This morning, video game developer Crystal Dynamics announced the soft launch of a mobile running adventure game called Relic Run, which features Tomb Raider main character Lara Croft.
The game, now available in the Netherlands for mobile iOS and Android devices, features Temple Run-like mechanics with "acrobatic running," as well as vehicles, combat and boss fights.
The company hopes that fans of the game in the Netherlands will test the game out and give the company valuable feedback before it launches worldwide.
"We've soft launched on iOS and Android in The Netherlands this morning, and we encourage our Dutch fans to give the game a try," writes Crystal Dynamics on its blog. "You'll be helping us ensure all the kinks are ironed out and the game is optimized for the full launch."
Meanwhile, the company also released several screenshots from the game, one of which shows Lara doing battle with a T-Rex.
Expect Relic Run to become available worldwide later this year on iOS, Android and Windows devices.
Tomb Raider fans can expect another new game later this year, too, with Rise of the Tomb Raider, exclusively on the Xbox One. The game follows the 2013 reboot of the series, which made the game the top-selling game of the series, as well as one of Square Enix's top selling games of all time, although the company once stated that the game's release was a disappointment.
Considering that disappointment, the company could find real disappointment if its exclusivity deal doesn't also sell some Xbox Ones in the process. However, the exclusive deal with Microsoft is only timed and Rise of the Tomb Raider will also see a release on other platforms in 2016.
Meanwhile, we expect that 12-year-old Madeline Messer to give the game a go. Messer recently did her own research into the availability of female characters in mobile video games, including Temple Run, and found that most mobile female game avatars required a purchase, some of which cost more than the games themselves. Her opinion article on The Washington Post alerted some game developers to the problem, resulting in several games releasing female characters for free on their platforms.
[Photo Credit: Crystal Dynamics]
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