Rise Of The Tomb Raider Review

Rise Of The Tomb Raider (Xbox One, PC, Xbox 360) (Rated Mature)

The rebooted Tomb Raider was a fun game, yet it was a fairly flawed game as well. The focus was on combat and cartoonish set pieces, not exploration and puzzle solving. Combat has always been an essential part of the Raider formula. But there needs to be a balance between the adventurous exploration and the frenetic excitement of combat. The first game did a great job of building Lara's character. Sadly, the rest of the story was fairly uninspired. It had a great start and a pretty great climax but that was about it. If anything Tomb Raider 2013 feels like a prototype; a game that was almost there but needed a good bit of work to be fleshed out. It was playable and enjoyable; but it lacked the Tomb Raider spirit. It was truly one of those games that had incredible ideas that were almost realized, but it clearly needed more time. This did lower my expectations for this entry; thankfully that was very fortuitous.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a direct followup to the last game; yet it also can stand on its own. This game does take the tone, style and gameplay mechanics from Lara's last outing. Yet, it almost feels like a fresh start for Lara. The last game was all about seeing Lara become the hardened Tomb Raider we know. This game really is the payoff, this is about seeing Lara "truly come into her own". Lara's personal story does pick up right where it left off. But the adventure has an entirely different feel than the last. The last game was about survival. This is all about the adventure, the fun of exploring tombs and a beautifully designed world that is just begging to be raided. The game world is much larger than the last; it also feels far more realized but most of all it is a treat to explore. The number of tombs has also more than doubled and each feels very unique. They are about the same length as the last tombs were; they are also fairly easy. Yet, the design is far more intricate and creative. Each tomb is a visual marvel and exploring these mammoth locations gave me the sense of adventure I felt playing the original Tomb Raider games. 

While you are free to explore to explore the mountains of Siberia in search of a hidden city. It is not one big map; but a series of interconnected maps. Just like it's predecessor, however, unlike that game each level is more expansive with tons of hidden areas to raid. This game treads a very unique line between being linear but also giving the player a huge amount of freedom. You are always moving forward as the story progresses you through the map almost like a race to the finish line. Yet, there is so much to see that it is easy to get sidetracked even in the smallest locales. You will get tons of different equipment to open access to the games many hidden areas or to simply progress the story. These tools are not only useful, but each one is just as fun to use as the last. Though no matter how you traverse the environment as Lara whether it be running, jumping, climbing or swinging into action, it's all immensely fun. While the original TR games were more challenging. Players should remember that the challenge in the original games; came from clunky controls and design limitations of the day. Those older games were much harder, because Lara moved like a Parkinson's patient. 

While there are no player choices to affect the story; it felt like Lara and I were on the adventure together. Which gave me a greater sense of attachment for her than many other gaming heroes. The villains along with most of the plot and ideas are nothing new, and it even borrows elements of past Tomb Raider stories. Yet, what Rise of the Tomb Raider lacks in originality it more than makes up for with superb presentation. This is a game that is more than the sum of its parts. The acting, for example, is first rate; making even the weakest characters captivating. While the supporting characters may not be developed as well as Lara is. The performances coupled with a very gripping narrative made the story around Lara exhilarating. Which has a great impact on the game's rousing sense of adventure. All because Lara is such a compelling character, which gave the entire game depth and greater meaning.  

Upgrading Lara and fighting incredible odds to save the day, felt much more meaningful because I cared about Lara. Lara feels like a real person; she is not a superhero. Lara is vulnerable which creates some great tension during the game's combat sequences. And combat feels better than ever Lara moves naturally, and the controls are smooth and precise. Lara is easily one of the best playable characters of the past year. You have a choice to stealthy take out your enemies, or go in like a gorilla solider "lighting up" everything in your path. All of the games weapons are exquisitely balanced each one functions well, feels powerful and every firearm is just as useful as the other.  Yet it is the superb level of freedom and meticulously designed combat scenarios, that elevates this game's action sequences to the "highest caliber". You will have access to all kinds of fun toys including poison arrows, grenade arrows, guns, handcrafted explosives, knives and more. You will also get to upgrade your gear and Lara herself. Crafting upgrades, ammo or other items, takes resources gathered from the world. Hunting down resources whether it's an animal's pelt, or something to go boom, really helped the game's immersion factor. 

There is plenty of action throughout the game's twenty plus hour long story; yet combat is not the game's sole focus. There is an even focus on exploration, puzzle solving and of course combat. Rise provides plenty of quiet moments to explore the beautifully crafted mountains of Siberia, a long forgotten tomb in Syria and the hidden city of Kitezh. The visuals are marvelous, the gorgeous lighting effects and extremely detailed textures bring Lara's world to life. Of course, the game is not without it's hiccups. While the visuals are second to none, some of the textures can be rather jagged and the frame rate did drop a few times. It was not enough to dampen my experience with the game, but it was sadly noticeable. It is worth mentioning that the game's visual are so stunning that it makes small things like a rough texture or jagged edges stand out more. These have little to no effect on gameplay, it just makes the game appear rough in some places. Still, Rise of the Tomb Raider is about having fun, and none of the bugs hindered that.  

It takes guts to redesign such a historic character; even more so given how radical the evolution of this series is. I would say that this rebooted Lara is cut from the same cloth as Daniel Craig's James Bond. She feels and seems a bit different and things even look and seem more realistic; yet the magic is still there. I particularly loved Camilla Luddington's performance as Ms. Croft. She really breathed fresh life into this once two-dimensional character. You can relate and care about this Lara but she is also a capable badass. I really hope we get to see her in the next film adaption. I like that this Lara is different, however what I love even more about Rise of the Tomb Raider is that it captures the classic Tomb Raider spirit. This game has all the elements of the oldschool TR series. Yet, it feels like a completely new kind of game. The combat system is very different from most other shooters and the action feels far more frenetic and intense because of it. This game's platforming is also the first time in years that I had fun just traversing the environment. The story is full of cliches; yet it is also the best in the entire series. I really hope we get to see more of this Lara as this game is close to perfection. The story is grand, exciting, mysterious and emotionally involving. Rise Of The Tomb Raider is one hell of a cinematic journey, that is as fun and exciting as it is satisfying.