E3 2015 Ambassador

  • Hi,


    as you may already have read on the official Tomb Raider Blog http://tombraider.tumblr.com/p…gram-returns-did-you-know I was invited to E3 this year by Square-Enix and Microsoft to represent the German community. As there are some English speaking fans here, too, I think I'll start a English thread as well so you stay informed.


    In order to give you as much feedback as possible I'd like to encourage you to send me your questions you like me to ask the developers and/or other Square/CD staff I meet while I am over there. Obviously I'm going there primarily for for Rise - which will launch later this year -, but questions concerning other Tomb Raider or Lara Croft Games are welcome, too. So, if you have any questions, please feel free to post them here! I will collect any questions in this posting. Please tell me if you think that questions already asked are more important than others so I can prioritise them.


    I await your questions! ;-)


    PS: For updates while I'm in L.A. follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/wikiraider or subscribe to our Tomb Raider Facebook Fanpage https://www.facebook.com/tombraidergirlcom

  • The following questions have been asked by fans:



    - Will there be a multiplayer mode? If so, will there be a co-op mode where Raiders fight the AI together?
    - Will the events from the comics the novel be relevant in Rise?
    - Will there be boss fights?
    - Will there be a Croft Manor?
    - Will there be DLC?
    - How big a role will 'survival' play?
    - How is the transition between levels / locations? (Base camp travel, walking possible...) and how can you reach missed side quests.
    - Will we learn more about how Lara copes with what happened to her? In flashbacks, at the beginning of the game, or was it just a teaser in the trailer?
    - Will Lara's choices influence the story or the outcome of the game.
    - Will there be vehicles?
    - Will there be swimming or diving?
    - Twin Pistols?
    - Gametime with and without side quests.

  • A few hours ago our E3 ambassadors attended the Microsoft press conference, in which we were shown first an in-game climbing sequence (with Lara and Jonah), and then a collection of other in-game scenes, it shows different locations, not everything is ice and snow; we see Lara being thrown into a prison cell, diving, pushing a mine cart, breaking down a stone wall and more.
    The release date is November 10th.


    A video of the second part can be found here:
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  • Hello! :wave2


    Thanks for all the info from E3. :hug


    Did these questions get answered at the E3? I've seen the gameplay "trailer" (or what's it called) and it looked so cool... 8o Swimming, lots of snow - wow! :D


    Was there any talking about the Xbox exclusive deal and its duration?

  • Here is the interview:



    No word on the duration of the Xbox deal, but that was not expected. Microsoft currently functions as publisher for the game, anyone blabbing about possible PC or PS4 versions will probably be shot. I would not expect anything about that until November 10th (the release date), and probably not even then. They want to sell their console and they will not shorten those sales by telling everyone "you just have to wait X months". I personally hope for the best - March 16; fear the worst - November 16 and expect the truth somewhere inbetween.


    Btw there are three "new" in-game scenes that were shown.
    1. the mountain ascend from the Microsoft press conference (also in video below)
    2. "Siberian Wilderness" (the video shows 1 and 2)
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    3. Prophet's Tomb (not yet public, at least officially)

  • Syria-Demo Impressions


    This part of Lara’s new adventure has not been seen up until now, and even at E3 it was only shown to the press and us ambassadors. (At least they tried to keep it a secret, but, well…) That this level really plays in Syria is confirmed on the loading screen.


    The demo starts with Lara and her driver sitting in a Jeep and driving down a path in the mountain. The surrounding environment looks Mediterranean. Out of the blue a helicopter appears and starts shooting at them. A breakneck evasive manoeuvres follow. After a short discussion about who told whom what the driver gets hit and collapses behind the steering wheel. Lara gets thrown from the car and slides down a steep cliff. Just in time she can get a grip with her climbing axe.


    This is the end of the introductory cut scene, from now on the player has full control over Lara:


    While she pushes forward along the narrow path, she takes a voice recorder from her pockets and starts listening to a note her father took a long time ago. It seems like this note is mostly concerned with the hidden entrances to ancient tombs and address Lara directly, just as if her father had taken these notes only for her.


    After she reaches a tomb at the end of the path and enters it she finds an enormous monolith. It is covered with ancient writings which Lara at this point can not completely translate. So she starts looking around the chamber and finds some frescoes (?) at the walls, which depict ancient holy men (?). These images will provide her with hints she can later use to translate the monolith. (For now she is still missing some.)


    On she goes and after she reaches sunlight again she has to cross some old masonry, which crumbles to dust beneath her feet. Additionally the helicopter is back and takes her under fire again. Just in time she manages to reach the other side where she can shimmy around a ledge to get to the next entrance. Again she listens to the notes her father left her.


    Inside the cave a skeleton awaits her. A scorpion crawls over his skull and through his eye sockets. After some ducking she reaches another chamber with a lot more skeletons. It looks like there has been a battle here a long time ago, Trinity against pilgrims.


    Out of nowhere a spike trap drops from the ceiling, Lara can barely escape. Meanwhile the Trinity soldiers try to get in by using explosives, she can hear explosions from far off. She herself has to use the axe to pry open some old walls to get to where she’s going.


    Suddenly her foot is stuck in a trap and again she can barely escape the spikes that rush towards her from the ceiling. As a reward she can glimpse a sort of mausoleum, at which point she wishes her father was still alive to see this!


    Here the demo ends.


    Impressions Concerning Graphics


    Graphics in this demo are indeed on a very high level. We have so far only seen demos on the Xbox One and it was really impressive, far more detailed than the Definitive Edition on the same machine. At some points there are still some dropped frames or small errors, but nothing major, nothing that can’t be fixed until November. The environment and the inside of the cave are very detailed as well, there is a lot of light and shadow play going on, particles in the air cater for atmospheric mood.


    Impressions Concerning Game-play


    We ourselves were not allowed to play, but Jason Bada had some very spectacular death scenes. So, this time around there will again be some players who will try to find every possible death Lara can die. ;-) The controls seem to be working fine and it was fun watching him play, seeing Lara jump and climb and crawl. At some points there seem to be some hidden items or secrets, which we turned a cold shoulder on for now - Jason would consequently run by them and didn’t tell us anything about them even after being asked, so not to spoil anything!


    The return of tombs to Tomb Raider will certainly be welcomed by most. Additionally a lot of side quests were promised to us, so I’m very curious about that. Furthermore there are supposed to be far more puzzles in the game, of which we didn’t see that much so far.


    Overall Impression


    Watching the demo was a lot of fun and I had to restrain myself not to grab the controller and start playing myself!


    (Translated from the German article, E3 2015 Botschafter )