As expected since the E3 2015 announcement teaser earlier this month, the first gameplay footage for Crystal Dynamic’s Rise of the Tomb Raider was shown during Microsoft’s E3 press briefing this morning. The highly anticipated follow-up to 2013’s critically acclaimed Tomb Raider reboot delivered on all expectations. As you can tell in the video above, the gameplay presentation showcased death-defying action, pitting Lara Croft in what is expected to be her biggest adventure yet.

Although a sequel to the 2013 reboot, Rise of the Tomb Raider is still loosely considered a prequel to the original games from the ’90s. We find our young Lara learning the ropes, literally, as she develops further into the tomb raider she’s meant to become. Every aspect of this demo is exhilarating, full of intense, critical thinking, and quick reflexes on the part of the player. The snowy mountain climb makes the previous game look like Lara was riding on training wheels. Rise of the Tomb Raider is not playing around this time.

Those who played the recent Tomb Raider game know that Lara’s luck is not the greatest and the developers seem to love putting her through the ringer. Rise of the Tomb Raider is definitely upping the stakes with environmentally challenging tasks and even more grizzly obstacles to overcome. This demo has me very excited to see the finished product and I look forward to when it comes out for PlayStation 4.

Here’s some official screenshots of Rise of the Tomb Raider from Square Enix that released today:

And here’s the official plot synopsis for Rise of the Tomb Raider, courtesy of Square Enix:

“In her first adventure, Lara Croft was forged into a true survivor, but she glimpsed a deeper, secret world. Obsessed by what she has seen, Lara is now threatened by a shadow organization intent on killing her for what she knows. She is pushed to her physical and mental limits as she seeks the truth buried deep within the tombs of an ancient world. To unravel the mystery of a Lost City, Lara must use her survival skills and wits, learn to trust new friends, and ultimately accept her destiny as the Tomb Raider.”

Rise of the Tomb Raider hits shelves on its newly announced release date of November 10, 2015 as a timed release for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Now that we’ve seen some gameplay, how do you think the game is shaping up? Tell us in the comments below.

Source: GameSpot YouTube and TombRaider.com