2013’s Tomb Raider was a huge undertaking for Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics, but the reboot breathed new life into the franchise, making a sequel practically mandatory. Rather than break the bank a second time, Square Enix partnered with Microsoft to help produce the game, making Rise of the Tomb Raider temporarily exclusive on the Xbox One and Xbox 360. In Lara Croft’s latest adventure, which is available to download through the Xbox Games Store for both platforms beginning today, the first lady of archaeology explores ancient tombs in search of the secret to immortality. I don’t know if she’s successful or not, but Lara will always live forever in my eyes.
Also available this week for the Xbox One is Fallout 4… just a little game from Bethesda… you may have heard of it. Taking place in and around Boston, Fallout 4 follows the sole survivor of Vault 111 as he (or, for the first time, she) attempts to survive in the post-apocalyptic Wasteland.
More details about both of these games, along with the free-to-play “Puzzle RPG” Gems of War and the Jackbox Party Pack party game compilation, can be found after the break.
Xbox One Games
Fallout 4 ($59.99)
Bethesda Game Studios welcome you to the world of Fallout 4 – their most ambitious game ever, and the next generation of open-world gaming. As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war. Every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Welcome home.Rise of the Tomb Raider ($59.99)
Rise of the Tomb Raider delivers a cinematic survival action adventure where you will join Lara Croft on her first tomb raiding expedition. Huge ancient spaces littered with deadly traps, solve dramatic environmental puzzles, and decipher ancient texts to reveal crypts as you take on a world filled with secrets to discover. Conquer a world fiercely protecting its secrets, endure perilous conditions and unstable landscapes, face dangerous wildlife that act as guardians to ancient tombs, and explore huge interactive environments. Use the environment to your advantage, scale trees and dive underwater to avoid or takedown enemies, configure Lara’s gear, weapons, and ammo to suit your play style, craft explosives on the fly to sow chaos, and wield Lara’s signature combat bows and climbing axe.Gems of War (Free)
From the creators of Puzzle Quest, play the new Puzzle/RPG/Strategy mash-up, Gems of War! Battle against epic bosses or other players. In Gems of War, you battle your foes not just with swords and sorcery, but with a puzzle board! Match gems to power your spells, and match skulls to smite your enemies! Then take the spoils of war, and forge a mighty empire. It’s highly addictive, easy to learn, and filled with crazy combos and tons of depth. Each Kingdom has quirky new characters to meet, and plenty of quests and battles to keep you occupied. Even better, there’s 16 Kingdoms full of fun (with more coming soon)! Are you looking for a greater challenge? Maybe Player vs. Player (PvP) combat is your thing. Fight other players in each kingdom, become the champion, then defend your title against the ravening hordes. You can even join a guild and fight alongside your friends!Xbox 360 Games
Rise of the Tomb Raider ($49.99)
Rise of the Tomb Raider delivers a cinematic survival action adventure where you will join Lara Croft on her first tomb raiding expedition. Huge ancient spaces littered with deadly traps, solve dramatic environmental puzzles, and decipher ancient texts to reveal crypts as you take on a world filled with secrets to discover. Conquer a world fiercely protecting its secrets, endure perilous conditions and unstable landscapes, face dangerous wildlife that act as guardians to ancient tombs, and explore huge interactive environments. Use the environment to your advantage, scale trees and dive underwater to avoid or takedown enemies, configure Lara’s gear, weapons, and ammo to suit your play style, craft explosives on the fly to sow chaos, and wield Lara’s signature combat bows and climbing axe.The Jackbox Party Pack ($24.99)
The team behind You Don’t Know Jack presents FIVE guffaw-inducing party games in one pack! Games include:
1) The comedy trivia sensation You Don’t Know Jack 2015 (1-4 players) with hundreds of all-new questions.
2) The hilarious bluffing game Fibbage XL (2-8 players), with 50% more questions added to the original hit game Fibbage.
3) The bizarre drawing game Drawful (3-8 players) – you draw right there on your phone or tablet (very little/no real skill required).
4) The racy-as-you-want-to-be fill-in-the-blank word game Word Spud (2-8 players).
5) The wacky-fact-filled Lie Swatter (1-100 players). Players play using their phones, tablets, or even computers as controllers – making it the perfect easy-in entertainment piece for your next game night or party.
