"Shadow of the Tomb Raider meaningfully wraps up the journey Lara began in 2013"
The iconic archaeologist, Lara Croft, is back in the latest instalment of the Tomb Raider franchise.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third title of the rebooted series.
Square Enix, the publishers, confirmed in March that a sequel to Rise of the Tomb Raider was in the works.
This game will centre around Latin America as Lara searches for the lost city of Paititi.
British actress, Camilla Luddington will reprise her role, providing voice and motion-capture for Lara, having done so in the previous two reboot games.
Crystal Dynamics who were the major developers in the previous two games have taken on minor developing duties, whilst Eidos Montreal has now taken over the major role.
Premise
Two months following the events of Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara sets out to the ancient city of Paititi in search of a Mayan relic.
A relic that has ties to her late father, Lord Richard Croft.
Also, seeking out the relic is the Order of the Trinity. An evil militant organisation that dates back to the 10th Century, who specialise in the supernatural.
The organisation proved to be a handful in the previous game.
During the search for the relic, Lara inadvertently triggers a Mayan Apocalypse. Her journey now becomes a race to stop the end of the world whilst taking down the Trinity.
Daniel Chayyer-Bisson, the senior game director states:
“She will have to use everything she learns from the jungle and use it, in order to survive.”
Paititi
An ancient map that describes the location of Paititi.
Paititi is the lost city of the Inca Empire in South America.
It is said that it lies hidden somewhere in the Amazon. On the east side of the Andes, southeast of Peru, north of Bolivia or southwest of Brazil.
In 2001, a report of a missionary, Andres Lopez, was discovered in the archives of the Jesuits in Rome by an Italian archaeologist, Mario Polia.
A document which dates back the 1600s, it described a city located in a tropical jungle that is rich in gold, silver and jewels. The natives called it Paititi.
Lopez informed the Pope and some conspiracy theories say the Vatican kept Paititi’s location a secret.
The remote location and the mountain areas make the city difficult to find. Not to mention the drug trafficking and illegal logging in the area.
Many explorers have died whilst searching for the “Lost City of Gold”.
The Gameplay
Players take on the role of Lara Croft as she takes her expedition to South America and fights Trinity.
The controls are identical to the previous games with a few additional features.
The game’s hub is largest in the franchise, offering gamers more to explore and more achieve.
Whilst following the main narrative, the player can venture off into side missions and learn about Paititi.
There are many tombs to discover throughout the journey, more than the previous games which mean more puzzles to crack.
A new feature in the game is its barter system which allows Lara to trade weapons and resources to aid her.
A new stealth feature allows Lara to disengage from combat, hide and camouflage.
The swimming controls have been reworked as Lara can hold her breath longer underwater with the addition of air pockets.
It looks as though this game will offer the most any Tom Raider game has ever done before!
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Gameplay from Square Enix’s Press Conference at E3 2018:
A Recap
The reboot trilogy began in 2013 after a five-year hiatus from the previous Tomb Raider trilogy, though a spin-off series was released.
It began with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010) and then the sequel Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (2014).
These games are not a part of the Tomb Raider brand and therefore have no effect on the narrative of the main series.
The new series is not like the previous games in terms of gameplay.
With its inclusion of survival mechanics, combat and a new firearms control system, it offers a new and grittier experience for Tomb Raider fans.
Tomb Raider (2013)
Tomb Raider (2013) kicks off the new reboot with a different style of gameplay to its predecessors. Lara and her team set out to discover the mystery of the Japanese island of Yamatai.
It heavily focused on survival with Lara fighting for her life as she becomes stranded on the island after a storm wrecks their ship.
Whilst there, the Solarii Brotherhood cult kidnap Lara’s friend, Sam to sacrifice to the Queen Himiko, a shamanistic Goddess who controls the weather.
Lara would handcraft a bow and salvage weapons and other items to aid her as she fights off the Solarii Brotherhood and rescues Sam.
It wouldn’t be “Tomb Raider” without any tombs. The player can also explore hidden tombs with puzzles to be solved in order to retrieve the treasures that lie within.
The game was critically acclaimed with many praising the graphics, narrative and Lara’s development.
As of November 2017, the game has sold 11 million copies worldwide making it the best-selling Tomb Raider game.
A Tomb Raider film was released in 2018 of the same name, loosely based on this game.
It starred Alicia Vikander in the titular role with no connection to the 2001 and 2003 Angelina Jolie films.
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
The second title of the trilogy, Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), takes place a year after the events of Tomb Raider (2013).
Lara, now suffering from PTSD and is struggling to convince people about her experiences in Yamatai.
She discovers her father’s research on the lost city of Kitezh and sets out to find and explore its secrets of immortality. She organises an expedition to Syria to find clues at the tomb of the Prophet of Constantinople.
Whilst there, she encounters the militant organisation, Trinity who are also trying to discover Kitezh.
With clues leading to Siberia, Lara races against Trinity to uncover discover Kitezh before they do and stop them from using its power for world domination.
Rise maintains the gameplay from the previous title with some additional features. The player can explore the tombs situated around Siberia which unlock different skills and outfits.
This game was also critically claimed for its graphics, gameplay and character development. It has sold 7 million copies worldwide by November 2017.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) Reviews
It looks as though this instalment is another hit with reviews rolling with positivity by critics.
Though some of the mechanics have remained the same, it’s narrative, gameplay and character development again do not disappoint!
Lucy O’Brien of IGN praised the amount the game makers designed for us. She said:
“A bigger world, higher stakes, and an unexpected spin on Lara Croft’s character make Shadow of the Tomb Raider the most ambitious of the modern trilogy.”
“Shadow of the Tomb Raider meaningfully wraps up the journey Lara began in 2013 and convincingly leaves her in a place resembling where she was when we were first introduced to her more than 20 years ago.”
Robin Baird of Gamespace.com was bursting with excitement. She said:
“Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the best game in this trilogy and was well worth the wait.”
“I’ve been trying to hold myself back with gushing about all the things so I don’t spoil it for everyone, but seriously this game is a masterpiece.”
Gabe Gurwin of Digital Trends said:
“Exciting from the title screen to the closing credits, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a tremendous thrill ride.”
It’s the definitive final chapter for story threads we’ve been following since 2013’s game but also leaves the door open for more adventures in the future. We’ve got our fingers crossed that this isn’t Lara’s last hurrah.”
Watch the Trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider:
Without a doubt, Lara Croft is an icon. One of the most loved female protagonists in video game history.
Many are even calling her the greatest female video game character of all time.
The character holds a Guinness World Record for the “most recognized female video game character.”
The latest Tomb Raider series continues Lara’s legacy as the games continue to smash records and reach millions worldwide.
Possibly the final chapter in this series, Shadow promises a larger platform with plenty of action to keep the player engaged.
With the consistency of the of the jaw-dropping graphics, the narrative and the gameplay, the game should still be able to keep your hands glued to the controller.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider releases 14th September 2018.
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