Rise of the Tomb Raider Reviews
The initial adventure in Rise of the Tomb Raider is around 6-8 hours, but every minute of it is fun, especially with retooled gameplay controls and unlockables for incentive. Adding to that time frame is a large amount of worthwhile exploring and wonderful backtracking once the campaign is completed. If you're into that, then this game is going to make you happy.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is neither a revelation nor a revolution. However, it's still a gorgeous, solid and extremely fun action adventure experience. Even with its familiar platforming and combat, Rise of the Tomb Raider shouldn't be missed.
Rise won't have a difficult time standing out among the CODs, Halo 5s, Fallout 4s and MGS5s of the world.
Ultimately, Rise of the Tomb Raider is akin to a direct-to-DVD sequel. It apes the look and style of the original but nothing comes together in a way that's nearly as impressive. I played the reboot four times over and it remains one of the few games I've reached 100% completion, going around and collecting every trinket just because I wanted to explore every inch of its fantastic world. I doubt I'll ever touch its sequel again. It's a decent action-adventure game with some nice moments but it's also lacking in the ambition and artistry embodied by its predecessor. In the end it's merely a fun but mostly forgettable time.
While the final act bogs down in firefights, the game, for the most part, juggles physical and mental challenges successfully.
A fun adventure hampered by a lack of vision
Whether you're in the mood for stealth or all-out action, Rise of the Tomb Raider has got you covered, but when it comes time to put down the guns and start talking, the game screeches to a halt. Even so, it's hard to deny what a blast it is to slip into Lara's shoes once more.
If you've enjoyed Crystal Dynamics' reboot, then chances are you'll love Rise of the Tomb Raider that much more. Lara's latest adventure is bigger and better in nearly every way. The settings and environments are bigger, the tombs are plentiful, the combat is exciting and Lara herself is once again brought to life thanks to Camilla Luddington's fantastic performance.
As a package Rise of the Tomb Raider is sublime pure Hollywood blockbuster entertainment with the only real negative that some could level is that the minute to minute gameplay presents very little that would be considered groundbreaking or new and at times it might feel similar to the previous iteration. This is really clutching at straws though. Looking at the package as a whole, as a cinematic adventure experience one of this stuff matters. Lara took it up a notch!
The story takes bigger risks, and is all the better for it. By no means is it perfect, but the negatives are so slight they don't really warrant full disclosure. This is a bigger, meatier sequel, one that improves on an already great game. And again, it gets the balance right. The balance between survival, in terms of facing off against an army of foes as well as giant killer snow bears, and exploration, in the form of archaeology-by-the-way-of Lara being genuinely excited when she comes across an ancient trinket or mural.
Lara's had a rough ride to get where she is, but Rise of the Tomb Raider is definitely a game of the year contender and a promising sign of where Crystal Dynamics is taking the series. The game is tight, from both a narrative and gameplay standpoint, and it's got plenty to do. If you were a fan of the 2013 reboot, Rise expands upon the foundations set on Yamatai to offer a bigger, better game.
Rise of the Tomb Raider delivers everything you would expect from an archaeological action-adventure game, and deserves plenty of cinematic praise. The story pulls you forward with only a few pauses to wander off the trail, but even on the scripted path, there are always several options to overcome each obstacle before you. It's a grand journey for our budding heroine, whose skills grow with each relic found and enemy defeated. You'll enjoy the quality of the endeavor, but likely feel uninspired by its somewhat banal story.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is not a good movie to watch, but a great world to explore
I really enjoyed Rise of the Tomb Raider on the XBox One, however my biggest concern about the game is that it feels a little similar to the previous game. This is not to say that the game is bad but on the contrary, it's quite good, however things felt the same like the villain, locations and gameplay.
The thing that really stands out about Rise of the Tomb Raider is that you care about the characters at all
It may feel familiar, but it's a warm and welcoming kind of familiar
Rise of the Tomb Raider is not only essential, it's poised to be endearing snapshot of America's battle over religious freedoms.
Rise of The Tomb Raider is a beautiful and well-made game. With a gripping story, great acting and brilliant world design, there's plenty to do and you will want more.
Rise Of The Tomb Raider understands what's fun about being Lara Croft. It's not blowing away an army of underlings with an assortment of guns, something that straight-up shooters do better and with more commitment to variety. It's also not some bold new innovation in how to make a character run and jump, or unexpected deviation from a storyline. No, what's always been the key to Tomb Raider is the thrill of discovery. It's about uncovering surprising ways to use your environment, to solve puzzles and mysteries in order to access temples and tombs. It's the thrill of a smart and resourceful woman using every tool at her disposal to succeed where everyone else fails. There's nothing new about this—the template of the intrepid explorer has remained incredibly consistent, from the novels of Jules Verne to radio serials to Indiana Jones—there's merely the simple pleasures of a fast-paced adventure yarn, and Rise Of The Tomb Raider makes a strong case for why the fundamentals of a good game, well made, are their own reward.
The game used in this review was a digital copy supplied by Square Enix.