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Is it Worth It?: A Veteran's Review


ddracarys

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Good review, more critical than I was expecting from you honestly but it needed to be, to be ("or not to be") objective. (Shakespeare joke <_< )

I agree with your points on the combat. RotTR is definitely not the best third-person shooter you'll ever play, it's strengths lie in the adventuring, exploration and platforming as you said. That's where the focus should be going forward: more puzzle-platforming, less gunplay.

As for characters, is it just me or does Ana remind anhone else of Natla (her human form of course)? Just as I've been playing though I've been getting snippets here and there of Natla. I haven't completed Rise yet though so can't really say much else about anything.

When you say "annoying British accent"... you see where I'm going with this? :P Do you mean Camilla's voice specifically or British accents in general? Being British myself I'm obviously accustomed to them and have also found Camilla's a tad frustrating. She has a British twang sure but in a very plain, dull fashion. I know she's lived in the States for a long time so that'd be why she doesn't have a proper "Lara Croft accent". I've always liked Keeley Hawes and Jonell Elliott for my Lara. <3

P.S. Hmm I wonder who this wise, old, decrepit man is you speak of...

Edited by dell9300
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  • 3 weeks later...

Good review, more critical than I was expecting from you honestly but it needed to be, to be ("or not to be") objective. (Shakespeare joke <_< )

I agree with your points on the combat. RotTR is definitely not the best third-person shooter you'll ever play, it's strengths lie in the adventuring, exploration and platforming as you said. That's where the focus should be going forward: more puzzle-platforming, less gunplay.

As for characters, is it just me or does Ana remind anhone else of Natla (her human form of course)? Just as I've been playing though I've been getting snippets here and there of Natla. I haven't completed Rise yet though so can't really say much else about anything.

When you say "annoying British accent"... you see where I'm going with this? :P Do you mean Camilla's voice specifically or British accents in general? Being British myself I'm obviously accustomed to them and have also found Camilla's a tad frustrating. She has a British twang sure but in a very plain, dull fashion. I know she's lived in the States for a long time so that'd be why she doesn't have a proper "Lara Croft accent". I've always liked Keeley Hawes and Jonell Elliott for my Lara. <3

P.S. Hmm I wonder who this wise, old, decrepit man is you speak of...

 

Yeah, opinions must pass with reviews. If reviews were subjective to opinions, I would of given this game a 10/10 and wrote everything I loved about it without the cons. Unfortunately I needed to outline everything though, and I think we can all agree ROTR isn't a perfect game.  :devil:

 

I agree with your points in terms of gameplay. Less gunplay would certainly be nice in future sequels but I fear this is something that is imminent anyway and something we will have to live with. This new generation of Tomb Raider has what the old generation had and does it well (exploration, puzzle platforming), but it also has its own mix of modern magic (this is where the TPS kicks in), and these things have to go hand in hand with today's gaming standards unfortunately. As much as I want to see dinosaur boss fights again it seems like those wont be a returning factor into the series, with that been said though the animal based boss fights in ROTR were all the more pleasing. They need to keep this going!

 

Haha! Ana definitely reminds me of Natla, they have that same sort of heartless bitch attitude as well. And since you have finished the story now, you can share your definitive thoughts too! (The wise man being you, of course).

 

I mean't Camilla's specifically. Obviously not British accents in general, I actually adore them and find them quite hilarious. Camilla's though, has gotten pretty annoying over the few years that she's been with us. Keeley was definitely my favorite Lara as it is with many. Camilla isn't bad though, and I'm talking about her voice only here, but she does get annoying sometimes especially when you're undergoing a difficult scenario and all you are hearing is Camilla's constant variations of "AARGGH!".

 

I just finished my 4th and fastest playthrough of ROTR, in just under 5 hours.

Edited by ddracarys
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  • 2 months later...

Great review. Going that in depth and still staying pretty much spoiler-free isn't the easiest task.

 

While I also really enjoyed the 2013 version, 1 plat for me was enough. Too much combat and not enough actual tomb raiding made parts feel more like Uncharted than Tomb Raider, likewise the unnecessary tack-on MP to suck in the Uncharted folks as well. Have bigger hopes for the tombs in ROTR once I start it.

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On 2/13/2017 at 3:27 AM, Kevvik said:

Great review. Going that in depth and still staying pretty much spoiler-free isn't the easiest task.

 

While I also really enjoyed the 2013 version, 1 plat for me was enough. Too much combat and not enough actual tomb raiding made parts feel more like Uncharted than Tomb Raider, likewise the unnecessary tack-on MP to suck in the Uncharted folks as well. Have bigger hopes for the tombs in ROTR once I start it.

 

Thank you! Wasn't the easiest but definitely was fun.

 

While your concerns about TR2013 are valid, you shouldn't need to worry about lack of tombs or tedious MP with ROTR. As I've mentioned above, the game does an amazing job at tomb exploration and lack of MP is ever more the better. Your doubts with 2013 should definitely be made up in ROTR. The game is an outstanding step forward into the series. 

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for a really good and comprehensive review.  A longtime TR fan myself (PC), it felt good to come back and try ROTR.  As the trial expired, I think I actually cried as I enjoyed the game so much.  Looks like it is a buy for me!

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1 hour ago, Lorajet said:

Thanks for a really good and comprehensive review.  A longtime TR fan myself (PC), it felt good to come back and try ROTR.  As the trial expired, I think I actually cried as I enjoyed the game so much.  Looks like it is a buy for me!

 

You are very welcome fellow Raider, and thank you for the support! I really had a lot of fun crafting this review and likewise with ROTR. Despite taking a long extra push to earn it, I was able to achieve 100% too. I certainly hope you decide to make the purchase, as Rise of the Tomb Raider exceeded all elements of improvement. 

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  • 5 months later...
On 4/2/2017 at 0:38 PM, Lorajet said:

You talked me into it!  Amazon Prime had a nice price for it - can't wait to start again on Monday.  Thanks again!  1f44d.png

 

I don't know how I missed this, sorry for the long wait! I do hope you enjoyed the game. :D

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I really enjoyed Tomb Raider '13, probably my GOTY when it came out, and I've finished it 3 or 4 times at this point, but I just cannot get into this game for some reason. The open world stuff is really dull for me, and the story is just not hooking me at all. I've played pretty much all of the games in the series (barring Angel of Darkness) and for some reason this game is the one I just keep hitting a brick wall with. I'm just not finding any of it fun. Granted, I haven't gotten too far in the game, but I was really surprised at just how none of it was working for me - the fights are pretty simple, getting around is the same as ever, the tombs are interesting but pretty unimaginative all said and done, and the voice actress for Lara - while decent - doesn't have the best range in her delivery.

 

I know I should probably just knuckle down and get on with it, but I get burnt out playing it after only about 30 minutes. I know I'm in the minority as everyone I know actually really liked the game, but a lot of it feels really bland for me.

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1 hour ago, SkyMason said:

I really enjoyed Tomb Raider '13, probably my GOTY when it came out, and I've finished it 3 or 4 times at this point, but I just cannot get into this game for some reason. The open world stuff is really dull for me, and the story is just not hooking me at all. I've played pretty much all of the games in the series (barring Angel of Darkness) and for some reason this game is the one I just keep hitting a brick wall with. I'm just not finding any of it fun. Granted, I haven't gotten too far in the game, but I was really surprised at just how none of it was working for me - the fights are pretty simple, getting around is the same as ever, the tombs are interesting but pretty unimaginative all said and done, and the voice actress for Lara - while decent - doesn't have the best range in her delivery.

 

I know I should probably just knuckle down and get on with it, but I get burnt out playing it after only about 30 minutes. I know I'm in the minority as everyone I know actually really liked the game, but a lot of it feels really bland for me.

 

Wow, this just about as interesting as it is odd! Like you said, a lot of people really liked what ROTR brought to the series including myself. An Open World environment for Tomb Raider games is something that I think could really work. It would definitely also start knocking back the Tomb Raider / Uncharted comparisons which is good for me too since I dislike hearing those games being compared.

 

Is there anything you didn't enjoy about ROTR specifically or is it just that the game didn't catch you? And have you tried the Endurance Mode out yet? I'm hoping that this mode may bring you back to the game as it basically combines everything that made the Campaign enjoyable (especially in terms of exploration). I agree that the story is a bit dull, doesn't help that the game is full of one-shot characters that aren't memorable and predictable plot twists. The ending is what really catches you though as it leaves many room for a follow up (that's all I'll say, don't worry).

 

With Rise of the Tomb Raider's story and gameplay aside, I quite enjoyed delving into this new Lara's past. ROTR does a great job at filling the many plot holes 2013 left us with. After I immersed myself in this content that comprehensibly explained the Croft's origin, the game almost felt better. You now know everything about Lara and what she underwent, or continues to undergo.

 

Sorry if I spoiled too much in this reply, I'm really passionate about this series and I cannot urge you enough to give ROTR a second chance. After experiencing the full story (Main/Side Quests, DLC origin activities, etc) the name of Lara Croft holds more significance than you may of previously thought.  

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2 hours ago, ddracarys said:

 

Wow, this just about as interesting as it is odd! Like you said, a lot of people really liked what ROTR brought to the series including myself. An Open World environment for Tomb Raider games is something that I think could really work. It would definitely also start knocking back the Tomb Raider / Uncharted comparisons which is good for me too since I dislike hearing those games being compared.

 

Is there anything you didn't enjoy about ROTR specifically or is it just that the game didn't catch you? And have you tried the Endurance Mode out yet? I'm hoping that this mode may bring you back to the game as it basically combines everything that made the Campaign enjoyable (especially in terms of exploration). I agree that the story is a bit dull, doesn't help that the game is full of one-shot characters that aren't memorable and predictable plot twists. The ending is what really catches you though as it leaves many room for a follow up (that's all I'll say, don't worry).

 

With Rise of the Tomb Raider's story and gameplay aside, I quite enjoyed delving into this new Lara's past. ROTR does a great job at filling the many plot holes 2013 left us with. After I immersed myself in this content that comprehensibly explained the Croft's origin, the game almost felt better. You now know everything about Lara and what she underwent, or continues to undergo.

 

Sorry if I spoiled too much in this reply, I'm really passionate about this series and I cannot urge you enough to give ROTR a second chance. After experiencing the full story (Main/Side Quests, DLC origin activities, etc) the name of Lara Croft holds more significance than you may of previously thought.  

 

If I had to be specific it's probably how open a lot of the areas are. I'm a bit of a completionist and I like to do every task before I move onto the next area. The side content in this game - gathering collectibles, doing small tasks, etc., are all very samey and the rewards rarely seem worth it. For some reason in Tomb Raider 2013 I always felt motivated to get what I could to upgrade my stuff (provided I had the equipment) but in this game, it feels like there's just too much of it, and it is padding out a lot of the game, even though I really liked the idea of a more open world-ish Tomb Raider after playing the original.

 

It just seems to work against it, IMO. I always felt there was a good balance between exploration and combat in the first game, but I always feel like I'm doing the boring stuff in this one, neither the combat nor the exploration sections are that interesting for me.

 

I will most definitely finish the game (hopefully within the next month) but it's gonna take a lot to motivate myself to do it. My favourite part about the game is actually Lara Croft herself and her backstory, like you mentioned. The intro to the game had me quite interested, but then the main plot got in the way - which is just incredibly generic. If it was just more about Lara Croft finding out about her past then I'd probably be more motivated to keep going, but as it stands I don't really care for any of the main plot.

 

I'm actually a little more interested now that you mentioned that it does bother to flesh out Lara more, so I think I'll try to get back to it soon!

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11 hours ago, SkyMason said:

 

If I had to be specific it's probably how open a lot of the areas are. I'm a bit of a completionist and I like to do every task before I move onto the next area. The side content in this game - gathering collectibles, doing small tasks, etc., are all very samey and the rewards rarely seem worth it. For some reason in Tomb Raider 2013 I always felt motivated to get what I could to upgrade my stuff (provided I had the equipment) but in this game, it feels like there's just too much of it, and it is padding out a lot of the game, even though I really liked the idea of a more open world-ish Tomb Raider after playing the original.

 

It just seems to work against it, IMO. I always felt there was a good balance between exploration and combat in the first game, but I always feel like I'm doing the boring stuff in this one, neither the combat nor the exploration sections are that interesting for me.

 

I will most definitely finish the game (hopefully within the next month) but it's gonna take a lot to motivate myself to do it. My favourite part about the game is actually Lara Croft herself and her backstory, like you mentioned. The intro to the game had me quite interested, but then the main plot got in the way - which is just incredibly generic. If it was just more about Lara Croft finding out about her past then I'd probably be more motivated to keep going, but as it stands I don't really care for any of the main plot.

 

I'm actually a little more interested now that you mentioned that it does bother to flesh out Lara more, so I think I'll try to get back to it soon!

 

I know what you mean, as a completionist myself. Though the rewards you receive are not necessary to complete the game, they can still help you and Lara throughout the world of ROTR. Certain reward items are needed to access secret areas within Tombs or caves. In terms of salvageable rewards (the rewards that are not items and are instead uses of craft / upgrade), those are the one's that kind of seem like you completed the task for no reason. Salvageable rewards are somewhat pointless in ROTR as the upgrading system is far more strict than it was in 2013. This is something that 2013 definitely did better, like you mentioned. Motivation to upgrade your gear in 2013 is a reoccurring objective, and is almost exciting picking up a new piece of equipment.

 

What I believe Square Enix were trying to accomplish with ROTR is that they assumed 2013 was seen more of as a third person cover shooter, I think reviews led them to believe the game wasn't seen as it was being true to it's roots. ROTR is a follow back on this and provides an equal balance of the shooty, shooty as well as the exploration, puzzle platforming that veteran's know and love. In my opinion, this worked. They provided an excellent follow up to 2013 in terms of the gameplay and what the gameplay provides for the player.

 

Sorry to hear ROTR isn't delivering what it promised it will deliver to you. This review must be pretty invalid for you too, so I apologise about that as well. Whether you return to the game as an obligation to complete it or for fun, I guarantee it will be a nice 100% to have on your list. Lara is (obviously) the biggest part of ROTR's story so it's awesome to notice that the game recognizes this too. I think you will at least be happy with how Lara evolves as a person within ROTR. The ending really says a lot about her character too, and how the events of ROTR changed her. Since you're interested in the Croft's origin / backstory, I highly recommend playing through the Croft Manor DLC as soon as you can. I don't believe this contains any spoilers for the core game's story so you can delve into this even if you haven't completed the game. As I'm sure you already know, this DLC is purely exploration of the Croft Manor. Lara discovers secrets from her past and suffers from harsh truth's. Tied in with some puzzles, Croft Manor was truly an exciting addition.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/1/2016 at 6:56 AM, ddracarys said:
Rise of the Tomb Raider is fun in many ways. It's true it has it's minors, but with the many things to occupy Lara and yourself with, mixed with the extraordinary exploration gameplay, fascinating puzzles and inner evolution of a legend, the game does not fail to deliver at all. I personally give Rise of the Tomb Raider a 9.2/10.

 

EDIT: I am basically a pro in ROTR now. If you have any questions, ask away!

 

 

  Hide contents

EDIT 2: It should be noted that a batch of secret documents can be found in the Document section of the Map menu and unlock as you raid Tombs. These documents focus on Lara's traumatic experiences that she underwent after Yamatai and the depressing pain that she still feels. They address the connection between TR2013 and ROTR in these Documents, which fills the dark hole of space that occupies in between these titles. After you have raided every Tomb, it's worth checking these out for more lore and backstory. Things like why Sam doesn't return for ROTR are explained as well. I thought that this was a pretty cool thing to discover and share. and it only took me 4 playthroughs to find this

 

 

 

I Second that motion with a 9.5 out of 10 for me. 

✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅.5

Edited by snacklepuss
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1 minute ago, snacklepuss said:

I just sent a "tweet" in a question to the makers asking if a Follow up to Rise is on the cards.

 

If the rumours of Shadow of the Tomb Raider are to be believed, then a sequel is definitely being developed. Also, considering how successful ROTR is, I’m sure it won’t be long until Lara returns to the gaming world. I’m hoping we get our eyes on something at E3 ‘18.

 

Until then, we have the Tomb Raider movie to look forward to! 

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3 minutes ago, ddracarys said:

 

If the rumours of Shadow of the Tomb Raider are to be believed, then a sequel is definitely being developed. Also, considering how successful ROTR is, I’m sure it won’t be long until Lara returns to the gaming world. I’m hoping we get our eyes on something at E3 ‘18.

 

Until then, we have the Tomb Raider movie to look forward to! 

 

Stop the E3 teasing please. Just Dont! LoL.

 

Seriously though, if  _ _ _ _ _ _ of the Tomb Raider is to come to fruition, it only makes sense to name it Shadow Of The Tomb Raider unless someone has copyrighted the term already, which would be NULL if it was to be named Shadow Of A Tomb Raider

Perhaps the Movie is what the game will be scripted from.

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2 hours ago, snacklepuss said:

Stop the E3 teasing please. Just Dont! LoL.

 

Seriously though, if  _ _ _ _ _ _ of the Tomb Raider is to come to fruition, it only makes sense to name it Shadow Of The Tomb Raider unless someone has copyrighted the term already, which would be NULL if it was to be named Shadow Of A Tomb Raider

Perhaps the Movie is what the game will be scripted from.

 

Haha, it's just wishful thinking on my end. Maybe we'll get a year break before Lara makes her return. Also the upcoming Tomb Raider movie is based off of the 2013 reboot, so I'm assuming if a sequel ever happens, the next movie will be based off of ROTR and so on. Basically, the movies are behind the games as of right now.

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  • 2 months later...
On 1.11.2016 at 7:56 AM, ddracarys said:
EDIT: I am basically a pro in ROTR now. If you have any questions, ask away!
  Reveal hidden contents

EDIT 2: It should be noted that a batch of secret documents can be found in the Document section of the Map menu and unlock as you raid Tombs. These documents focus on Lara's traumatic experiences that she underwent after Yamatai and the depressing pain that she still feels. They address the connection between TR2013 and ROTR in these Documents, which fills the dark hole of space that occupies in between these titles. After you have raided every Tomb, it's worth checking these out for more lore and backstory. Things like why Sam doesn't return for ROTR are explained as well. I thought that this was a pretty cool thing to discover and share. and it only took me 4 playthroughs to find this

 

first off great review, really appreciated. second: how tough would you say are the challenges? that's the only task i'm really scared off because i think it's pretty time consuming. overall this game looks more than fun + the game is on sale (20€)

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You've platinumed Tomb Raider 9 times?! Omg, I literally just (20 mins ago) completed the game's story for the first time ever (and I had this game on the PS3 when it came out). I don't think I'll be able to get to Platinum though I would love to. I loved reading your review of Rise of the Tomb Raider, I've been so excited to play it and one of the reasons I got a PS4 for Christmas, but I wanted to play through and complete the 2013 game first.

 

I wanted to ask, have you Platinumed ROTTR more since this review? I'm going to start the game tomorrow for the first time and I'm super excited.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/9/2018 at 10:32 AM, Gavinh2013 said:

You've platinumed Tomb Raider 9 times?! Omg, I literally just (20 mins ago) completed the game's story for the first time ever (and I had this game on the PS3 when it came out). I don't think I'll be able to get to Platinum though I would love to. I loved reading your review of Rise of the Tomb Raider, I've been so excited to play it and one of the reasons I got a PS4 for Christmas, but I wanted to play through and complete the 2013 game first.

 

I wanted to ask, have you Platinumed ROTTR more since this review? I'm going to start the game tomorrow for the first time and I'm super excited.

 

First of all, thank you for the follow and the kind words towards this thread / my review! I am very proud of this review, but even so, when people post in here I am kinda surprised haha!

Good job on completing the Campaign for Tomb Raider (2013), however why won't you finish off the trophies? It's a pretty easy and, quite frankly, fun Platinum! I've helped a lot of people out on the game including my siblings and this also isn't my first PSN, so I've 100%ed TR 2013 a lot. I haven't 100%ed ROTR as much as I did with 2013, I've only done it once more since this review (so twice in total). ROTR was a great improvement from 2013, but it still had several flaws which were noticeable and, at some points, aggravating. The first time I was 100%ing ROTR, I had to finish the Campaign seven times for my last trophy to pop, and in kind, the Platinum. I was so glad to be done with it afterwards. But then months went by and I had the itch again, so I decided to help my siblings with it. I'm very excited for the upcoming Tomb Raider movie and what surprise it will bring to the series. I don't know if you've heard, but Shadow of the Tomb Raider basically got confirmed. Just waiting for the official announcement now.

Edited by ddracarys
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