Rise of the Tomb Raider Review (Aurumlamina)
The Immortal Miss Croft
Tomb Raider is one of the longer running franchises and gaming and with good reason as it’s one of the more popular. From its earliest roots on the original Sony Playstation to its most recent 2018 release on just about everything, it’s evolved along with the times to continue to provide an experience that’s thrilling and beloved by its fans. I played the 2013 reboot a couple of years ago but never quite got around to writing up a review for it and decided to not fall into the same trap with this one.
Archeologist or Action Hero?
Lara Croft’s had a long history that has defined her as both a puzzle solver and a dangerous combatant. Although the 2013 reboot took us back to a time before she was an absolutely unstoppable force of nature, Rise of the Tomb Raider is its sequel and she’s made some serious headway toward claiming that reputation again. This time around we’re spending the lion’s share of our time in one of the most miserable places on Earth, Siberia, where Lara gets to both explore abandoned ruins and face off against the malevolent Trinity organization.
Raiding Tombs
Exploring ruins is often a pleasant experience where action takes a back seat. The setting of the title overall is quite beautifully designed and it’s clear that love went into designing the open world as you explore it. Optional puzzle ruins are scattered throughout the territory and provide enough challenge so that you feel accomplished when you complete one. They’re not as grueling as the old school puzzles that some may be hoping for as I never found myself to really be stuck on any for long, but they’re not pushover affairs either. They were right where I prefer puzzles to be as far as difficulty and the tombs themselves aren’t overly time consuming which makes them appealing when you discover a new one.
Damn That Trinity!
That said, combat is not a rarity either. Though many of Rise’s puzzle ruins are optional, combat is consistent throughout the length of the story. This may not please those looking for a smooth and casual puzzle experience, but I found the overall stealth, weapon selection, and controls to be surprisingly good. A variety of resources can be found as you travel the world and these can be used to modify weapons and equipment in a significant number of ways. Bows, shotguns, rifles, and handguns are all available in several models with differing attributes and special ammunition is particularly useful. There’s nothing quite like firing a poison gas arrow into a group of unsuspecting enemies and I’m here for it.
Stealth is also smooth and rewarding, though it takes some time to master it. Though it usually feels fair, there were a few occasions where I was spotted that didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I will say that I usually felt that the game erred in my favor as opposed to against it though; there were noticeably more situations where I felt that I should have been seen by the enemy than the former. Overall, the stealth elements of this title were better than most though, and I found myself enjoying them on equal footing as far as entertainment value was concerned with the kick-in-the-door and go hot method.
The Bottom Line
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a strong entry in the Tomb Raider series just like its predecessor. Whether it was thought-provoking exploration and puzzles, intense and explosive combat, or sneaking around and shanking enemies quietly, I had a good time throughout. The story was acceptable enough and although I’m sure it won’t be sticking with me through the years, I did find myself engaged with it throughout. If you’ve played the 2013 reboot and enjoyed it, picking this up is a no-brainer. If you haven’t, I’d recommend picking that one up first as the stories directly tie together.
FINAL SCORE: 8/10