Rise of the Tomb Raider
PlayStation 4
Nostalgia Factor:
I really enjoyed the original Tomb Raider reboot that was released in 2013, and I have always wanted to play its sequels. Now here in 2019 I finally got the chance to check out the second game in the new Tomb Raider trilogy, Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Story:
Lara heads out on a journey to Siberia to investigate the case that her late father had been investigating when he died. At the heart of this mystery is the Divine Source, a power that is said to grant immortality. Lara butts heads with a group named Trinity, who is also after the Divine Source. She finds out that her late father's lover was a Trinity spy who was using him for his research. He also may not have committed suicide, it is possible his traitorous lover may have had him killed.
Lara teams up with the Siberian natives as they fight back against Trinity. The deeper into the game you go, the closer you get to uncovering the secret of the Divine Source. The story in this game is a pretty basic Indiana Jones/ Uncharted type affair. Run through the jungle, shoot bad guys, explore ruins, read hidden texts, fight more bad guys, travel deeper into the heart of this lost world on the way to recover a secret buried by time.
The copy of this game that I played also came with some DLC, which was pretty cool. In one of them you have to fight a witch who resides in the deep jungle, and who uses hallucinogenic gas to try to scare you aware. I liked this little detour, as it was pretty fun. There is also a Croft Manor chapter where you can explore the mansion and learn a little bit about Lara's past and the exploits of her family.
Gameplay:
Rise of the Tomb Raider kicks things up a notch from the first Tomb Raider game. It is faster paced, there is more action, and there are more hidden quests and more things to discover on the map. This game will keep you very, very busy. There is always SO MUCH to do and so much to find when you enter a new area of the game. The first game was slower paced and more discovery based. This game moves so fast, like it is on steroids. Everywhere you turn there is something to collect, an animal to hunt, a tomb to explore, an enemy to fight, an ally to accept a mission from. It reminds me of Batman: Arkham City and how much that game expanded on its predecessor, Arkham Asylum. There is a very noticeable difference in style between this game and the first Tomb Raider. I can't say I necessarily like it better this way, however.
This game feels a lot more linear than its predecessor. Rise of the Tomb Raider definitely has a lot more in common with Uncharted than the first one ever did, and that game did indeed have a lot in common with the Uncharted series. This one is just so similar, down to the structure of the game. There are very defined chapters this time around. It always feels like you are moving from a point A to a point B. I understand that the first Tomb Raider title wasn't exactly an open world either, but it never felt like I was being guided from point to point. This game, it very much feels like this is happening.
When you enter a new area, you will find that its map is pretty big. As I said before, there is a LOT of stuff to collect. I always made sure I scooped up as many things as I possibly could, because what is the point in playing a game like this if you aren't going to explore? An addition to this game from the first one is the ability to take on optional side missions from your Divine Source protecting allies. Admittedly it was weird at first taking on missions from people in a Tomb Raider game, but it became second nature quickly. It also helped to break up the linear feel of the game a little bit, which I appreciated.
Technically, this game handles very well. The buttons are well mapped out. Lara perfectly responds to your controller movements. Running around and jumping and climbing and swinging from ropes is easy and seamless. The combat is fun, the action is fast and high flying. Exploring and searching for hidden items on the map is always a good time, although there is so much to collect it gets tiresome after a while.
Reviewers online praise Rise of the Tomb Raider as the best title in the new series. I agree, this is definitely a very fun and well-made game. But... I didn't like it as much as I did the first Tomb Raider game. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I had read all the hype and I was expecting something earth-shattering. Instead, I find this game to be just plain old good, not great. It is nothing I haven't seen a million times before in countless Uncharted, Arkham, and Assassin's Creed games. It is still a good game that I enjoyed, however. Don't get me wrong.
Graphics:
This game looks good, sure, but I wasn't blown away by it. Once again, this game's graphics are nothing I haven't seen the likes of before in countless Uncharted, Arkham, and Assassin's Creed games. Perhaps I was not as impressed because I've been spoiled with newer titles like Red Dead 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn, as well. I thought this game looked just fine and dandy, but it wasn't anything earth-shattering. I'm sure it looked absolutely fantastic when it came out a couple years ago. Now, however, it has to settle for just "really good."
Sound:
Just like this game's graphics are really good, its sound is as well. No complaints whatsoever here. The voice acting is solid. Explosions and gunfire sound like they should sound. I don't really remember any of the game's music (except for a nice Tomb Raider II throwback in the Croft Manor DLC), but I am sure it was fine. All the atmospheric sounds effects like echoing caves and leaves rustling in the wind are spot on. Everything checks out in the sound department.
Overall:
Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of those games that you enjoy playing, but afterwards won't remember much of. Everything this game does is just plain old good. It rarely does anything spectacular. I feel bad even saying this, because I did enjoy this game and I had a fun time playing it. It just seemed to me like it was missing that certain special SOMETHING that I can't quite put my finger on. That something that separates a good game from being a great game.
Everything I did in this game, I felt like I've done a countless number of times in other games. Rise of the Tomb Raider's saving grace is that it is very well made and it does these things just as well or even better than those other games. There is rarely a dull moment in this game. There is never not something to collect or an enemy to fight. Things hum along quickly and efficiently. You are always engaged. You are always kept on the tip of your toes.
I guess my problem with this game was the sense of deja vu that I got playing it. This is a good game. It's a fun game. It is very well put together. But it is just SO unoriginal. I much prefer the original.
So what will it get? I will not give this game a C grade, because that is too low. But an A is too high. I think a B is appropriate, as I don't feel strongly or negatively enough about the game to tilt it in either direction. Rise of the Tomb Raider is a fun title, but don't make my mistake and expect too much from it.
Final Score:
B
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