Shadow of the Tomb Raider Review

The Tomb Raider series has been alive for decades, being rebooting more recently in 2013, following the reboot of the series in Tomb Raider. The most recent game in the more modern series was released in 2018 as the Shadow of the Tomb Raider and continues the story of its predecessor, Rise of the Tomb Raider. This action-adventure romp through jungles and ruins maintains the integral elements of the franchise that players have come to know and love, and to create a satisfying ending that loops back to the beginning of the series.

Like most games in this genre, Shadow of the Tomb Raider propels the player toward a non-stop race to stop humanity’s inevitable doom that moves through various subterranean tombs and jungle environments. With a luscious setting and impressive setpieces, the story focuses on Lara’s race to stop the impending doom caused by her taking an artifact called the Dagger of Chak Chel while tracking a paramilitary group known as Trinity.

As Lara and her companion, Jonah Maiava, try to beat the baddies and save the world, their relationship becomes the interweaving character development that helps put Lara Croft into a more human position, rather than just the intense, brilliant killer she’s known as. All of this culminates in the ending for the more modern Lara, stepping up into the role that we’ve known her in — protector of historical artifacts and cultures.

As far as gameplay is concerned, if you played Rise, you know most of the mechanics already, although there have been a few adjustments made. The swimming controls have tightened a bit, making it easier to control Lara as she moves through the water. There are a few frustrating swimming sequences though, but overall, it’s an improvement. Players can now repel down cliffs now as well, allowing for more vertical movement. Exploration is greatly heightened by these aspects.

The more stealth-based combat is slightly adjusted from its predecessor as well. The almost constant combat sequences have been loosely scattered throughout the plot, making them legitimately surprising when you finally encounter enemies. For me, this is where I feel a more drastic deviation between the first iteration of Lara Croft, where I would freely run full sprint into firefights.

With this new Lara, that moves through the underbrush to take out enemies, combat feels a bit slower, but more controlled. This new, thoughtful Lara reflects more of the genre that we’ve become used to — quiet stealth that frowns upon too much hasty running through enemies. Players also have an expanded arsenal through the returning skill tree and weapon attachments. These customizations focus on stealth, weapons, and survival.

The challenge tombs add an extra level of gameplay, although they remain an optional adventure to deviate off the set path of the story. With both underwater challenges and intricate puzzles, tombs become the hidden gems tucked throughout the game. These tombs are interesting and captivating, reaching beyond the potential of the original games within the genre.

These tombs are a little more tense and a lot more fun, forcing players to work at the answer rather than stumbling upon it on accident. While some of them can be frustrating, it’s definitely an accomplishment to find it on your own, so don’t go nosing around in any guides.

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While the game is visually amazing and the challenges are difficult, the replayability is relatively low. There is a few extended side quests off the beaten path for Lara, as well as the challenge tombs, but they could be even better. If you’re looking for games that push you to explore the world that they’ve created, there are far more versatile games out there that provide more exploration for subsequent playthroughs. If you do want to experience the world again, you can increase the difficulty and take another go, making combat, exploration, and the puzzles more of a challenge.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, there’s a large amount of content that has potential. If a few of these aspects were expanded upon and were worked a little more, this game would really shine. That being said, this game is great and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to delve into the action-adventure genre.

The world is fantastic, the adventure is fast-paced. I want to explore the whole of the world that Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics produced, but I’m kept mostly within the box of the intended gameplay. It would have been amazing to see what they would do with more time in this franchise, but overall, it was a fantastic ride, and the ending was satisfying, as someone who has been a fan of the series since the beginning.