The first DLC is out next week.
Eidos-Montréal has been working on a whole season of DLC for Shadow of the Tomb Raider with The Forge, the first of seven episodes, set for release on November 13.
A new video has also been released, showcasing the making of the co-op feature for the DLC, allowing you to choose to team up with a friend or play solo on the three different modes available: exploration, time attack and score attack.
The video, below, explains the challenges faced by the development team when considering the level design and environments that will cater to both solo and co-op play.
Co-op partners will be able to choose the kind of role they want to play, whether that’s pulling the levers while your partner does all the running around, or taking on a more active role. There are also benefits to working in tandem, each taking on a separate path and certain areas of the tombs will only be accessible through co-op play, giving players an incentive to explore more thoroughly. A “ping” tool will be available to help players communicate with each other if using a mic isn’t an option.
Aside from the technical difficulties, the history of the Tomb Raider games has always painted Lara as a loner; her independence and survival – no matter what is thrown at her – are what makes her who she is today. This was another challenge that the developers had to overcome.
“Tomb Raider is such a personal and emotional journey,” reveals Vincent Monnier, gameplay director at Eidos-Montréal. “at first we were very intimidated about how we were going to make this co-op experience, compared to the single[-player].”
You can check out the rest in the video, above.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, with the first of the seven new DLCs arriving on November 13.
