Stepping out of the shadows.
Around the beginning of the third act in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft emerges from the water in dramatic form and proclaims that it is time to end this. Thus begins one of the most compelling action sequences I have seen in a video game in a while. It feels awkward at the time because most of Shadow of the Tomb Raider is not focused on action, but it sets the tone for the final act of what could possibly be the best entry in this new trilogy.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes everything that made the first two games special and refines them. The world is larger and denser. The challenge tombs are more complex and well, challenging. The new mechanics give Lara the tools to tackle situations in unique ways. Yes this is a great game, but it also tells a great story, one that transcends our heroine from a novice explorer into a full-fledged Tomb Raider.
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, PC
Price I’d Pay: $59.99
The story this time around focuses on an Apocalypse set in motion. Lara is racing against the clock in order to ‘save the world’. Sure it is the typical fantasy fare, but it also tells a story of Lara’s humility. Her journey comes full circle as she learns that sometimes she cannot take on everything alone. Her narcissism gets put in check. Of course none of that works if the performances are not on point. Camilla Luddington does an outstanding job of shifting between whimsical and serious. The supporting cast is also the most memorable of the trilogy, and yes Jonah is still secretly the best character in the game.
Everything is well told, but also formulaic. I knew how the final boss fight was going to play out before I got to it. The events unfolded just as I had expected. It almost feels like the team played things safe since it was their first time tackling the series. Shadow was not led by Crystal Dynamics this time around, so the team at Eidos Montreal did the smart thing and didn’t mess with the formula too much. There are definite signs of their design here though and it really fleshes out the game play of the series.
Traversal and puzzle-solving plays a more prominent role in Shadow. Lara has a rappel mechanic that opens up how she moves around the environment. Combat takes a back seat until the third act, only coming into play from time to time. What has changed up though is the focus on stealth. The new mud mechanic lets players cover themselves in order to mesh into the environment. Going in guns blazing is still an option in some cases, but the new stealth section adds to the overall theme of tension in the game. Taking enemies out one at a time is rewarding, and planning my next move always led to tense moments.
The combat still feels good, but Lara has new ways to handle every situation. The new skill tree adds plenty of tools. I liked that some skills were locked behind the challenge tombs, and everything was unlocked via adjacent skills. This let me decide how I wanted to upgrade. The skill tree could have been a bit easier to read though, as I would spend too much time remembering what each skill did whenever I had points to spend.
Swimming is also now a thing, and not just surface skimming. Lara can dive deep into the waters in Shadow. This adds a whole new dimension, and again plays into the theme of tension and claustrophobia. These sections are dramatic, but rarely frustrating. The one-hit kill piranha sections can die in a fire though. Those were never fun and kill the idea of exploration in certain areas of the game.
Speaking of exploration let’s talk collectibles. Shadow of the Tomb Raider has so much stuff to pick up and explore that it loses a lot of its appeal. There is a frame that players can overlay that gives a running time and collectibles tally. There are nearly 400 things to collect in this game and they feel like pure drivel at times. I would grab things sometimes and just get XP. Like what was the purpose of forcing me into that animation just for a measly 15XP. It feels excessive to pad out the adventure. It is weird because of how great everything else is, the game simply did not need padding to make it feel worthwhile.
Even with the arbitrary collectibles Shadow of the Tomb Raider has plenty of content. The challenge tombs are incredible, the crypts offer up diversions, although not as enjoyable as I would have hoped, and the main story is compelling from beginning to end. The second act suffers a little fatigue, but once the third act kicked in I simply could not stop playing. I need some time to let it all sink in, but this might be my favorite in the series.
Visually the game is breathtaking. Eidos Montreal really put in the work on Xbox One X. The game supports both high resolution and high framerate. The resolution mode runs at native 4K and 30fps. It looks simply stunning. The high framerate mode manages to squeeze 60fps out of a 1080p image and feels divine. It is nice to have the option. The HDR implementation is also gorgeous displaying a wide array of colors and lighting that simply beg for screenshots. The larger environments are really stunning.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a spectacular close to an amazing trilogy. It has been a fantastic ride and I cannot wait to see where the series goes from here. Shadow is a must play game for those that have enjoyed the series up to this point. It continues the trend of excellence set forth by Crystal Dynamics.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
