Trivia / Rise of the Tomb Raider

• Executive Meddling: The whole debacle regarding "Xbox exclusive" was almost entirely thanks to the ever-changing decisions of the execs. First, the game wasn't even supposed to be made. Then the sales of the 2013 game convinced them to green-light a sequel. Then cut the budget. Then use Microsoft money for exclusive deal to bring the budget back to its original value. Then slash it again, anyway. Then face the fan uproar about new Tomb Raider not only being an exclusive title to a single console, but to XBox out of them all^note Tomb Raider franchise was heavily associated with PlayStation. Then being unable to walk out of the deal with Microsoft over exclusivity.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: One of the newspapers shown is of the crew of the Endurance and their survival from the last game.
  • Another bonus to behold, a second newspaper shows events that occurred from the interquel novel, for anyone who has read it.
• Milestone Celebration: The PS4 version, which was released as Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration to commemorate the franchise's 20th anniversary.
• Recycled Script: Just about every plot element from the last game is in this one. Lara is stranded in a remote land, searching for a lost city (which turns out to be guarded by an undead army), chased by a religious zealot, while one of her friends has been kidnapped and needs rescuing, and there's someone who attained immortality who loses it in the climax.
• Refitted for Sequel: The Stinger for this game is very similar to the Dummied Out extended ending of Tomb Raider: Underworld. Lara and a female Evil Former Friend stranded in the snow, slowly making their way back to civilization after just defeating the Big Bad and collapsing an ancient ruin, and said Evil Former Friend gets shot.
• What Could Have Been: The initial trailer for the game involving Lara speaking to a therapist about the events of the previous game implied the focus of the sequel would be Lara's PTSD from everything that occured. This had little to do with the released game and instead Crystal Dynamics opted for a more standalone story. Lead writer Rhianna Pratchett has stated since in interviews that it was indeed her intent to focus on Lara's PTSD. As it didn't fit the direction the gameplay department wanted to take the game, she was encouraged by the studio heads to instead make the narrative work on its own to fit the gameplay design. This decision apparently gutted her from being relinquished the control of the story she wanted to tell, as she stepped away from and vowed to never write in the AAA game industry ever again. The Microsoft exclusivity deal made for the game is also believed to have affected this somewhat.

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