![]() ![]() The solo campaign is arguably the least compelling part of the entire package. The history of this city is fascinating, yet it’s hidden away in artefact descriptions and rarely excels outside of them. It’s sad that dialogue feels so inconsequential. Citizens can provide you with side quests, but these are painfully boring, crippled by the same lacklustre writing weighing down the main campaign. You can easily lose hours finding all the hidden relics, crypts and tombs scattered about the place. Some are hidden away in and around Paititi, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t seek them out.Įidos Montreal made a point of emphasising the sheer size of Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s hub world prior to release, and it was worthwhile to do so. Every single one is polished to perfection, idyllically placed when encountered throughout the story. ![]() Tomb designs can range from a crumbling Spanish Galleon amidst the boundaries of a cliff to a mixture of labyrinthian waterways that will enrapture you in seconds. Hugely expanded from previous games, they now feel like levels within themselves as you can spend upwards of 30 minutes trying to solve a fiendishly crafted puzzle. Stumbling across hidden crypts (essentially miniature tombs) to find a useful upgrade and a few tidbits of lore is an engaging treat, developing the game’s world in ways I didn’t expect.Ĭhallenge Tombs are the real highlight. ![]() There’s a comedic element to Lara Croft digging through primitive huts like a student on her gap year, but it’s also where the greatest part of Shadow rears its head: exploration. You’ll receive questionable glances while exploring, whether peering through an empty household or discovering ruins that have remained untouched for decades. Lara is a stranger in a strange land, and its occupants react accordingly. It’s cleverly designed and bustling with life as citizens go about their daily routines. Discovered in the opening hours, this ancient abode is positively huge, acting as the main hub area you’ll return to again and again as the story progresses. It feels like Eidos Montreal wasn’t sure how to conclude this trilogy, resulting in a cavalcade of hollow yet lavishly produced cutscenes that take you from one set-piece to the next - all of which are, fortunately, an absolute joy to experience.Īside from a few bespoke locations, the majority of your time will be spent in the Hidden City of Paititi. It should have been the main focus, but instead finds itself on the sidelines as multiple, far less intriguing arcs are given prominence. It’s filled with history and a genuine care that shines through until the end. The relationship between Lara and Jonah is a brilliant one. Jonah’s shoulder is the only one left to lean on, a close friend of Lara whose relationship is a pleasure to bear witness to. This immediately becomes clear as a rapturous tsunami tears through Mexico, killing thousands and leaving our heroine a battered, broken mess. Upon stealing an ancient dagger, Lara is warned by her enemies of the cataclysm she’s set in motion. Shadow of the Tomb Raider begins with the literal apocalypse. Lara spends time either talking about her dead parents, realising her own misguided intentions or fending off Trinity, an evil organisation whose motivations are muddy and inconsistent. Things wrap up in a hugely anticlimactic final act that fails to deliver thanks to a clumsy narrative which juggles far too many elements when none of them have enough depth. Yes, Rise of the Tomb Raider could feel generic but it still managed to weave an excellent yarn regardless. Arcs are established without ever being paid off in a meaningful way, or otherwise prance around in limbo without being touched for hours. Troubled pacing and an odd mixture of performances kept me from getting truly invested, and the absence of Rhianna Pratchett’s writing talent is most definitely felt. ![]() That isn’t to say it’s bad, it’s consistently great, but it ends up sitting in the shadows of its contemporaries. Whether it’s narrative, combat or exploration, very little in Shadow of the Tomb Raider feels as good as I’d like. It’s simultaneously the most accomplished chapter thus far, but also continually trips up under the weight of its own ambition. The closing chapter of Lara Croft’s reboot trilogy is a complicated one. ![]()
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