Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

From: Square Enix

Platform: Xbox One, PC, PS4

Out of 10: 9.5

I’ve been a massive fan of Tomb Raider since the original in ‘96 when it changed the way video games were played forever.  1996 doesn’t sound that long ago but games were 2D back then. Lara Croft changed everything. The intelligent (and difficult) 3D puzzles used for trying to enter/survive/escape the tombs were way ahead of their time.  I’ve always had a soft spot for this franchise so I might be a little biased in this review. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a prequel showing the defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. Lara ventures through South America racing to stop an ancient Mayan apocalypse she has accidentally unleashed….. just go with it.  The best new feature is how you can change the gameplay experience as exploration, puzzles and combat have their own difficulty settings.  I’ve always enjoyed Tomb Raider for the puzzles and exploration, so I cranked that up to hard while combat was on normal as I find that part of the game a bit of a grind.  I highly recommend the same settings because without it you’re constantly held by the hand with the game showing you what to do which is quite boring.  The nine challenge tombs were the highlights for me.  They were tough but fair.  One of them drove me crazy but once I figured out the puzzle I kicked myself for not seeing it earlier.  Graphically this game is top shelf.  There were many moments I just slowed down to look at the scenery. The game is beautiful to watch and beautiful to play.  A must buy if you’re an action adventure fan.