Shadow of the Tomb Raider The Forge DLC Announced and Hands On Impressions

Square Enix announced the title and release date of the first of seven DLC adventures for the recently released Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Titled The Forge, it is set to premiere on November 13th, and will be available for Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC, to purchase separately or included as part of the Season Pass.

At NYCC last week, I visited the Square Enix Press Suite to learn more about their upcoming DLC. The first thing I learned is that of the 7 DLC planned, one will be exclusive to season pass holders. Each DLC will focus on expanding the story of a character or a piece of lore from the main storyline of the game, and all DLCs will be fully integrated into the game. However, for those who don’t want to replay the game every time a new one comes out, each DLC is going to be accessible from a hub in the game, so you can just fast travel back to areas you’ve completed.

Five of the seven tombs are available to play in co-op, though they can also be completed alone. They will also be available to play with friends who have not purchased the game, as long as one person has the game and the DLC, anyone else can hop on board. Each DLC pack will also include a new outfit, a new weapon and a new skill for Lara. The Forge includes the Brocken outfit, Grenadier skill, and the Umbrage 3-80 weapon.

I played through The Forge in co-op, without having previously played the base game but having played the two previous ones. It runs smoothly, and the set-up for the modes and customizing your character is efficient. Even though I was walked through the puzzles by a member of staff in the interest of me not holding up the demo line, the puzzles were intriguing. Not every answer was immediately apparent, and a first-run playthrough would require a lot of trial and error to navigate the level. I don’t consider this a bad thing, as it definitely encouraged me to explore the level more when I wasn’t sure how to solve a puzzle.

The tomb’s design was the most intriguing part for me. Playing on co-op seemed much easier than playing solo, and with some of the puzzles I wasn’t sure how I would solve them if I was on my own. This definitely adds replayability to the DLC, and I can see why the game allows you to play co-op with a friend who doesn’t own the DLC themselves. Score attack and Time attack modes both offer their own challenges, and overall it’s more variety for one tomb than I was expecting to get.

The Forge will be available on November 13th and priced at $4.99 if purchased individually or as part of the Season Pass for $29.99.