Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Review
advertisement
Script - Review - Shadow of the Tomb Raider
It's been over 20 years since Lara Croft made her debut in the original 1996 "Tomb Raider"; and in the many games since then, Lara, like her adventures, have seen shifts in personality and tone. However, some things will never change. Ms. Croft is and always will be strong willed, brilliant, and ready for anything. Eidos Montreal's latest game "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" promises Lara's darkest outing yet with new features based around stealth and a story that places her in a more difficult situation than ever before. Does "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" deliver on a fresh, thrilling adventure or does it put Lara down for the count?
If you played Square Enix's 2013 reboot, simply titled "Tomb Raider" or its sequel "Rise of the Tomb Raider", the third game, "Shadow" will feel immediately familiar. The game begins with Lara in a dangerous situation, and right out of the gate the player is fighting to keep her alive. Like the previous games in the rebooted series, a prolonged opening sequence introduces the player to all the basics of jumping, climbing, puzzle solving, survival and combat. Lara has a few new moves to help her out, and overall the controls work as well as ever, as long as you can keep track of what buttons do what and when you need them.
Also the grapple axe is a little goofy.
The story takes place shortly after the events of "Rise of the Tomb Raider", with Lara and the shadowy organization Trinity still butting heads. In an attempt to get one step ahead of them, Lara accidentally kickstarts the Mayan Apocalypse, and the world is now seemingly coming to an end. Lara naturally feels responsible, but her hatred for Trinity is her real motivation. Lara's character arc has evolved well across Square Enix's newly rebooted franchise. 2013's "Tomb Raider" came with the tagline "A Survivor is Born", and in that game Lara's only goal WAS survival. Now her will to live is over-SHADOWED by her goal to stop, and ultimately destroy Trinity. Lara's determination is somewhat selfish when revenge and animosity are her raison d'être. The writing and voice actors do their best to keep the story engaging, even when things get a little over the top. It's hard to fully appreciate the dark tone Eidos Montreal was going for, especially considering how cliched and derivative the overall story really is. Croft is still a great character however and even if you could care less about her motivation, the simple plot is still entertaining enough to make the trip from point A to point B all the more enjoyable.
For fans of the last two games, the first few hours will not only feel like a slog but may also be uncomfortably familiar; having gone though nearly identical paces twice before. There are a few subtle changes to the formula however, that become much bigger game changers as the game progresses. Lara's ability to interact directly with NPCs during a Día de los Muertos celebration, or getting covered from head to toe in mud and dirt while first exploring the jungle may seem like subtle superficial changes, but these features actually play a much bigger role in "Shadow of the Tomb Raider's" identity. More on that later.
"Shadow of the Tomb Raider" looks fantastic and there is no denying that this is one of the prettiest games in 2018. The dense jungle foliage is the high note here, and what makes this iteration stand out among its peers. Personally, as someone who grew up with the original Tomb Raider games and recalling the, at the time 'dense' jungles of India and the South Pacific in Tomb Raider 3, this aspect of "Shadow" feels like a return to those early days of the franchise, and evokes the same sense of wonder for me now, as I felt back in the late 90s.
However the combat is starting to feel a little dated. The third person cover and shooting mechanics that worked really well in Square Enix's past games haven't changed much, and the entire system just feels like something from a previous generation. The enemies aren't particularly smart and can be picked off fairly easily, and getting overwhelmed or impatient is the only real way to die here.
That being said for the most part "Shadow" has the gunplay take a back seat in favour of stealth. There are still one too many forced gun battles in the game, but developers have made sneaking around a much more viable option. The player has a whole arsenal of new stealth tactics and tools at their disposal, making Lara feel like The Predator. Covering herself in mud makes Lara much more difficult for Trinity soldiers to spot, and a silent arrow or climbing pick to the back of the head always gets the job done. There are of course other dangers in the jungle and rest assured you wont be fighting the same henchmen from start to finish, as aggressive wildlife, hostile natives and worse lurk in the darkest places of jungle.
One major change in "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" is the more open-ended world. The story itself is as linear as it gets, but the explorable areas are larger than they have ever been in any previous Tomb Raider game. Throughout the game are various quest hubs; towns where Lara can relax, barter for supplies and chat with the locals and learn about hidden treasure or pick up a side quest or two. For the most part these areas branch off and allow access to the game's main attraction. Whether it's part of the main story or a challenge tomb, the ancient ruins are by far the best part of the whole experience. Exploring, climbing and puzzle solving are at their best in "Shadow" and the more difficult tombs will make good use of every one of Lara's tools and skills. For the most part the puzzles are fantastic and find a good balance in terms of difficulty. Most of the time they have a logical solution that succeeds in making the player feel clever for having solved them. They don't mess around either, as many of the puzzles have multiple stages but the progression is always consistent enough that I never got bored and gave up trying to solve one.
"Shadow of the Tomb Raider" doesn't do much to reinvent the franchise or it's genre, but Lara's third outing stands both on its own, and as a conclusion to Square Enix's franchise. While we don't doubt that Lara's adventures will continue, "Shadow" is certainly one of the rebooted series' high points, with the best exploration and gameplay to date. The combat may be getting a bit tedious and the story is still nothing to write home about, but if you're looking for a strong, by the numbers adventure this is a great example of how single-player games will always have a place in our living rooms, and why Lara Croft still casts a long shadow.
It's been over 20 years since Lara Croft made her debut in the original 1996 "Tomb Raider"; and in the many games since then, Lara, like her adventures, have seen shifts in personality and tone. However, some things will never change. Ms. Croft is and always will be strong willed, brilliant, and ready for anything. Eidos Montreal's latest game "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" promises Lara's darkest outing yet with new features based around stealth and a story that places her in a more difficult situation than ever before. Does "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" deliver on a fresh, thrilling adventure or does it put Lara down for the count?
If you played Square Enix's 2013 reboot, simply titled "Tomb Raider" or its sequel "Rise of the Tomb Raider", the third game, "Shadow" will feel immediately familiar. The game begins with Lara in a dangerous situation, and right out of the gate the player is fighting to keep her alive. Like the previous games in the rebooted series, a prolonged opening sequence introduces the player to all the basics of jumping, climbing, puzzle solving, survival and combat. Lara has a few new moves to help her out, and overall the controls work as well as ever, as long as you can keep track of what buttons do what and when you need them.
Also the grapple axe is a little goofy.
The story takes place shortly after the events of "Rise of the Tomb Raider", with Lara and the shadowy organization Trinity still butting heads. In an attempt to get one step ahead of them, Lara accidentally kickstarts the Mayan Apocalypse, and the world is now seemingly coming to an end. Lara naturally feels responsible, but her hatred for Trinity is her real motivation. Lara's character arc has evolved well across Square Enix's newly rebooted franchise. 2013's "Tomb Raider" came with the tagline "A Survivor is Born", and in that game Lara's only goal WAS survival. Now her will to live is over-SHADOWED by her goal to stop, and ultimately destroy Trinity. Lara's determination is somewhat selfish when revenge and animosity are her raison d'être. The writing and voice actors do their best to keep the story engaging, even when things get a little over the top. It's hard to fully appreciate the dark tone Eidos Montreal was going for, especially considering how cliched and derivative the overall story really is. Croft is still a great character however and even if you could care less about her motivation, the simple plot is still entertaining enough to make the trip from point A to point B all the more enjoyable.
For fans of the last two games, the first few hours will not only feel like a slog but may also be uncomfortably familiar; having gone though nearly identical paces twice before. There are a few subtle changes to the formula however, that become much bigger game changers as the game progresses. Lara's ability to interact directly with NPCs during a Día de los Muertos celebration, or getting covered from head to toe in mud and dirt while first exploring the jungle may seem like subtle superficial changes, but these features actually play a much bigger role in "Shadow of the Tomb Raider's" identity. More on that later.
"Shadow of the Tomb Raider" looks fantastic and there is no denying that this is one of the prettiest games in 2018. The dense jungle foliage is the high note here, and what makes this iteration stand out among its peers. Personally, as someone who grew up with the original Tomb Raider games and recalling the, at the time 'dense' jungles of India and the South Pacific in Tomb Raider 3, this aspect of "Shadow" feels like a return to those early days of the franchise, and evokes the same sense of wonder for me now, as I felt back in the late 90s.
However the combat is starting to feel a little dated. The third person cover and shooting mechanics that worked really well in Square Enix's past games haven't changed much, and the entire system just feels like something from a previous generation. The enemies aren't particularly smart and can be picked off fairly easily, and getting overwhelmed or impatient is the only real way to die here.
That being said for the most part "Shadow" has the gunplay take a back seat in favour of stealth. There are still one too many forced gun battles in the game, but developers have made sneaking around a much more viable option. The player has a whole arsenal of new stealth tactics and tools at their disposal, making Lara feel like The Predator. Covering herself in mud makes Lara much more difficult for Trinity soldiers to spot, and a silent arrow or climbing pick to the back of the head always gets the job done. There are of course other dangers in the jungle and rest assured you wont be fighting the same henchmen from start to finish, as aggressive wildlife, hostile natives and worse lurk in the darkest places of jungle.
One major change in "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" is the more open-ended world. The story itself is as linear as it gets, but the explorable areas are larger than they have ever been in any previous Tomb Raider game. Throughout the game are various quest hubs; towns where Lara can relax, barter for supplies and chat with the locals and learn about hidden treasure or pick up a side quest or two. For the most part these areas branch off and allow access to the game's main attraction. Whether it's part of the main story or a challenge tomb, the ancient ruins are by far the best part of the whole experience. Exploring, climbing and puzzle solving are at their best in "Shadow" and the more difficult tombs will make good use of every one of Lara's tools and skills. For the most part the puzzles are fantastic and find a good balance in terms of difficulty. Most of the time they have a logical solution that succeeds in making the player feel clever for having solved them. They don't mess around either, as many of the puzzles have multiple stages but the progression is always consistent enough that I never got bored and gave up trying to solve one.
"Shadow of the Tomb Raider" doesn't do much to reinvent the franchise or it's genre, but Lara's third outing stands both on its own, and as a conclusion to Square Enix's franchise. While we don't doubt that Lara's adventures will continue, "Shadow" is certainly one of the rebooted series' high points, with the best exploration and gameplay to date. The combat may be getting a bit tedious and the story is still nothing to write home about, but if you're looking for a strong, by the numbers adventure this is a great example of how single-player games will always have a place in our living rooms, and why Lara Croft still casts a long shadow.
