Rise of the Tomb Raider hits PC January 28

By Gabe Gurwin January 5, 2016

Rise of the Tomb Raider highlighted a big holiday season for Microsoft, which also included titles like Halo 5: Guardians and Forza Motorsport 6. The game was originally announced as a timed Xbox exclusive — available on both the Xbox One and 360 — but in just a few weeks, Lara Croft’s latest adventure is making its way to the PC.

On January 28, one day earlier than the rumored Amazon listing, Rise of the Tomb Raider will be available on both the Windows Store (which Microsoft emphasized in its own announcement) and Steam. The game will also be available via the Square Enix store, which is the exclusive seller of the collector’s edition. As with the console versions, it includes a Lara Croft statue, steelbook, journal, and a necklace, for $150. The statue is among the most impressive I’ve seen in a collector’s edition, showing Croft standing on top of an icy rock, ice pick in one hand and a glow-stick in the other.

“PC players are a passionate, devoted audience and we know they’ll embrace the version created for their systems,” says Crystal Dynamics’ Ron Rosenberg in the official announcement. The port is being developed in collaboration with Nixxes Software, the same developer behind the PC, PS3, and PS4 versions of the original (rebooted) Tomb Raider, as well as the recent Lara Croft twin-stick shooters and both modern Deus Ex games. The PC version of 2013’s Tomb Raider received excellent reviews from both critics and users, so there’s no need to worry about the game turning out like Arkham Knight.

If you don’t have a PC or an Xbox platform, you can still play Rise of the Tomb Raider; you’re just going to have to wait a little bit longer. The PlayStation 4 version is expected to arrive by the end of the year. Of course, you’ll have Uncharted 4 to keep you busy, as well.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

A new Tomb Raider game is in development on Unreal Engine 5

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Review

Crystal Dynamics confirmed that it is working on a new Tomb Raider game that will use Unreal Engine 5, a game engine now available to all developers.
At the end of Epic Games' The State of Unreal 2022 presentation, which marked the wide release of Unreal Engine 5 to all developers, Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider franchise general manager Dallas Dickinson confirmed the new project. No gameplay or in-engine development footage was shown, but Dickinson voiced his enthusiasm for using Unreal Engine 5 to create the project.
"This new engine translates into next-level storytelling in gameplay experiences, and that's why we are thrilled to announce today that we have just started development of our next Tomb Raider game, powered by Unreal Engine 5," he said. "Our goal is to push the envelope of fidelity and to deliver the high-quality cinematic action-adventure experience that fans deserve from both Crystal Dynamics and the Tomb Raider franchise."
https://twitter.com/tombraider/status/1511368712279904258
There are no new story or gameplay details. However, Crystal Dynamics has previously voiced its intention to connect the most recent trilogy and the classic titles with new Tomb Raider media. Outside of Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics is currently working on post-launch support for Marvel's Avengers and is assisting The Initiative in developing the next Perfect Dark game, which also uses Unreal Engine 5. Eidos Montreal, not Crystal Dynamics, actually developed Shadow of the Tomb Raider, so this marks the studio's return to the series.
The new Tomb Raider is one of several brand-new games that will use Unreal Engine 5, as many studios like Crystal Dynamics and The Witcher's CD Projekt Red have committed to using the game engine for their next titles. The new engine features notable improvements over Unreal Engine 4, namely its Lumen global illumination system and Nanite technology, allowing for increased geometric detail and fidelity.
It sounds like this new Tomb Raider is early in development, so it will likely be a while before we hear more about it. Hopefully, it's an awesome showcase of Unreal Engine 5's power when it launches, presumably only on current-gen platforms.

Gaming

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak refreshes the game in June

Hunters celebrate in the Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak expansion.

Capcom finally gave a thorough overview and revealed a release date for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak during a digital event today. This major expansion for the Nintendo Switch and PC Monster Hunter game will be released on June 30.
Monster Hunter Digital Event - March 2022
As Iceborne did for Monster Hunter World, players can expect this expansion to introduce plenty of new monsters, characters, and other content for Monster Hunter Rise players to sink their teeth into once they've made their way through the main game. Players must complete the seven-star hub quest "Serpent Goddess of Thunder" to access Sunbreak.
Sunbreak takes place in a new area called The Citadel and gives the player a new base of operations called the Elgado Outpost. From here, players will work with lots of new characters from a distant, Britain-inspired kingdom to take down The Three Lords, the gigantic monsters threatening that foreign civilization.
The Three Lords are Garangolm, a large monster that attacks with both fire and water elements, Lunagaron, an icy fanged wyvern, and Malzeno, an elder dragon. These won't be the only new monsters, as Capcom also highlighted the Blood Orange Bishaten and a new version of Astalosed in the presentation. The expansion will also introduce new Master Rank quests for hardcore players and new wirebug actions.
Alongside the release of Sunbreak, Monster Hunter Rise will receive a massive 13 GB update that will adjust game balance and character edit vouchers in addition to preparing the software for this expansion. Players can also expect amiibo of the "Canyne Malzeno" Palamute, "Felyne Malzeno" Palico, and Malzeno to release alongside the game, these will unlock special armor and let players get items from a daily lottery.
Overall, Sunbreak is stacking up to be a meaty expansion that will please Monster Hunter Rise players. It will cost $40 for those who already own Monster Hunter Rise, though new players will be able to pick up the Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak Set for $70.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak will be released for both Nintendo Switch and PC on June 30, 2022, though Capcom teased that the expansion will get plenty of updates following its release

Gaming

Death Stranding Director’s Cut finally hits PC on March 30

Death Stranding Director's Cut key art for PC featuring Sam Bridges and a baby.

Kojima Productions and 505 Games' Death Stranding Director's Cut will launch for PC on March 30, 2022. It will cost $40 for new players, though those who already own Death Stranding on PC can upgrade for a small fee.

Death Stranding Director's Cut is an enhanced version of auteur Hideo Kojima's most experimental game yet. It follows Norman Reedus' Sam Porter Bridges as he slowly treks across America in an attempt to reconnect humanity. In our 2019 review of the game, Digital Trends said that "it won't change the minds of Kojima detractors who think he should just make movies, but the game's thoughtful social components showcase why he still plays such a vital role in the games industry."