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Why Lara Croft Belongs on the PS4

Why Lara Croft Belongs on the PS4

Rise of the Tomb Raider is in a precarious position. While the Tomb Raider reboot was well received, many still don’t accept this younger Lara Croft as their Lara It also had the misfortune of releasing on the same day as Fallout 4 , a game people skipped work and porn for . But with all these possible hurdles, one has the greatest effect on this entry, and it’s the Xbox One timed-exclusivity. Put simply, the game won’t come to Windows PCs and the PlayStation 4 until next year.

The funny thing is, this trouble could have been avoided. Square Enix didn’t even have to shift the release date to make a difference. What it had to do was release Rise of the Tomb Raider first on the PlayStation 4 to make delving into tombs more attractive than exploring a wasteland. Because, while the Xbox One can be great, the PlayStation 4 is where Lara belongs. No one can deny it.

It all has to do with the series history. The key is to look where Lara established herself. It wasn’t with Microsoft and the Xbox. It was with Sony and the PlayStation. Since 1996, the adventurer has made her home on Sony consoles. There are exceptions to this rule, of course. Lara has also always been true to PCs and Sega platforms like the Saturn and Dreamcast too, but the PlayStation systems were her true home.

Lara Croft didn’t even come to an Xbox console until 2006 with Tomb Raider: Legend , which was available on every system ever. Really, I mean it. You could play this entry on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Windows PC. No one was left out. Despite the Xbox having been around since 2001 and Xbox 360 since 2005, neither saw her six other console adventures. It almost seems like Square Enix realized she “had” to make an appearance on the Xbox systems, even though her fans primarily supported other systems.

Why Lara Croft Belongs on the PS4

Not having Rise of the Tomb Raider immediately available on the PlayStation 4 is a slap in the face. From 1996’s Tomb Raider to 2014’s Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris , Sony fans have always been there. They’ve backed every main entry and spin-off. To suddenly see Square Enix turn their back and join with a console that didn’t start supporting her until 9 years ago doesn’t seem right.

Rise of the Tomb Raider sold under 63,000 copies in its first week in Europe . North American figures aren’t in yet, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if they were comparable. A lot of research will be needed in the coming months to pin down exact influences on its sales, but keep the series’ history in mind. There’s a good chance Lara could have had a happier November had she started her latest adventure on the PlayStation 4 instead of the Xbox One.

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