Rise of the Tomb Raider is still peak Lara Croft, and it’s on Game Pass

It’s been greater than a decade since Crystal Dynamics, the developer finest recognized for the Tomb Raider collection, first launched gamers to its reimagined take on Lara Croft. 2013’s Tomb Raider painted Lara as somebody succesful of adapting and overcoming almost any scenario whereas sustaining a stage of emotional depth and self-awareness, a top quality the sport’s sequels would go on to additional discover.

The authentic was a superb sport that I’ve accomplished on no fewer than three events, and whereas her most up-to-date outing, 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, has its deserves, I still stand by 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider as the most partaking and fascinating model of Lara Croft for the way it emphasizes her vulnerability. The consequence is a narrative that mixes all the hallmarks of what you’d anticipate from a terrific Tomb Raider sport: suspenseful supernatural components and an exciting and romantic notion of archaeology, all tied along with an intriguing and surprisingly emotional story.

Image: Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix

Following the occasions of the first sport, Lara is still traumatized by her trial by hearth on the island of Yamatai and her father’s latest disappearance. Her quest to search out her father and restore her household’s legacy leads her to the frigid peaks of Siberia and into the path of Trinity, a “Knights Templar meets military contractor” group with a pseudo-religious purpose of world domination. Unfortunately, this locations Lara alone in the distinctive place to foil their plot, by saddling her with a fact that nobody else will imagine.

Lara absolutely understands the gravity of the scenario, however by no means lets this inflate her ego. Instead, she’s extra preoccupied with the specter of demise that inevitably follows her makes an attempt to do the proper factor. Lara can by no means absolutely atone for the way her selections led to the deaths of so many near her in the previous, regardless how nicely geared up or robust she is. This theme is so pervasive, it even echoes in Rise’s gameplay by presenting us with a Lara who must be extra resourceful and crafty to beat her surroundings.

Image: Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix

Rise of the Tomb Raider doesn’t fairly elevate Lara to the stage of apex predator we get in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, however she’s clearly way more succesful than she was in her first journey. The consequence is a personality in the midst of changing into the Lara Croft recognized to gamers round the world, a extra assured and ready protagonist who can still be humbled. This model of Lara shines when she’s on the again foot, and Rise of the Tomb Raider does every little thing it may well to maintain her off stability with a extra succesful foe and a relentlessly adversarial surroundings.

I’ll admit that on its normal problem, Rise of the Tomb Raider doesn’t current a lot of a problem. Because of that, I think about Survivor Mode, the hardest problem, to be the definitive Tomb Raider expertise. While you received’t succumb to hunger or dehydration, at this problem, the participant’s well being doesn’t regenerate, checkpoints are disabled, and foes are way more lethal. As if that wasn’t sufficient, by default, the sport additionally won’t spotlight interactable objects in the surroundings. While you possibly can flip on the “Survival Instincts” at any time throughout your playthrough, dialing down the problem isn’t an choice, which additional reinforces that there’s no going again as soon as the journey begins.

Image: Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix

This dialed-up problem has the profit of making the sport extra immersive and forcing you to rigorously think about and put together for each encounter. A handful of unhealthy guys usually wouldn’t be a difficulty, however when only a couple of bullets can put Lara in the floor, issues get slightly extra tense. For an added problem, I prefer to rely nearly completely on stealth kills and Lara’s trusty bow throughout fight, resorting to firearms solely when completely vital.

Rise of the Tomb Raider still retains some of the Metroidvania components of its predecessor to information you alongside its vital path, whereas the world feels extra open and encourages exploration of its varied areas. This is additional strengthened by a extra strong crafting system, which forces you to scrounge and hunt for a lot of of the supplies you must improve your gear. The tomb puzzles hidden all through the world aren’t fairly as difficult as these present in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, however still do a terrific job at shaking issues up between scavenging and fight encounters.

2013’s Tomb Raider did a unbelievable job of establishing Lara as a personality, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider makes for a becoming capstone to the newest trilogy. But for me, Rise of the Tomb Raider was the peak of Crystal Dynamic’s trilogy. Beyond its difficult gameplay, Rise provides a sturdy and complicated narrative that exhibits us that the character archetype of badass archeologist doesn’t should consistently revolve round snappy one-liners.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is out there on Xbox Game Pass.