Shadow of the Tomb Raider

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 63
  3. Negative: 2 out of 63
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  1. Edge Magazine
    Oct 11, 2018
    40
    Disjointed and directionless, Croft's descent into darkness is, shockingly, one hell of a mess. [December 2018, p.106]
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  2. Telegraph
    Sep 10, 2018
    40
    As a Tomb Raider game, as a coherent game in general, and as a narrative experience, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a startling fall from grace. A severe disappointment in a series that was previously going strong, and a sign that this version of Lara Croft might need to retire.
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  1. Eurogamer
    Sep 10, 2018
    Slick and overly downbeat, Lara's latest sees the reboot trilogy end just as it began.
  2. Kotaku
    Sep 10, 2018
    In this Tomb Raider, Lara Croft again shows signs of renewal, not as the gritty survivor we met in 2013, but as a more complex character who actually talks to the people she meets on her travels and understands the gravity of her actions.
  3. Mashable
    Sep 10, 2018
    Capitalizing on the franchise's best assets and tiptoeing around its flaws, Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes the latest imagining of our girl Lara out in style. From incredible graphics to artfully designed gameplay, Shadow of the Tomb Raider does not disappoint.
  5. The Jimquisition
    Sep 21, 2018
    Shadow of the Tomb Raider is fine. It’s simply okay, in a mundane way. While the previous games in the “reboot” continuity were great action adventures, this is predominantly a swimming simulator with a boring plot and dull backdrop...Also, the direction this game takes, with its lacking combat and focus on restrictive exploration, is a little baffling.
  6. Variety
    Sep 10, 2018
    Shadow of the Tomb Raider delivers stunning cinematics, evolved gameplay and a deep explorable world, but its narrative and portrayal of Lara Croft is ultimately at odds with the Croft that Eidos Montréal hinted at throughout the game, one that’s supposed to have found nuance in her place in the world.
  7. VG247
    Sep 10, 2018
    For all the savvy tweaks to combat and exploration, Shadow of the Tomb Raider unfortunately feels like an extremely long expansion pack, now with killer fish and face mud.
  8. Vice
    Sep 10, 2018
    No matter how much Lara changes in the course of this adventure, she's still an instrument of hegemony. This world remains a constructed fantasy, one designed specifically for her...Tomb Raider is and will always be Lara Croft’s playground. And as uninteresting and fundamentally regressive as Lara’s tale is, that’s the only story that this franchise can tell.

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018
25
#25 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2018

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1696 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 997 out of 1696
  2. Mixed: 475 out of 1696
  3. Negative: 224 out of 1696
  1. Yausari
    Sep 17, 2018
    4
    Why is this getting 10s and 9s? Maybe the fans of the series are not seeing the flaws, or maybe despite the flaws, they find this game thatWhy is this getting 10s and 9s? Maybe the fans of the series are not seeing the flaws, or maybe despite the flaws, they find this game that much enjoyable nonetheless. As someone who has completed the first two games, I find this quite disappointing.

    I mean, I see what were the developers going for. They put more "tomb raiding" and less shooting. And I don't know why people think this is a good thing. Why not more of both? There's no point of upgrading your weapons, you won't be using most of them. Tomb raiding side quest rewards you with combat moves or crafting materials which you rarely use.

    The game mechanics are so similar to the previous games. The only thing new about it is that Lara can camouflage herself by smearing mud all over herself. Don't expect that you'd be doing this quite often, you won't. The encounters with enemies are cut down by 3/4, at least. So, if you're looking for combat as it was advertised, (like a predator) those moments will be brief and you won't miss it.

    The animations are the same ones as the previous titles. I had hoped that they change the dodging animation. It's the same one since the first, crawling like an ape. If you're trying to get back to the roots, keep in mind that Lara is acrobatic, not a wild animal!

    I'm not finished with the flaws. At some point in the game, you are required to be in a specific outfit to talk to people. And this makes my blood boils. It's so annoying going back and forth to the camp just to change clothes. I hated this mechanic. Who thought this was a good idea? This was the worst thing about this game.

    I'm still not finish with the criticism. It's the story. I don't care that the characters are uninteresting. But it's about Lara. The first two game had moments where Lara just snapped, going berserk to seek out vengeance. And after that fallout, she had to deal with that transformation, by going all emotional. This is good and a believable transformation... the first time. There is no reason for this to happen again! She already killed a lot of people in the last two games. When are we going to see Lara Croft The Tomb Raider rather than Lara Croft "becoming" the Tomb raider?

    The good thing about this game. I did enjoy the stealth section, despite it being so brief.    … Full Review »
  2. LordSerjio
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    The best one of the Reboot Trilogy! Thank you Eidos! Beautiful Lara, amazing tombs (finally a lot of tombs). The best final for the trilogy
  3. OnlyOneHere
    Sep 14, 2018
    0
    This game is the worst Tomb Raider from the Reboot series. This is basically the developers attempt at making a critic bait 10/10 walkingThis game is the worst Tomb Raider from the Reboot series. This is basically the developers attempt at making a critic bait 10/10 walking simulator with a "deep" narrative. It failed to get any 10s, and the reason for that is the awful story. The physics are terrible and the pacing is horrendous. The puzzles are boring and the level design is bad. The lighting looks horrible compared to the previous installment. This game is just a cheap version of Uncharted 4.

    To make matters worse, there is no multiplayer. So once you beat the story, there is not a reason to touch this game again. Charging $60 for a game without replay value is a cashgrab. Speaking of cashgrab, the Co-op multiplayer is locked behind a paywall in the upcoming DLC. This is a greedy move from Square Enix. I recommend you wait for the game to drop to $10.before picking it up.    … Full Review »
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