Shadow of the Tomb Raider Review

Shadow of the Tomb Raider by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montreal is the latest in the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy. It looks absolutely stunning with a big improvement to the graphics from the previous games.

This release focuses more on platforming, puzzle-solving and exploration than battle scenes. There’s plenty of tombs to explore and side missions to complete. New tombs and content will be released monthly for the next seven months. One of them will be exclusive for those who purchase the Season Pass.

The story begins as Lara is persuing a group called the Trinity organization who are responsible for killing her father. She beats them to an artifact called the Key of Chak Chel and inadvertantly starts the Mayan apocalypse. She must reach the only artifact that can stop the cataclysm, the Silver Box, before the Trinity organization find it.

Lara is equipped with grappling gear and her trusty bow but has a few new skills and abilities that make her more versatile than before. She has a new grappling axe and the ability to rappel quickly down cliffs, making traversing the world even more interesting. She also has new skills to improve her stealth such as climbing trees to attack enemies or hiding against vine covered walls.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider features a few large hub areas where you can meet merchants, go on side quests or continue with the main storyline. Many of these side quests feel a little shallow and take away from the main narrative. NPCs in these hubs tend to stay static and don’t appear to have their own lives, such as in the Witcher series which tends to detract from the realism. Having said that, the detailed graphics of these areas, and the tombs themselves, are phenomenal.

There are some RPG elements to Shadow of the Tomb Raider such as finding equipment to boost stats and give bonuses. New outfits, weapons and skills will be released with the Season Pass, along with new tombs to explore.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a fitting end to the trilogy with great character development and interesting main story. It’s let down just a little by distracting side quests and static NPCs. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a gorgeous but slightly flawed gem and a must-have for Tomb Raider fans.