Game Informer this month has first details on Rise of the Tomb Raider.
The game will feature at least two different locations across the globe, with the environment itself acting as the main antagonist. Jonah, from the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, will return alongside Lara Croft.
A weather system that both humans and animals react to will be in effect. And while a day-night cycle has not been confirmed, Crystal Dynamics mentions animals “reacting to” the time of day.
This time, Crystal Dynamics wants to place greater emphasis on puzzles, including the return of “nested puzzles” from previous Tomb Raider games, as well as multi-stage puzzles. The studio wants to integrate combat and traversal challenges into puzzles, but still have them make sense in a realistic setting.
As for combat, the studio is pushing for pre-planning prior to engaging in combat, but clarifies that sneaking past everyone isn’t the goal. You’ll have tools for distracting enemies and luring them where you want them, and you can lose enemies after engaging them. According to Game Informer, the combat reminds them of The Last of Us. There’s more than one of each weapon type, a variety of bows with diferent attributes, and you can use cloths and herbs to heal wounds.
Hub areas are said to be two to three times bigger than the original game. Lara can also climb trees, hide in bushes, and swim.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is in development for Xbox One and Xbox 360 and due out this holiday as part of a timed exclusivity deal. The Xbox One version is being developed by Crystal Dynamics, while Nixxes (which handled the PS4 conversion of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition) is developing the Xbox 360 version.
For more information and screenshots on Rise of the Tomb Raider, pick up the March 2015 issue of Game Informer.
Thanks, NeoGAF.