Video Game Review: Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)

In five years, we've seen two video games that pitted Lara Croft against the turbulence of nature, the terrors of mythic creatures and curses resurrected, and a sinister organization hellbent on unleashing the powers of ancient relics. To say nothing of a traumatic past full of loss and pain. The third game in the rebooted Tomb Raider series pits Lara against all these same things, but within a story that offers one last growth spurt for the character.

Set in Central America, Lara Croft unwittingly unleashes the Mayan apocalypse when she raids a tomb and steals a special dagger. Amidst terrible catastrophes, Trinity heads Lara off and combs through the jungles in search of other pieces that will empower them to reshape the world in their image. From the Peruvian jungles to the lost city of Paititi, you get the chance to guide Lara to her destiny as a world-saving adventurer.

The story's pretty nice, and I admire that this game progresses Lara' character further away from the grim, no-nonsense tone of the last two games by giving her a little more life. At certain moments, she learns to laugh, to joke, to be amiable, and eventually become the cheeky thrillseeker we all know and love from previous media. The transformation is bittersweet as we see Lara face her past even more and gradually reconcile with it. That's not to say the game is all cheery and goofy though--this is still an intense experience full of brutal disaster, gritty violence, and vengeance.

Like previous games, you are given semi-free reign over a number of maps, each populated with artifacts, caches, challenges, tombs, crypts, and other secrets waiting to be uncovered. It's quite inviting for exploration, except the game will find ways to curb you towards the main story path--going so far as turning the camera and character in the direction the game wants you to go. I lost count of the number of times I wanted to go one way but found Lara walking another because the game forces the action forward. As the game goes on, it becomes a little frustrating in how directional it becomes--at many key points, you will be stripped of your weapons, gear, and clothing, depowering you just when you need to be empowered. Even outside of the storyline, most areas limit the costumes and weapons you can use--it's almost pointless to customize yourself.

What I think hurts the game the most is how small-scale it actually is. While the 2013 game offered an island that felt really huge and seemed to touch every era of history, the maps in Shadow are quite few and not that big. The vast majority of collectables are shoved on the Hidden City map (yep, the one area where you can't change your clothes that much and can't use weapons). Once I completed the sweep, I couldn't help but to wonder "is this really it?" Thanks to glitches, collecting all the things didn't even unlock a trophy. Bloody hell.

There are other glitches that holds this back from being a perfectly enjoyable adventure. Run across some areas, and the game will pause with this "waiting for streaming" message. I don't even know what that means (I'm assuming the game had to catch up with the player). I lost count of the number of times I did a certain move correctly, but still had to watch Lara die gruesomely because her hand was off by a hair or something failed to connect. Also had one cut scene happen where Lara talked to herself (pretty sure another NPC was supposed to be there, but wasn't).

What is satisfying is the amount of climbing and puzzling you get to do. There are a reasonable number of tombs and crypts that offers clever challenges, but aren't too taxing. Story and side quests take you through some well-designed areas, all ordained with sharp and detailed graphics and textures (and on the PS4, HDR really brings the color out vividly). Some areas seemed really dark and hard-to-see, making some accidental deaths even more likely.

What isn't satisfying is the combat. It's very sparse for one thing--the last two games seemed relentless (but ultimately rewarding). In Shadow, you're given just a handful of moments to shoot or stalk enemies. Stealth seems to take the front seat this time, and it is quite empowering to watch a mud-smeared Lara hide in the walls, picking off soldiers one-by-one with a knife. If a gunfight does break out, Lara seems much more vulnerable than usual, and when she's swamped by melee fighters she seems quite weak against them. The last games were not nearly this difficult, even though there is far less fighting.

Despite my laundry list of gripes, the game is a smooth play thanks to its intuitive control scheme, cinematic style, and phenomenal level design. The game brings the jungles, the ruins, and the lost civilizations to life exquisitely. All the detail pumped into the legends and artifacts are admirable, and the story is a satisfying arc (which I assume concludes the new games' saga as a trilogy, but I certainly welcome more).

If you're a longtime franchise fan, or a fan of the last two games, then this one will be enjoyable for you all the same. Casual gamers may find this frustrating and glitchy. I'd argue it's too short, condensed, and limiting. As a casual franchise fan, I found the game admirable for its story, which shows the shadow lifting away from Lara and evolving her into the place she needs to be for future adventures.

4/5