One of the more highly-anticipated Xbox titles of the year is “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” which launches exclusively on November 10, 2015 (other platforms have to wait until 2016). Lara Croft will be back with a vengeance, and the launch trailer has been published over at the Xbox YouTube channel.
As you watch the trailer, pay some attention to the haunting song playing in the background. Xbox and Crystal Dynamics worked closely with Karen O, the Academy Award-winning musician and frontwoman for Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It’s an original song made just for the game, and definitely provides some emotional content to the experience.
Via email, we received some additional input on the song’s goals and creation:
“They wanted an emotional song that captures the intensity of the moment Lara Croft transforms into the Tomb Raider, the theme of a young woman becoming an icon. I was very intrigued by the challenge and I guess I was amidst a significant transformation of my own being pregnant at the time I wrote it. Now that I have a brought a life into the world I have no trouble relating to a character like Lara’s who pushes past her own limits to prevail under extreme circumstances. I love me some melodrama and nothing’s more satisfying than writing an against all odds song of survival. ‘I Shall Rise’ is kind of like my less groovy nod to Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive.’ I’m excited by the artistry of video games; they’re inspired. It’s no surprise that there’s a whole culture of kids who just like to watch people play them. There’s plenty of storyline, character and tone to sink your teeth into. Writing a song for the game felt pretty much like writing a song for a film. I had a lot of fun writing for it,” said Karen O.
With attention to detail like this, not to mention some fantastic gameplay, We can’t wait to get exploring, how about you? If you’re in a hurry, go ahead and preorder the Xbox One bundle (today is the last day to order and receive it on launch day) or just the game if you’re already stocked up with Xbox One equipment.
