THE RAIDER

Q&A - RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER: 20 YEAR CELEBRATION

Q: Is the Co-Op Endurance mode going to be made available through the “Blood Ties” update on PC and Xbox One?

A: If players have purchased the Endurance Mode DLC, they will automatically receive the Co-Op mode via a patch when “Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration” launches. The Endurance Mode DLC can be purchased as part of the Season Pass or as standalone DLC.

Q: Will the Co-Op Endurance Mode be available for season pass holders on Xbox One?

A: If players have purchased the Endurance Mode DLC, they will automatically receive the Co-Op mode via a patch when “Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration” launches.

Q: Will the PS4 version be running in full HD 1080p?

A: We’re still optimizing the game, but our target is 1080p at a minimum of 30 fps. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

Q: Will Rise of the Tomb Raider be supported on PS4 Neo with higher resolution?

A: We have nothing to announce at this time.

Q: Will there be a 20 Year Celebration Edition for Xbox One? Will it be available for purchase at retail?

A: The additional content for the 20 Year Celebration - aside from VR compatibility for Blood Ties - will only be available digitally on Xbox One.

Q: Will there be an artbook version available for Xbox One?

A: The artbook is only available in the Artbook Edition which is for the physical version of the PS4. The additional content in the 20 Year Celebration – aside from VR compatibility for Blood Ties – will be available digitally on Xbox One.

Q: Why are the new DLCs not supported on Xbox 360?

A: We always push ourselves with each game we deliver, striving to find ways to make it special. In order to deliver the highest quality and best possible experience, this sometimes means making difficult decisions on the platforms we support, and in this case we focused on the latest hardware. “Blood Ties” and Co-op “Endurance Mode” are available only for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One.

Q: Is a Collector’s Edition with the PlayStation 4 version made available planned?

A: We don’t have any details to announce at this time.

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Q&A - ARABIC LOCALIZATION

Q: Will Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration be localized in Arabic?

A: Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration on PS4 will be fully localized with both Arabic voiceover and subtitles.

Q: Will Nadine Njeim be reprising her role at Lara Croft for the Arabic voiceover?

A: A new voice actress will take lead on the Arabic dub, with details to be announced at a later date.

Q: What will be localized in Arabic for Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration on PS4?

A: The game will be fully localized, including the menus, subtitles and dialogue.

Q: Will the Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration with Arabic localization be available on Xbox One, Xbox 360 or PC?

A: Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration with Arabic localization will be available only on PS4.

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Q&A - tomb raider archives

Q: Can I purchase Tomb Raider Archives Volume 1 in the UK?

A: Yes, the pre-order link for Amazon UK is here.

Q: What one-shots will Tomb Raider Archives collect?

A: In addition to the Tomb Raider main series and Tomb Raider Journeys, Tomb Raider Archives will collect Arabian Nights, Origins, Epiphany, The Greatest Treasure of All, and Take Over.

Q: Will Tomb Raider Archives also include cover galleries?

A: Yes, Tomb Raider Archives will also include covers corresponding to the issues collected in each volume.

Q: Will Tomb Raider Archives be localized?

A: Tomb Raider Archives will only be available in English at this time.

Q: Will Tomb Raider Archives include any crossovers?

A: Although we’re big fans of Top Cow’s classic crossovers, Tomb Raider Archives only collects standalone Tomb Raider adventures.

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Q&A - Philip Anthony-Rodriguez

Q: Have you played any of the previous Tomb Raider games?

A: Hi Rai, I'm embarrassed to say I haven't played any of the previous Tomb Raider games. BUT, in being a part of Rise of the Tomb Raider, I am now a certified Super Fan! Especially when you consider how advanced and beautiful looking this newest version is. Between the game action, storytelling and graphics, I can't pull away from it. It Rocks!!

Q: What did you enjoy the most about your work in Rise of the Tomb Raider?

A: Hi Valenka, great question! I'd have to say that what I enjoyed most about my work on Rise was portraying such a vital character to the game and story. As well as someone who is an important ally and friend to Lara. It was fun to see the trust and friendship grow throughout the game. I also loved the process of filming the performance capture for the scenes in the game. It's like you're doing an actual movie...but you're wearing these funny looking wetsuits and head gear. That and doing the actual voice work in the booth was a lot of fun!

Q: How was getting into the role of Jacob?

A: Hey Gitb97! Getting into the role of Jacob was awesome! When I found out I was cast in the role, I was so excited. He is such a cool character because there are so many layers to him and what he's all about. He's a leader, a warrior, a mystic and an ally to Lara. I did a lot of preparing for him. Like the way he speaks. I also had to get into physical shape, since the part calls for a lot of physical stuff during production. It is by far, one of the proudest moments I've had being involved in a game like this.

Q: What was the most difficult part to do?

A: Hi Metalrocks! I'd have to say the most difficult part to do in Rise of the Tomb Raider was the performance capture for the cinematics or scenes in the game. We have to wear wetsuit type gear, get our faces "mapped" for the video cameras to record our expressions and those cameras are attached to some heavy head gear we have to wear throughout filming. It's a lot of fun but it can be a bit of a grind. That said, I wouldn't change it for the world. I LOVE what I do in creating iconic video game characters!

Q: What was your inspiration behind how you played the character?

A: Hi Steel_Wing! Great question! I have to say that my main inspiration for Jacob was my Dad. He was always a very nurturing, brave, strong, helpful and trusting man. Many of the qualities that we see in Jacob. I think his tough and roughish demeanor comes more from Han Solo of Star Wars fame. Another character I drew inspiration from. He kind of reminds me of him too!

Q: How much background information were you provided with regards to the story and/or your characters and motivations prior to recording your dialogue?

A: Hi Heidi! Awesome question! Fortunately for me as an actor, I was given quite a bit of background on Jacob. The producers and game designers were pretty detailed in what they wanted Jacob to be: A mysterious figure that Lara comes across who holds the key to her solving the mystery of what she seeks.But even with the physical and personal characteristics presented for Jacob, it's up to me to "flesh him out" and make him as real and human as possible. I find motivation in trying to put myself in Jacob's position. Looking at the stakes and his relationship to Lara AND his own people. I try to convey that with my voice performance as well as his physicality with the performance capture.

Q: Were there any lines that you wanted to see in the game that didn't end up making the final cut? Deleted scenes, so to speak.

A: Hey gigantism! Great question. Unfortunately there weren't very many scenes or lines for me that were cut. Everything for me stayed in from the beginning. But there are always instances in gaming where lines and even whole scenes are deleted...or changed for the purposes of telling a better story. Sorry pal, wish I had some juicy tidbits for ya'!

Q: Were you allowed to tweak or offer suggestions with regards to your dialogue?

A: Hi Heidi_w! Actually, yes...I was able to do that on a few occasions. As an actor, you want to respect the writer's words and not stray too far off what they intended with their storytelling. Sometimes, there are VERY specific reasons behind why they wrote what they wrote. That said, sometimes the dialogue doesn't quite work for whatever reason and it gets tweaked. I have pretty good instincts as an actor and many times a writer will ask for suggestions on "how to make a line sound better". It's nice to know that they are open to that when needed but also that most times, they like my take on things too.

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Q&A - RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER

Q: Will the PC and PS4 versions be the same price as the Microsoft versions of the game?

A: We are not discussing pricing at this time. We’ll release more details related to both the PC and PlayStation 4 versions of Rise of the Tomb Raider as the release dates draw nearer.

Q: Will this game be available for any other platforms, such as PlayStation 3, Mac, Nintendo, mobile or VR?

A: Currently we only have plans to release ROTTR on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PC platforms.

Q: What are the exact release dates for PS4 and PC? Will they definitely launch in the announced time frame?

A: We are announcing releases of Early 2016 for PC and Holiday 2016 for PS4. We have no further details on timing at this time.

Q: Who will be the publisher of PC and PS4 versions? Will Square Enix be the publisher of both PC and PS4 versions?

A: Square Enix will publish the PC and PS4 versions in all territories.

Q: Who is developing the PC and PlayStation 4 versions of Rise of the Tomb Raider?

A: Crystal Dynamics will lead the development on both versions.

Q: Is Nathan McCree working on a remaster of the original Tomb Raider theme?

A: We don't have any news on the topic at this time.

Q: Was Brian Horton inspired by the face of Camilla Luddington in Rise of the Tomb Raider?

A: While Camilla Luddington now lends extra emotion through Mova’s impressive facial capture technology, Lara’s facial model is an evolution of the one in Tomb Raider, and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. We’ll go into the process of bringing Lara to life on next-gen in-depth at a later date.

Q: Will Simone Rene be the final model (body) in ROTTR?

A: As Brian addressed in the most recent podcast, he often blends photography and renders together for key pieces of promotional art. Simone Rene was a model for a pair of these sessions. As with the above, Lara’s in-game model is an evolution of the one in Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, with improvements in fidelity and realism. It is not based off a single person.

Q: Lara's Jacket is red in the screenshots, and olive drab in the concept art and trailer. Why?

A: Because she's wearing different outfits! ;)

Q: Will Lara have more weapons in addition to those seen in the concept art?

A: As with Tomb Raider, Lara will scavenge weapons and upgrade her kit throughout the game. We'll talk a bit more about these systems in the future.

Q: Are what the graphics on the screenshots final? Is it Alpha or Beta?

A: Some areas of the game are more polished than others, but we consider everything a work-in-progress until Rise of the Tomb Raider goes gold.

Q: How much time (timeline/ year in the game story) has passed from Tomb Raider to Rise of the Tomb Raider?

A: Approximately 1 year has passed since the events of Tomb Raider 2013.

Q: What is the approximate game length of Rise of the Tomb Raider? Will it be more/equal/less than Tomb Raider?

A: As we told Game Informer, we’re looking for a comparable critical path experience – meaning, if you run through the narrative of the game we’d expect it to take a similar amount of time. However, we’re greatly expanding upon content that will keep fans who want a deeper experience busy. This comes in the form of the crafting and upgrade system, the translation system, secret tombs, and more. We’ll have more details on these features in the future.

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Q&A - lara croft: relic run

Q: "I play Temple Run from time to time and there is an in-game store to buy power-ups. Is there any in this game?"

A: In order to streamline the game experience on this platform, we have combined the inventory with an in-game shop. Items are available at all times and can be bought either with in-game credits which you can earn by playing, or by purchasing with real money. Players do not have to spend any money to have a complete game experience.

Q: "Will the game be launching worldwide in weeks? Months?"

A: We are currently in soft launch to test and make sure the game works perfectly for the user. Once we are happy with this we will launch globally, making sure we are giving players the best experience possible.

Q: "I would like to know if they will add Core Design's low-poly Lara like Crystal did on LCTOO as unlockable or bonus outfits?"

A: Nothing has been announced as of yet but we will have more news in the coming months. Q: "Will my Galaxy S4 is going to be supported?" A: Lara Croft: Relic Run is a high end mobile game so some older devices will not be supported as we couldn't guarantee a good player experience. We will support iPhone 4s and above. The S4 will be supported too.

Q: "What is the Curse system?"

A: The curse system is one of the many things unique to Lara Croft: Relic Run. Not only can you compete with your friends for high score, coins collected, distance etc. but you can also send curse to friends to ruin their run!

Q: "How long is Lara Croft: Relic Run?"

A: The game is infinite. Each time you play you will encounter a different experience with various diverse routes and hidden areas to uncover along the way.

Q: "What languages will be supported?"

A: Currently Lara Croft: Relic Run will support English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese at launch

Q: "Will you be remaking Tomb Raider II for the 20-year anniversary?"

A: The team at Crystal is fully dedicated to ensuring Rise of the Tomb Raider is the best game it can possibly be, and as such there isn't a remake of Tomb Raider II in the plans. That being said, we do have several very fun and diverse projects underway to celebrate two decades of Tomb Raider.