Rise of the tomb raider review series#

So my first criticism of the game is actually linked to one of its greatest strengths. So I've obviously heaped a lot of praise on this game so far and rightly so, however it's not quite perfect. These new tricks can have a real impact on the gameplay, being able to see traps for example or making her a better hunter. I am so glad therefore to see that the team at Crystal Dynamics have looked at this and made the tombs much intertwined with the main game environment - more than that though, each one furnishes Lara with a brand new skill or ability. This disconnection was made more obvious when if you did break away from the main game to do one the rewards had no effect on the game. It's not that there was anything really wrong with them but they were hidden away and this led to many players not even seeing them. It might sound hilariously obvious now but one thing that was very underwhelming about the last game was the tombs themselves. My one tip in this regard would be this: don't try and finish every area from the start as like Metroid some skills only get released near the end of the games campaign. On top of these abilities the tools she picks up along her journey really do many the environment seem like a playground and this in turn makes revisiting old areas worth the time. I remember in the early games there were set places you could climb, set things to push and this was all very typical of that era, now the way Lara runs, swims, swings, leaps her way across the world is an absolute joy because it feels organic and natural. When Lara lands too hard her legs give a little until she corrects herself, climbing feels fast and yet just manages to look believable. One of the most important elements for a game like Tomb Raider is how Lara is connected to her environment and here I have to say the game absolutely shines. All these elements go into making a crafting system that while not the most expansive we've ever seen fits this game perfectly. In addition to the natural environment Lara can also gather lots of other bits and bobs: from screws, cogs, oil, cloth etc.

Dear will limp away after taking one arrow and leave a trail of blood in the snow, even subtle touches like if you kill a few wolves in a pack the last wolf will retreat if it can to fight another day. Once again attention to detail has been poured over this already decent feature: arrows will land and remain on large creatures like bears for example. There are even exotic creatures which will give you a decent fight before giving up their favourite fur coat. Not only is it far better implemented into the general environment but each zone you travel through has a decent variation in resources and animals to admire/hunt/run from. In Rise of the Tomb Raider crafting/hunting is back and by Jove they nailed it.

In the last game this honestly felt like they pushed a big section on it at the start and then largely forgot about it as they became very quickly focused on the combat: which was a shame because this was one of the aspects I was looking forward to the most. One aspect of this new direction was something many other action games are now putting into the mix: crafting and survival.

Rise of the tomb raider review series#

This new Lara was more real, more human and this added so much more to the series than could have been in previous games. When the reboot arrived in 2013 I played and enjoyed it a great deal, sure there were some problems but overall I thought it was a great new direction for the IP and most of all showed huge potential for future games. This certainly warrants its own article so for now let's leave that one there. Lara is a young, beautiful woman and her looks are part of the image of Lara Croft. If we're not careful we will alienate woman who do have large breasts: it's a difficult balance to get right. It's great then to see Lara's appearance is now looking far more realistic but I am always wary of subscribing to the wishes of some feminist groups on this topic.

Lara in her original form gained much attention and not for all the right reasons: namely her oversized breasts and completely unpractical hot pants and skimpy vest. As we know, classic games from twenty years ago rarely age well and even those that do still need a lick of paint from time to time. I could give you the skinny on her hits and misses but all we really need to say is this: Lara was in need of a makeover and in 2013 that's exactly what she got. When I set out to research all the places Lara has been in the games globe trotting history it's hard not to be impressed. It's been quite a journey for Lara and there are not many game characters that have been reinvented this many times.