and today we're talking about Rise of The Tomb Raider. It's the sequel to the 2013 reboot

of the franchise and this one progresses the story and Lara Croft's character even further.

We're seeing a whole new setting, new combat features, and strong cinematic elements. So

let's take a look at 9 cool features in Rise of The Tomb Raider.

09 Siberia / The Arctic Environment One of the biggest changes we've seen in the

Rise of The Tomb Raider is the switch to the Siberian Wilderness. This location is even

more treacherous than the last making survival an even more important motif. The new location

redefines certain aspects of gameplay such as climbing and traversing on icy mountains.

The in-game environment will include a weather system that will effect when certain humans

and animals are present. For example, to create a winter coat Lara must hunt a wolf which

only comes out during a specific time of day and specific weather condition.

Lara is shown using dual Icepicks to ascend cliff walls, and jumping or leaping to catch

adjoining walls. There are also returning elements of rapidly maneuvering through dangerous

terrain, and having to platform between crumbling ledges and around explosions or debris.

08 Syria / The Desert Environment We've seen the arctic conditions of Siberia,

but that's not the only location in the game. The game also takes place in Syria which is

primarily a desert environment. This area will be vastly different from the Siberian

tundra and have different tombs to explore. But it's still just as trecherous. In the

Syria footage, we see Lara traversing across ancient structures that are falling apart

as she climbs. The explorable areas in both Syria and Siberia will be significantly larger

than the last game.

07 Story Rise Of The Tomb Raider picks up a few years

after the events in the 2013 game. Lara Croft's experience with the supernatural leads her

to continue her search for the truth. She arrives in Siberia, searching for the ancient

city Kitezh which she believes has more information about immortality. Her rival is the well funded

organization known as Trinity, who is also after the supernatural secrets.

The last game focused on the vulnerability of Lara, but this one is more about defining

her place as the Tomb Raider. She's truly searching for her destiny, even if that means

battling against the environment, the animals, and trinity in the Siberian Tundra.

06 More Tombs / To Raid And Loot There is a push for more actual tombs in the

new game. There will be plenty of open exploration areas in the game world, but also challenge

tombs and smaller puzzle oriented crypts where players can discover rare collectible resources.

05 Stealth / Techniques Stealth is a much more powerful technique

this time around. She'll have to use stealth against both animals and humans to survive.

Lara can confuse enemies using the environment by hiding behind bushes or in trees. Or she

can avoid combat altogether by climbing trees or traveling across roof tops. She can also

stealthily swim underwater and come up for a stealth takedown on enemies standing near

water.

04 Salvage / The Crafting System Salvage returns for weapon crafting and upgrades.

But now Lara will have to collect specific materials found in the environment to craft

certain items and upgrades. Some of these materials can only be found in hard to reach

areas at a specific time of the day. Clothing will also play an important aspect to the

game as different outfits will allow for different perks and bonuses.

03 Multiplatform title The game was originally announced as an Xbox

One and 360 exclusive which really drove fans nuts. But it was later revealed that the exclusivity

was only time sensitive. The PC version is intended to launch in early 2016 and the PS4

version is planned for holiday 2016. The only version that hasn't been announced so far

is the one for the PS3. So fans on any of the current major platforms will have a chance

to play Rise of The Tomb Raider.

02 Graphics / And TressFX The graphics in this game have been built

strictly for this current generation. There's been a great focus on making the environments

look lush. In addition they've focused on making Lara's player model looks as human

and realistic as possible. And comparison screenshots between the Xbox One and Xbox

360 versions really highlight this. There's a big difference in both the environments

and the effects on the player models. It will also include an updated version of TressFX

which is the hair physics engine. The physics system treats each strand of hair as a chain

with several links, making it possible for gravity, wind, and head movement to effect

Lara's hair in a realistic manner.

01 Combat / And New Additions Lara will have her classic weapons such as

bows and pistols, but combat also has several new additions. Melee is now a viable option

with the ability to attack with a knife, tackle enemies, and drop down on them from trees.

Some melee attacks can be used for non lethal takedowns. Takedowns can also be performed

on enemies standing near water. Lara's health no longer auto regenerates. Severe injuries

need to be treated with bandages, made from salvaged cloth. Of course she'll still have

access to heavier weapons such as shotguns & rifles. There' also explosive items such

as gas cans, lanterns, and molotov cocktails. The climbing axe that we've seen used for

traversal can also be a viable weapon. The skill tree is similar to the previous game

with the main skills being Survivor, Brawler, and Hunter having a total of 17 skills each.

Lara Croft is one of the most iconic heroes and this adventure is another one we don't

want to miss. What are your favorite features from Rise of The Tomb Raider? Are you picking

up the Xbox version early or waiting for PS4 and PC? Let us know in the comments. And subscribe

to the skilled channel for more previews on Tomb Raider and other cool games.