Shadow of the Tomb Raider sees steep decline in physical sales compared to predecessors

Eidos Montréal has come full circle with Crystal Dynamics’ rebooted Lara Croft origin, launching Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the end of last week. Along with publisher Square Enix, Eidos has been enjoying some success with positive reception across the board, however its physical sales are down up to 70 percent in the UK since 2013’s Tomb Raider.

Following the growing trend of digital sales, it’s likely Shadow of the Tomb Raider is enjoying a stronger presence on PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and Steam than its 2013 predecessor. That being said, it is struggling to get much further ahead than 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, which only falls behind by 25 percent due to its initial launch as an Xbox One exclusive.

Exclusivity hasn’t slowed Insomniac’s Spider-Man down, however, as the PS4-only title has managed to cling onto the top spot in the UK charts after a week of strong physical sales. Its 42 percent week-over-week decline sees the game creeping up on God of War’s lifetime sales despite Kratos battling Nordic enemies since April.

Billed in leaks as the “climatic finale of Lara's origin story” and marketed as “the end of the beginning,” Eidos Montréal has bridged the gap between Lara Croft’s rebooted origin and Tomb Raider’s introduction back in 2000. Many have taken this to mean that original developer Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montréal and Square Enix are putting the series on the shelf for the time being, however not everyone is convinced.

KitGuru Says: Shadow of the Tomb Raider has been praised for its exploration of Lara Croft’s character and the relatively intricate puzzle elements reminiscent of the series originals. Have you been enjoying the latest entry?

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