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Is it Worth It?: A Veteran's Review


ddracarys

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Great review, I agree with everything. Honestly, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is my GOTY so far and I didn't think the last two were very good. I'm incredibly surprised at how good it is. Getting the 2013 TR platinum was one of the worst experiences i've had with modern games, and I generally didn't like it. Rise was pretty good but there was waaaaay too much to collect and it was a huge headache getting the 100%, but it had a pretty decent story. This game went full Uncharted / Indiana Jones with the story and streamlined the experience in a way that made exploration fun but didn't lose anything, and the story was great.

 

(Just beat the game, got the 100%, and started the NG+ Deadly Obsession run for the only trophy left)

Edited by Pokedude97
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I don't see why people won't get this game unless it turned out to be a complete disaster or the entire style is different.

 

As someone who played those old Tomb Raider games back in the day on the Playstation 1, I would be enticed to get this game regardless. The reboot and Rise of the Tomb Raider should of been enough for people to buy this new game in the first place.

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Im halfway through my first playthrough and do agree with what you wrote. Except for the performance.

I play on PS4 Pro, and the harddrive is not full (which can cometimes make it slower), but it performs pretty bad. I had a lot of short freezes up to 3 seconds each and a Jonah zwo times teleporting prom behind lara in front of her in a scene where he was triggered to walk this way but just didn't. he teleported.

I love it anyway but just eye-catchig, I had nothing like this in other games. not RotTR nor other games with goog graphics or something.

 

and sometimes my eyes get just overworked bc the jungle is so full of details and everything is moving and glimmering ist almost too much xD

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Once again, great review DD! :yay:

 

So it sounds like Shadow is your favourite of the three games in the origins trilogy. Am I right? I haven’t actually got it yet you see. Shocking I know! First TR not gotten day one since Legend. So naturally I’ve been debating what I should do. There’s just so many games I want coming in the next few months and I can’t get them all. Help I ask you! HELLLLLP! :P

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After seeing that the story is a 10/10 i stopped reading.

You might aswell make this the best game of the year with those 9 and 10's lol.

How many points did you give spiderman? A 100/10?

16 minutes ago, GTAJJ said:

I'd like to provide a quick counter review.

 

GAMEPLAY and ENVIRONMENTS 6/10

 

Only credit to the artists and 3D modellers. Animators and programmers can go do one as most of it is from ROTT, including the same glitches. Copy code, and you get this. It really feels like a DLC to Rise and more so when you realise you can apply all the tactics across the board. It adds a few features, mainly from the basis of the older mechanics and then makes you do them again and again. The environments are where it shines as they actually have to put effort into them and can’t Ctrl+c and Ctrl+V as apparent with the rest of the game.

 

The textures on the weapons are horrible, especially when you go to upgrade them. You are forced to play a specific way if you would like to get the 100% as the enemies disappear after endgame. There's little player freedom and choice to have control of your skills otherwise you have to play NG+.Side quests were original most of the time and allows you to come back to them in your own time. Using the mud as the level transition is clever but doesn't always work, resulting in a "Wait for Streaming" loading bar anyways, on top of the slow movement, you had to previously endure.

 

The environments are beautiful and only makes me feel that's where the time and money has gone into, with planning direction to manoeuvre the player around an area without making them feel they are returning through a linear path.

 

Certain times when jumping, Lara just fucks up, misses grappling hook and ledges and the cameras ping around 180 degrees. It’s very buggy across the board and become problematic when you play on the hardest difficulty (Deadly Obsession) having to save at fires only, and if the game bugs up, well there goes your time.

 

STORY 6/10

Lara is all selfish at first, cause shit around her, grimaces across the game and then goes on a rampage for about 5 minutes before crying. The End. Plot was guessable as per usual with any pre dating game. Any close calls with Lara isn't going to stun the player because this is set before the original Tomb Raiders, so obviously she's going to be okay.

 

I’m not sure how remote village traders have Spas-12s and silencers and other combat gear. Even the ancient old tribe has a Micro Uzi. LMAO.  There are holes in this like having to wear a tribal outfit so you blend in from the guards, yet you can have your tact light, holster and bow on you. Okay then lol.

 

There's cutscenes that look like they are missing a few, as in some areas:

 

  Hide contents

particularly the second tsunami one after Jonah gets kicked out of the heli.

 

Where is doesn't connect.

 

  Hide contents

Jonah get kicked out of the heli and needs support from the other character and you head off to chase a helicopter. Only to play in to a tsunami.

 

Like WTF happened there? What happened to the other characters? Did I miss something?

 

With the addition of the bugginess, you can have hilarious broken cutscenes. For example:

 

  Hide contents

 

When you save Urantutu and cross the bridge, you enter a cutscene that plays out where she and Lara opens a stone door, Urantutu slipping through before it shutting, separating the two either side. A brief scuffle and Urantutu opens the door. However, if you were to go to the nearby tombs and Crypts before the cutscene, she will glitch out and not move anymore. Resulting in you only pulling the door, and Urantutu appearing on the other side magically.

 

 

 

 

 

PERFORMANCE 8/10

 

It runs fine on PS Pro with a few hickups, frame drops and a single crash in my experience. The previously mentioned loading times, help with game loading flow.

 

TROPHIES 2/10

If you are trying to complete it 100% or platinum it. It is a horrible game to experience, you are forced to play a certain way since the enemies disappear after the game story is done. You missed a specific kill trophy? Fuck you. You decided to choose your own skills? Fuck you. You missed the specific location to get the kill? Fuck you. Along with grindy, and bugged out collectibles to top it off.

 

VERDICT 6/10

 

So TL:DR

  • Broken 100%
  • Broken Artefacts
  • Broken Crafting
  • Broken Climbing
  • Broken Camera Angles when jumping
  • Broken AI Fish
  • Forced playerstyle
  • Cutscenes don’t add up.
  • Feels like a DLC to Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Good Hair
  • Easy to learn combat.
  • Basic story

I agree with you except the goddamn long load time, i have a ps4 pro and i play on the hardest difficulty and let me tell you something;

I love wasting over 60-70 seconds for each goddamn loading time! This reminds me of just cause 3 and we all know how good just cause 3 release was and still is

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55 minutes ago, SanhRim said:

After seeing that the story is a 10/10 i stopped reading.

You might aswell make this the best game of the year with those 9 and 10's lol.

How many points did you give spiderman? A 100/10?

 

Maybe he thought it was better than Spiderman? I think this is my game of the year so far.

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I appreciate the feedback some of you have left regarding my Shadow of the Tomb Raider review. I decided to make this one after quite a few others enjoyed my Rise of the Tomb Raider review, and I just couldn’t contain myself following the game’s conclusion. Even though the public majority may not need a second opinion this late into the series, I would like to still think these reviews have and will help those on the fence in the future. That, and these reviews are too enjoyable to write up.

 

It seems like some of you have experienced difficulties with the game regarding preformance and trophies. I find it odd how a few pointed out they were experiencing issues on the PlayStation 4 Pro as well, considering I am playing on the original PlayStation 4 and haven’t experienced any of the aforementioned situations. The game has run smoothly on my side. Although I did notice the long loading screens and having to wait for the game to load the next area, these did not hinder my experience of the game, and therefore were not prominent enough to mention in the review.

 

On one hand, I do want a general review that everybody can agree with. However on the other hand, considering I was fortunate enough to not experience any notable errors, I also want the review to elevate off of my personal experience. Reviews are, afterall, big pieces of opinionated information. I didn’t think most would agree with my high praise of the game, so knowing some disagree is actually welcoming. I’m glad we can have discussions like this on what we think worked well or didn’t work at all. I have already mentioned this in the review, but I will say it again. I am a long-time fan of the Tomb Raider series, dating back to the PlayStation era. And Shadow of the Tomb Raider is by far the best game I have played in the entire (not just Origin) series.

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1 hour ago, Pokedude97 said:

 

Maybe he thought it was better than Spiderman? I think this is my game of the year so far.

I find that very hard to believe, seeing how spiderman blows this on every aspect.

Then again everyone has their own opinions, i expected more but what i got was a slightly updated rise of the tomb raider while i absolutely loved rise (one of my favourite xbox exclusives i played at the time and i still own a copy for the ps4) shadow i dislike, the only thing i like is the setting wich i feel like most effort went into, ah well

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Is it more challenging than Rise? Been playing it at the moment and currently towards the end on my second playthrough on survivor and I haven't died once (I did on first playthrough experimenting) and it's probably my main concern with the game as it demanded very little from the player with the skill tree pretty useless although I still had fun. Also did you notice the change in developer?

2 hours ago, GTAJJ said:

I'd like to provide a quick counter review.

 

GAMEPLAY and ENVIRONMENTS 6/10

 

Only credit to the artists and 3D modellers. Animators and programmers can go do one as most of it is from ROTT, including the same glitches. Copy code, and you get this. It really feels like a DLC to Rise and more so when you realise you can apply all the tactics across the board. It adds a few features, mainly from the basis of the older mechanics and then makes you do them again and again. The environments are where it shines as they actually have to put effort into them and can’t Ctrl+c and Ctrl+V as apparent with the rest of the game.

 

The textures on the weapons are horrible, especially when you go to upgrade them. You are forced to play a specific way if you would like to get the 100% as the enemies disappear after endgame. There's little player freedom and choice to have control of your skills otherwise you have to play NG+.Side quests were original most of the time and allows you to come back to them in your own time. Using the mud as the level transition is clever but doesn't always work, resulting in a "Wait for Streaming" loading bar anyways, on top of the slow movement, you had to previously endure.

 

The environments are beautiful and only makes me feel that's where the time and money has gone into, with planning direction to manoeuvre the player around an area without making them feel they are returning through a linear path.

 

Certain times when jumping, Lara just fucks up, misses grappling hook and ledges and the cameras ping around 180 degrees. It’s very buggy across the board and become problematic when you play on the hardest difficulty (Deadly Obsession) having to save at fires only, and if the game bugs up, well there goes your time.

 

STORY 6/10

Lara is all selfish at first, cause shit around her, grimaces across the game and then goes on a rampage for about 5 minutes before crying. The End. Plot was guessable as per usual with any pre dating game. Any close calls with Lara isn't going to stun the player because this is set before the original Tomb Raiders, so obviously she's going to be okay.

 

I’m not sure how remote village traders have Spas-12s and silencers and other combat gear. Even the ancient old tribe has a Micro Uzi. LMAO.  There are holes in this like having to wear a tribal outfit so you blend in from the guards, yet you can have your tact light, holster and bow on you. Okay then lol.

 

There's cutscenes that look like they are missing a few, as in some areas:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

particularly the second tsunami one after Jonah gets kicked out of the heli.

 

Where is doesn't connect.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Jonah get kicked out of the heli and needs support from the other character and you head off to chase a helicopter. Only to play in to a tsunami.

 

Like WTF happened there? What happened to the other characters? Did I miss something?

 

With the addition of the bugginess, you can have hilarious broken cutscenes. For example:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

When you save Urantutu and cross the bridge, you enter a cutscene that plays out where she and Lara opens a stone door, Urantutu slipping through before it shutting, separating the two either side. A brief scuffle and Urantutu opens the door. However, if you were to go to the nearby tombs and Crypts before the cutscene, she will glitch out and not move anymore. Resulting in you only pulling the door, and Urantutu appearing on the other side magically.

 

 

 

 

 

PERFORMANCE 8/10

 

It runs fine on PS Pro with a few hickups, frame drops and a single crash in my experience. The previously mentioned loading times, help with game loading flow.

 

TROPHIES 2/10

If you are trying to complete it 100% or platinum it. It is a horrible game to experience, you are forced to play a certain way since the enemies disappear after the game story is done. You missed a specific kill trophy? Fuck you. You decided to choose your own skills? Fuck you. You missed the specific location to get the kill? Fuck you. Along with grindy, and bugged out collectibles to top it off.

 

VERDICT 6/10

 

So TL:DR

  • Broken 100%
  • Broken Artefacts
  • Broken Crafting
  • Broken Climbing
  • Broken Camera Angles when jumping
  • Broken AI Fish
  • Forced playerstyle
  • Cutscenes don’t add up.
  • Feels like a DLC to Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Good Hair
  • Easy to learn combat.
  • Basic story

How did you give it a 6/10 if you hated everything except her hair?

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The game has serious performance issues on original ps4. Extremely long loading times, Frame drops everywhere when you reach the paititi village and you can not deny that, it's distracting. It also happens when ever you dive into the water and water splash animation happens.

Climbing system detection is a mess, 95% of my deadly obsession’s deaths was Lara glitching on finding direction even tho I pushed my joystick the right way and the grab detection which was luck based.

I understand if you like the story but for me, it's far away from a 10/10. Heroes saving the world genre can't impress me anymore and the story was very basic.

Gameplay wise it's just another rise of the tomb raider with mud feature, less combat, and badly designed difficulties (it's a trend now to slap a no save or limited save modifier into the hardest mode). Enemies are still brainless on deadly obsession and the only thing makes the game hard is the bad platforming cause you have to redo a long section of cinematics and interactions that you can't skip.

Overall I'm disappointed I would give it a 4 or 5 and I'm not saying I don't like the franchise, I enjoyed Rise of the tomb raider but when I compare both of them, rotr wins easily 

Sorry for my broken English, it's not my native language 

22 minutes ago, olliebear66t said:

Is it more challenging than Rise? Been playing it at the moment and currently towards the end on my second playthrough on survivor and I haven't died once (I did on first playthrough experimenting) and it's probably my main concern with the game as it demanded very little from the player with the skill tree pretty useless although I still had fun. Also did you notice the change in developer?

 

It's not harder than the rise of the tomb raider. Hardest mode only disables the saves and replaces some normal folks with armored one. They spot you a little bit faster but they won't challenge you at all. The hardest parts are climbing and escaping sections as if you die, you have to redo from your last campfire

Edited by MrMike1377
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6 minutes ago, MrMike1377 said:

It's not harder than the rise of the tomb raider. Hardest mode only disables the saves and replace some normal folks with armored one. They spot you a little bit faster but they won't challenge you at all. The hardest parts are climbing and escaping sections as if you die, you have to redo from your last campfire

Ah so just extreme survivor from the last game. I'm sure the climbing will be fine as people complained about that in RotTR but I didn’t have problems as I found you just had to be slow and precise with it. Probably not the sort of game you play for a challenge then; I don't know why they cut down on enemies as it was perfectly fine in 2013 so then why bother having them at all? Seems like an identity issue.

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30 minutes ago, olliebear66t said:

Ah so just extreme survivor from the last game. I'm sure the climbing will be fine as people complained about that in RotTR but I didn’t have problems as I found you just had to be slow and precise with it. Probably not the sort of game you play for a challenge then; I don't know why they cut down on enemies as it was perfectly fine in 2013 so then why bother having them at all? Seems like an identity issue.

 

They went for more puzzles and climbing root and reduced the action. Some people enjoy tomb raider this way but I like actions and combats more. The storyline isn't that long either so you can rush through the deadly obsession and finish it under 5~6 hours if you don't die a lot.

Edited by MrMike1377
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7 minutes ago, MrMike1377 said:

 

They went for more puzzles and climbing root and reduced the action. Some people enjoy tomb raider this way but I like actions and combats more. The storyline isn't that long either so can rush through the deadly obsession and finish it under 5~6 hours if you don't die a lot.

Yeah I quite like the puzzles and climbing but it seems like it was built as an Uncharted game but then took off in a weird sort of way where the combat sections make very little sense. Still I will get it in a couple years time as it looks good enough.

16 minutes ago, LegacyJKO09 said:

I like Shadow, reboot, rise. but all are very good. 

 

also kind of off topic. Tomb Raider reboot is better than all the Uncharted series. 

Just the first one? How? I did used to think the reboot had better gameplay until I played Uncharted on Brutal

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11 minutes ago, olliebear66t said:

 

Just the first one? How? I did used to think the reboot had better gameplay until I played Uncharted on Brutal

all 3. I just dont like Uncharted as much. I 5hink it's the comedy aspect of it and the characters. they dont take much serious.

HOWEVER depending how Shadow ends, I will say U4 had a great ending.

 

but yeah I just like the TR games more. I find them more fun. personal preference I suppose? lol

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