Hey everyone, Mary here with a deep dive into Rise of the Tomb Raider, the second game in the rebooted trilogy from Crystal Dynamics. After spending three hours hands-on with the game, I’ve gathered all the most important details—from mechanical changes and customization to exploration and combat flow. Whether you’re a returning fan or diving in for the first time, here’s everything you need to know about how the game evolves from its predecessor.

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Expanded Skill System

The original Tomb Raider reboot introduced us to Survivor and Hunter skills. This time around, Crystal Dynamics has added more depth with three distinct skill trees: Brawler, Hunter, and Survivor.

• Brawler focuses on hand-to-hand combat, health, and healing. It features upgrades like Thick Skinned and Heart of Stone that work in synergy to reduce incoming damage.
• Hunter specializes in stealth, ranged combat, and scavenging. Expect familiar perks like recovering arrows or looting extra materials from corpses, but with deeper functionality.
• Survivor is your go-to for crafting, exploration, and passive boosts. Notably, you can now craft while moving, giving you the ability to create healing items and tools mid-combat—a massive advantage in tougher encounters.

What’s especially impressive is how these skills are tiered and unlocked over time. Unlike the more linear first game, you now have far more freedom to shape Lara around your playstyle, whether it’s sneaking in the shadows or diving headlong into conflict.

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Weapons, Upgrades & Customization

As in the first game, you’ll begin with your trusty climbing axe and soon pick up the iconic bow. From there, you’ll expand your arsenal with weapons like revolvers, shotguns, and more—but not all at once.

You’ll need to find weapon parts scattered throughout the world to unlock new guns. Upgrades follow a tiered pathwhere resources like feathers, cloth, and animal hides allow you to boost damage, increase weapon stability, or reduce reload times.

A huge improvement is the new inventory system, which now also governs ammo and gear upgrades. For instance, do you want to hold more arrows, or invest in hollow-point rounds for maximum bullet damage? These decisions matter because they share crafting resources with weapon upgrades. You’ll constantly need to weigh whether to enhance Lara’s carrying capacity or her firepower.

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On-the-Fly Crafting & Resource Management

One of the game’s biggest quality-of-life changes is the ability to craft in real-time, without needing to stop at a campfire. Got poison mushrooms and a bow? You can now make poison arrows mid-fight. This fluid system makes combat feel much more dynamic.

But materials are finite, so hunting and gathering become essential. You’ll constantly need to forage for feathers, plants, ores, and more. Exploration isn’t just for story advancement anymore—it’s tied directly to how well-equipped you are in battle.

Adding to the scavenging loop is a new shop system, where a merchant trades tools and gear for gold coins hidden throughout the world. This opens up access to items like the Rope Ascender and high-tier upgrade tools. It gives a refreshing new reason to search every nook and cranny.

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Combat: Play It Your Way

Combat in Rise of the Tomb Raider leans into player choice. Some areas require action, others allow full stealth. Even in forced combat zones, you’ll find bushes for cover, throwable items like lanterns, and vantage points for silent takedowns. Stealth kills grant bonus XP, rewarding methodical players.

What makes this more compelling is how much more open and reactive the environments are. Whether you want to sneak around with the bow or clear rooms with a shotgun, the tools are there—how you use them is entirely up to you.

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The Soviet Encampment: Open-World Evolution

The Soviet Encampment area serves as a showcase for how much more open and non-linear the game has become. It’s the most expansive zone seen in the franchise to date. Not only can you explore in multiple directions, but you also unlock region summaries that track collectibles like relics, coin caches, and tombs.

You can even toggle the main mission waypoint at any time by clicking the right stick, allowing you to freely explore or focus on the core story. And with fast travel always available later, you can revisit missed content anytime.

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Optional Missions, Allies, and Side Content

Optional missions now go beyond just finding items—they help build relationships with allies who may assist you later. One early quest rewards you with a lockpick, opening access to new loot opportunities. These missions enrich the world and offer tangible gameplay benefits.

Then there are challenges, mini-objectives that grant bonus XP. They often involve exploring caves or using Lara’s tools in creative ways. These challenges, while optional, add depth and replay value.

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Tombs, Relics, and Language Learning

Yes, optional tombs are back—and they’re more rewarding than ever. Each tomb contains relics and puzzles, and unlocking them grants powerful skill perks. You’ll get a warning when one is nearby, so don’t ignore those prompts.

Also returning are documents and murals. Murals help Lara learn languages, and once she’s read enough of a given language, she can return to previously unread inscriptions for even more lore and treasure.

And yes—turning relics around and zooming in still reveals hidden details. That little mechanic? Still incredibly satisfying.

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Final Thoughts

After three hours of hands-on time, I can confidently say that Rise of the Tomb Raider doubles down on everything fans loved about the original—while giving us way more control, flexibility, and exploration.

From expanded skill trees and weapon crafting to on-the-fly combat decisions and massive open environments, this sequel doesn’t just refine the formula—it explodes it. If this is just the beginning, I can’t wait to see what the rest of the game holds.

Stay tuned for more Tomb Raider coverage as we uncover everything else the Siberian wilderness has in store!