Shadow of the Tomb Raider review
This post contains minor spoils to the first half of the game!
Since 2013 Lara Croft has renounced her origins and shaped a new future. Progressing from an immature inexperienced explore to the now coveted Tomb Raider. We have seen Croft blossom over these past 5 years, tackling defying heights, narrowly avoiding death multiple times, and struggling with copious amounts of death.
Lara must now face her final destiny and make a mark on the world. Lara must adventure across North American to stop the apocalypse. In her last adventures in 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' (Square Enix, 2015) Lara found the truth of her father's tragic death, globe-trotting across Siberia to find all was not what it seemed.
Anna Miller (Lara's stepmother) was the brother of Konstantin the protagonist from the self-titled 2013 game. The pair were raised in the hand of Trinity, to which Anna was to get close to the Croft family. She was tasked with killing Lara's father but couldn't do it.
To which another member took her position to carry out the task. Her final words to Lara were "Another Croft doesn't have to die for this." To which she was assassinated before Lara, leaving Lara seeking more answers.
Fast forward to a year later in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Lara is back on Trinity trail to face the man who killed her father. The opening provides an exhilarating flash forward of a plane crash, reminiscent of Tomb Raider 2 (Core Designs, 1997).
Lara is in peril after we return 2 days into the past where she entrapped down a craven. She and fellow companion Jonah Maiava had travelled to Mexico taking a lead from a riddle to abandoned Tomb. With close range angles, we see Lara give it all she has to get out of the situation.
Upon escaping she soldiers on, which is a progression point to her character development. Her first disastrous adventure in Yamti (TR 2013) presented her as everyday human, frightened, incomplete and any resounding attack cause her to wail in agony.
But Lara still shows her human side shine through after all the dangers she has encountered over the years. She laughs off the near-death experience stating she was hungry but got too excited about collecting research.
The game progressively places key events to push Croft further and show the mental impact the previous adventures have endured upon herself. Upon finding a mystical dagger and previously reading the inscriptions Lara selfishly takes the dagger setting the first cleansing to the end of the world.
During its first demo play, some platforms were challenging to discover due to the locked on camera angle. This has now been resurrected, and this sequence has been adapted so Lara can now shimmy across.
Upon its removal causes catastrophic events causing a Tsunami. A once bustling town, Cozumel (Mexico) is now in shambles. Derelict buildings wipe out the majority of the population and the simple butterfly effect from the daggers removal dawns upon Croft.
Lara has her goal upon stopping further danger but only has to turn around to see the lives she has taken and overlooked the mistake she has made. Yet again a homage to the old days of being the "Ice Queen", she can't justify the further impact these villagers will have to endure. She tries her best to bottle up her emotions and put a final end before everything can be resolved.
Her remorse and guilt flood the player with condolence and question how much more suffering? She attempts to shake it and progress leading her quest to the deep jungles of Peru. But from the opening clip is left stranded back to basics with little gear and no friend in sight. The game throws you yet again into a lonesome claustrophobic environment where the jungle buries you in darkness. Like it's predecessor the game provides optional mini-challenges which can enhance your skills of survival.
Lara faces the jungles feared enemy the Jaguar that allows croft to mimic survival tactics. Her encounter gains the knowledge of camouflage stealth, using muddy puddles to blend with nature.
Communication and exploration have a big impact of revealing further beyond the plot and learning the historical aspect of the cultures. The game introduces the largest in-game hubs which set mini challenges and hidden secretes. Searching for large areas increase chances to progress your skills set. Which is based around 3 elements seeker, warrior and scavenger skills. Resourced at base camps you can modify the gameplay to your preference.
Like the challenges Tombs are an encouraged essential within the game. Lara has her eyes on the prize as you are fondly rewarded by giving players new clothing. Clothes play a big role as they are customisation to how your game progress. Selected items such as shoes can soften footsteps making stealth kills much easier and more rewarding.
Tombs are no walk in the park, the key is don't always run! There are traps when you least expect it. Adapting the play mode can decipher how visible these traps will become.
On easy Lara's survival instinct will highlight a vast range of points of interest. Normal will only provide within a limited radius, also meaning Lara may not always provide a big hint what to do. Hard will give you no hints, no survival mode, and the no controversial white ledges.
Lara hasn't learned everything with age as some areas in the game feel like a broken record and repeating history. It was exhilarating in 2013 seeing a young inexperienced croft mess up and learn from her mistakes.
The island of Yamatai engulfed you with wonders of mystery and the element of danger. Every second could lead to catastrophe and produce this immense chase sequence where any false moves could kill you.
Then we got it again in Rise of the Tomb Raider, upping the suspense more explosions and death-defying leads could yet again enchain you to death. But yet again we are subsided to the same pattern where it's all or nothing and Lara must run for her life. It was eye-opening to have this placed during the tsunami, as it shed the sheer devastation upon this tiny remote village.
It demonstrated Lara's new ability to swim but rising to the surfaced we are left feeling hollow as we watch innocent lives taken away. But it's the same again Lara is magnetised to her direction before a chain reaction creates a convenient pathway.
Lara's swimming tactics are somewhat questionable as it seems she can hold her breath abnormally long. But this is down to a players choice, as the mode of difficulty will decipher the length. But its these gasps of air you conduct the creativity of air pockets. Providing hope to make it out on time only to be panicking in antagonist to find the next while you narrowly avoid Piranhas.
There are moments of tranquillity where the camera will pan outwards so players can truly gaze upon the horizon. These glorious scenes give you the chance to connect with the music. Produced with authentic instruments used in South American Cultures you are pushed into your environment.
The elephant in the room is how much Lara has toned up becoming more than capable to demolish being the damsel in distress as she once was in 2013. The game doesn't bombard players with the logic of her body and shows her capability.
It's been highlighted that within Shadow of the Tomb Raider players "Become one with the jungle ", Lara uses her skill advantage to gain the upper-hand on not just enemies but people she encounters. Communication and exploration have a big impact of revealing further beyond the plot and learning the historical aspect of the cultures.
Lara started off as a scrawny scared girl, who just wanted the next ticket home. Her first kill to a huge mental impact that sculpted her future. As she matured injures became second nature. In 2013's opening Lara is impaled on in the stomach and is left riving in pain, agonising the players this won't be an easy ride.
Rise of the Tomb Raider placed Lara to become naive and feel she knows what's best. But from every mistake allows her to grow as a person and become relatable. She allows players to look within themselves and reflect on their mistakes and how it shaped them to become a strong individual.
Compared to now she is fearless and courageous, injuries are merely second nature but the painful memories of those shes lost still burn deep within her soul. She is flooded with guilt and the consequence and suffering she has impacted towards others.
Lara hit a turning point and question her ability but instead of questioning is she "That kind of Croft", she worries ethically if she stops her quest has she failed and let those around her down. From the suffering and loss of half her crew in 2013 it's easy to forget deep down shes still that fragile girl.
The darker plot in shadow isn't a game to push boundaries upon formality and turn her into a cold hard killer, with a splash of new environments and equipment. But more of a life's lesson to show her character development.
Lara shows hope to the next generation of gaming and has revamped her negative stereotype from the early days. She becomes more relatable and is determined to put an end to everything but in those quiet times becomes overwhelmed with guilt and despair.
At times it did feel as though the game had repeated iconic moments from the 2013 reboot and just needs to rest. Vast worlds can endure you to explore although some areas felt as though they should be states accessible to parts of the game. The hauntingly beautiful music drive you to pursue adventures further never knowing when you will step into danger.
The optional Tombs progress with difficulty within the game, but always a scary sensation setting off a close by trap before entry. Lara Croft's adventure has come to an end. She's faced her inner demons and only grown from strength to strength.
