February 17, 2018

Rise of the Tomb Raider Coming to Mac and Linux

Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration for macOS and Linux box art
Rise of the Tomb Raider will at last be available for macOS and Linux this spring! Feral Interactive, the developers responsible for porting the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, as well as Anniversary and Underworld, has just launched a Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 Year Celebration micro-site with loads of information about the upcoming release. An exact launch date has not yet been announced, but the game will be coming to Steam and the Mac App Store sometime in the next few months.

In this sequel to the 2013 game, Lara Croft sets out to discover the lost city of Kitezh, in order to recover the Divine Source, an ancient artifact with the power to grant immortality. When Lara's quest puts her in the crosshairs of Trinity, a secret global organization, she must use all her wits and daring to reach the Divine Source first. Lara's expedition takes her from Syria's sun-baked ruins to the vast wilderness of Siberia, where frozen forests, ancient crypts, a lush geothermal valley, and an abandoned Soviet military installation await. Players climb, swim, grapple, and zip-line their way through the beautiful but lethal environments as they outsmart deadly traps and solve huge, multi-layered puzzles hidden within stunning challenge tombs.


Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration bundles the base game with all DLC, which comprises:
  • Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch: An adventure in which Lara seeks the truth behind a mythic terror lurking within a new region of Siberia, the Wicked Vale.
  • Cold Darkness Awakened: When a biological weapon is unleashed in the Siberian wilderness, Lara is tasked with ending a viral outbreak as she fights off waves of infected adversaries.
  • Blood Ties: A standalone story in which Lara uncovers family secrets as she explores her childhood home, Croft Manor.
  • Lara's Nightmare: As undead hordes infiltrate Croft Manor, Lara must become the ultimate zombie slayer.
  • Endurance Mode: Two players team up to survive the dangerous forest while plundering crypts for relics.
  • Extreme Survivor Challenge: In the hardest difficulty setting for the main campaign, players overcome difficult limits of save points, resources, ammunition, and health.
  • 5 Classic Skins: Nostalgic skins from Tomb Raider history: Croft Manor, Tomb Raider II, Tomb Raider II Bomber Jacket, Chronicles Catsuit, and Angel of Darkness.
  • 12 Bonus Outfits: Ancient Vanguard (Byzantine-era chain mail), Apex Predator (bear fur, animal claws, and warpaint), Shadowrunner (tactical vest and watch cap), and the reimagined Antarctica outfit inspired by Tomb Raider III.
  • Expedition Cards: Players use cards in Expedition Mode to boost their score, modify their abilities, and apply cosmetic effects like Big Head Enemies.
For more information about the game, the various DLC packs, and of course a walkthrough should you need one, visit my Rise of the Tomb Raider page.
Crystal Dynamics Logo
Feral Interactive Logo

New Lara Croft Barbie and Funko POP!

Mattel and Funko have both announced Tomb Raider-inspired toys for 2018. Mattel's Lara Croft Barbie has not yet been officially unveiled, but according to Cheryl's Dolls & Collectibles, the new Barbie will be modeled on Alicia Vikander's depiction of the character in the upcoming Tomb Raider film. It is part of the Barbie Signature line and will be released February 20 at a $39.95 US price point. Oddly, there's no mention of the doll on Mattel's website yet, but more information should be forthcoming.

Also, this week at Toy Fair in New York City, Funko revealed a second Lara Croft POP! figure, this time based on reboot Lara. The new POP!, shown below and on the Funko website, will be released in March and cost $9.99 US. Funko had previously released POP! and Rock Candy figures modeled on classic/Anniversary Lara.

UPDATE: The Lara Croft Barbie has now been listed on the Mattel site and is available on Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Lara Croft Barbie inspired by Alicia Vikander's portrayal in the Tomb Raider film
Lara Croft Signature Barbie by Mattel. Official photos courtesy of Raiding the Globe.

Lara Croft Barbie inspired by Alicia Vikander's portrayal in the Tomb Raider film
Lara Croft Barbie by Mattel. Detail with journal and map. Official photos courtesy of Raiding the Globe. Check out their site for more info.

Reboot Lara Croft POP! vinyl figurine from Funko
Lara Croft POP! by Funko