Update: Looking in to it further (it's hard to find information on this that isn't almost a year old) there is no multiplayer. These cards are in single player, and can be used to challenge your friends but the primary function is ability buffs and bonuses. I don't know if they will be consumable or activated on a cooldown, or just permanent unlocks.

Checking out my favourite online retailer I noticed they had some exclusive pre-order DLC which includes a card pack with a foil card. Not physical cards, the consumable kind. No, you don't eat them. Well, maybe Lara does. To gain their power. I don't know if they're actually for sale in the game but my guess is that they will be. Halo 5 has them, as well as Star Wars Battlefront. It seems like most multiplayer games are opting for random unlocks and consumables through card pack microtransactions.

Unlike the majority of the internet I actually really enjoy this model. Maybe it gives me a bit of a gambling buzz since I don't actually do gambling. It was a lot of fun in Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare and Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. It seems off here but maybe that's because I have zero interest in the multiplayer. So what do you all think? It's not surprising since so many games do it now but I've not seen anyone talk about it in this game.

This is it. We're in the future we were warned about. Wonder how long this will be a thing...

Those burn cards Titanfall had for free, Tomb Raider is charging for.

God, modern games have terrible things in them.

I don't think this is for multiplayer, I'm pretty sure this is for a challenge mode.

In fact, does this game even have multiplayer?

God, I hope this isn't a feature of the story mode. The wording on the Amazon page made it sound like that's how it worked.

Oh boy, I don't neccessarily like the look of that. To be honest, the reboot already had some minor pre-order DLC that was tolerable but filthy in principle (exclusive tomb and some skills came unlocked from the start) and tons of garbage for multiplayer. Between warning signs like this and their exclusivity move this starts to look a lot like a 10-20€ GOTY edition buy for me. As much as I want the TR games to be succesful and get to play them sooner rather than later. This shit's not going to stop if I reward them for it.

Fuck big business. Seriously.

I hate the industry fuck cards

Halo, Tomb Raider, probably Battlefront...these fucking cards...

Isn't it weird how all of a sudden everyone is using the same tactics to squeeze their players of more money?

@village_guy: I believe it is co-operative multiplayer, I didn't say it was death match or the last Tomb Raider. I did check the wiki page before posting this and it's on there though the article is pretty barren.

@spraynardtatum: DICE or EA have said they're not selling card packs in Battlefront and there'll be no microtransactions. The cards you buy you just buy as packs of what they are, so you buy a pack of 10 uses of the ion grenade or whatever.

I don't think it's too weird though. You can see how it seeped in from free to play games on both mobile and even on console and pc (warframe). They all sell card packs and it's just such a nice easy system for them to slot into a game.

@alistercat The multiplayer stuff sounds like it's just leaderboard stuff. There'll be challenge maps and objectives that you compete against each other for high score or best time.

@razzuel - My guess is the card packs are going to be the "best" way to get resources for upgrading your weapons and gear.

@spraynardtatum: I'm hoping some big franchise sends a message about not using these crap microtransactions mechanics where they don't belong and the community responds well to it. Then the rest of the industry backpeddles from it as well. Much in the same way Sony got MS to backpeddle from their DRM stuff.

I think this comes from the failure of passive marketing to sell more games. No matter how good the sales campaign, a game sells as much as it going to with or without tv ad, billboards, or magazine add space. So marketers figured out the ONLY want to make more money, is to make their marketing COST something to the user. They couldn't sell more games with 'passive showing', but they sure as hell can make all useful objects shiny desirable objects in a game cost something.

"Look at me! My idea has made my company millions...now I am justifying my job in a way a successful marketing campaign never could!'

Where we are now is occurring because we, as gamers, got too good at ignoring marketing. Passive advertising didn't really increase revenue, what increased revenue is literately showing you a thing you can't have without paying. Anything worth having or interesting is now pay DLC. And we can't just fight this with our wallets...you HAVE TO scream and yell. You have to say "THIS SUCKS, THIS IS DIRTY" if you feel it is dirty. (If you don't well whatever that's you choice.) Otherwise, the marketers are just given free reign to try something else. We have to be very clear these sleazy tactics turn us off.

What did the Fuck Cards Industry ever do to you?

@jesus_phish: yeah I couldn't find any information on multiplayer, other than them saying there is no traditional multiplayer. It seems to be similar to the hitman multiplayer, where you can do challenges but in this you can set a series of cards that they have to complete the challenge using the same cards.

I thought I saw a shadow... it must have been Michael Transactions on the scene again!

One day he'll stop slipping through our fingers and we'll catch that crafty character.

Not going to buy Tomb Raider now!

I'm sure you can still play all of the game without any of the card BS. Take panties and unbunch them.

I don't like the consumable worry that Jeff detailed (should I spend my card on this match we are probably going to lose?) invading all these games.

But hard to say how much it matters. In Battlefront beta the card stuff was totally not a worry so who knows.

Not really the point. There are thousands of good games out there. I'm going to do my best to support the ones that don't nickle and dime any of their players.

Weird. While I'm not thrilled about the potential for this to be dirty, it does imply some pretty interesting things about how the game will work. I'll have to play this at some point. I wish it came out this month, next month is just too crowded.

@artisanbreads: I played a little bit of PvZ:GW when it was given out free to PS4 owners and I kind of liked it. Then I looked into it and realized that if I played poorly I could end up wasting all my cards and might struggle to be able to buy a new pack or would have to put actual money into it. I turned it off and haven't played it since. The whole idea is just kind of gross.

@jesus_phish: I feel you on that. There is something to that feeling of worrying about this kind of stuff, whether it comes into play or not. Just having it there as a concern can be unappealing, even if it doesn't become a real hindrance. There are so many other options to play that my patience for that feeling is pretty low.

The multiplayer was pretty good in the first game, kind of a bummer.