JUICY GAME REVIEWS
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio

video game reviews

ANything from Xbox 360, Playstation 3, playstation 5, xbox series x and Nintendo Switch

Rise of the Tomb Raider - Reasons why you should wait to buy it

16/11/2015

0 Comments

 
By Gemma @Juicy Game Reviews
Lara Croft With Bow and Arrow
Lara Croft in Rise of the Tomb Raider
There’s no doubt in my mind that The Rise of the Tomb Raider is a great game. Crystal Dynamics produced an epic adventure, this is true. I’ve read and watched numerous reviews that ranked the new Lara Croft adventure as an eight and in some cases nine out of ten and I’ve been left wondering why? Before you read any further, know that I, like many of you, was a teenager when the first Tomb Raider game got a release on the Sega Saturn and Playstation 1 and one thing is very, very clear to me: Tomb Raider is one of the most evolved series on the market. The Rise of the Tomb Raider seems nothing like the very first Tomb Raider game. I can hear many of you say “of course it’s not” and especially since the franchise was sold to Crystal Dynamics years ago. They’ll always be a part of me that wants that Tomb Raider game back but the rational part of me knows that Tomb Raider is forever changed and it’s a new generation of gamers sat behind their controllers meandering through the ​Tombs.
Lara Croft seen raiding tombsRise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One
The Rise of the Tomb Raider is a timed exclusive to the Xbox One. A little stunt that really annoys me. I’m old school when it comes around to Tomb Raider and Lara started her life on the Sony Playstation (actually a Sega Saturn one week earlier) and I felt it was an unfair move to players that don’t own an Xbox One to have to wait. Now I’m thinking that the wait may be a good thing to the hardcore Sony Elite’s and I’m going to tell you why.

I’m over seven hours in to Rise of the Tomb Raider and I’m left feeling very underwhelmed so Playstation 4 owners, listen up. The new Tomb Raider adventure feels too similar to the 2013 release of Tomb Raider. The world in Rise of the Tomb Raider varies between the harsh blizzards of Siberia to the warmer climates of Syrian cliff sides with some tombs in between. Naturally, parkour, crafting, upgrading weapons, veering off in to side quests and whizzing down zip lines with a climbing axe are all a part of Rise of the Tomb Raider just as it was in the 2013 game. I’m really struggling to see a difference. Here's another example: As Lara sits down at a camp in Rise of the Tomb Raider the menu systems are displayed beautifully and are easy to navigate through (slight improvement on menu navigation from the last game). Again, it felt and looked immensely similar to the previous Tomb Raider experience. I expected a lot more from Crystal Dynamics but it appears that the team took what worked well from 2013 and enhanced it slightly in Rise of the Tomb Raider. You may be happy with this but I yearned for more. Additionally, I am sick to death of ‘clear an area of five to ten enemies then progress *repeat*’. What happened to raiding tombs? Rise of the Tomb Raider (as with the previous Tomb Raider title) plays more like a game about Guerrilla Warfare. Cast your minds back to the slower, quietness of how Tomb Raider used to be. All that stood between you and progressing was a puzzle in a tomb that had been swallowed by the jungle. I wanted more of this and less gunslinging. I'm genuinely struggling to separate the two games but had we never saw Tomb Raider in 2013, I believe Rise of the Tomb Raider would have been revolutionary.

Lara Croft fighting a bear
Run like F**K - Rise of the Tomb Raider
What’s good about Rise of the Tomb Raider?
The environments seem to be more open to choosing which way you want to go. I’ve climbed more trees in Rise of the Tomb Raider than in any other Tomb Raider game. Naturally, this opened up different ways to stalk and kill enemies. Great! Lara and her playgrounds look incredible too. Flowing water especially caught my eye in terms of boosting the game’s aesthetic prowess. Lara’s hair looks and moves fluidly and the story is very rich in details. Without spoiling the story, I’d say that this is one of the strongest points and with a few plot twists along the way, I’m certain you’ll enjoy the overall experience. The story is built in the classic Tomb Raider template: Lara Vs Bad Guys. Winner takes the treasure. It's simple and it works well throughout the folds of Rise of the Tomb Raider. 

The final chapter
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a good game but it’s too similar to its predecessor to be classed as a great game. If you have spare cash that you want to blow then definitely dive in for the purchase but if not then wait until the price drops. Your other alternative is to play through Tomb Raider (2013). I personally would not be bothered if we never saw another Tomb Raider game again. What I would love to see is a HD remake of the original. Now that's worth spending your pocket money on!

Warp to Retro Game Reviews
Picture
Subscribe to my Youtube channel!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Video Game Reviews for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch

    Join the Community:

    Thegebs24 youtube
    Click me

    Latest YouTube Videos:

    Video Game Shops:

    entertainment station logo
    Retro Games across TWO Stores
    Forgotten Worlds retro games, arcades and toys
    Forgotten Worlds retro games, arcades and toys
    Kenny's buy sell trade
    Kenny's - Buy, sell, trade
    doorway to dorkness
    Doorway to Dorkness
    Super Game Shack
    Super Game Shack
    Vintage Gamer
    Vintage Gamer
    Picture
    Check out Warner's Retro Corner
    Picture
    Game Smart Yardley
    Tweets by @JuicyGameReview
    RE3 Remake review
    RE3 Remake review
    days gone review
    Days Gone Review
    198X The Game Review
    198X The Game Review
    world war z review
    World war Z review
    Resident Evil 2 Remake review
    Resident Evil 2 Remake review
    Yakuza: Dean Souls Review
    Yakuza: Dean Souls Review
    Detroit Become Human review
    Detroit Become Human review
    Sega Mega Drive classics review
    Sega Mega Drive Classics Review
    Super Mario Odyssey
    Super Mario Odyssey Review
    Resident evil VII review
    Resident Evil VII: Biohazard - 3 reasons we love it
    Dark Souls 3  - 3 Tips to early success
    Dark Souls III - 3 Tips to early success

    Categories

    All
    3DS
    Alan Wake 2
    Alien Isolation
    Amiibo
    Assassin's Creed
    Batman Arkham Knight
    Bloodborne
    CoD
    Destiny
    Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls
    Doom
    E3
    Eurogamer
    Fallout 4
    Far Cry 4
    Far Cry Primal
    GTA V
    JRPG
    Just Cause 3
    Majora's Mask
    Mario Kart 8
    Metal Gear Solid V
    Microsoft
    Minecraft
    Next Gen Consoles
    Nintendo
    Nintendo Switch
    PC
    PS3
    PS4
    PS4 Slim
    PS4 VR
    PS5
    Resident Evil
    Silent Hills P.T Demo
    Tales Of Xillia
    The Division
    The Evil Within
    The Last Of Us
    Turtle Beach
    Uncharted 4
    Until Dawn
    Wii U
    Wolfenstein
    Xbox 360
    Xbox One
    Xbox One S

    RSS Feed

Juicy Game Reviews

About
TheGebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24
thegebs24

Get Involved

Affiliates
Retro Gaming
Juicy Game Reviews 2023 ©
Privacy Policy
Social Media Icons License Creative Commons 3.0
  • Welcome
  • Video Game Reviews
  • Retro Game Reviews
  • Game Shops
  • TheGebs24
  • Bio