Shaun Munro reviews Shadow of the Tomb Raider….
Shadow of the Tomb Raider sees revered developer Crystal Dynamics largely handing over the reins to Eidos Montréal (Thief, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided) for this climactic bookend to the franchise’s reboot trilogy. Though the threequel doesn’t bring much new or particularly creative to the table, it’s nothing if not a consistent, breezily enjoyable addition to the cinematic action-adventure saga.
The Tomb Raider reboot series has been frequently compared to the Uncharted franchise and with generally good reason, though unlike Nathan Drake, Lara Croft has a decades-old lineage and rapport with players which may make them feel inherently more connected to her as a character.
To that end, the thrill of watching Lara bound over impossibly wide jumps and cling gingerly to the side of cliff faces retains a sweaty-palmed appeal that the more gung-ho, fist-pumping Uncharted games never really have (better-executed though the latter very arguably are).
For yours truly, the white-knuckle fun of the newer Tomb Raider games has been almost exclusively linked to the tight traversal. As such, getting into this game some three years removed from Rise of the Tomb Raider was an initially quite nerve-wracking experience. The first hour-or-so left me dubiously calculating jumps and wincing as Lara just barely made it, and though I quickly re-adjusted to the series’ devotion to near-miss shenanigans, this made for a brilliant opening reminder of why these games delight despite their inherent familiarity in 2018.
Combat in both the Tomb Raider and Uncharted franchises has always been less appealing to me than the climbing and exploration, so it’s a pleasure to report that this new game opens up player choice in regard to enemy engagements; you’re free to go full stealth or, well, full Rambo.
Aside from one mildly irritating – yet incredibly brief – forced stealth section, there’s no scenario you can’t shoot your way out of in a minute or two, at least on Normal difficulty. It’s worth mentioning that the AI is as comically bone-headed as ever, though, and while the ability to regain stealth cover mid-action is very much welcome, it’s perhaps a little too easy to skirt free from your assailants.
Considering that Rise of the Tomb Raider arguably tipped the balance too far in favour of extended, arena-style shootouts, it’s a relief here that the human battles are brief and spaced scarcely between lengthy platforming sequences.
In fact, the game’s pacing as a whole is quite terrific and among the best of any AAA title I’ve played recently; the critical path can be cleared in just 8-10 hours, and if you’re one of the many who felt that Uncharted 4 over-extended itself by more than a few levels, you’ll likely find this a far more restrained, less-indulgent campaign.
Contributing to the overall feeling of steadiness is a surprisingly low difficulty level on Normal settings; liberal checkpointing ensures some trial-and-error platforming elements don’t frustrate. I did, however, find myself occasionally triggering the next checkpoint zone mid-firefight, getting killed and being able to skip the battle entirely.
Pressing R3 on the PS4 controller will meanwhile highlight the usual “survival instinct” elements, causing useful pick-ups and action items to glow, ensuring you’ll almost never be stumped over what to do next. Those craving a greater difficulty will however enjoy the game’s dynamic difficulty settings, allowing individual sliders for combat, puzzles and exploration.
This more considered, streamlined approach isn’t at the expense of depth or customisation, though; players can unlock Lara’s abilities through three different skill trees (Seeker, Scavenger and Warrior), while the usual collectables, artefacts and so on can be used to level up and upgrade weapons.
Hoovering up XP through exploration is a fun, addictive loop even if it’s pretty much par the course for open-world action-adventure games by now. Some nifty new tools also help diversify both traversal and combat, especially some new boots which allow Lara to hang from even more perilous rock faces, and my personal favourite: special “fear arrows” which inflict a hallucinogenic agent upon the victim, causing them to start shooting at their own men.
There’s also a greater emphasis on actual tomb raiding this time, the lack of which has been complained about in prior games. Challenge Tombs are scattered throughout the game’s world on both the critical path and side missions, while more tombs are set to become available as part of the inevitable season pass.
Though on Normal difficulty the game’s puzzles provide little challenge to speak of, the elaborate, ornate nature of their architecture – apparently realised through consulting with Mayan and Aztec historians – has a sure intoxicating quality, and unquestionably hearkens back to the franchise’s earlier PS1 entries.
The hub-worlds from the previous game are back, and though they’re hardly given a comprehensive reinvention here, the three mini-open worlds are by far the most evocative and memorable components of the entire experience.
These gloriously expansive locales feel shockingly lived-in, best of all the main hub-world Paititi, a legendary Inca lost city. It’s a joy to simply run around the sprawling city, watching as the locals wash their clothes, prep food, fashion boats out of frees, sell their wares, chat aimlessly and, yes, give Lara missions.
Most of the optional missions are admittedly fairly generic rescue jobs and fetch quests, but they’re still a fun diversion if you want to learn more about the world’s lore. Though too much of it is delivered by way of shot-reverse-shot exposition-laden cut-scenes, the peripheral content across the three hubs easily adds hours of simple fun to the core experience.
Moreover, it’s incredibly relaxing just soaking in these gorgeous environments and learning about the diverse denizens who have come to live there. If you’re still left craving value after all this, completing the game unlocks New Game +, allowing you to replay the adventure with all of your previously acquired weaponry and skills, and some new branching pathways in the bargain.
Overall it’s fair to say that Shadow of the Tomb Raider doesn’t do much outside the series’ formula or fend off those relentless Uncharted comparisons, especially in its more nostalgia-driven sequences, but it has its formula down pat and is an extremely slick, confident rendition of it.
The Naughty Dog-esque, on-rails cinematic action beats will likely divide fans – no matter how gorgeous they are – and the fact that a few of these set-pieces re-appear more-or-less re-skinned later on is a tad disappointing. A mid-game horror sequence that feels pulled straight out of Resident Evil is a wonderfully nerve-shredding diversion from the familiarity, though.
The story and characterisation are, meanwhile, a rather mixed bag. The marketing focused on this being the darkest entry in the series, and considering that it begins with Lara inadvertently triggering a cataclysmic event, that feels apt enough. There are some incredibly haunting moments earlier in the game sure to stick with players, placing Lara in her most morally soupy scenario yet.
The core plot itself, however, is largely generic globe-trotting nonsense, while lacking the plucky, Indiana Jones-inspired appeal of the Uncharted games. One failed attempt to grab a necessary trinket leads to yet another breadcrumb-following sortie, and then another, and it’s largely played without a self-aware wink.
Trinity has never been all that enthralling as an overarching antagonist and again they aren’t here, even with some added wrinkles about their true nature. Both of the main villains, Dr. Dominguez and Roarke, feel generically interchangeable, rarely straying from megalomaniacal madman stereotypes. They’re basically totally forgettable and done few favours by a fairly ennui-inducing – though mercifully brief – final boss fight.
As for Lara herself, she gets a somewhat more interesting treatment here than usual, with marketing hinting at her being re-imagined as a black-hearted badass. Though the game does cast Lara as a blood-thirsty, almost Predator-like hunter in some early sequences – to the extent that you can cover yourself in mud to hide from the enemy – most of the hand-wringing over the consequences of Lara looting ancient ruins are pretty piecemeal and insubstantial.
It’s definitely neat to see the series addressing these ideas at all, but they don’t quite come with the necessary nuance and push-back to truly challenge the conventions of the series or the player’s perception of Lara. There are, however, extensive references to Lara’s past and family, which should prove interesting to long-time fans in particular, and the crowd-pleasing post-credits scene is well worth sticking around for.
The overall tone may raise some eyebrows as it did in previous games, even if the much complained-about, sexed-up death scenes from earlier entries are toned way down, becoming more comically rag-doll than overtly grisly. Lara’s unshakeable stature as a “white saviour” and the questionable sensitivity of its portrayal of the locals, however, may give some time for pause. Though historians were consulted to make the game more sensitive and authentic, and the story does broach Lara’s culpability somewhat, it just doesn’t feel like it goes far enough in either stead.
Visually, the game isn’t a terribly impressive leap from Rise, but it still lives up to the glossy expectations of a AAA release in 2018. On a personal note, this is the first video game I’ve ever played with HDR enabled – though, sadly, only on a standard PS4 – and I was left gob-smacked by its beautiful array of dynamic and ambient lighting effects.
Rays of light and shadows feel less like canned rendering tricks and look stunningly lifelike, and considering how the game places players in a diverse array of locales both dingy and sunny-bright, it’s sure to give 4K TV owners plenty of visual bang for their buck (especially during the eye-melting final section of the game).
There are a few noticeable visual issues, though; Lara’s hair frequently looks jagged and uneven to the point of distraction, and the cut-scene lip sync is often shockingly poor for a game that’s otherwise this well-produced. Fire effects also looked a little on the underwhelming side, especially considering the game’s generally spectacular lighting in its HDR presentation. Square Enix’s press notes have stated that the hair and lip sync issues will be remedied with a day-one patch, but they’re worth keeping in mind regardless.
Sound-wise, Resident Evil 7 composer Brian D’Oliveira has done a splendid job crafting an atmospheric, dynamic soundscape from the ethereal to the heart-pounding. The wonderfully serene music that plays as the expanse of the Peruvian jungle opens up in front of the player for the first time is one of the most spine-tingling gaming moments I’ve enjoyed all year. Voice acting is meanwhile solidly reliable for the most part; Camilla Luddington again makes for a great Lara, straddled between the pish-posh stylings of classic-era Croft and something a little more grounded and believable.
It is a mild shame Eidos didn’t have her record some alternate lines for the puzzles, though, because it can get mildly annoying hearing the same piece of dialogue for the dozenth time while you’re figuring them out. And finally, the sound design meets the crunchy, meticulous demands of any AAA action-adventure game; traversing a giant rock face sounds appropriately rough and tactile, while great detail is paid to both the demanding combat effects and smaller environmental sounds also.
In many ways Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an apotheosis of everything the reboot series has attempted to achieve, and while this certainly makes it feel like a greatest hits of the franchise at times, the gorgeous hub-worlds and superb pacing ensure it’s an easy recommendation for fans of the prior titles. It surely lacks the overall freshness of its predecessors, but it’s mostly a blast and one that’s sure to leave fans debating the direction of the franchise from this point.
Pros:
+ Entertainingly cinematic, brilliantly paced gameplay.
+ Terrific visuals, especially for high-end players.
+ The incredible hub areas.
+ A compelling array of side content.
Cons:
– It doesn’t do much particularly fresh.
– Set-pieces occasionally feel repetitive.
– A failure to fully commit to its more daring ideas.
Rating: 8/10
Watch our video review here…
Reviewed on PS4 (also available for Xbox One and PC).
Shaun Munro – Follow me on Twitter for more video game rambling.
