Rise of the Tomb Raider Reviews
Lara Croft trades original ideas for popular ones in an action blockbuster that will please the crowds but leave some nostalgic for the days she actually raided tombs
By the end I questioned the very choice to play; participating in the game felt like consenting to the retraumatization of a vulnerable young person about whom I genuinely cared.
Ultimately, Rise of the Tomb Raider is akin to a direct-to-DVD sequel. It apes the look and style of the original but nothing comes together in a way that's nearly as impressive. I played the reboot four times over and it remains one of the few games I've reached 100% completion, going around and collecting every trinket just because I wanted to explore every inch of its fantastic world. I doubt I'll ever touch its sequel again. It's a decent action-adventure game with some nice moments but it's also lacking in the ambition and artistry embodied by its predecessor. In the end it's merely a fun but mostly forgettable time.
So is Rise of the Tomb Raider Microsoft's answer to Uncharted? Yes and no. It manages to capture the spirit of Sony's series albeit with a darker tone, but its let down by a short campaign and threadbare replayability. There simply isn't enough of a reason to go back to it once you're done. Wait for a discount or till it hits other platforms at a hopefully cheaper price before buying.
A fun adventure hampered by a lack of vision
In Rise of the Tomb Raider, the action set pieces come first and the narratively satisfying reasons to do them second.
With an aggravating protagonist and a messy structure, Rise of the Tomb Raider does not manage to bring Lara back to her full glory. Nevertheless, this game improves a lot in comparison to the prequel, and provides with uncountable moments of thrill and awe, particularly when in terms of puzzles and architecture.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is better than its predecessor, but only because of its additions; it doesn't fix any of the things that were wrong with Tomb Raider (2013). The story is smoothed down, much of it hidden away in dull audio logs. It's not about "survival" as billed, given the ease of mowing down dozens of folks and plenty of resources. But finding tombs wherein to clamber about ancient Rube Goldberg machines, coupled with the gorgeous visual flair and diverse environments, make Rise's wilderness one worth exploring and elevate Tomb Raider's otherwise perfunctory take on the third-person action platformer. I still get a strong sinking feeling in my stomach when I've misjudged a jump and watch Lara careening towards a splat.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a competent sequel. There are some nice additions to the design, and the familiar mechanics from the previous game are the strongest aspects of the experience. But Lara's new adventure isn't interesting, and the serious tone doesn't do it any favors.
There are also side missions scattered throughout the different locations, but they aren't all that extraordinary, to begin with. They will have you shooting down drones, fetching supplies, exploring certain locations and bringing back items. So while the games story is lacking and acts only as window dressing for the games set pieces and Lara has no real character to speak of not to mention the lack of memorable supporting cast members in the game. I can still highly recommend the game as it is an excellent polished port and the DLC will keep you busy for hours. Thoroughly enjoyable, with a surprisingly long campaign which vastly improves on every single aspect that we got in the first game. If you haven't already, go pick it up and play it now!
Your enjoyment of Rise of the Tomb Raider will be entirely tied to whether you're more interested in a game's story or its gameplay. If you're looking to be in your own interactive action movie, you're going to absolutely love ROTTR. If you want characters and story, then you should go back to Tomb Raider 2013 if you haven't already played it.
Rise of The Tomb Raider is a very good sequel that improves a lot of the issues present in the original but doesn't completely fix them. While definitely flawed in some areas it is undeniably fun and an incredibly strong entry in the franchise.
'Rise of the Tomb Raider' is a slightly larger, slightly better version of the last game. The devs have played it safe in terms of adding new mechanics and content, opting for what has worked in the past. It still works, of that there is no doubt - 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' is a great game and should be played by any action fan. It could have been more, but is far better than most games of its ilk.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is not a good movie to watch, but a great world to explore
A worthwhile follow-up to Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider is also an incremental improvement over its predecessor, with more spectacular sites to explore and sights to behold. And tombs! More tombs!
Rise of the Tomb Raider is the best blockbuster game of 2015.
Rise of the Tomb Raider proves its predecessor was no fluke and firmly reestablishes the franchise as one worth caring about.
On the surface Rise of the Tomb Raider is very much reminiscent of the previous game, to the point where someone passing through a room with Rise playing might mistake it for the last entry.
Whether you're in the mood for stealth or all-out action, Rise of the Tomb Raider has got you covered, but when it comes time to put down the guns and start talking, the game screeches to a halt. Even so, it's hard to deny what a blast it is to slip into Lara's shoes once more.
With Rise of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics has created a well-polished and impressive sequel to one of the best reboots I've ever played. It isn't perfect, and can be a bit overwhelming at times, but it's still an excellent game and well worth checking out.