GamesRadar+ Verdict
Pros
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Lara Croft is a believable badass
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Wonderful
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varied setting
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An excellent sense of pacing
Cons
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Side characters are dull stereotypes
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Has a slow start
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Definitive Edition offers few upgrades
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Lara Croft is dead. This time, she was ripped apart by wolves. Death has also 🐈come in a variety of other forms: boulders, bear traps, spikes to the throat--each over-the-top execution a display of vulnerability. These shocking moments are heavy-handed with their message, but it comes across loud and clear: Lara Croft, the new Lara Croft, isn't a pistol-wielding superhero. She's an inexperienced adventurer caught in the middle of a harrowing sequence of events. The only thing more surprising than the brutality Lara endures during Crystal Dynamic's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Tomb Raider reboot is just how polished the whole experience is--now even more shiny in the Definitive Edition. Tomb ꦺRaider is still a fantastic game and an excellent origin story for one of gaming's original treasure seekers. If you've already played and finished the game, either skip to the end for my verdict on the PS4 / XO Definitive Edition, or check out the new boxout, which details all the fresh features in the game. New to 'Raider? Read on...
After getting shipwrecked on a mysterious island during her first-ever archaeology expedition, Lara finds herself in one life-or-death situation after another. Her crew is missing, and the island's cult-like inhabitants are eager to kill her. The narrative's💎 dark, distressing tone is established right from the start, and never once does it stray during Tomb Raider's 15-hour campaign. This consistency builds a great deal of tension and intrigue, and you'll be eager to keep playing to see what happens next.
Throughout the game, you're tasked with solving elaborate puzzles and taking on sporadic groups of enemies; in addition to plenty of platforming and exploration. After you finish Tomb Raider's long-winded tutorial, it easily rivals the best Uncharted has to offer--and that's not a claim made lightly. Where Uncharted props itself up on ✨Nathan Drake's charm, platforming prowess, and ability to shoot dudes in the head without getting bummed out, Tomb Raider's foundation is one of excellent pacing, and an ominous story of survival.
The development of Lara's character is an integral part of that experience. She's a far cry from the stylish adventurer you used to know. In the stead of a dolled up gunslinger is a do-what-it-takes female lead who's intelligent and capable. It's unsettling to watch her brave some truly disturbing situations--at times, Tomb Raider is more survival horror than action adventure--but she deals with it because death is the only alternative, culminating in her gratifying evolution from a green explorer to a seasoned survivor. It's a shame that caliber of character development doesn't extend to the supporting cast. Her shipwrecked f💙riends are pretty generic characters who, while rarely annoying, just aren't memorable.
But what those characters lack in magnetism is more than made up for by the incredible personality and mystery of the island setting. It's a bizarre place filled with ancient shrines, World War II-era bunkers, and all sorts of relics and trinkets spanning multiple centuries. It's always clear that something strange is going on, and the island's secrets tease you right up until the very end. You explore a huge variety of environments, sectioned off into hub-like zones, all of which give clues that help ♋you uncovering the island's overall enigma. From underground ruins and snow-laden mountain tops to l﷽ush forests and grim oceanside cliffs, no one area ever feels like a rehash of another, and the sheer amount of detail in each is impressive.
So, you want to know about The Definitive Edition on PS4 and Xbox One? Well, for starters the game looks prettier. Not massively better, but better nonetheless. The f💖rame-rate is higher and more consistent, making combat and platforming feel smoother. The Lara character model has been reworked, and her hair now flops about more realistically. Looks nice, but adds nothing to the game. Voice commands now let you access the map, and change weapons, while audio diaries now play through PS4's controller speaker. Unfortunately, there's no way to stop them playing through the TV too, so you get an awful echoing effect.