Rise of the Tomb Raider
is a 2015 action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and
published by Microsoft Studios and Square Enix. The game is the eleventh main entry in the Tomb
Raider series, the sequel to the 2013's Tomb Raider, and is the second instalment in the Survivor
trilogy. Its story follows Lara Croft as she ventures into Siberia in search of the legendary city
of Kitezh while battling the paramilitary organization Trinity, which intends to uncover the city's
promise of immortality. Lara must traverse the environment and combat enemies with firearms and
stealth as she explores semi-open hubs. In these hubs she can raid challenge tombs to unlock new
rewards, complete side missions, and scavenge for resources which can be used to craft useful
materials.
Development of Rise of the Tomb Raider closely followed the conclusion of development of the 2013
reboot. Player feedback was considered during development, with the team reducing the number of
quick time events and introducing more puzzles and challenge tombs. The team traveled to several
locations in Turkey, including Cappadocia, Istanbul and Ephesus, to design Kitezh. Rhianna Pratchett
returned as the game's writer while Bobby Tahouri replaced Jason Graves as the game's composer.
Camilla Luddington returned to provide voice and motion-capture work for Lara. Powered by the
Foundation engine, the game was also developed by Eidos-Montréal and Nixxes Software.
Rise of the Tomb Raider was announced at E3 2014 by Microsoft Studios. It was revealed as a timed
exclusive for Xbox 360 and Xbox One at Gamescom the same year, which sparked criticism from the
gaming press and community. The game received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its
graphics, gameplay, characterization, and abundance of content, but some reviewers felt that the
game did not take enough risks. As of November 2021, the game had sold around 11.8 million copies.
Several downloadable story and content additions have been released for digital purchase. Square
Enix released the game for Windows and PlayStation 4 in 2016. A sequel, Shadow of the Tomb Raider,
was released in September 2018.