Tomb Raider: Catalyst vs Cronos: The New Dawn

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Northern India (Post-Cataclysm)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Release Window: 2027
• Unique Feature: The largest world map in the franchise's history, powered by Unreal Engine 5, featuring the experienced Lara Croft in the new Unified Timeline.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Post-Apocalyptic Future & 1980s Poland
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, macOS
• Unique Feature: A unique 'Merging' mechanic where enemies can absorb corpses to evolve mid-combat, combined with a time-travel narrative and environmental puzzles.

• Ancient Artifacts: Revealed by the mythical cataclysm, these are the secrets Lara must protect from exploitation.
• Specialized Gadgets: Rumored to be discovered throughout the adventure, with some possibly infused with mythical powers.

• Essences: Extracted from key 'targets' in the 1980s. These are the main story objective and provide gameplay perks, but also contribute to the Traveler's madness.
• Audio Logs and Text Files: Found throughout the environment. They are the primary source of environmental storytelling, piecing together the history of the world and 'The Change'.

• Adventure
• Archaeology
• Unified Timeline
• Cataclysm
• Ancient Secrets
• Rivalry
• Next-Gen

• Survival Horror
• Sci-Fi
• Time Travel
• Alternate History
• Psychological Horror
• Post-Apocalyptic
• Polish History (1980s)

• Morphing Handgun: Primary Firearm
  The Traveler's main weapon. It is a handgun that can be upgraded with different modules, such as a shotgun attachment, to alter its function.
• Melee Attack: Emergency Melee
  A slow, clunky punch and stomp finisher. Primarily used in emergencies or on downed enemies due to its high risk and low speed.
• Suit Flamethrower: Utility / Weapon
  A built-in flamethrower with severely limited fuel. Its primary purpose is to burn enemy corpses to prevent the 'Merging' mechanic, but it can also be used as a weapon.

• Traveler's Suit: A heavy, space-suit-like attire that can be upgraded to improve its integrity (health) and increase inventory space. As the Traveler collects Essences, the suit becomes haunted, leading to psychological effects.

Progression is based on enhancing Lara's abilities and rich, customized adventure tech. Players will likely upgrade their traversal gear (wrist-mounted grappling tool) and combat skills as they delve into lost tombs and solve intricate puzzles.

Progression is based on resource scarcity and crafting. Players use scavenged 'Energy' to upgrade the Traveler's health, suit, and weapons at workstations. A key element is the psychological impact of collecting 'Essences,' which haunts the Traveler's suit and can lead to a descent into madness, but also provides gameplay perks.

The game promises the largest Tomb Raider world yet. Lara will traverse an expansive and interconnected landscape in Northern India, densely packed with secrets, tombs, and outlandish terrains. The environment is designed to reward exploration at an increasing scale.

The game is not a traditional open world. It features meticulously crafted levels that intricately weave between future wastelands and the historically-based Nowa Huta district of 1980s Poland. The design uses a puzzle-like, non-linear structure with narrative branches and a time-loop mechanic.

• Lara Croft: Playable Protagonist
  An experienced, confident, and fierce adventurer set years after the events of Tomb Raider: Underworld. Voiced by Alix Wilton Regan.
• Global Rivals: Antagonists
  Notorious treasure hunters from around the world who descend upon Northern India to exploit the ancient power unleashed by the cataclysm.

• The Traveler: Playable Protagonist
  A woman with no clear past, tasked by a mysterious AI to travel back in time to 1980s Poland and 'salvage' the essences of the dead.
• The Collective: Key NPC / Antagonist?
  A creepy AI from a future society that administers cognitive tests and gives the Traveler her missions. Its true motives are unknown.
• The Orphans: Enemies
  The grotesque monstrosities that were once human, transformed by the catastrophic 'Change'. They come in various forms, including runners, rangers, and bruisers.

• Main Campaign: Story
  A story-driven, potentially more linear adventure focused on preventing a global catastrophe and protecting an ancient secret in Northern India after a mythical cataclysm.
• Tomb Raiding: Puzzle
  Delving into lost tombs filled with intricate environmental puzzles, utilizing Lara's brilliance and customized tech.

• Main Story Quests
  A non-linear, puzzle-like campaign that follows the Traveler's mission to salvage the 'Essences' of key individuals from 1980s Poland before they perish in 'The Change'. Player choices can lead to branching paths and multiple endings.
• Environmental Puzzles
  A recurring objective involving the use of the time rift mechanic to manipulate the environment, alongside classic survival horror puzzles like finding fuses or keycodes to progress.

The game is available in a Standard Edition ($59.99) and a Deluxe Edition ($69.99). The Deluxe Edition includes 48-hour early access, a starter pack of in-game resources and ammo, unique armor skins, a digital artbook, and the original soundtrack.

• Q: What is Tomb Raider: Catalyst?
  A: It is the next major, single-player action-adventure game in the Tomb Raider franchise, developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Amazon Games.
• Q: Which game engine does it use?
  A: The game is built entirely on Unreal Engine 5, allowing the developers to deliver the largest and most expansive adventure in the series' history.
• Q: When does it take place?
  A: It is set 'years after the events of Tomb Raider: Underworld' (2008). The reboot trilogy (2013-2018) is officially canonized as Lara's origin story.
• Q: What new gear does Lara have?
  A: Lara has her iconic dual pistols and a new wrist-mounted grappling tool for enhanced traversal and combat.

• Q: What is Cronos: The New Dawn?
  A: It is a third-person survival horror game from Bloober Team, the creators of The Medium and Layers of Fear. It blends tactical, resource-scarce combat with a time-travel narrative set between a post-apocalyptic future and 1980s Poland.
• Q: What is the 'Merging' mechanic?
  A: It's a unique system where if you don't burn the corpses of defeated enemies, other living enemies can absorb them to evolve into stronger, faster, and deadlier versions mid-combat.
• Q: Is it a 'walking simulator' like other Bloober Team games?
  A: No. This game marks a significant shift for the developer into a more action-driven, tactical survival horror experience with deep combat and resource management, inspired by games like Dead Space and Resident Evil.
• Q: How does time travel work in the game?
  A: Players can shoot 'time rifts' in the environment to rewind or reconstruct parts of a level. This is used to solve environmental puzzles, clear obstacles, and open new pathways.

• SPECULATIVE PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. Official hardware details have not been released, but the game is built entirely on Unreal Engine 5, requiring next-generation console capabilities.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will be heavily reliant on the mobile GPU's TGP and the CPU's ability to handle asset streaming and rendering in an expansive UE5 environment.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced rendering features of UE5 and the promised 'largest world yet.'
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's scope and use of UE5 will require a premium cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU (e.g., i7/R7 equivalent) will be critical for handling asset streaming and physics in the expansive, interconnected environments.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended for minimizing latency in action-adventure gameplay.
• Game Name: Tomb Raider: Catalyst

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These specifications reflect the demands of the Unreal Engine 5 build.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the specific model's cooling and TGP. The game's detailed environments and intense combat can be demanding, so a modern gaming laptop is advised.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for sudden, intense combat encounters require a robust cooling system to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the complex AI and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's deliberate combat.
• Game Name: Cronos: The New Dawn

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced rendering features of UE5 and the promised 'largest world yet.'
• Cooling Thermals: The game's scope and use of UE5 will require a premium cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU (e.g., i7/R7 equivalent) will be critical for handling asset streaming and physics in the expansive, interconnected environments.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended for minimizing latency in action-adventure gameplay.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain stable framerates.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and potential for sudden, intense combat encounters require a robust cooling system to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the complex AI and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's deliberate combat.