The recent reboot of the “Tomb Raider” franchise by Crystal Dynamics has found success with their last two games. They have broken away from the traditional action/puzzle solving type games of old, and opting for more survival based metroidvania style. Sadly, the most recent iteration “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” has dropped the ball as the conclusion of the trilogy.
In her quest to dismantle Trinity, an Illuminati-esque organization, Lara Croft travels to Mexico on the heels of the leader of Trinity’s high council Pedro Dominguez. Lara rushes to get ahead of Dominguez and inadvertently triggers the apocalypse. Lara chases Dominguez to the lost city of Paititi and becomes embroiled in a revolution where the fate of the city, and the world, hang in the balance. After steadily developing Lara’s character for two games, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” is a jumbled mass of clichés. It shows Lara being hot headed and brash in the beginning, and becoming understanding of how her actions affect others in the end. Everywhere in between, Lara is on either side and nowhere in the middle. There is no steady development, instead there are moments where Lara is filled with self-doubt and those short moments serve as a transition between her optimism and cynicism. Lara comes across as two dimensional and boring, despite a phenomenal performance by Camilla Luddington. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” has similar issues with its narrative in that it is a jumbled mass of events. The plot develops so quickly that it becomes hard to find your footing. The player fights to settle into scenes while the game rushes them through. It felt lazy, like an attempt to justify larger action sequences that never came. The action sequences were fun, but were so far and few between. Gunplay is enjoyable, but shallow. There are many similar games that nail third-person shooting, and in this game it felt like an afterthought. Stealth is where things shine, but with so few chances to use it, one of the best features of “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” gets buried in mediocrity. With the lack of action sequences the game relies on its platforming for gameplay. Platforming is fun, but it’s nothing new. The one true standout in this game is the challenge tombs and puzzles. Puzzles have been a big part of “Tomb Raider” since the series inception. This game continues the tradition in wonderful fashion. The puzzles are that perfect mix of challenge and reward. Puzzles are accomplishable, but not easy. It’s a razor thin line to walk, and despite this game’s issues, it does this well. This game does offer an interesting approach to difficulty. It’s a dynamic system in which combat, platforming and puzzle difficulty are handled separately. When at higher difficulties the game removes hints to players for puzzles and removes visual ques that games typically give players regarding to what can be climbed. It is a unique idea that will probably seen again in the future. In the lead up to the game, focus was put on exploration and the game world. The sad thing is that the world is boring. The city of Paititi is dull and lifeless, and I never felt the need or want to explore the “wilderness”. The jungle, similar to Paititi, is bland. The game looks beautiful, but it’s wasted on this game. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” falls into the typical trap of sequels. Too much was changed and the game got away from what made it so special. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” is a mediocre game that gets lost in the shuffle when compared to the amazing releases of 2018. Score: 6/10
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AuthorI am A.J. Goelz. I'm a gamer first and a writer second. I hope you enjoy the content on this page and check out the rest of my content on YouTube. Archives
April 2019
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