The second chapter in the new action-based Tomb Raider series, titled "Rise of the Tomb Raider," will be available to gamers using the Microsoft Windows PC platform next month, according to a listing page recently posted on Steam, a digital distribution platform.
An exact release date is not given in the game's storefront on the said listing only mentioned a "January 2016" release (see above). Both Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, the game's developer and publisher, respectively, have not made any formal announcements regarding the Tomb Raider sequel's PC version.
The said Steam page for Rise of the Tomb Raider goes along nicely with the January release window that many expected to be true. Earlier this month, a listing for upcoming sequel was spotted by Geek.com on Amazon France. It showed that the game will be available on January 29, 2016.
Gamers who own the Xbox One console have enjoyed the game for more than a month now as it is available on Microsoft's gaming device since November 10. However, Rise of the Tomb Raider's sales were hurt due to that Xbox release as it coincided with the launch of the much-awaited Fallout 4 game. Furthermore, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 was launched a few days prior and Star Wars: Battlefront was made available the following Tuesday.
It is not surprising for the Square Enix title to have a meager performance in the sales charts at launch. Nevertheless, digital sales of the game have gotten stronger in the past week as Microsoft featured it in its Xbox Countdown Sale at a price of $40. The action-adventure game is currently one of the best-selling retail titles for the past week in the Xbox Store and the number four game overall.
The price of the PC version is not mentioned in the Steam listing page, but it is predicted to be in line with other recent Square Enix offerings such as Just Cause 3 or the upcoming Deus Ex: Mankind Divided at $59.99.
There was some confusion back in 2014 about whether the Tomb Raider sequel would ever be available on non-Xbox platforms. It was previously announced during a Gamescom event that it will be a "Xbox exclusive," but Xbox division head Phil Spencer later confirmed that it would only be a timed exclusive. In other words, it will come to other gaming platforms after an unspecified amount of time.
As such, PlayStation 4 users are in for a longer wait. Due to the exclusivity deal with Microsoft, Rise of the Tomb Raider will not be available on Sony's popular gaming consoles until fall or holiday season next year.
