Unlike movies, only a handful of video game characters manage to pierce through a franchise’s shortcomings to become a character that people love to play as. Well, Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft, for me personally, is high up on the list of such games. Thanks to her charming personality and determination to explore mindless quests for retribution, Lara has managed to stick around for over two decades now, and even today, she’s seen preying on enemies and exploring ruins.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider picks up where the previous title left. Both Lara and her close friend Jonah are seen traveling through Mexico and South America to stop Trinity from acquiring an artifact and, you know, save the world. Yes, it sounds just like any other Tomb Raider game we’ve played before, but game directors Daniel Chayer-Bisson have narrated the story in an interesting way. Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s story comes full circle

So, you spend the rest of the game trying to stop Dominguez while meeting new characters in the process. However, the uncertain apocalyptic event set off by Lara, in my opinion, is an interesting narrative element as it develops a sense of maturity, making her realize that every action has a consequence. This brings out the best of Lara’s character. I am not going to spoil the fun by revealing too much (also because there are too many things to mention), but you’ll be pleased with the character building. The game brings out the best of Lara’s character

The story of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, just like the first two Tomb Raider games in the modern trilogy, takes some time to kick in. But once it does, you’ll see Lara mature as a character. She’ll start learning new skills to evolve as a “Silent Killer.” Instead of blowing up an enemy base or raging on enemies with an assault rifle, Lara turns into a mud-covered jungle warrior. You’ll find yourself lurking in the shadows sending poisonous arrows, which I found to be more pleasing and rewarding at the same time.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider, just like its predecessors, rests on some important pillars – exploration, puzzles, and combat. Having spent more than 20 hours in the game, I am happy to report that the game scores good marks on all three aspects, at least in my books.

First off, I’d like to point out that the game lets you choose how difficult you want each aspect to be. Yes, Eidos Montreal has included the ability to modify the difficulty level of combat, exploration, and puzzle solving independently of each other. This, in my opinion, is one of the best things to happen to the game and I wish I could get this level of customization on all AAA titles.

Speaking of exploring, it is hard not to address the introduction of ‘Hubs’ in the game. Hubs are essentially unique locations where you can interact with the local inhabitants (in their local language with the immersive mode). Exploring a hub makes Shadow of the Tomb Raider feel like an open-world game, which, I believe, is where the franchise is headed in the future.

Lara has also learned a couple of new moves in addition to the ones that are carried over from the previous titles. These include both combat moves as well as the moves that let you traverse the vast landscape in style. Lara can now hang freely from a wall/ rock or use a rope to swing around an obstacle. Don’t worry, though, the game does a great job of teaching you everything, so you won’t find yourself stuck in the learning phase for a long time.

Lara’s skill set, on the other hand, is now split into three sections as well. You have seeker skills, warrior skills, and scavenger skills. Acquiring new seeker skills will enhance Lara’s exploration skills. Warrior skills, as the name suggests, will make Lara good at combat, whereas learning new scavenging skills will make Lara good at resource management. You are free to upgrade your character as you see fit, as there’s no right or wrong way to play the game, really.

I also like how you can acquire different costumes for Lara. You can literally play as Lara Croft from Tomb Raider 2 or even Angel of Darkness. It’s obviously not for everyone, but hey, it’s nice to have a touch of nostalgia, right? You can even play as Lara from the Angel of Darkness

Visually, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is arguably one of the best looking games in the franchise. In fact, it is high up on my list of best-looking AAA titles released this year so far. Props to Eidos Montreal for delivering fantastically detailed graphics. The animation and environment design, in particular, are truly impressive. I won’t say the character animations match the level of something like, say, Uncharted 4, but there are plenty of details to be seen in almost everything around you.

On the PlayStation 4 Pro and the Xbox One X, the game offers two different modes – High Resolution (HDR, 4K, 30 FPS) and High Framerate (HDR, 1080p, 60 FPS). I chose to play the game in the High-Resolution mode on my PlayStation 4 Pro, and needless to say, I was blown away by how incredibly detailed the game really is. I did experience occasional frame drops while exploring places like “The Hidden City” but I decided to continue experiencing this gorgeous game in high resolution because of the crispness. Graphics setting in PS4 Pro

Before I drop my final words on the game, I’d like to appreciate the developers for allowing the NPCs in the game to speak in their native language. It is, however, ruined by the fact that Lara can only talk to them in English. I hate to call it a half-baked feature, but I’d like to see some development in this space if/ when the next game arrives. Lara Croft having a chat with Jonah & his love interest Abby

Pros

  • Gorgeous and detailed visuals
  • Tight gameplay
  • A fitting end to the origin story

Cons

  • New abilities are questionable
  • Weak side-missions

Shadow of the Tomb Raider: End of the Origin Story

Shadow of the Tomb Raider follows the franchise’s arc to find a fitting finish. It builds on the foundations laid by the previous two titles in the reboot trilogy and delivers a heartfelt and action-packed gameplay.