Earlier this year, publisher Square Enix announced a DLC roadmap for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which included seven monthly DLC packs, each bringing a new Challenge Tomb, weapon, outfit, skill, and side mission to the game. The first of these, The Forge, will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on November 13. It`s included as part of the game`s season pass (priced at $30), but you can also purchase it separately for $5.The Forge is a lava-filled Challenge Tomb that tasks you with climbing a rotating tower. In our time playing through the tomb, we came across plenty of pitfalls and explosive gas vents that sent us to an early grave on a few occasions. Using the same gas vents to propel ourselves around on swinging pendulums was a clever twist on the obstacle. Reaching the end granted us a Grenadier skill, used for crafting grenades.We played through The Forge cooperatively, and in fact five of the seven DLC Challenge Tombs will be playable in co-op. When playing in co-op, both players see themselves as Lara Croft and the second player as a side character. In this case, the second character was Kuwaq Yaku villager Abby. Each DLC ties its challenge tombs in with a side mission and character, lending the puzzle-solving experience a narrative hook.Each tomb can also be revisited in Time Attack and Score Attack modes. The former records your best times completing the tomb, while the latter sees you collecting wisps of light and shooting glowing lanterns to increase your score. These modes will also be made available for the game`s existing tombs.Starting in November, each of the seven Challenge Tombs will release monthly. All are included in the season pass, and six will be available to purchase individually. The final tomb, and the only one requiring you to have finished the game`s main story, will be made available to season pass holders only.
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