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Tomb Raider: Underworld - Episodes

Ron Rosenberg on Beneath the Ashes, and playing as the Doppelganger in Lara's Shadow.

Once regarded with uniform suspicion, premium downloadable content for console games has thrown off some of that stigma in recent months, as the likes of GTAIV: The Lost and Damned and the Mirror's Edge Pure Time Trial Pack have advanced the original games in directions influenced by critical and community response.

With Tomb Raider: Underworld's Xbox 360 episodes, however, fans perceived the dark spectre of corporate indulgence. The two new episodes - Beneath the Ashes (out tomorrow, 24th February) and Lara's Shadow (10th March) - had overlapped slightly with the full game's development, and an exclusivity deal with Microsoft did little to purify Eidos' motives in the eyes of sceptical players.

Tomorrow, we'll get to make our minds up, as Beneath the Ashes goes on sale. Before that, we spoke to Ron Rosenberg, senior producer on both episodes, to find out more about them and more about their DLC credentials and relationship with Underworld itself. You'll also find out a bit more about the second episode, Lara's Shadow, for which Rosenberg exclusively confirms that you get to play as the Doppelganger. Look out for our review of Beneath the Ashes very soon.

EurogamerCan you tell us anything new and exciting about Beneath the Ashes? What sort of things have you got in store for Tomb Raider fans who need another fix?
Ron Rosenberg

Wow, there's a lot of exciting things in this release. The goal for Beneath the Ashes was to push the gameplay mechanics further than we were able to in Tomb Raider: Underworld. The team working on the project learned a lot of lessons over the course of the development of the main game and we used that experience to push things a little further. One example of an area of focus was pushing the potential of the grapple hook, which you must use to execute some remarkable acrobatics and to solve some interesting new puzzles.

The adventure begins with Lara in the ruins of Croft Manor. She's sifting through the remains of her father's secret study which contains information about a hazardous artifact he was safeguarding. The artifact is extremely dangerous if exposed to water. The destruction of Croft Manor has unearthed the entrance to an ancient dungeon where the artifact is hidden. First thing you see as you enter is water pouring into the pit.

EurogamerYou've said that Lara's Shadow has a brand new playable character. Is the name as much of a giveaway as we expect?
Ron Rosenberg

Yes, there is a brand new playable character in Lara's Shadow, the Doppelganger. The Doppelganger is a dark and deadly double of Lara with incredible powers and instructions to end the Croft lineage once and for all.

Probably don't jump just yet.

I think people are going to have great fun playing the bad girl character of the Doppelganger. We're quite proud of how she turned out. The release is a great example of using DLC to innovate and try new ideas and I can't wait to hear what the fans think of it. We developed new gameplay mechanics to support her superhuman strength and agility that make the experience different than any other Tomb Raider game. It's a rush to play.

She also presented some quite intriguing storytelling opportunities for us. As the Doppelganger likes to boast, she is a copy of Lara "with the flaws removed", and getting to know her provides some insight into Ms Croft.

EurogamerHow would you say the two episodes complement Tomb Raider: Underworld? Do you see them as distinct elements, or as finishing touches?
Ron Rosenberg

Both of the episodes build on story beats in Tomb Raider: Underworld, but they clearly were crafted as standalone releases and wouldn't fit into the narrative structure of the full game. Beneath the Ashes takes place underneath the ruins of Croft Manor, whose destruction was one of the major dramatic moments in Underworld.

Lara's Shadow delves more deeply into the story of one of a lesser known Underworld characters. Neither would have made sense as part of the larger narrative in Tomb Raider: Underworld, but the DLC format works great for delivering these stories. Personally, that's part of what excites me about DLC. The shorter format allows you to tell stories that you might not in a full game.