Tomb Raider Comes to GeForce NOW

Here’s four great reasons to play, or re-play, this stunning re-imaging of the Tomb Raider franchise:

The power of GeForce NOW

Tomb Raider is coming to NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW game-streaming service, and that’s great for several reasons. First, it means that you can play the equivalent of what is a high-end PC game on your SHIELD device in glorious HD at up to 60fps. Second, Tomb Raider is going to be part of the membership package, so if you are already aGeForce NOW member you’ll be able to join Lara on her adventures starting February 18 for no additional charge. And if you’re not, now’s a great time to join. Membership is free for the first 90 days and then only $7.99 per month, which gives you instant, and unlimited, streaming access to a library of more than 50 popular PC titles. Plus, you’ll have the option to purchase new game releases and play them instantly on your SHIELD device of choice.

The greatest Lara Croft story ever told

This isn’t simply another Tomb Raider game, it’s a complete re-imagining of Lara’s origins. Discover how Lara is transformed from an inexperienced archaeology graduate into the hard-bitten adventurer we’ve come to know and love. Created under the expert penmanship of Rhianna Pratchett (Mirror’s Edge, Bioshock Infinite) and Susan O’Connor (Gears of War, Far Cry 2), Tomb Raider takes us to a mysterious island off the coast of Japan where a team of explorers and scientists – including Lara – has been shipwrecked. The island is thought to be Yamatai, the former home of a great kingdom ruled over by Queen Himiko who was said to have had the power to control the weather. At the opening of the story, Lara has been separated from her travelling companions and must try to relocate them while surviving the hazards the island throws at her.

An epic visual experience

Tomb Raider boasts highly detailed environments, visuals and effects built on Crystal Dynamics’ Foundation game engine, which look great on SHIELD. The development team also put a lot of effort into bringing Lara Croft to life in the game as they modeled her movements and action off a real-life performer using advanced performance capture technology. Even Lara’s face looks impressively realistic as her face was based on professional model Megan Farquhar.

Explore, fight, survive

Lara’s adventure is a glorious melding of classic Tomb Raider-style navigational puzzles with good ol’ fashioned gunplay, along with elements of a few other genres tossed into the mix. Unlike the strictly linear nature of older Tomb Raider games, this one is a more open affair. As well as playing levels that move the narrative along, you also have the option to travel from camp to camp around the island to complete side quests. These include exploring tombs to look for hidden loot and although playing them is optional, this is where a lot of the fun environment-based puzzles are to be found.

Combat is complex, but expertly choreographed. Lara can take on the enemy with a mixture of ranged weapons, close-quarters fighting and stealth kills. Success in these areas will furnish Lara with experience points and salvaged objects. With the former our hero can upgrade her abilities, and with the latter she can modify and improve her weapons. Play for the engaging story, the challenging combat, Lara’s athletic prowess or the mind-tickling puzzles – there’s something here for every gamer to enjoy. That is, as long as you’re over the age of 17. Tomb Raider is rated M for Mature.  

Tomb Raider is a comprehensive package of goodies and a series best for the franchise and Geforce NOW really is the way it’s meant to be played on NVIDIA SHIELD. It’s the perfect opportunity to get up to speed on the franchise and prepare for the launch of Rise of the Tomb Raider on PC.