Yes, Rise of the Tomb Raider does have new game plus.
Eager to jump back into Lara Croft’s icy adventure with all your gear? You’re probably wondering does Rise of the Tomb Raider have new game plus. The answer is a resounding yes! This feature lets you replay the story with your previously obtained skills, weapons, and upgrades.
This means you can experience the game again with a powerful arsenal from the start. It also allows you to achieve 100% completion if you missed something on your first playthrough.
Does Rise of the Tomb Raider Have New Game Plus?
Let’s dive straight into the question everyone’s asking: does Rise of the Tomb Raider offer a New Game Plus mode? The short answer is, yes! But, like a good treasure hunt, there’s more to it than just a simple “yes.” The developers at Crystal Dynamics added a feature that lets you replay the game with a lot of your progress intact. This makes going through the adventure again feel fresh and exciting. So, get ready to explore Siberia once more, but this time with some cool upgrades.
How New Game Plus Works in Rise of the Tomb Raider
Unlike some games where New Game Plus is just a basic reset with some carry-over, Rise of the Tomb Raider does things a bit differently. It isn’t a strict “New Game Plus” mode as you might expect. Instead, the game utilizes a system where you keep certain key elements from your previous playthrough after completing the main story. This feature isn’t labeled with the familiar New Game Plus moniker, but it offers a similar experience. Think of it more as “Continue with your Upgrades.” This is important, and it’s what makes replaying the game so rewarding.
What Carries Over in “Continue with your Upgrades”?
When you choose to replay the game after finishing it once, certain aspects of your Lara Croft’s progress will stay with you. It makes the second run very different. Here’s what you get to keep:
- Weapon Upgrades: All the weapon upgrades you painstakingly acquired will be there when you begin a new game. This means you can start with a fully modded rifle, a souped-up pistol, or a deadly bow, right from the start. This makes combat much more fun early on because you aren’t using basic equipment.
- Gear Upgrades: Lara’s vital gear also stays upgraded. Whether it’s your climbing axe, rope arrows, or other tools, those improvements are still available from the start. These tools make exploring the tombs much quicker and much more accessible during the second playthrough.
- Skills: The skills you’ve learned and purchased for Lara will remain. You get to use all of the abilities like crafting, combat and resourcefulness. This also means that you are not struggling with limited skills at the start of the game again. It is really a satisfying feature.
These carry-overs will help in different ways. For example, having upgraded weapons early on can change your approach to combat and makes the game feel a little easier. Also, upgraded equipment opens pathways you could not previously access, so it changes the way you explore. It’s a mix of power and accessibility.
What Doesn’t Carry Over?
Of course, not everything is carried over to a new game. That would make the game too easy. Here are the things that do not transfer over:
- Story Progression: This is a new game, so you have to play all the story missions from start to finish again. You won’t start at where you left off the last game.
- Collectibles: Relics, documents, murals, and other collectibles will need to be reacquired during the new playthrough. These don’t carry over because the game wants you to explore each location again to discover all its secrets.
- Challenges: Challenges you completed before will be reset. These are the ones that require you to use specific weapons or find items. They will need to be completed again.
- Maps: Any map information you uncovered will be reset. This makes you have to explore all areas again to see their location on the map.
The idea is to keep the game challenging even when you have better weapons and skills. The game expects you to discover the hidden areas, solve the puzzles and explore again, even when you are more powerful the second time. It balances the advantages that come with your upgrades against the need to explore the environment fully.
Why Replaying Rise of the Tomb Raider is So Fun
The “Continue with your Upgrades” feature adds a huge replay value to the game. Here’s why going back through the game again feels like a totally new adventure:
New Ways to Play
With all your skills, weapons, and gear from the very beginning, you can approach encounters in ways you couldn’t before. For instance, you can use more advanced tactics in combat, knowing you have the gear to back you up. This allows for a more aggressive approach when you have better weapons. The increased movement options of an upgraded Lara can also allow for more platforming. It is not just about replaying; it’s about playing differently.
Exploring Hidden Areas Sooner
Upgraded gear opens up pathways sooner, helping you discover areas you probably missed on your first playthrough. This helps you find hidden crypts and find more resources that were previously inaccessible. This type of exploration often leads to discoveries of other interesting details and lore you might have missed before. It is always exciting to find what was missed before.
Focusing on Different Aspects
In a first run, players spend a lot of time gathering resources. It is also needed to progress in the story. However, in a subsequent playthrough, you can shift your focus towards mastering the gameplay, rather than just progressing. This lets you complete challenges, find collectibles and explore at your own pace. This freedom in focusing lets players experience the game the way they want.
Revisiting the Beautiful Environments
Rise of the Tomb Raider has beautifully crafted environments and you can simply enjoy seeing them again. The second run allows you to appreciate the level designs, the details in each location, and the atmosphere of the game. In the first play through, players are often so focused on the objectives that they don’t always get to take it all in. Now, players can admire the details that are often missed the first time.
Making the Most of your Second Playthrough
To fully make the most of your second playthrough, consider these additional ideas.
Try a Different Difficulty Level
Now you’ve completed the game once, you might want to test your skills on a harder difficulty setting. The weapons and equipment will help make these more difficult challenges feel more achievable. This can bring a new level of challenge and engagement.
Complete All the Challenges
With your gear and skills intact, it can be an opportunity to fully complete all the challenges. Explore each area thoroughly to make sure you discover all the hidden objectives. The challenge increases the play time and it offers some achievements too.
Seek Out All Collectibles
Collectibles provide a deeper look into the lore of Rise of the Tomb Raider. A second run makes it more manageable to find them all. This not only increases playtime but enhances the enjoyment of the game world.
Experiment with Different Play Styles
Since you have access to a wider range of tools and skills, try different styles of gameplay. Test out different tactics in combat, and try to solve puzzles using various items. The second playthrough is the best opportunity to test the different mechanics of the game.
Enjoy the Scenery
Don’t rush through the story. Slow down and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the game. Admire the level of detail and get to fully experience the locations on offer.
The Absence of a Traditional ‘New Game Plus’
While Rise of the Tomb Raider does not have the traditional “New Game Plus” label, it is important to understand why this is. The core idea is to continue with your upgrades. The developers chose not to include a full reset, like some other games, and this might be for a good reason. By not resetting the progress completely, they’ve created a unique approach that focuses on making second play a very different experience.
Why It’s Not a Standard New Game Plus
There are a few potential reasons behind the unconventional approach:
- Balancing Gameplay: Developers did not want the game to be too easy. If you retained all the collectibles, challenges and maps, the second run would have been too easy. Resetting these items keeps the game fun.
- Encouraging Exploration: By requiring that you find collectibles again, it encouraged people to keep exploring. This way, the second playthrough can feel fresh by focusing on things missed the first time.
- Different Playthroughs: The game wanted each playthrough to be fresh. It focused on how your different skills, weapons and tools could change each experience.
These aspects suggest the idea is to add replay-ability and create different ways to play. The approach the developer’s took made this game more fun after the first finish. The system is designed to add another layer to the game instead of just a simple rehash.
Rise of the Tomb Raider offers a satisfying approach to replaying the game using the “Continue with your Upgrades” system, though not labeled as a traditional New Game Plus. This method lets you retain weapon and gear upgrades along with skills, giving you a fresh perspective on the game after completing the main story. It creates new opportunities in combat, and new ways to explore, making the game enjoyable for repeat players. By not carrying over certain aspects, like collectibles, maps, and challenges, the game still manages to maintain a sense of discovery and difficulty. The way this works gives the game an increased replay value and encourages players to explore all its hidden secrets and test out different gameplay styles.
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Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Rise of the Tomb Raider provides a satisfying experience. It allows players to replay the game with their previous upgrades. This is a key feature for those wanting additional challenges or to experience the narrative anew.
So, does rise of the tomb raider have new game plus? Yes, it does. This important inclusion enhances the replay value. Players can retain their skills and gear on a new playthrough.



