Rise of the Tomb Raider Modes, Music & Season Pass

Unlike its predecessor, Rise of the Tomb Raider won't include a traditional multiplayer mode. Instead, the game will include a variety of extra modes that feature leaderboards, thereby extending the single-player campaign but also adding a competitive edge. The first of these modes is Score Attack, a mode that lets you replay levels from the game with a new set of rules as you “chain together attacks, movements, and collectibles to keep your multiplier high”, aim to post the best time, and earn medals. Next is Remnant Resistance, a mode that lets you replay the game's Hub areas with a variety of different goals. Players can then create their own unique challenges by changing the objective, enemy types, and Expedition Cards.

The aforementioned Expedition Cards are modifiers that can be used in these additional game modes. Players earn credits by completing challenges and exploring the game world; these credits can then be used to purchase Expedition Card packs. However, if you want to unlock more without playing the game, these packs can also be purchased with real-world money.

Some of these modifiers are just for fun, like Big Head Mode, while some will “increase the challenge or give you special advantages”. Around 300 cards will be available at launch and offer hundreds of ways to customize the game experience. Players will then be able to create their own challenges using their Expedition Cards and have their friends try and beat them, even if they haven't unlocked the same cards.

Crystal Dynamics has also announced that a season pass will be available for Rise of the Tomb Raider which will include three major pieces of additional content to further extend the life of the game's single-player campaign.

These pieces of additional content are a new “Endurance Mode” that will challenge players to survive “extreme conditions”; “Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch”, a new tomb that “houses an ancient terror”, and “Cold Darkness Awakened”, where players will combat “waves of infected predators”. In addition to these major content packs, a steady stream of new outfits, weapons, and Expedition Cards will be released over a four-month period, starting at launch.

Finally, Crystal Dynamics are pleased to announce that the soundtrack for Rise of the Tomb Raider has been scored by world-renowned composer Bobby Tahouri, whose previous works on TV and movies includes well-known franchises such as “Game of Thrones,” “Iron Man,” and “Despicable Me 2.”

Tahouri said:

It’s been an honor working on such a storied franchise, Lara is someone who embodies an indomitable spirit, and crafting music to accompany her on her journey has been a fantastic experience

Rise of the Tomb Raider will even feature procedurally generated music during the game's stealth combat events, thanks to a middleware system licensed by Intelligent Music Systems, LLC. This system analyzes Tahouri’s compositions and dynamically composes new music on the fly, meaning the audio for each and every play-through will be unique.

In preparation for the game's launch next month, Crystal Dynamics has released a preview track of Tahouri's work on the Official Soundtrack, which can be listened to here.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is set to launch on Xbox 360 and Xbox One on November 10th. The Xbox One version is also currently available for digital pre-order via the Xbox Games Store. The standard edition comes bundled with the “Remnant Resistance Pack,” which Includes the "Remnant" outfit, the "Matte Ebony" Handgun skin, and the rare "Bullet Resistance" Expedition Card. The Deluxe Edition comes with the game, the “Remnant Resistance Pack”, and the season pass.