Rise of the Tomb Raider Walkthrough: Complete Guide & Tips

Introduction

If you picked up Rise of the Tomb Raider and feel overwhelmed by dense snowfields, intricate tomb puzzles, and ruthless enemies, this rise of the tomb raider walkthrough will guide you through every step. Whether you want chapter-by-chapter tips, strategies for solving tomb raider puzzles, or ideas for crafting, survival, and upgrades, this guide blends practical examples, hands-on tips, and exploration strategies to help you master the game. Expect clear advice on combat, stealth, hidden tombs, collectibles, and the skill tree so you can play confidently and enjoy the story.

Getting Started: Settings, Difficulty, and Survival Basics

Begin your playthrough by adjusting settings to fit your style. If you’re new, pick an easier difficulty to learn mechanics. Veterans can ramp up for tougher enemies and better rewards. Key early steps:

• Enable Survival Instincts early to highlight interactables and weak points. This helps find hidden tombs and collectibles in dense environments.
• Tweak Aim and Camera so long-range hunting and quick melee fights feel natural. A smooth camera reduces frustration in tight puzzle areas.
• Understand the RPG Elements: experience, skill points, and crafting materials determine how Lara evolves. Plan your skill tree to match whether you prefer stealth, ranged combat, or exploration.

Tip: early crafting items like explosive bolts and medkits are inexpensive but invaluable for surviving boss fights and environmental hazards.

Chapter-by-Chapter Strategy Overview

This walkthrough focuses on consistent approaches across chapters: prioritize exploration, complete side missions, and return to base camps between major objectives to craft and upgrade. Brief chapter tips:

• Opening Chapters – Learn traversal and stealth. Hunt deer and collect materials for cloth and medicine. Complete initial tombs to unlock upgrade blueprints.
• Middle Chapters – Focus on the skill tree and side missions that grant experience. Boss fights start to demand resource management and smarter use of cover.
• Final Chapters – Ensure your weapons are upgraded and your bow has composite ammo. Hidden tombs here often contain the best rewards for completionists and can tip the balance in late-game skirmishes.

Tip: check the map for marked relic caches and challenge tombs. Completing them yields materials and achievement progress.

Combat and Stealth: Weapons, Boss Fights, and Crafting

Combat in Rise mixes stealth takedowns, ranged firefights, and occasional boss fights. Mastering each requires understanding weapons and crafting systems.

• Bow and Arrow – Best for stealth. Invest in silent takedowns and improved draw speed on the skill tree. Use poison or explosive arrows when available to control groups.
• Rifle and Shotgun – For open combat and armored foes. Upgrade scopes and magazine size via crafting materials from hunting and caches.
• Traps and Environment – Use dynamite, explosive barrels, and environmental hazards to thin groups or damage a boss before direct confrontation.

Crafting tips:

• Collect cloth, resin, and salvaged parts to craft medkits, molotovs, and upgrade components.
• Prioritize upgrades that fit your playstyle: stealth players should upgrade the bow draw and arrow types; aggressive players should boost rifle damage and stamina.

Example tactic for boss fights: start by using cover to whittle HP, employ explosive arrows or crafted explosives to expose weak points, then close in for precision shots once armor is down.

Exploration, Hidden Tombs, and Collectibles

Exploration is central to Rise of the Tomb Raider. The game rewards patient players with relics, maps, documents, and hidden tombs that reveal lore and provide rare upgrades. Follow these strategies:

• Check Every Nook – Many hidden tombs are tucked behind climbable ledges or destructible walls. Use survival instincts to detect faint climb nodes.
• Map Reading – Use the in-game map to mark areas you can’t reach yet. Return after skill upgrades unlock new traversal moves.
• Complete Side Missions – These often lead to caches and challenge tombs that reward significant crafting materials and XP.
• Collectibles Use – Relics and documents boost XP and reveal backstory. Some collectibles are required for specific achievements.

Tip: if you’re hunting for achievements tied to hidden tombs, make a list of tomb locations and systematically clear each region before moving on.

Tomb Raider Puzzles: Solving Puzzles and Reaping Rewards

Puzzles in Rise of the Tomb Raider are satisfying and often require environmental thinking—rotating mechanisms, using the rope axe, and clever platforming. Best practices:

• Observe First – Most tomb puzzles give visual cues. Scan the room, note movable objects, and trace possible paths before acting.
• Use Physics – Some solutions rely on gravity or momentum. Launch objects with momentum or manipulate weight distribution to trigger switches.
• Backtracking – Don’t be afraid to step out and return; some puzzles require toggling elements from another chamber.

Example puzzle walkthrough: In an ice tomb where you must raise water levels, light brazier torches in sequence to thaw ice platforms, use the rope axe to swing over melted gaps, and position heavy blocks to hold down pressure plates.

Reward: completing tombs often yields unique weapon mods, rare crafting materials, or a powerful skill point. Make tombs a priority for both story and upgrades.

Side Missions, Challenges, and the Skill Tree

Side missions and challenge tombs offer XP, materials, and alternate approaches to encounters. They also give you experience points that feed into the skill tree. How to optimize gains:

• Balance Skill Choices – Early game: pick stealth and resource-related skills. Mid to late game: choose combat and exploration nodes that complement your chosen weapons.
• Complete Challenges – Time trials and combat arenas yield materials and XP. Use them to farm resources for rare upgrades.
• Upgrade Camps – Base camps let you craft advanced items and train. Use camps to save progress and recalibrate strategies between chapters.

Tip: if you plan to go for a stealth playthrough, invest heavily in the bow, silent takedowns, and stamina-related upgrades to maintain mobility during long infiltration sequences.

Advanced Tips and Examples

These advanced tips come from experienced players and help beyond basic strategies:

• Resource Farming Loop – Pick a region with several huntable animals and caches, clear it once, then reset by fast traveling to a distant camp and returning. This refill loop gives steady crafting materials.
• Dual-Purpose Upgrades – Choose upgrades that benefit both combat and exploration, like increased carry capacity or better detection radius, for versatile play.
• Stealth-to-Riot Transition – Start an area with stealth, eliminate alarms, and then use crafted explosives to handle enemies who call reinforcements. This reduces prolonged firefights.

Example: In a mountainous compound, use the bow for early takedowns, then lay traps on choke points and lure armored foes into explosive barrels to quickly clear a path to the objective.

FAQ

Q1: How do I find all hidden tombs in Rise of the Tomb Raider?

A1: Use a combination of survival instincts, map scanning, and backtracking after unlocking new traversal skills. Hidden tombs are often behind destructible surfaces or high ledges. Make lists by region and return with rope axe or climbing upgrades.

Q2: What skills should I prioritize on my first playthrough?

A2: Prioritize survival and exploration skills early: increased carrying capacity, silent takedowns, and XP rewards from relics. Mid-game, shift to weapon upgrades and aim-related skills for boss fights and tougher enemies.

Q3: Are there any must-have crafting items or upgrades?

A3: Yes. Always craft medkits and explosive bolts when available. Upgrading scope, bow draw, and rifle damage is crucial. Collect resin and salvaged parts early to unlock powerful modifications.

Q4: How can I beat difficult boss fights?

A4: Use the environment to your advantage. Lure bosses into traps, use explosive arrows to break armor or stagger, and maintain mobility. Combine stealth takedowns on minions with heavy firepower on the boss when exposed.

Q5: Should I complete side missions now or after the main story?

A5: Doing side missions along the way is usually better. They provide XP, crafting resources, and gear that makes the main story easier. However, if you prefer a focused narrative run, you can save some for post-game to unlock late upgrades.

Conclusion

This rise of the tomb raider walkthrough is built to help you explore confidently, solve complex tomb raider puzzles, and tackle combat and boss fights with strategy. From chapter tips and map reading to crafting, skill tree planning, and hunting down hidden tombs, the guide prioritizes practical, playable advice you can apply right away. Remember to tailor upgrades to your preferred playstyle, use survival instincts to reveal secrets, and treat each tomb and side mission as both a story beat and an opportunity for powerful rewards. Happy exploring, and may your arrows fly true as you uncover the mysteries buried under the ice.