Shadow of the Tomb Raider holds up its end of the bargain and does that exceptionally well. Shadow of the Tomb Raider Steps Up The Gameplayįor years, action-adventure franchises like Uncharted and Tomb Raider have borrowed heavily from each other, not only improving upon tried-and-tested gameplay mechanics but also taking bold steps in immersing players in new environments. Furthermore, the attention to detail in the story, with respect to Latin American cultures, history, and mythology is admirable, to say the least. She abandons all conceits of what makes her special to give players the real reason she's an icon - but that's something that's best left to the players to find out for themselves rather than just be told. Seeing Lara finally become the tomb raider that she was always meant to be while also seeing her ultimately let go of her past and her burden, and push forward onto a new journey, is quite cathartic. After all, raiding tombs can only bring so much joy to one's life.Īlthough Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a radical installment in the long-running franchise, it's arguably one that was necessitated in order to shoot some adrenaline into a story arc - one that started to falter a bit along the way - spanning an entire trilogy. Rather, it's about her perverse predilection to being surrounded by death, though not always by her own volition. While the last two games each had their own pros and cons, especially with regards to the overarching narrative, Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes more than just the next step in identifying the crux of what makes Lara Croft who she is - and it isn't just finding out who killed her father, although that is a driving factor in moving the story forward. Over the years, Lara evolved from a singular archetype into a multi-dimensional character, one who hasn't particularly grown in recent iterations.
Ultimately, it's a deconstructionist tale of Lara's journey, presenting consequences for her perilous actions and unwavering ambition. Related: Shadow of the Tomb Raider Devs Not Worried About Competing With Spider-Man
But instead of taking a simplistic, run-of-the-mill path in telling its narrative, Shadow of the Tomb Raider dives deeper into Lara's story than ever before - and it truly works.
#SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER REVIEW SERIES#
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third and final installment in Square Enix's rebooted trilogy, but does it live up to expectations? Crystal Dynamics developed the first two installments in the series - beginning with 2013's Tomb Raider and continuing with 2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider - but Deus Ex studio Eidos Montreal took point on the latest title, though they've received some help from this trilogy's original developers.Ĭontinuing the story that left off with Rise of the Tomb Raider, this year's Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes place approximately two months after the previous installment and sees Lara Croft and Jonah Maiava travel to South America to uncover the mysteries behind the death of Lara's father and the origin of the Trinity organization, as well as, of course, prevent the end of the world.