'Rise of the Tomb Raider' gets three-part gameplay video series before launch

With “Rise of the Tomb Raider” nearing its release date next month, Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics decided to release a new series of gameplay videos called “Woman Vs Wild.” The first part of the series is called "Harsh Environments." As the title suggests, it details the environmental hazards that Lara must go through.

As the name "Harsh Environments" suggests, Lara will have to go through avalanches, blizzards, bears, wolves and all sorts of nasty dangers that nature can come up with. Killing animals might not sound ideal, but they will allow Lara to craft new materials, according to GameSpot.

Also detailed were the new hub spaces in the game. The hubs will allow Lara to explore the environment, as well as taking on new missions and challenges, among other things. These new hub spaces will be two tiems bigger than the ones from the 2013 reboot.

The second “Woman Vs Wild” video will focus on the game’s human enemies and how to take them down. Previous videos showed that Lara can be extremely brutal but can also get through levels without killing anyone.

“Rise of the Tomb Raider” is the direct sequel to last year’s “Tomb Raider” reboot and continues the evolution of Lara’s journey as she embraces her destiny and eventually becomes the Tomb Raider. While the 2013 reboot has Lara surviving an island filled with people trying to kill her, “Rise of the Tomb Raider” will have some actual tomb raiding in it, something that wasn’t really focused on in the last game.

Coming Soon stated that the renewed focus on tomb raiding is part of the game's story. Lara goes to Siberia, due to an ancient mystery she has discovered. Apparently, Lara has found that the secret to immortality is somewhere in one of the tombs of Siberia. Lara must get to it first, before an evil organization known as Trinity finds it.

Currently, “Rise of the Tomb Raider” is a temporary exclusive for Microsoft. The game will be coming to the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on Nov. 10, while the PC version comes out early next year. PS4 owners will have to wait till holiday 2016 before playing the highly anticipated sequel.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.

Woman vs. Wild - Episode 1: Harsh Environments (Credit: YouTube/TOMB RAIDER)