Shadow of the Tomb Raider Reviews
Shadow of the Tomb Raider delivers a great new adventure. However, the closure of the trilogy does not stand its ground with enough courage in order to try and provide remarcable new elements, which in the end leaves us with a bittersweet feeling.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shadow of the Tomb Raider makes a predictable journey into darkness, but it's still brutal fun.
Coincidentally, Shadow of the Tomb Raider looks content living in the shadow of the other Tomb Raider games, which is good enough in most respects. It's just at its best when it crawls out of that shadow and ventures into uncharted territory.
That's why the narrative payoff falls short. Lara has always played the roles of savior and protector and researcher and badass -- almost entirely because those are parts she has been thrust into. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a perfectly good game, but it feels as though it never figures out a way to address the most compelling aspect of this arc: Lara's personal growth. What path does she want to carve? What does she want her legacy to be? Maybe she'd be happiest spending her life raiding tombs -- all of the danger with none of the world-ending stakes. The glass half-full analysis is that she's a regular chip off the ol' block; glass half-empty, she never really escaped her father's shadow.
Building on the foundations of Rise of the Tomb Raider, there's more depth to the actual tomb raiding, more flexibility in the combat, and the city of Paititi is a hub that you can easily get lost in as you explore it and the surrounding jungle. So, while Shadow of the Tomb Raider's story lacks some of the meaning and impact that it sets out to, this is another action packed romp for fans of the series.
Even if largely predictable, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an engrossing and enjoyable adventure, full of things to do.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shadow of the Tomb Raider improves every element of the previous games. Tomb design, jungle setting and the natural disasters complete the definitive Lara Croft adventure. Sometimes it feels to similar to Rise of the Tomb Raider, not only gameplay wise but even locations, characters and enemies.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
As a final blowoff to the Trinity saga, I couldn't help but walk away feeling that the resolution to the story and to Lara Croft's character could have been so much better. But in terms of a pure "Tomb Raider" game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is everything a bold explorer could ask for, giving players a vast jungle to explore and daring them to master it.
It's only a small step forward from the last game but this is the most successful attempt so far to modernise Tomb Raider, even if the storytelling still has problems.
Eidos Montreal's reinvented Lara Croft is as venerable as ever, and the treasure-filled world she explores is pretty appealing, too
By the way, thanks, devs, for bringing to life my greatest fear as a child—the possibility of getting eaten by piranhas. I'm not going to be able to go swimming for a long time.
Minor nuisances aside, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a great way to end Lara's origin story.
With heightened stakes and tension, Shadow of the Tomb Raider will keep you engaged throughout its hours of gameplay. Its limited advancements over previous games should be noted, but the final package is still an unmissable Tomb Raider adventure.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a sequel that does a lot well, although its biggest detriment is how safely the developers seemed to play it.
This game revels in its own beauty, but the plot collapses under the slightest scrutiny
A severe disappointment in a series that was previously going strong, and a sign that this version of Lara Croft might need to retire.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider releases on consoles and PC on September 14.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider shines in exploration, offering stunning scenic views that enrich the pursuit to walk among the greater open world. It's filled with rewarding puzzle platforming tombs that emphasise the return of new and old gameplay mechanics. However, the same can't be said for the story, as Lara's journey is concluded with a tired and tried formula that never reaches the potential it displays in certain cutscenes, despite its promising beginning.