The day Lara Croft fans have been waiting for is finally upon us with the release of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The third and final game in Lara’s origin trilogy, Shadow of the Tomb Raider finds our intrepid adventurer doing her darnedest to stop a world-ending cataclysm at the hands of the nefarious Trinity. Shadow of the Tomb Raider shares plenty of elements with its predecessors, but there are a few new things to keep in mind as you play through the game. We are happy to share some of these tips here to help you make the most of your time in the jungles of Central and South America. Happy hunting!
Craft and Use Herbal Mixtures
As you explore the jungles, you’ll find yourself coming across plenty of wild herbs that you can pick. Once you have the corresponding ability, you can use these herbs to craft mixtures that will give you an advantage in exploration or combat. You’ll earn the ability to create Health and Perception (which makes it easier to spot prey and enemies in the environment) mixtures as you play, but you’ll need to unlock Endurance and Focus mixtures by upgrading your way through the skill tree. These both come in extremely handy during combat, as Focus allows you to slow down time when aiming and Endurance greatly reduces the damage you’ll take from enemies. The jungle herbs are nothing if not plentiful, so it pays to pop mixtures as often as possible, especially before and during combat.
Talk to Everyone You Meet
You’ll spend a lot of time in Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s two major hub areas, Kuwaq Yaku and Paititi. As you run around the areas and explore, you’ll come across a number of characters that you can talk to. Although some of these characters just want to make small talk, some of the other ones have more to offer. By talking to the people you meet, in some cases while wearing a particular outfit, you can learn about local areas of interest and secrets that you would not ordinarily be able to find. It’s a nice, organic way to open up the map for exploration, and it’s definitely necessary to chat up the locals if you want to achieve 100% completion.
Do the Side Missions
At first glance, it might not seem like the side missions in Shadow of the Tomb Raider are worth the effort. In the first couple of side missions, you’ll get a few rewards like weapons and non-essential gear, but that changes later in the game. In areas like Paititi and San Juan Mission, side missions will serve as a means to an end, allowing Laura to access Challenge Tombs and Crypts that she would not otherwise be able to find. Not only that, the side missions are quite good in many cases, offering up some compelling narratives and flushing out the world you spend so much time exploring.
Learn Your Languages
While you’re playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider you’ll notice that you’ll come across Murals and items, including some documents and Relics, that will raise your ability to decipher the monoliths you find scattered around the world. There are three languages (Mam, Quechua, and Yucatc) to learn in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and they’re definitely worth learning since the rewards for deciphering the monoliths are pretty solid. One thing to note is that there are no monoliths that require you to complete the language, as even the toughest ones for each language are only level two (Fluent). You don’t need to find everything in order to complete them all, though there is an achievement for completing at least one language.
Spend Money to Make Money
Throughout most of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you’ll earn whatever items you need to progress as you play. However, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule if you want to try tackling secret areas like Challenge Tombs and Crypts. In order to have unfettered access to whatever areas you’d like to explore, you’ll need to plunk down some coin at the merchants you come across. The lockpick will allow you to open Conquistador treasure chests, while the Rope Ascender will allow you to yank down rope doors that you don’t have the strength to pull down.
Want to start playing the Xbox One X Enhanced Shadow of the Tomb Raider today? Grab the Shadow of the Tomb Raider Croft Edition to jump right into the action with early access. If you’re patient, you can nab the Shadow of the Tomb Raider Digital Deluxe Edition or the Shadow of the Tomb Raider Standard Edition to start playing this Friday, September 14.
See the rest of the story on Xbox Wire
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Source: Xbox Blog
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