When Rise of the Tomb Raider was announced at E3 2014, the non-XB1 world nearly shit a brick with disdain. Poor NeoGAF nearly exploded, as PC folks were scorned by its absence on their platform (still baffled by that, though I have no dog in that fight), while the kids celebrating the dominance of the PlayStation 4 blew it off as if it was a terrible idea anyway to continue with such a game (they were counting on Uncharted to go against it — yikes/ouch).
For the record, NeoGAF isn’t going to get better with the end result of Rise of the Tomb Raider and the PS4 folks are going to eat their hateful words. With that being said, and the ugliness out of the way, let’s get right to it, folks.
My stance on the Tomb Raider reboot in 2013 is still firm. I loved what they did with Lara Croft and felt like her reboot, and less boob-age, was the right move for the character. Starting her off as a character that hadn’t experienced the trials and tribulations of life, made sense. It built her from the ground up and shaped her into a strong character that millions of female gamers could admire, rather than male gamers lust over (I’ve seen it in person at E3, it’s sad). She was no longer a sex symbol (yay), rather a badass that progressed into a hardened force to be reckoned with by the end of the game. Hell, the 2013 Tomb Raider was better than any of the Jolie movies could have been, so Sony Pictures take note. Yeah, it was that good. So, if you didn’t pick it up because you were an idiot the first time around, do yourself a favor and snag it. It’s damn good.
Off my soapbox on that, let me just tell you really quick, the new game makes me feel the same way as the first. It’s ambitiously entertaining, works nearly perfect as its predecessor and it ups the ante on visuals/gameplay mechanics. It still has some rough patches, including the length of it, but it doesn’t disappoint in terms of entertainment. Also, depending on how dedicated you are to perfection, it can push the gameplay beyond the 6-8 hours of initial story. This is the only series where I want to complete 100% of all the accomplishments, if not only for the reason of going through the landscape Lara traverses through in the campaign again.
Anyway, yes, you read that right, Lara’s adventure only lasts 6-8 hours, depending on your dedication to Croft’s craft of exploring. I might have explored two tombs in the first run through of the game, so that timeframe will more than likely be extended if you’re a better person than I am during the initial gameplay adventure. Having said that, the 6-8 hours was a perfect timeframe for me when it came to telling Lara’s new story. It felt like it hit all the right notes and ended when it needed to end. That’s usually the sign of a good story. Usually.
Speaking of which, the story goes like this, Lara is trying to complete her late father’s work of tracking down something called the ‘Source’, which will bring everlasting life to its recipient. It was brought to the world through a person called ‘The Prophet’, who traveled lands to help people out and to vanquish those who brought evil/trouble. Lara’s quest sees her through such places as Syria (where you start) and puts her in some very icy places, which are incredibly dangerous locales. She is racing against time and a group called Trinity, holy-than-thou folks, to get to the source before they do. If she fails, Trinity becomes an unstoppable global force. If she succeeds, she redeems her father and his work.
The story is very Indiana Jones-esque, which is what the last game felt like.
The story does a great job of leading the adventure and sports some incredible voice acting that just adds so much to the experience. I will admit that I thought the story started out a bit rough and disjointed at the beginning, even faltering at times with confusing its audience through misdirection, but by the halfway point of the game the story started to shine strongly and concluded in a solid way (not saying how). Obviously, for spoiler reasons, I can’t tell you much about the story beyond its synopsis, but just know that it builds Lara into what she is readily known for in past TR games, an unstoppable badass. Love this about this story and with what direction Crystal Dynamics chose to take Lara.
Anyway, the story is great from beginning to end. I did beat this game and felt a bit of a rush with its conclusion. At the same time, I was also sad that I might have to wait another ‘forever’ to see Lara in action again. Maybe Square and Crystal Dynamics can remaster the original TR games with this new Lara intact. Maybe? Possibly? Please? Wishful thinking, I know.
Shifting gears, let’s discuss some gameplay.
The gameplay is improved with Rise of the Tomb Raider. Controlling and moving Lara during gameplay has become less of a burden and more of an adventure, though the original rebooted release was nearly the same way. I had far less deaths in Rise of the Tomb Raider than I did with the 2013 game. The controls were far more forgiving this time around, which helped keep focus on the actual adventure. Not having to fool with sloppy controls where Lara could easily tumble to her death was a big plus when trying to keep embedded with the story. It also helped things out when Lara got on a roll when it came to intense action. For example, later in the game, Lara will have to leap from rooftop to rooftop on some ancient structures, while fighting off enemy after enemy. The game allows for this process to become a seamless set of action sequences, as the controls would help correct some player movement when things seemed slightly off. This kept the action flowing and the adventure…adventuring? Anyway, it helped maintain the movie feel of the game, which is exactly what you want out of Rise of the Tomb Raider — or any action game for that matter.
A huge plus, which most gamers will find delightful (I’m indifferent because I’m old school) is the noticeable absence of a shitload of quick time event (QTE) moments. The first game had a lot of nasty QTE moments in it, especially from the get-go, but later smoothed out with getting a more manual feel to the game intact. This time around, Rise of the Tomb Raider almost depends solely on player controlled methods to get through action sequences. You won’t have many button mashing moments where you’re required to time a certain event at the exact moment needed. It’s not completely absent from the title, but it’s not nearly as prevalent as the first go around in 2013. In short, prepare yourself for manual controls. It will be a rush when you get on a roll.
For the more technical side of the Tomb Raider equation, the leveling system is essentially the same, though the structure is a bit more laid out. You have several categories in the game to improve the weaponry that Lara sports. Upgrading weapons and unlocking newer ones will help motivate you to find things along the way and explore every possible nook and cranny the game has to offer. I found myself addictively exploring all areas, even the ones I was hiding from the enemy in, so that I could have more XP to unlock more attributes. And the game really stretches itself out in the attributes category.
You still have the usual suspects when it comes to attributes (better aiming, more powerful melee attacks, etc.), but now the game adds language attributes to the mix, where you level up your capability to translate ancient artifacts with different lingo. For example, you could discover several Russian artifacts from the cold war in some levels, which would earn you XP. As you progress higher and higher with XP, you’ll level up to certain points where you can actually translate really tough text, which adds more depth to the story. The lingo is not restricted to just one language, rather multiple and each with its own XP gauge. It’s the little things, isn’t it?
More traditional unlocks for the leveling system, find and seek sort of stuff, happens with the weapons. Having a better bow or a more accurate handgun was a must for the gaming experience in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Along the way, Lara can find pieces and parts that equal out to upgrades for your current weapons, which would be just like unlocking a new one. For example, there will be boxes lying around levels that contain certain pieces to either upgrade or unlock weapons. You can add those upgrades to current weapons, which improves them immensely. Having newer, shinier and more powerful weaponry at Lara’s disposal is a must, especially when it comes to enemies she has to engage later in the story (trust me).
Speaking of searching for things, you’ll come across several places you cannot access the first go around until you unlock certain items and attributes. The joy of the first game, at least for me, was going back through the game and getting into these areas once you have the means to do so. I think this could add an additional 10 hours to gameplay easily. Plus, the artifacts are interesting as hell to acquire, as well as the places to explore. Crystal Dynamics did a better job this go around with making the exploration portion of this game far more meaningful than just an empty shell to go through with remedial puzzles to figure out. They put some good time and effort into making the adventure and the exploration a very balanced arrangement. There were a few puzzles I had to explore that had me scratching my head in deep thought. I hadn’t done that sort of thing with Tomb Raider since the 1996 release on the PlayStation. People who bitched about too much action and not enough puzzle will be delighted to know that Crystal Dynamics put a lot more effort into it than in the previous game. Although, I’m certain those gamers will find something else to cry about. That’s the nature of gamers these days (not everyone, just a lot them from the online world — if you’re mad at that statement, then you’re one of them).
Anyway, the second go around with the game is a blast, especially for those gamers dedicated to 100% completion. It won’t feel like a chore, I promise.
All in all, the gameplay for Rise of the Tomb Raider is intoxicating on every level. It’s a smoother version of the first reboot and one that hits the marks when it needs to hit them. It’s quick, precise and entertaining. I’m sure people will gripe about the amount of initial gameplay hours, but there’s more to it than what it’s showing on the surface.
On the presentation side of things, I think Xbox One owners will finally see one of the better visual gaming experiences to date. Rise of the Tomb Raider is detailed, it’s nearly flawless and it is a visual treat for the eyes. When you see snow gathering on Lara as it’s blowing on her and the shudder that comes from her body as she is fighting through the brutal, cold, snowy mountainous terrain, you’ll know that the XB1 has arrived. When you see the lighting of some areas, the beautifully accurate reflection of the sun and the shadow that Lara casts from it, you’ll know that XB1 is going to deliver. When you witness the sheer depth of the landscape and how alive almost every level of the game is when it’s in motion, you’ll have confidence that the machine you own can hold its own in this console war. Quite honestly, and this is my opinion without witnessing Halo 5 in motion, this is probably top three in prettiest games on the Xbox One to date. Easily.
In short, it’s current generation graphics, even the cutscenes (enjoy the facial animations for that part of the game).
Anyway, Microsoft and Square Enix’s gamble to make Crystal Dynamics’ Rise of the Tomb Raider an exclusive holiday title for the Xbox One has paid off handsomely. This game is worth every damn dime, especially if you enjoyed the first Tomb Raider in 2013. Once I get through Fallout 4, I intend on revisiting Rise of the Tomb Raider and giving it another go — it’s just that good, folks. It’s one of the better surprises for me this holiday season.
Onto the summary!
