The iconic action woman Lara Croft and the ‘Tomb Raider’ franchise turn 20 in 2016. Source: Dual Shockers

The renowned video game developer Square Enix has announced fans the wait is finally over as ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ will be released for PlayStation 4 on October 11.

Originally a game exclusively sold for Xbox, the new version for PS4 of the second and latest title in the rebooted game series will count with limited VR support on Sony’s console. The game will feature the same content featured on the original release while adding a co-op ‘Endurance Mode’ and the newly Virtual Reality supported chapter called ‘Blood Ties.’

In this new and exclusive part, players will have the unprecedented experience of controlling Lara Croft in first person thanks to the PlayStation VR set, which is also scheduled to release in October later this year.

Lara Croft returns to the PlayStation. Players will be able to take Lara throughout Croft Manor in a zombie-filled mansion mode called ‘Lara’s Nightmare,’ the latest feature of the new version of the game.

‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ was released last year exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Besides, the game was launched or PC earlier this year in January.

20 Years of Lara Croft

The iconic action woman Lara Croft and the ‘Tomb Raider’ franchise turn 20 in 2016. To celebrate, Square Enix has not only prepared the release of their latest title for the PlayStation 4, but they have also created a 20 Year Celebration Edition of ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’.

Devoted fans and collectors who acquire this particular edition will get the full original game, as well as the new VR supported narrative chapter ‘Blood Ties’, the zombie-killing horde mode ‘Lara’s Nightmare’, and access to the Endurance co-op mode.

Furthermore, the Extreme Survivor difficulty will also be available for the main campaign mode, as well as five classic playable versions of Lara’s character. In addition, pre-ordering the Celebration Edition will land you an art book featuring original art from the game.

Square Enix Goes Virtual

Like many other developers, the Japanese powerhouse seems to have their mind set on making virtual reality a key feature in their future games.

With the latest demo of ‘Final Fantasy XV’ VR experience unveiled last month at the E3 and now the upcoming release of ‘Rise’ for the PS4, it looks like Square Enix will not have any trouble adapting to the changing times.

The game developing company is set to release ‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’ next month, as well as the latest of ‘Hitman’ and ‘Final Fantasy XV’ soon after that. For now, it is unknown if any other future Square Enix titles will have VR downloadable content or rely heavily on it as a core game mechanism, but we can always expect them to deliver exciting experiences.

Virtual Reality as a new technology and a gaming vehicle have almost limitless applications, as shown by many ambitious developing projects both of renowned game sagas and new titles developed exclusively to exploit this technology.

Currently in its infancy on the current generation of home consoles, we will have to be patient with the upcoming VR releases for mainstream game platforms. ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ will give us a taste of VR upon its launch on October 11 for PS4.

Source: Play Station Blog