As a big fan of Crystal Dynamics’ reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, I couldn’t help but be disappointed with Eidos Montreal’s stab at the series with Shadow of the Tomb Raider. I really like the emphasis on puzzle solving and role playing elements like crafting outfits and completing side quests, but it feels like less refined version of its two predecessors. The combat relies a little too heavily on sneaking around environments and stealth-killing enemies—I hardly focussed on upgrading or buying pistols and assault rifles because I almost never had to utilize them. The reboot’s puzzle-oriented challenge tombs are back too, and although I really liked a couple of them, the majority of them were pretty lacklustre and featured too many accidental deaths. Don’t get me started on the underwater stealth sections, too—hoo boy. Being the end of a trilogy, I was hoping for something a little better story-wise, as well. Lara’s quest feels almost like a retread of themes from previous games, and I honestly never really cared about what was happening. The framework laid by the previous entries in the trilogy means most of Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s successful elements remained—but this is a disappointing entry to a series that I’ve really come to adore.
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