Rise of the Tomb Raider dropped this November 10 for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One with Twitch-centric features. Microsoft is also in a mad promotional dash as it announced a limited time DLC exclusive for Xbox owners.
According to Gamespot reporter Eddie Makuch, "Microsoft has now announced a new incentive to entice you to play the game during its initial launch. Everyone who plays Rise of the Tomb Raider before December 1 will unlock the golden Rattlesnake Revolver Skin..."
More importantly, the latest Lara Croft action-adventure game will feature enhanced Twitch support that will have in-game consequences. "Rise of the Tomb Raider's Twitch integration can be experienced by players when streaming the game's Expedition Mode. At certain points in that mode, viewers can vote via Twitch chat on one of two Expedition Cards. Those cards will then grant special modifiers, like making enemies more difficult or engaging big head mode," said Michael McWhertor of Polygon.
McWhertor also pointed out that there are 186 pairs of Expedition Cards that stream watchers can vote on. Viewers will also have the opportunity to get in-game credits and card packs.
The previous 2013 Tomb Raider by Crystal Dynamics was a departure from the hypersexualized Lara Croft. The depiction of Lara in this version borrows from the same character design. Gameplay is still a mix of action and puzzle solving, but this time the setting is quasi-open world. "She (Lara) must platform, solve puzzles, and break through obstacles to navigate them. These areas have so much to do that staying on the critical path is hard, and I was constantly lured away from the main story by worthwhile discoveries," said Kimberly Wallace of Game Informer.
Wallace thought that the game has a great balance between action, puzzle solving, and exploration. She said that gunplay is solid but the scarcity of supplies break momentum from the action.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is available for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The PC and PS4 version will ship in 2016.
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