It appears that the first major reveal for Rise of the Tomb Raider is scheduled for June 1st. This will be the first time we see more than just a few screenshots and basic information about the game.
There's good reason to be excited about Rise of the Tomb Raider, even if just because its predecessor was a powerful game. But it wasn't perfect. I've decided to look back at Tomb Raider (2013) and build a list of improvements that can take its successor to the next level. You can see it in the gallery below.
Diving Back In: A Rise Of The Tomb Raider Wish List
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A feeling of being alone
Part of the compelling nature of early Tomb Raider titles was their feeling of loneliness, drawing you in to its rich environments instead of taking the common path of letting social interaction drive the experience. In Tomb Raider 2013 frequent radio chatter and character interactions made you feel a sense of comfort, a quality that held back the experience. Rise of the Tomb Raider may benefit from fewer of these interactions. -
Synchronize emotion with action
Tomb Raider 2013 paints Lara Croft as someone who is opposed to violence, but she quickly elevates to a killer with a brutal skill set. It felt confusing in its message, and Rise of the Tomb Raider should avoid that to be as consistent as possible. -
Don\'t stray too far
For all its weaknesses, Tomb Raider 2013 was an outstanding game. Rise of the Tomb Raider should follow in its footsteps rather than try to reinvent the formula. -
Easy on the QTEs
Quick time events (QTE) are fine, but are best used in moderation. Placing sequences of them at every major scene including boss battles is too much. Either let the player control the action or leave the story-development to QTE-less cutscenes. -
Cut the multiplayer
Tomb Raider 2013's multiplayer wasn't all that great. I believe that most Lara Croft fans would prefer more time spent making the single-player great than bringing multiplayer back. If multiplayer has to be a part of it, co-operative missions might serve a better role. -
More outfits
Chances are that Rise of the Tomb Raider won't be a long game. Since New Game+ is unlikely, adding outfits or skins to use during a second play through can go a long way toward increasing replay value. Oh, and please don't hide them behind pre-order bonuses. -
Push hardware
Tomb Raider 2013 stands as one of the best benchmarks for gaming PCs two years after release, and its Definitive Edition is still a looker. Although a PC version is unlikely to arrive until mid-2016, at the very least we can hope for the best Xbox One visual experience we've had yet. -
Up the puzzle difficulty
Puzzles are a very important part of the Tomb Raider experience. I would prefer if they were too difficult rather than too easy. The journey will benefit greatly from clever puzzles that require thought and precision. -
A sense of reward
Tomb Raider 2013 had a variety of collectibles, but little in the way of reward for obtaining them. Taking a page from Uncharted's book might not be a bad idea. -
More tombs for this raider
For a game called Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider 2013 sure didn't have many tombs. During the journey you would head only into a few of the tombs that define the franchise. In Rise of the Tomb Raider I hope to see larger and more challenging tombs that are reminiscent of the original PlayStation 1 game. Some may be optional to explore, but they should all be memorable.
