Today during a panel at Tribeca Film Festival in New York, developers of Shadow of the Tomb Raider provided some information about the newly-revealed Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
- In the game, Lara really fights not to become the enemy that she hates. She will make a lot of mistakes, and in this situation, the hero can also become the threat.
- The developers wanted to show growth. This isn’t just reflected in Lara’s arc and narrative, but also in the gameplay. The tombs will become terrifying and very deep.
- Lara goes from being hunted to becoming the hunter. She becomes one with the jungle, and she is almost an “apex predator.” She is smart and resourceful, and she evolves in the way she fights.
- There is a lot more stealth in the game. Developers wanted to push the idea that Lara is smarter and more experienced. She can use the environment and shadows to her advantage.
- Setting the game in a jungle was a very conscious decision. Lara goes from Mexico to Peru. She has all the skills she earned in the previous games, so the developers had to put her in an environment in which she is still in danger and her heightened skills may not be enough, as everything is trying to kill her. The jungle is perfect for that.
- The antagonist, Doctor Dominguez is the head of Trinity. More about his motivations will be revealed later, perhaps at E3, but they can come across almost as compelling as Lara’s. He gets in her head and makes her doubt herself. He might make the player doubt Lara’s motives as well.
- The game will have a lot of open exploration and will include a lot of characters that can be met in the world. It isn’t always linear in its gameplay and storytelling.
- The new rappel mechanic reflects the fact that Lara is a lot more muscular now. She will be able to do things that she was not able to do before. There are new mechanics including the rappel itself and wall running that change the experience and push the traversal to a new level. There is also a lot of verticality in the game, and puzzles that require the use of the grappling hook.
- It’s possible to swim underwater, and there are special things and secrets to be found by taking risks and swimming deeper.
Incidentally, several times during the panel it was hinted that the first gameplay (which was showcased behind closed doors) will probably be publicly revealed at E3.
If you want to see more of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you can check out the first screenshots, the first cinematic trailer, and info on special editions and season pass.
The game will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 14th. You can you can already pre-order it on Amazon.
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