Rise of the Tomb Raider is out today for Xbox One, and even if you haven't gotten a chance to play the game for yourself, Twitch has a new way for you to mess around with Lara Croft's latest quest.
A new Expedition Mode feature that can be activated while streaming the game via Twitch's Xbox One app lets the general public vote on game-altering Expedition Cards, which change the broadcasting player's game in the form of special items, ramped-up difficulty, or even humorous cheat codes.
"Many of our [Expedition Cards] are meant to be advantageous, while some are challenging," explains Chad Armstrong, senior designer at Tomb Raider studio, Crystal Dynamics. "Others are just meant to be entertaining."
Examples of ways the chosen-upon Expedition Card can affect the game include "Timequake," which helps the player get a little extra time to react, "Uncorked," a powerful explosion of rainbow-y goodness to assist in battle, or "Big Head Mode," which turns the proportions of characters to look like bobblehead figures.
These effects last for five minutes or until a player reaches or reloads a checkpoint, ensuring that the player doesn't grow too bored of having a giant head or gets stuck on a level made too difficult thanks to the crowd conspiring against them.
Something in it for you, too
Participants exercising the democratic process on an Xbox One will also be rewarded with in-game currency to spend on Expedition Cards for their own playthrough. These are paid upon the broadcaster's completion of certain in-game milestones, such as earning achievements or completing missions.
Another way Crystal Dynamics is making the game more streaming-friendly is with an optional "broadcast frame" that discretely shows how far the player has progressed for the spectator's convenience.
The immense popularity of game streaming has had a big impact on this console generation, with the Xbox One and PS4 utilizing dedicated services to share video and images of gameplay, as well as titles like #IDARB, Fibbage, and the Five Nights at Freddy's series gaining fame for having a spectator element.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is currently exclusive to the Xbox One and Xbox 360, but will hit the PlayStation 4 and PC by 2016. Crystal Dynamics hasn't mentioned whether Twitch's Expedition Mode will also be on these platforms, but anyone with a Twitch client capable of chat can join in on the trolling.
