Rise of the Tomb Raider Won't Have Snow Everywhere, Dev Promises

Rise of the Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics pledges that the upcoming Xbox One timed exclusive will have varied environments, and one area in particular, called the Oasis, will offer a change of pace from the snow-filled Siberian zone in which the action takes place.

The Tomb Raider franchise has been around for quite some time and has seen protagonist Lara Croft travel the world in search of adventure, treasure, and tombs to raid.

Developer Crystal Dynamics managed to successfully reboot the series a few years ago with the simple-titled Tomb Raider, which took a younger and less experienced version of Lara Croft and stranded her on a spooky Pacific island.

For the upcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider installment, which is set to appear later this year, Crystal Dynamics is changing the setting, as Lara Croft now explores Siberia in search of an ancient temple.

It's not all snow, all the time in Siberia

From what has been revealed so far in terms of footage, artwork, or screenshots, it seems that snow will, more or less, be everywhere, but the studio emphasizes that fans won't get tired of the scenery, as it's made sure that there will be varied zones to explore.

According to Game Director Brian Horton, who talks with GameInformer, there's even a small zone called the Oasis, that will provide a drastically different environment when compared to the rest of the snowy Siberian areas.

"There’s a bubble of the world that seems to exist outside Siberia. We call it the Oasis. A place that isn’t completely permafrost. This oasis, which we’re not going into a lot of detail about, just know that different weather, different temperatures are important to make sure we’re not going with one single look throughout the whole game."

Horton also mentions that the snow mechanic in particular took about six months to craft, and players will be in for a realistic experience as it covers everything from blizzards and snow flurries, to avalanches and other such events.

Rise of the Tomb Raider launches this holiday season as a timed exclusive on the Xbox One.