Winner: Rise of the Tomb Raider
Lara Croft's latest adventure was a finely-tuned blend of adventure and survival, providing a wonderfully designed landscape that begged to be explored, while showcasing Lara's propensity to do whatever it takes to endure insurmountable obstacles. Rise of the Tomb Raider had a fantastic game flow that provided players with freedom and a wide breadth of content to consume, all without sacrificing a compelling narrative. Equally as important, playing as Lara was a joy. Her toolkit grew along with the challenge of the game, offering multiple ways for players to engage in epic platforming sequences before engaging enemies. For Xbox, Rise of the Tomb Raider was an attractive addition to its go-to list of IPs, ending the year on a strong note.
Nominees: Halo 5: Guardians, Ori and the Blind Forest, Forza Motorsport 6, Rare Replay
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