Lara Croft Returns for Holiday 2015

“Rise of the Tomb Raider” Slated as Xbox Exclusive

By Michelle Curtis on August 12, 2014 at 9:28am

In a bold move from developer Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, “Rise of the Tomb Raider” (the sequel to the reboot of the popular “Tomb Raider” franchise) will be exclusive to Xbox when it is released Holiday 2015. There has been no clarification regarding whether or not this release is inclusive of Xbox 360 as well as the Xbox One, nor have they made any indication as to the likelihood that this will be a timed-exclusive versus a true exclusive to the console(s).

Considering the success enjoyed by the multi-award winning reboot, this could be a game changer for Microsoft's Xbox One. “Rise of the Tomb Raider” promises to be a much more grandiose experience than previous installments, boasting such improvements as a more detailed motion capture particularly in terms of facial recognition by the use of MOVA. MOVA requires the use of a reflective, fluorescent paint and black light to capture the details of a person's face.

Fans of the franchise already started voicing their displeasure about the move via message boards. Even though another Lara Croft game “Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris” has been announced for PC and PlayStation (as well as “Tomb Raider: The Definitive Collection” for the PS4), this seems to have done little to quell the unrest.

If the game is a true exclusive to Xbox consoles, this is a huge gamble on Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics' part. They risk alienating a large portion of the “Tomb Raider” community, which could spell disaster for the companies. With so many game studios folding in this fragile economy, the risk could very well outweigh the reward.

Want to see more? Check out the official "Rise of the Tomb Raider" trailer!

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Release:2015 Q4

ESRB Rating: Rating Pending

Publisher: Square Enix

Platforms: Xbox One

Purchase: Amazon