb raider game. I miss the mansion.

    Reply

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