The legendary, death-defying adrenaline junkie, Lara Croft has returned for perhaps her last go around this console generation to finish the trilogy in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Square Enix has never given fans a reason to doubt their studio, but I was put in the best position to receive this game. I had no expectations whatsoever other than a nostalgic love for the series dating back to the very first title. Admittedly, this is the only game in the trilogy I’ve given a series chance. I played the previous two for a total of maybe 2 hours. I didn’t dislike them. they just weren’t what I was feeling at the time. Shadow had me intrigued though.
It’s exactly what you expect, but better. You’re going to be raiding tombs, digging up artifacts, and stopping Trinity, Croft’s arch rivals, from ruining precious sites. Lara is a parkour master with a ton of upgrade-able gear to help you along the way. This time, Lara finds herself hot on the trail of Trinity in Latin America. Cozumel and Peru are the first settings you’ll explore. That means deep jungle dangers await you and the young archaeologist. Soon after making a crash landing in the lush, green Peruvian jungle, you’ll come face to face with a family of Jaguars that have marked you as dinner. Progression through the story fives players a ton of new features to play with. There are tons of animals to hunt, plants to gather for various uses, and other types of resources used for crafting new equipment.
Everything about the game draws you in. The gameplay is crisp and clean. It’s challenging and even borders difficult at the right times. Even when you die, it’s entertaining and the penalties are minimal. Croft traverses the environment with Ninja Warrior-like ease. The rock climbing isn’t accomplished by simply holding a button down like previous adventure games. Rather, you feel a level of immersion that’s heightened by intense music, close quarters cameras, and intricate button combinations. The soundtrack is on the level of John Williams. It feels as close as you can be to controlling Indiana Jones in a Spielberg setting. Story-wise, it’s pretty fun. It’s clear cut good guy/bad guy as you’re looking to take down the terrorist organization and a few smalltime crooks along the way. You even get to play as young Lara occasionally as you learn more of her backstory than ever before.
Any gamer should be able to enjoy this game, which gives it a lot of value. Experience level shouldn’t matter as the difficulty settings are considerably different and offer unique challenges. Playing the medium mode is rewarding enough but I could play on hard just to experience a different way to execute strategies. A New Game+ mode is available after you finish the game which not only allows players to carry over their unlocked equipment, but they choose one of three paths that dictate combat strategies. Playing the New Game+ combat strategies correctly unlocks even more skills and weapons. What a way to keep players engaged!
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is well worth the full price tag at launch. With rumors of a possible multiplayer DLC in the future, Lara Croft is sure to be fresh on the market for the nest few seasons. We at That Nerd Show loved Shadow; and for that reason, I’m giving Shadow of the Tomb Raider a 9. It’s a dark horse for Game of the Year. The best kind of surprises are the ones that make your life better when you least expect it. That’s what this game accomplishes.
