- Controls
- No more tank controls.
- New tools
- Grappling hook and scanner.
- Combat
- Focus slows time for precise shots.
Based on demos
All of this comes from Steam's feature list and from two press demos: a playable one at Summer Game Fest in June 2026 and a hands-off one at Gamescom. The June build was described as pre-alpha, so details can still change.
Moving around
Grappling hook
Lara swings from branches, reaches high ledges and pulls things around. In the Lost Valley demo it dragged a cog through water and knocked away wood that blocked it.
Smoother movement
Tank controls are gone. Climbing uses grapple points and ice axes. Previews found Lara more acrobatic than in the Square Enix games but less so than in the originals, and her jump a little floaty.
No yellow paint
Neither demo had painted ledges. You read the rock for ledges and scratch marks, and the developers say players can choose how many visual cues they want.
Puzzles and secrets
Scanner
It highlights objects you can use and gives lore on artifacts. At Gamescom it also worked as a hint system, with lore and hints in different colours so you can skip the hints.
Rebuilt puzzles
The cog puzzle returns in a new form, and Peru's puzzle spaces are semi-connected, so you can come at them from several angles. Steam also lists water flow, light beams, pressure plates and symbols to decode.
Relics and hidden items
Optional relics unlock cosmetic rewards such as a new outfit. One hidden item in the June demo sat behind a waterfall, out of reach on foot.
Separate difficulty
Puzzle and combat difficulty are set independently, so you can turn one up and leave the other alone.
Fighting
Dual pistols and more
The twin pistols return with unlockable weapons, including a shotgun seen at Gamescom. Enemies include wildlife, mercenaries and mythical creatures, and velociraptors showed health bars in the June demo.
Focus
A meter builds up, and spending it slows the fight for a precise shot during Lara's flips. At Gamescom an upgraded shotgun in this mode finished a leopard hiding behind pillars.
Crafting and upgrades
You craft healing items and food with short buffs, such as less trap damage for ten minutes. Skill trees are also reported.
How open is it?
The developers have described the game as linear, without the wide-open areas of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. That fits the official description of semi-connected spaces with secrets, collectibles and resources to find off the main path.
Cross-checked
Cross-checked on 4 November 2026 against the Steam store page, the PlayStation Blog post of 2 June 2026, GameWatcher, GamingBible, Playday, ETV Bharat and Wikipedia's article on the game. Skill trees come from ETV Bharat alone, and crafting from Playday and ETV Bharat. The linear description comes from Playday alone. Not from a playthrough: these are announcements and press reports from before release. Still to confirm in-game.