Rise of the Tomb Raider™ (2016)

**Rise of the Tomb Raider™ (2016)** Embark on Lara Croft's most defining expedition in *Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration*, a critically acclaimed action-adventure that challenges players to survive in the world's most dangerous environments and explore stunning, hostile locales. In this thrilling installment, Lara races against a ruthless organization called Trinity to uncover the secrets of a mythical Lost City, leading her on a perilous journey to Siberia. Experience a world where the environment itself is an enemy, forcing Lara to hunt, scavenge, and craft to overcome treacherous conditions and unstable landscapes. Engage in visceral, guerrilla-style combat, utilizing the environment to your advantage, customizing your gear, and employing a variety of weapons and stealth tactics. Return to the roots of Tomb Raiding with larger, more intricate tombs filled with deadly traps, complex environmental puzzles, and ancient mysteries to decipher. The *20 Year Celebration* edition expands Lara's adventure with a wealth of new content, including the "Blood Ties" story chapter, which allows you to explore and defend Croft Manor, even experiencing it in immersive VR on SteamVR for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift owners. Further tests of survival await in Endurance Mode, both solo and with a friend in the new Co-Op Endurance mode. Brace yourself for the "Lara's Nightmare" mode, where you'll battle hordes of zombies, and the challenging new "Extreme Survivor" difficulty setting for the main campaign. This comprehensive edition also includes all previously released DLC, such as "Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch" and "Cold Darkness Awakened," offering hours of additional story, challenges, and enemy encounters, along with a bounty of outfits, weapons, and expedition cards, including classic Lara Croft skins. *Rise of the Tomb Raider* undeniably belongs on a list of the best games by Crystal Dynamics for several key reasons. Building upon the successful reboot of the series, this title represents a significant evolution in gameplay and narrative. Crystal Dynamics masterfully honed their combat system, offering more fluid and strategic encounters that encourage environmental interaction. The game's vast and beautifully realized open hubs provide a sense of exploration that harks back to the series' roots while incorporating modern open-world design principles. Furthermore, the narrative deepened Lara's character, presenting her with more complex moral dilemmas and a more personal quest. The sheer amount of high-quality content included in the *20 Year Celebration* edition, coupled with its rave reviews for its story, gameplay, and technical achievement, solidifies *Rise of the Tomb Raider* as a pinnacle of Crystal Dynamics' work in reinventing and revitalizing the iconic Tomb Raider franchise.