March 31, 2016

Crystal Dynamics Responds to Leaked Rise of the Tomb Raider Video

Several of you have sent me links and questions about a rough Rise of the Tomb Raider video that was recently leaked. My first guess was early April Fools' joke, but apparently it is a soryboard-type placeholder for some possible future DLC. Normally I don't share leaked media, but since the developers have addressed it directly, I'm passing on their statement which follows.


Video courtesy of Gian Carlo on the Tomb Raider Forums.

As some eagle-eyed Rise of the Tomb Raider players have discovered, two placeholder movies were accidentally included in the latest patch. This content was not meant to be released, but now that it is we wanted to respond to the questions we've received as a result. The movies are part of a DLC expansion we're exploring for Rise of the Tomb Raider. Our fans continue to enjoy Rise of the Tomb Raider and its DLC, including Cold Darkness Awakened which released on Tuesday, and we receive many requests for additional story content. We're always listening to feedback from our fans; especially this year as we celebrate 20 years of the iconic Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise together.

If you have any questions you'd like me to pass on to the developers, please leave a comment below. It may take some time before they're able to reveal details, but I'm always happy to send your messages on to them.

March 25, 2016

Solid Gold Games Podcast with Jamie Sparks

Solid Gold Games Podcast
Back in February, the awesome Jamie Sparks invited me to be the first guest on his new podcast. The result is this fun conversation about a few of my favorite things, including Tomb Raider, social media, and Extra Life. The Solid Gold Games Podcast is available on thejamiesparks.com, Soundcloud, and iTunes.

Note that my prediction about Star Wars' Daisy Ridley being cast as Lara Croft in the next Tomb Raider movie preceded the rumor mill by several weeks. Go, me!

Jamie also has a blog in which he discusses all sorts of things from gaming to music to life's ups and downs. Check out his post on Why Lara Croft Should be Your Girlfriend. Some of his reasons may surprise you.

You can also find Jamie on Twitter @thejamiesparks. Give him a follow and tell him I said hey!

March 23, 2016

Rise of the Tomb Raider 'Cold Darkness Awakened' DLC Out March 29

The last major installment of downloadable content for Rise of the Tomb Raider, Cold Darkness Awakened, releases Tuesday, March 29, on Steam, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

The Official Tomb Raider Blog recently posted this teaser for the new DLC:

Decommissioned during the Cold War, a dormant weapons research base has been breached, unleashing a mysterious affliction into the Siberian wilderness that transforms men into blood-thirsty, mindless killers. Lara must overcome increasingly dangerous waves of these infected adversaries while scavenging their equipment and crafting additional gear on the fly, in kill or be killed survival-combat. Fight for your life against new enemies and complete new challenges, while discovering a way to stop or perhaps even reverse this impending catastrophe. Includes the Ushanka outfit, which reduces Lara’s damage from melee attacks, the devastating Voidhammer shotgun, and the Cold Darkness Awakened Card Pack which includes over 15 new Expedition Cards.

Rise of the Tomb Raider Cold Darkness Awakened DLC
Previous Rise of the Tomb Raider DLC includes Endurance Mode, in which players test their mettle against the elements, and Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch, a story-based expansion featuring elements of Russian folklore. Cold Darkness Awakened is part of the Rise of the Tomb Raider Season Pass or can be purchased separately. I have not seen a stand-alone price for this expansion, but the others are $9.99 each. The Season Pass is $29.99 and includes all three major expansions plus bonus outfits, weapons, and Expedition Cards.


Still no word on the PlayStation 4 release except that it will be along sometime in the last quarter of this year. Hang in there, friends!