Rise of the Tomb Raider Review
By Edwin Velez
Not Your Father's Tomb Raider
Lara Croft returns in Rise of the Tomb Raider, the sequel to 2013’s critically acclaimed reboot Tomb Raider, and she is in full effect. Taking place one year after the events of the first, Lara is a seasoned and determined explorer. She uncovers a particular mystery that her father was investigating prior to his untimely death when she was young, and becomes obsessed with proving he was right. What follows is an intense, emotional, and breathtaking adventure that takes Lara to Siberia in search of a pseudo fountain of youth known as the “Divine Source.” This ancient artifact was said to be a source of immortality, and the obsession behind it defamed her father now plagues her.
Lara claims merit to her father’s findings when she finds out that an ancient religious sect know as Trinity is on to her and looking to beat her to the Divine Source. She heads to Syria, looking for further clues about the Divine Source and its keeper, known simply as “the Prophet.” After a run in with Trinity that ends in bloodshed and destruction, Lara is more determined than ever. Backed by Jonah, they head to Siberia looking for the lost city of Kitezh (ki-tesh), which is said to be the last known location of the Prophet.
Lara claims merit to her father’s findings when she finds out that an ancient religious sect know as Trinity is on to her and looking to beat her to the Divine Source. She heads to Syria, looking for further clues about the Divine Source and its keeper, known simply as “the Prophet.” After a run in with Trinity that ends in bloodshed and destruction, Lara is more determined than ever. Backed by Jonah, they head to Siberia looking for the lost city of Kitezh (ki-tesh), which is said to be the last known location of the Prophet.
Through a pretty hefty story mode (I clocked over 25 hours before the credits rolled), Lara is introduced to the natives of Kitezh and their battle against Trinity. Trinity is, at least in part, lead by a man named Konstantin, who is hell-bent on his god given destiny to find the Divine Source. He is a Bond-esque villain who is sinister, and just sane enough to be confidently intimidating. Though there are people pulling the strings for Trinity elsewhere, he leads the attacks on Kitezh and is a constant adversary of Lara. Croft must decide whether her personal quest or the fate of the natives are more important to her, and really decide how she wants to define herself as a person.
With Rise of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics has put fourth one of the best range of environments in an action-adventure experience, with visuals pulling out top-notch lighting and textures. From the rocky, dry terrain of Syria, to being at the heights of Siberia’s glacial mountains, Lara takes you to sites that awe with ease. While scaling the ice ridden mountain-sides, howling winds and unstable surfaces threaten you at every move. The graphics are gorgeous and only further complimented by the great score. The music keeps the cinematic moments engaged and strung together. These two notions are consistent on every level throughout the game, with each new section to explore being both gorgeous visually while also keeping the player on their toes. It is a real edge of your seat type of gaming experience, with many sections rivaling a cinematic experience you would expect at the movie theater all the while remaining engaging.. The game runs smooth as can be, and really boils down to the fine details. From the snow in Lara’s hair, her shivering teeth, and the crackle of the fire, Crystal Dynamics left no stone unturned.
The header I chose for this review (Not Your Father’s Tomb Raider) is a notion that shows how far this franchise has come. Rise exhibits how a game should evolve for the better, yet stay faithful to the source material. Growing up I watched my dad play Tomb Raider games and I was drawn in by the oddities it brought fourth. From finding secret treasures at the bottom of a pool or off the beaten path, to having to fend off supernatural enemies like mummies, it was something that gripped your attention. The biggest complaint about the 2013 reboot was its lackluster Tombs themselves, failing to be captivating or challenging for the most part. The developers listened, and the tombs have been much improved. Not only are they diverse, they are also rich and challenging experiences. The exploration in general is phenomenal. The enjoyment I had searching nooks and crannies of my own choice is partly to blame for my hefty game time. It comes off so naturally that it was easy to lose track of time dipping in caves and scaling hidden paths.
With Rise of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics has put fourth one of the best range of environments in an action-adventure experience, with visuals pulling out top-notch lighting and textures. From the rocky, dry terrain of Syria, to being at the heights of Siberia’s glacial mountains, Lara takes you to sites that awe with ease. While scaling the ice ridden mountain-sides, howling winds and unstable surfaces threaten you at every move. The graphics are gorgeous and only further complimented by the great score. The music keeps the cinematic moments engaged and strung together. These two notions are consistent on every level throughout the game, with each new section to explore being both gorgeous visually while also keeping the player on their toes. It is a real edge of your seat type of gaming experience, with many sections rivaling a cinematic experience you would expect at the movie theater all the while remaining engaging.. The game runs smooth as can be, and really boils down to the fine details. From the snow in Lara’s hair, her shivering teeth, and the crackle of the fire, Crystal Dynamics left no stone unturned.
The header I chose for this review (Not Your Father’s Tomb Raider) is a notion that shows how far this franchise has come. Rise exhibits how a game should evolve for the better, yet stay faithful to the source material. Growing up I watched my dad play Tomb Raider games and I was drawn in by the oddities it brought fourth. From finding secret treasures at the bottom of a pool or off the beaten path, to having to fend off supernatural enemies like mummies, it was something that gripped your attention. The biggest complaint about the 2013 reboot was its lackluster Tombs themselves, failing to be captivating or challenging for the most part. The developers listened, and the tombs have been much improved. Not only are they diverse, they are also rich and challenging experiences. The exploration in general is phenomenal. The enjoyment I had searching nooks and crannies of my own choice is partly to blame for my hefty game time. It comes off so naturally that it was easy to lose track of time dipping in caves and scaling hidden paths.
The history behind many of the myths is also engaging. There are various documents, recordings, and relics to find that flesh out the Prophet’s story further. Again, this is very true to Tomb Raider’s own history and representative of how the series is being reflected as a whole. The gunplay, however, is one of those subjects that have massively evolved. It is still as tight as its predecessor, with multiple weapon options returning like the trusty bow, pistol, and some more powerful options as well. There is a great force behind these weapons, showing off a power you can feel. This is represented fantastically when behind the shotgun, which can send enemies flying backwards to their death. Without a snap to cover button, Lara goes into cover as well as stealth mode on her own when in the midst of combat or enemies. This can sometimes make for some situations in firefights where you do not feel in control, but rarely works against the player. The only pet-peeve I have is Lara’s angle from which she shoots, which in many cases you would expect an over-the-shoulder type view, is not present. Instead, players are shown a very angled view which comes off as unnatural. It’s also a shame that the classic dual wielded pistols are yet to be an option, considering they were shown off at the end of the last title.
The main storyline is engaging and well put together. Players slowly piece together the many stories of the Prophet in a mystery that is centuries old. Challenges sprawl the well sized map, offering fun objectives like chasing chickens and cliff diving amongst other things. The natives offer some side missions too, but these are more typical than they are original. They do not add much to the lore of the area, being more objective orientated than over-arching. It’s not a horribly bad concept, as many games are subject to do so, but they could have been more engaging. The natives you interact with outside the main narrative are generic and nameless, which is what makes the bland side-missions more inhuman. The natives are not the only characters that were subjected to generic industry norms. Many of the enemies exhibit the overused class structure of bad guys that you can see in almost every action game. You can shoot several different types of baddies like “regular guy” or “shielded guy,” to even “flamethrower guy.” It would be less of a big deal if these types did not have to be introduced with a “tense” moment each game. We have seen them before, no need to be reintroduced.
This time around the competitive multiplayer was dropped in favor of a new mode called “Expeditions”. These allow you to do a few challenge based modes like score attack which lets you replay segments of the story for high scores. Other maps let you create and play challenges for points, with objectives ranging from collecting resources to fighting off bears. The twist here is the challenge cards. These are essentially modifiers, both for the game and scores. Some are visual like adding big heads to enemies or Lara, while others limit your ammo or grant you certain weapons. These cards can be earned with in game coins as well as bought with real money. It is another industry norm, but I tend to not like the market strategies that have come about since the mobile game market boom.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It is nostalgic, engaging, and masterfully weaved game. Lara shines as a vetted explorer, with her actions and instincts feeling more natural than ever. Its story satisfies and excites for more sequels. With both games dipping their toes into the world of supernatural, I am hopeful to see more myths come to life in the series down the line. Crystal Dynamics rebooted Tomb Raider series is a brilliantly crafted idea that they have turned into one of the best action adventure experiences this year. I’ll hope for some dual wielding and diving the next time around, but for now I am all the more confident that Lara Crofts place in gaming history is in very capable hands.
*Note: A copy of the game was provided by Microsoft for reviewing purposes
The main storyline is engaging and well put together. Players slowly piece together the many stories of the Prophet in a mystery that is centuries old. Challenges sprawl the well sized map, offering fun objectives like chasing chickens and cliff diving amongst other things. The natives offer some side missions too, but these are more typical than they are original. They do not add much to the lore of the area, being more objective orientated than over-arching. It’s not a horribly bad concept, as many games are subject to do so, but they could have been more engaging. The natives you interact with outside the main narrative are generic and nameless, which is what makes the bland side-missions more inhuman. The natives are not the only characters that were subjected to generic industry norms. Many of the enemies exhibit the overused class structure of bad guys that you can see in almost every action game. You can shoot several different types of baddies like “regular guy” or “shielded guy,” to even “flamethrower guy.” It would be less of a big deal if these types did not have to be introduced with a “tense” moment each game. We have seen them before, no need to be reintroduced.
This time around the competitive multiplayer was dropped in favor of a new mode called “Expeditions”. These allow you to do a few challenge based modes like score attack which lets you replay segments of the story for high scores. Other maps let you create and play challenges for points, with objectives ranging from collecting resources to fighting off bears. The twist here is the challenge cards. These are essentially modifiers, both for the game and scores. Some are visual like adding big heads to enemies or Lara, while others limit your ammo or grant you certain weapons. These cards can be earned with in game coins as well as bought with real money. It is another industry norm, but I tend to not like the market strategies that have come about since the mobile game market boom.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It is nostalgic, engaging, and masterfully weaved game. Lara shines as a vetted explorer, with her actions and instincts feeling more natural than ever. Its story satisfies and excites for more sequels. With both games dipping their toes into the world of supernatural, I am hopeful to see more myths come to life in the series down the line. Crystal Dynamics rebooted Tomb Raider series is a brilliantly crafted idea that they have turned into one of the best action adventure experiences this year. I’ll hope for some dual wielding and diving the next time around, but for now I am all the more confident that Lara Crofts place in gaming history is in very capable hands.
*Note: A copy of the game was provided by Microsoft for reviewing purposes
Final Score: 9/10
|
+Gorgeous visuals and sound
+Lara is a seasoned explorer +Tombs are much improved +Great Story Telling +Exploration |
-Some repetitive scenarios
-Uninspired Enemies |
Release Date: 11/10/2015
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Square Enix Limited
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Square Enix Limited