Shadow of the Tomb Raider is probably one of the most eagerly anticipated games of the year. After the success of it’s predecessor Rise of the Tomb Raider, fans have been waiting for the next installment. Shadow of Tomb Raider, follows our favorite explorer Lara Croft into the South American forests. This year’s game has vastly improved on the over all layout of the plot, game play and graphics to make it a wholesome experience for everyone.

An Enticing Adventure

Shadow of Tomb Raider, is an action adventure game, which has you in the throngs of chaos and adventure from the start. The game feels like a survival marathon. As the player you need to be at your toes every step of the way.

From Tsunamis. To Earthquakes to Wild Animals, Lara will battle it out with every form of adversary to survive. The challenges get trickier as the game progresses.

Breath Taking Views

On the graphics front, Shadow of Tomb Raider has one of the most well crafted designs amongst the entire franchise. The Amazonian forest, and the legendary Mayan city of Paititi feel as authentic as if one was walking in the actual region in flesh.

The nature around the landscape is also brilliantly depicted with every new city and tomb having its own unique graphical relay. The locations feel very different from one another rather than being a stock image of the other.

The photo mode in the game allows the players to take in the sites of this beautiful game and share it on their social mediums. We know we had fun doing that.

A Powerful Narrative

The story behind the game is also very compelling. Set after two months of the event from Rise of the Tomb Raider, this next installment delves deeper into the character of Lara Croft and how she becomes the Tomb Raider. With a great amount of focus going into how Lara goes about building on her Father’s legacy.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes us to Mexico and Peru, where Lara will battle it out against Man, Beast and the supernatural to make sure that the planet does not succumb to the apocalypse she her unleashed at the start of the game.

With the help of her friends she will find ways to solve the mysteries of the hidden city and make sure that this world’s secret treasures are kept away from the perilous grasps of the Trinity.

There is also a flashback sequence in the game which shows a little bit about the family dynamics Lara had growing up.

Gameplay

Shadow of the Tomb Raider has kept much of it’s previous discovery, third person adventure theme. There are a lot more to discover this time around. The Maps of the Hidden City are sprawling with hidden tombs and secret challenges which can take one well past the major 25 hour long story.

The Side missions and Secret quests are woven well within the fabric of the main story which allows for a seamless transition, and it does not feel as if you are doing something completely out of place.

The combat relay has improved since the last game, which is a relief, as one can feel a lot more confident hacking away at enemies with the dagger rather than just relying on the bow and arrow.

There are a few glitches though, which can be annoying at times, Such as screen rotation goes of tangent and tends to revolves around Crofts head for some reason. Hopefully the developers will patch that up soon.

Voice Acting

The gaming world has come really far in terms of the quality of the dialogues and scripting of the story. The major selling point to that effect is the great focus placed in authentic voicing of the characters being portrayed on the virtual screen.

Shadow of Tomb Raider, has one of the best ensemble casts of voice actors, who give this game a real action movie feel. Camilla Luddington as the voice of Lara Craft does exactly that. She brings the character to life through her range of dialogues and expressions.

Sound

The game has an authentic survivor journey feel to it. The score and the ambient sound add to the experience. Walking in the Amazon and hearing different forms of animals does add a lot more to the games environment.

The soundtrack is also pretty good and creates a nice feel to the entire experience. As it adapts to the ever changing situations of the game, it really involves the player into the moment.

Outfits

Shadow of Tomb Raider, has a nice surprise for the avid fans of the franchise, with playable costumes from Tomb Raider 1 and Tomb Raider 2 from the early 3-D days of 2000s. You can change the outfit and dress Lara as the very first version Eidos made. It is nice to feel nostalgic sometimes.

Final Verdict

Shadow of Tomb Raider, is worth the hype. The game with it’s intense graphics, action packed sequences and a great story line takes the players into a journey of self discovery and adventure that they will not forget.

The game is able to rise above and beyond it’s previous installments with a lot more style, adding a layer of gloss to an already popular gaming franchise.It is one of the games to play this year.

Rating: 4.5/5