9.10.2018

The first tomb raider in the reboot was good, the second was great, in some regards this game is the best yet. It truly feels like a Tomb Raider game, which has such a strong sense of exploration and the unknown, as though you're a real early 20th century explorer. It's at in the Americas (Amazonian jungles, in Peru) the theme being Maian and Inca Indians.Visuals: 10/10I have it on PS4 Pro set to resolution over frame rate, and these are some of the best visuals I've seen in a game. As you pass a little bright dart frog on a rock and climb into the water, wading through waist deep rivers. Pushing through groups of lilly pads as the sun brilliantly glistens off of the water.Or as volumetric god rays pass through the thick canopy as you trudge through thick mud on the jungle bed, surrounded by very dense and life like foliage (none of it is static).Couple this with the character details and animation as they speak, you can tell the developers took time with the details.Sound effects 10/10The jungle really comes to life, all the animals you can see or hear running around you, the birds singing in the distance, crackle of branches and foliage moving in distant wind. And then whilst deep in the jungle or around tombs with a dark past, the music and sound effects have a real tribal vibe that give you the image you're about to receive an arrow or pipe dart through the neck. The character voice talent is as before great and convincingly done. Even as Lara reads different types of documents, I.e one about her from Trinity, you can hear the almost mocking change in her voice. The weapons sound decent (nothing out of this world) but otherwise everything else is well done.Gameplay: 9/10The mechanics haven't really changed so they're what you're familiar with from before. Lara can maneuver the environment like a parkour professional, and thanks to the good mechanics skill and observation are rewarded with forward progression, rather than clumsy controls or mechanics failing you like early games. Walk off an edge by accident? Lara will grab on, let go of square whilst climbing rocks with pick axe? She won't just drop to her death. You can now in this game rappel down from any point whilst climbing with pick axe and swing. You can also do a few more combat mechanics, like snare trapping (in a way) targets from branches by shooting them with an arrow.This game has a nice balance between combat and exploration, the first and the last especially had young Lara as effectively a psychopath, killing hundreds of people with anything she could get her hands on. Whilst the first Tomb Raider game, wild animals were the enemy along with traps, and drunk controls/mechanics, one or two humans were the boss. And later on the odd dinosaur/Egyptian creatures. This game rebalances this, there are a number of sections with tense combat or stealth, but exploration, traps and the environment also make up a chunk, with wild animals a small part.The skill tree is back and has 3 different area's with which you can spend points, some are story unlocked from completing challenge tombs. The game does however lose a point because it feels abit smaller than the last, which had vast open area's where hunting and collecting animal hides or resources felt a bit more important, this game despite having some breathtaking area's is deceptively less open, it is more compact which is understandable being a jungle but you feel as though you need to go in one direction half the time and don't even get round to hunting animals etc. Enemy animals are reduced practically to one or two cinematic/story instances. And by the time you finish the game, many of the features (weapon customization, clothing, skill tree) will be half competed if that before you get to the end.Story: 9/10The storyline continues Lara's fight against the ancient and somewhat biblical organization called Trinity, who seek ancient myths and artifacts for their own megalomaniac goals, this time being a Mayan legend of world recreation that leads to Peruvian/Amazonian jungles.You also again see one or two glimpses back to Lara's childhood and early story told which are wonderfully done, getting to take control of her as a kid. The story in this game is the best as it shows quite an authentic and human side of Lara which is enjoyable to watch unfold.Overall 09/10A well balanced and true Tomb Raider game where killing everything in site is calmed and exploration/challenge tombs have been taken up a notch to give that realistic adventurer experience. Couple this with some new or slightly refined gameplay mechanics, a decent story, and above average visuals/sound effects, and you have a strong entry into the series. But it does feel a bit of a smaller world compared to the last and the focus more on exploration where traps or 1 or 2 animals are more the enemy may not be fun for all (there is a horror esque section rife with killing and other sections with stealth/acton).As mentioned above the game falls short due to lifespan, it feels a much shorter game than the last, you don't really feel like the upgrades, skills, collecting resources really comes to use as you're pushed along a slightly more linear/story striven path and in less open areas or world. The map has lots of unused space. I don't think it's worth what I paid, but it's still a brilliant game and I hope the next will be more open and longer like riser of the tomb raider.Also hope the next entry will be in Egypt and add some more RPG elements, make a proper upgrade system, give lara a back pack and let us manage inventory etc. Maybe even add proper survival mechanics, there's a lot Enix/Eidos can do with this series.

13.9.2018

Arrived yesterday, ordered from Game just to get the Pre-Order Steel-book which may of been exclusive to them although I will say it cost £80 and minus the Steel-Book Amazon has the Croft Edition currently at £70. Anyway, I've stopped playing Marvel Spider-Man to jump on this, wasn't expecting to be disappointed and so far I'm not, loved the previous two and I personally think the Graphics on Rise Of The Tomb Raider still look incredible.Slightly disappointed that apparently Crystal Dynamics didn't run the project but finding out that Eidos Montreal (who did Deus Ex Mankind Divided) softened the blow. In my opinion it takes a bit to get going, you start off in Cozumel,Mexico and we've just crashed in the Peruvian Jungle (having visited Iquitos I feel I have a small point of reference) which now feels we are getting to the proper game, the Jaguar confrontation seems reminiscent of fighting the Bear in the Siberian Tundra in "Rise of..."I am playing on a Scorpio One X and as in the previous 2 (and practically every Triple AAA release) this is a highly polished attractive game, which is no surprise, its presentation can compete with or surpass any Game that is out, thick waxy vegetation shimmers in the warm oppressive verdant jungle floor with its eco system consisting of Capybara, Howler Monkeys, Rabbits and large insects. Its weird but I'm starting to think I may have a fixation with how Light and Water are represented in Computer Games.It is actually going to be difficult to praise this game because I expected it to be as good as the others, they set the bar high and they have achieved that standard again, I positively gushed in my reviews of the Game and Art-Book for Rise Of The Tomb Raider and its difficult to find that same enthusiasm, the Gameplay is similar/identical, which is a good thing apart from you can now blend into walls that have foliage on them and abseil down off cliff edges, Stealth Kills are still my favourite as they are brutal.They seem to of borrowed certain movements/animations from "Rise Of..." as when Lara is wading through thick mud it seems (to me) its identical to her wading through snow in Siberia. They seem to of fleshed out swimming segments and I would have to agree with a review I saw critiquing that, saying Gamers don't enjoy swimming levels, I personally find them to be clunky and awkward, others may disagree.I myself am not a fan of the End-Of -The-World storyline, at least in the original before the Samurai's showed up at the end being shipwrecked on a Island surviving backward savage Cultists seemed believable, as did retracing your Fathers footsteps across the globe to discover what led to his death, "Shadow Of..." is just supernatural nonsense. The sight of White English Aristocratic Lara running around the jungle in ceremonial garbs with feathers and animal skulls could be considered Cultural Misappropriation but... its a game, who cares.Tracking down valuable items from clues inscribed on to Ancient Monoliths and discovering remarkable hidden Tombs with deviously clever, not always immediately apparent puzzles to solve are again a highlight. The locations and activity's you participate in are what makes these Games so fun and entertaining, surreptitiously tip-toeing through the lush Peruvian jungle looting crypts, slashing throats, jumping and climbing is as good as ever, when your traversing a wall your climbing axes actually emit a spark, those details are why, like its predecessors, this game will look and play as good in a couple of years, highly recommended, must buy.

17.9.2018

I picked this croft edition up from my hometown game store on the 12th of september and what I've played of it so far, I have to say it is a truly brilliant game and one of the best games in the series. My reason for me saying this is everything in it is a lot of fun and exciting and pleasing ,like exploring everywhere, looking at and trying on the outfits, killing people with your weapons, choosing from all the different weapons, finding things and picking them up, looking through the inventory and solving puzzles, all these things are a hell of a lot of fun and the challenges and puzzles are very rewarding,

27.9.2019

I don't know if it's about the fact that I played Mass Effect Andromeda before (which isn't that bad, really) or the fact that this game is actually that good, but I love it. Not yet completely done with the main story, but played a lot to have an opinion about the product. First of all it seems to be noticeably shorter than 2 other entries. Maybe it's a problem for those who paid the full price and have plenty of time for playing while having only a few unfinished games on the shelf. I don't play daily (unfortunately), still have dozens of sealed copies (am I sick?) on the shelf as well as paid less than 20 GBP for it, so if you combine these factors together - you start liking shorter games more than long ones.

17.9.2018

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an incredibleGame with spectacular graphics and superbSet pieces. There is such a rich environmentthat feels so alive especially when in the jungle of Peru, the sound effects of howlerMonkeys, birds, and other insects and wildlifeGives such an immersive experience. TheGraphics are exceptional on the Xbox one X.I’m sure they will look amazing on the PS4And PS4 Pro too. I’m about 2 hours into theGame so far and I’m hooked. Utterly Amazing.Now the negative which is nothing to do withthe game. It actually has something to do withAmazon Customer service. I preordered this title to arrive on release day. To which I neverReceived.

16.9.2018

The first thing that I can say without a shadow of doubt is that this is one of if not the most impressive games graphically I have ever played. The scenery’s are stunning, and the jungle feels alive around you. I often find myself just admiring the view everywhere I go. Gameplay wise It is very similar to the previous two games. There is a much bigger focus on exploration in this entry and the tombs are bigger and much better designed. If you don’t like the survival instincts highlighting all the walls you can climb then I’m pretty sure you can make the difficulty harder to turn those off. The game itself is massive as well. The story is massively over the top but very very enjoyable and feels very high stakes.

13.9.2018

The first thing that I can say without a shadow of doubt is that this is one of if not the most impressive games graphically I have ever played. The scenery’s are stunning, and the jungle feels alive around you. I often find myself just admiring the view everywhere I go. Gameplay wise It is very similar to the previous two games. There is a much bigger focus on exploration in this entry and the tombs are bigger and much better designed. If you don’t like the survival instincts highlighting all the walls you can climb then I’m pretty sure you can make the difficulty harder to turn those off. The game itself is massive as well. The story is massively over the top but very very enjoyable and feels very high stakes.

12.9.2018

The first thing that I can say without a shadow of doubt is that this is one of if not the most impressive games graphically I have ever played. The scenery’s are stunning, and the jungle feels alive around you. I often find myself just admiring the view everywhere I go. Gameplay wise It is very similar to the previous two games. There is a much bigger focus on exploration in this entry and the tombs are bigger and much better designed. If you don’t like the survival instincts highlighting all the walls you can climb then I’m pretty sure you can make the difficulty harder to turn those off. The game itself is massive as well. The story is massively over the top but very very enjoyable and feels very high stakes.

15.9.2018

This game is pretty perfect.Most of the press reviews I've read have given the game really average reviews which don't really make sense to me. They seem to mark it down based on what they seen to describe as a disliking to Lara's personality and her back story... which in all fairness is completely irrelevant in enjoyable gameplay. Also the character development, personalities and acting is still better in this game than in most Hollywood films... so I'm baffled by the bad reviews.Anyway... The game and why it's awesome:The first notable point being that it is a beautiful game viusually. Notable mentions are the lighting effects, dust particles l, smoke, must and textures.

21.9.2018

I’m reviewing on Xbox One X & 4K HDR TV - Medium game play & puzzlesFirst off this game really has nailed the tension the story is moved along at pace, with stop gaps at the hubs where you can go off and do your own thing. Lara feels easy to control and (on Xbox the controls work very well)The puzzles are tricky in places, though not ridiculous either, thinking of the Eagle trail the top of my head. My biggest issue with the new tomb raiders are the Tombs... very few and far between. This game actually has you hunting for the hidden tomb solving the puzzles and also finding the right tool to get to the tomb.

12.9.2020

This gets a five for the stunning visual effects, animation and gameplay, which are all spot on. It gets a four for the story and character development. I can't help but compare it to the previous instalment, which I loved. The story in this one doesn't engage me, and they make the villain, the head of an evil organisation who killed LC's Dad, too complex and sympathetic. The skills offered to Lara aren't as wonderful in the previous instalment, and a bit disappointing. In the previous game, you were stuck on an island, but in this one it is like exploring a continent - Paititi alone is a massive area to explore - so you will get your money's worth of gameplay if you persevere with it.

26.9.2019

The third episode of this reboot trilogy brings enough novelty to keep you interested and a completely different setup. Of course it doesn't have the pleasant surprise of the first one, or as many new systems as they introduced in Rise of the Tomb Raider, but it is modern, slightly bigger, still over the top with crazy curses. It has fewer quick time events, which is definitely a good thing.If you (re)played the first 2 just before playing this one, you might have a slight Lara over dose by the end of the game, but you will enjoy it nonetheless. Every now and then you will forget there is something to retrieve or someone to save and just stare at the beautifully crafted world for a few minutes.Lara has clearly evolved and matured since the previous games,

1.11.2018

I am a great fan of Tomb Raider games, indeed it was the original that made me go out and buy a Playstation 1 and got me hooked on Video Games to the current day. Onto the game in question, namely Shadow of the Tomb Raider. I had read some early reviews of the game and it appeared that the majority of reviewers did not take kindly to this particular game. Some lambasted how short it was etc. However, i thoroughly enjoyed it, if you try to finish each level at 100% it really is not a short game, far from it. The Graphics are very good and some of the puzzles will make you tear out your hair, as is befitting a game of this status.

13.8.2020

I have just played the Tomb Raider trilogy one after the other, all first play through’s, and this one was my least favourite of the 3. I was excited to be in the jungle, hoping it would resemble the first one...but it really wasn’t.I didn’t like the side quests, too much running around and talking to people. I almost feel like it’s an RPG style game except you don’t get to make any choices in how the story goes, which makes it a bit tedious.I thought there was way too much swimming in the game, that annoyed me.And I just wasn’t really engaged with the storyline at all. Not like the other two games.Graphically it’s beautiful, and the scenery is just gorgeous.There were quite a few glitches,

15.9.2018

Shadow of the Tomb Raider looks amazing on the Xbox One X. Truly a killer app for the system at the moment, the jungles look so alive, the foliage so dense and crisp in eye popping 4K HDR.In this third instalment in the trilogy, combat takes a back-seat to puzzling and exploration. To me it feels like a return to form for Lara, hearkening back to the Legend trilogy with more of a focus on exploring levels and finding secrets. I didn't mind the focus on puzzling one bit, and it makes the combat sections more satisfying when they do occur.Combat is swift and brutal, if you ever dreamed of the video game version of Rambo: First blood this game is for you. You hang enemies from trees, stalk them in shadows,

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