Rise of the Tomb Raider Reviews

Rise of the Tomb Raider is ranked in the 96th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9.1 / 10.0
Nov 7, 2015

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.

Read full review

9.1 / 10.0
Jan 17, 2016

My time with Rise of the Tomb Raider is incredible so far.

Read full review

Nov 9, 2015

While essentially a retread of its predecessor, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a magnificent adventure game, brilliantly combining action genres and letting you play the way you want to.

Read full review

9 / 10
Nov 9, 2015

Rise of the Tomb Raider's first shot pans over the vast, foreboding landscape we'll soon come to know. In many ways, it functions as a promise on the part of Crystal Dynamics: there are big things ahead of us. And at the end of Lara's journey, after we've seen her through this adventure, and experienced everything the world has to offer, it's clear that promise was kept.

Read full review

Forbes
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

The gameplay is the star here. Rise of The Tomb Raider does everything Tomb Raider did and does it better, taking a still-growing heroine into an unfamiliar location and unfolding its lethal mysteries as we grow to meet them. This is still not the game it could be, but it's remarkable how quickly Crystal Dynamics has taken a half-dead franchise and turned into one of the most vital experiences on the market today, true to its essential character while still feeling absolutely new. This is the new standard for third-person shooter/adventure games. I want another.

Read full review

Nov 9, 2015

Behind the depth of Lara's character and a compelling and emotionally charged story, the series is at its best in Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Read full review

VideoGamer
Top Critic
9 / 10
Nov 9, 2015

Crystal Dynamics has made a game that expertly rekindles memories of the series' triumphant past and yet still feels incredibly modern. A captivating romp that should cement Lara as a modern icon.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

Rise of the Tomb Raider takes the best elements of the 2013 reboot and spreads them over a bigger wider adventure

Read full review

Nov 9, 2015

Brutal combat and solid writing lets Lara Croft become the action heroine we deserve.

Read full review

90 / 100
Nov 9, 2015

Rise of the Tomb Raider continues Crystal Dynamic's standard of excellence, and creates an introspective and engrossing journey that combines a compelling narrative with fluid, exciting gameplay. Lara Croft is back, better than ever, and this series definitely proves to be the best Tomb Raider experience around.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

With beautiful surroundings, a renewed focus on stealth and use of surroundings, and a fantastic story that will grip you, Lara Croft's latest chapter in the reboot will keep you entertained for hours upon hours and only make you want to keep trying to unlock every last secret.

Read full review

Ken McKown
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a stellar title for the fall season, and a sequel that addresses most of the complaints about its predecessor. Crystal Dynamics is really knocking it out of the park with the reboot of Lara Croft and I cannot wait to see how it evolves over time. Anyone with an Xbox One needs to pick this title up. It once again makes a solid case for my top ten list of games of the year.

Read full review

Nov 16, 2015

A must-play action-adventure story that solidifies Lara Croft's position as one of the best video game characters ever.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

While 2013's Tomb Raider reboot was great, fans of the series were pining for more tombs to explore and relics to collect. Crystal Dynamics addressed that and then some in Rise of the Tomb Raider, improving on its upgrade system, telling a fun story, more puzzles, and adding bears, tigers, cheetahs, and more packs of wolves to kill and skin. Just like we remember.

Read full review

4.5 / 5.0
Jan 22, 2016

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a solid followup to the series' reboot, offering a nice mix of adventuring, puzzle platforming and action in a pretty-looking setting. Admittedly, it doesn't really break any new ground but it's a very polished rendition of the genre that continues the story of everyone's favorite Croft. If you're a fan of the reboot or never tried it but love the classic games in the series, Rise of the Tomb Raider is one game you'll want to climb onto.

Read full review

4.5 / 5.0
Nov 23, 2015

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a deeper and more polished version of its predecessor. It offers similar action-adventure thrills as its competition such as Uncharted but goes beyond that as well. Its open and explorable hub areas that are filled with optional tombs and hunting and gathering crafting options, give it more depth than other games in its genre.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

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.

Read full review

Nov 10, 2015

I don't know about you, but Rise of the Tomb Raider, while not a complete masterpiece, is pretty damn close to being one in the Action-Adventure genre.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

Rise won't have a difficult time standing out among the CODs, Halo 5s, Fallout 4s and MGS5s of the world.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2015

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.

Read full review