Shadow of the Tomb Raider

 PlayStation 4
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
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  1. Bitek
    Jan 31, 2019
    10
    The best Tomb Raider in the series. PS4 Pro version shines with beautiful details and crisp graphics. If you enjoy Indian Jones movies and games like Uncharted and never had opportuinty to play Tomb Raider then now is the time to do it. The game sets dark , sinister tone right from the beginning. I really enjoy the game being set in south America. Mayan culture is exciting and it isThe best Tomb Raider in the series. PS4 Pro version shines with beautiful details and crisp graphics. If you enjoy Indian Jones movies and games like Uncharted and never had opportuinty to play Tomb Raider then now is the time to do it. The game sets dark , sinister tone right from the beginning. I really enjoy the game being set in south America. Mayan culture is exciting and it is beautifully depicted through out the game. Many puzzles, great combat , interesting story. This is really good game....by the way the game looks stunning on 4K TV in HDR mode.… Expand
  2. JohnTheGamer
    May 10, 2020
    10
    Amazing game. Playing on hardest difficulty is so fun.
    -story is better
    -tombs are better
    -graphics are better
    -Everything is better than previous 2 games.

    Best of the trilogy!
  3. wesker2012
    Dec 17, 2018
    10
    I was really impressed with this game after having low expectations for it because of critics scores. It was one of the best games I've ever played. The atmosphere, sound, puzzle solving, and jungle environment was one of the best I've experienced. It was the most fun I've had in awhile with a video game. I was glad that the hardest difficulty helped obscure the game hints regardingI was really impressed with this game after having low expectations for it because of critics scores. It was one of the best games I've ever played. The atmosphere, sound, puzzle solving, and jungle environment was one of the best I've experienced. It was the most fun I've had in awhile with a video game. I was glad that the hardest difficulty helped obscure the game hints regarding exploration and puzzles. I wish more games did that. I enjoyed the game so much, I ended with a 95% completion with the overworld map. The production quality was top notch and the game was so intense and engaging. The gameplay and controls were pretty much perfect too and became second nature. There were a very small amount of really annoying parts but they were few and far between the overall game. I'd recommend this game for exploration and puzzle solving lovers. The combat was also very minimal and the stealth takedowns were very fun and satisfying. I think this may be the best tomb raider game I ever played.… Expand
  4. phoeniix23
    Oct 2, 2018
    10
    Wow what a journey! I just finished this on Oct 1 at 100% completion and 95% trophies earned, which took about 30-40 hours with slow-medium gameplay.

    As a massive fanboy of Tomb Raider since 1996, this game gets a 10/10 from me. The gamer in me will give it an 8.5/10. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PLAYING THIS AT HIGH DIFFICULTY THE FIRST TIME, AND EXPLORE EXPLORE EXPLORE!! Pros: 1.    Wow what a journey! I just finished this on Oct 1 at 100% completion and 95% trophies earned, which took about 30-40 hours with slow-medium gameplay.

    As a massive fanboy of Tomb Raider since 1996, this game gets a 10/10 from me.

    The gamer in me will give it an 8.5/10.

    I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PLAYING THIS AT HIGH DIFFICULTY THE FIRST TIME, AND EXPLORE EXPLORE EXPLORE!!

    Pros:
    1. Stunning, beautiful graphics with excellent cutscenes.
    2. Fun puzzles to solve in Challenge Tombs.
    3. Immersive exploration, with open hubs instead of open world.
    4. Brilliant level designs. Tombs really feel oppressive and authentic.
    5. Shadow really captures the feel of Mayan/Incan/Aztec art and culture. I've always been enthralled by their history, with my favorite Mayan based movie being Apocalypto.
    6. This time round, the devs toned down on combat and focused more on exploration and puzzles instead which I really feel captured the essence of the original Tomb Raider in the 90s. Those games were hard!!
    7. Climbing and controlling Lara is intuitive. Feels natural and I actually enjoyed traversing/spelunking around the tombs. It doesn't feel as boring or mundane as the climbing in Uncharted for example. You'll really feel like an expert wall climber.
    8. I love the music used especially in the young Lara sequence and the credits.
    9. Story is engaging, especially if you collect all the lore items and read the notes in sequence.
    10. With the end of this trilogy, I cannot wait for the devs to bring Lara out of origins and into a full blown Tomb Raider dual pistol wielding mode. I hope they will hire talent to improve on writing, story flow and pacing to get to the levels of Uncharted/The Last of Us/Hellblade.

    Cons:
    1. They recommend turning on native language for immersion but I feel it's the opposite because Lara will be talking in English while NPCs will be talking in their native languages. I ended up turning it off so everyone's dialogue is in English accept for background conversations.
    2. They still haven't fixed examining objects for hidden clues. I need to turn on controller vibration each time because that's how the game allows you to detect the clues. Finding clues visually is an exercise in frustration.
    3. Background audio sometimes overlaps, cuts off or loops in the most immersion breaking manner.
    4. I cannot stand Jonah in this. STFU already with your, "Are you OK, Lara?". She's the friggin TOMB RAIDER. YES SHE'S OK JONAH. SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE SIGNED UP FOR. GET ON WITH THE PROGRAM. I feel that his character is redundant and useless. And how on earth is he always able to catch up to Lara?? He's no tomb raider obviously, yet somehow is able to find his way to Lara who had to go through climbing hell to get to places. Some writer out there must love his character so much to give him the spotligh in Rise, Shadow and even the comics. I would've preferred if they developed Sam Nishimura as a secondary character. That would've made more sense what with them being best friends in college and surviving a traumatic experience in Yamatai. I still don't know what happened between Lara and Sam. What a wasted narrative opportunity.
    5. Side missions MUST be improved the next time. It's very basic. To be fair, this is not a dedicated RPG like The Witcher/Skyrim/Fallout but if you're gonna include side quests, either go all in or remove them. Shallow fetch quests just spoil the whole experience. The gains in plot points did not justify the blandness of the side missions.
    6. Super long loading times, making fast travel a chore. I guess they'll patch this in the future. I hope.
    7. End of the world/save the world plot is getting stale. I really hope they improve their writing and narrative design for the next one.

    In conclusion, despite it's flaws, I absolutely enjoyed Shadow, and I really felt like a Tomb Raider.    … Expand
  5. chr1so
    Oct 21, 2019
    10
    Similar to RotTR (which was a 10 itself) but this one encourages a bit more exploring, and this one is a clear 10 as well. Graphics are superb, as is the gameplay and story. Loved it
  6. Deisler
    Nov 18, 2018
    10
    would this be a PS4 exklusice there would be 90s all around, i dont get this average reviews and user ratings, this game is a beast and compared to Uncharted Series its even better (better gameplay, better graphics) this game deserves better
  7. Leon2703
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    This is the best Tomb Raider yet. I have no idea why critics are being so tough on it. I will say that some things could be better (animations, hand-to-hand combat, etc), but the good outweighs the bad by a large margin. Honestly, this game is a solid 9,0 I did put 10 to push the score up a bit. But don't worry, this game is spectacular.
  8. lukeparkes26
    Sep 15, 2018
    10
    For me, ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’ takes everything from its predecessors and improves it all; gameplay is refined, and there’s additions that make it better; graphics are fantastic, the environment gorgeous, Lara stunning. Some of it took me back to Tomb Raider: Underworld, one of my favourite games of all-time, and much like TRU, Shadow ends on a satisfying note. Although it is the endFor me, ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’ takes everything from its predecessors and improves it all; gameplay is refined, and there’s additions that make it better; graphics are fantastic, the environment gorgeous, Lara stunning. Some of it took me back to Tomb Raider: Underworld, one of my favourite games of all-time, and much like TRU, Shadow ends on a satisfying note. Although it is the end of Lara’s origin story, I can see many more adventures with her — and until then, we can just play the games, including Shadow, which has high replayability.… Expand
  9. Voodoo123
    Sep 21, 2018
    10
    The game mechanics in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider have been nicely refined this time around with noticeable increase in quality of the visuals/ story/ soundtrack / increased scenario variety. Prepare to embark on an epic indiana jones style journey with a welcome focus on rpg / tomb raiding and far less shooting / killing than I expected going in! Hands down the best in the trilogy. If youThe game mechanics in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider have been nicely refined this time around with noticeable increase in quality of the visuals/ story/ soundtrack / increased scenario variety. Prepare to embark on an epic indiana jones style journey with a welcome focus on rpg / tomb raiding and far less shooting / killing than I expected going in! Hands down the best in the trilogy. If you enjoyed TR 2013 and Rise OTT's outing's then shadow is a must have.… Expand
  10. ps4lover
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    Man, this game is amazing like first one and Rise of the Tomb Raider.. Lara Croft is amazing character.. gameplay, stealth and graphic are great.. tomb challenge are fun to explore and solve puzzles. ai enemies are kinda dumb but that's okay. Nice job Eidos Montreal..
  11. Rwmfilm85
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    Not sure why the critics are giving this game lower scores. The gameplay and story is what you have come to expect in this reboot origins trilogy. It finishes this story told across 3 games in a solid satisfying manner. If you liked the gameplay/mechanics of the first two, you'll be satisfied with them in this one. I don't think this game will win over any converts, but I don't thinkNot sure why the critics are giving this game lower scores. The gameplay and story is what you have come to expect in this reboot origins trilogy. It finishes this story told across 3 games in a solid satisfying manner. If you liked the gameplay/mechanics of the first two, you'll be satisfied with them in this one. I don't think this game will win over any converts, but I don't think that's the point by now. So I'd say if you enjoyed the first two, you'll enjoy this one, regardless of the critics' metecritic score.… Expand
  12. Lanark
    Sep 18, 2018
    10
    Beautiful, Gorgeous game, one of the best action adventures around, well done Square Enix, I will know not to pay attention to the obvious Far Left SJW pseudo Journalist reviews of the Vine, Polygon and Telegraph again, or I would have missed out on a fantastic game, they just seem to exist to whine and preach far left ideology trying to taint and destroy everything, didn't any one tellBeautiful, Gorgeous game, one of the best action adventures around, well done Square Enix, I will know not to pay attention to the obvious Far Left SJW pseudo Journalist reviews of the Vine, Polygon and Telegraph again, or I would have missed out on a fantastic game, they just seem to exist to whine and preach far left ideology trying to taint and destroy everything, didn't any one tell them its just a game, a piece of entertainment?… Expand
  13. leviathanarg
    Feb 4, 2019
    10
    Loved the game.
    Beautiful graphics and sound.
    I enjoyed exploration and solving the tombs.
    I wasn't sure to buy the game because of mixed and bad reviews. I am happy i did buy it.
    Thank you to the feds for such a great game.
  14. SteauaFortza
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    This is going to be legen......wait for it.....dary, legendary!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  15. dypsomaniart
    Feb 16, 2019
    10
    I've played every tomb raider (yes I'm old), this is up there with the best.
    This game really brought back the feeling of the much earlier titles where it was all about the exploration and adventure.
    I was awed by many of the environments, crypts and tombs, simply stunning visually. The puzzles were entertaining and did require some thought, while I would have liked it to be harder, they    I've played every tomb raider (yes I'm old), this is up there with the best.
    This game really brought back the feeling of the much earlier titles where it was all about the exploration and adventure.
    I was awed by many of the environments, crypts and tombs, simply stunning visually. The puzzles were entertaining and did require some thought, while I would have liked it to be harder, they need to cater to all levels, and I think it was well handled and still satisfying.
    I really enjoyed the main story, and putting together all the pieces of the stories from the scattered clues added to the plot in a valuable way. The acting and voice acting was fantastic.
    Playing in 60fps on ps4 pro was also extremely nice!
    Overall I had a great experience playing this game, and couldn't wait to get back to it after work. After slogging through Red dead redemption 2 for a month, this game was like a breath of beautiful fresh air.    … Expand
  16. Byrne2020
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    Gotta say that this is an amazing game. The graphics are beautiful and the story is a little bit over the top but really fun. Exploration is amazing as usual with this series. A must buy.
  17. Rimon97
    Sep 24, 2018
    10
    10/10 easy. A masterpiece and anything a Tomb Raider fan could have ask for. Old Tomb Raider fans will be very happy with this one.
  18. igator
    Jan 14, 2019
    10
    I loved this game. Firstly, I thought that different developer means that the game will be different or even worse. But that is not the case! Eidos Montreal is an amazing team. They achieved excellent results. SotTR reminded me a lot of TR Anniversary as well as TR II and TR III. Beautiful locations, solid story, very interesting and atmospheric tombs.
    They improved quite a few things in    I loved this game. Firstly, I thought that different developer means that the game will be different or even worse. But that is not the case! Eidos Montreal is an amazing team. They achieved excellent results. SotTR reminded me a lot of TR Anniversary as well as TR II and TR III. Beautiful locations, solid story, very interesting and atmospheric tombs.
    They improved quite a few things in comparison with the previous game (RotTR). It concerns:
    1) quality of the foliage, which became a lot better;
    2) interaction with the foliage is more advanced too;
    3) Lara model and some other major models are a bit more enhanced;
    4) water quality is much better;
    5) tombs and crypts became more sophisticated;
    6) some in-game animations (like Lara's movements in certain positions) are better, more real;
    6) AA is higher quality.
    This game really knows a lot about shadows, as they are a big part of it. And the quality of shadows is great.
    Combat is as good as it was before, they didn't change it much, just reduced the quantity of action scenes in favour of exploration. There are many things to explore: outstanding locations, a lot of challenge tombs, more advanced crypts (than in RotTR), many side quests.
    I loved the soundtrack too. It presents great feeling of presence.
    The game has different pace, than the two previous TR games. There are a few action scenes, but it relies more on exploration thing. I am not sure that this pace is better, but I think the devs arranged it well. They've succeeded in making this game interesting and compelling.
    SotTR might not be the best action-adventure game of all times, but it definitely deserves praise, respect and admiration.

    I would like to add, that Square Enix, unlike some other publishers (Activision and Rockstar, for instance), do really care about the quality of their games. So the devs (EM) were able to eliminate all the major flaws of the game - big input lag and some other bugs. Blur intensity is fine. So the game plays perfect, as smooth as silk and does not distract player with any substantial issues.
    I also would like to thank developers for the top notch PS4 Pro optimization. They achieved 1872p and rock solid framerate (there are few dips only during some cut-scenes). Excellent job! If I had not known that this is multiplatfom game, I would be sure it is PS4 exclusive, as the optimization for Sony console is really smart.

    So taking into account all the factors, in my humble opinion, SotTR deserves 10 out of 10. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you, Eidos Montreal, for the opportunity to play this game. I really hope TR franchise will continue to evolve and please it's fans and admirers with new, more and more exquisite, thorough and refined games.    … Expand
  19. Lyvione
    Jun 11, 2022
    10
    Lara, bow and arrow, jungles, tombs, great story, splendid gameplay, did i forget LARA. An eazy 10/10
  20. harlota
    Sep 16, 2019
    10
    I thought at first that it was like an expansion pack for the last game and, seeing the scores, I postponed playing it. But, once I started playing it, it greatly exceeded my expectations and I loved every minute of it. I actually believe it's the best of the series. 10 out of 10
  21. Tenacidad963
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    La continuación de Tomb Raider es un buen juego. Esta vez busca diferenciarse más de la saga de Uncharted de la cual esta estigmatizada con su primer juego del 2013. En esta ocasión la bella Lara Croft es más letal mostrando como se convierte en la heroína que se recuerda de los juegos de hace veinte años. Aunque, la aventura se desarrolla en Latinoamérica. Que es una forma de rememorar loLa continuación de Tomb Raider es un buen juego. Esta vez busca diferenciarse más de la saga de Uncharted de la cual esta estigmatizada con su primer juego del 2013. En esta ocasión la bella Lara Croft es más letal mostrando como se convierte en la heroína que se recuerda de los juegos de hace veinte años. Aunque, la aventura se desarrolla en Latinoamérica. Que es una forma de rememorar lo de las primeras aventuras de la Lara Croft clásica. Se observa que hay NPC´s que hablan en idioma de la región, ya sea castellano o quechua por ejemplo. Otro aspecto que resalta más es la opción de ajustar la dificultad de la historia, los puzles, los enfrentamientos, y la exploración. Esto hace que el juego pueda ser más versátil.

    En la jugabilidad se prioriza el sigilo. Aunque, pudo mejorar en las misiones secundarias y no poner las misiones de recadero, pero es un placer jugar con Lara.

    In English
    The continuation of Tomb Raider is a good game. This time it seeks to differentiate itself from the Uncharted saga of which it is stigmatized with its first game of 2013. This time the beautiful Lara Croft is more lethal showing how she becomes the heroine that is remembered from the games of twenty years ago. Although, the adventure takes place in Latin America. This is a way of recalling the first adventures of the classic Lara Croft. It is observed that there are NPCs that speak in the language of the region, be it Spanish or Quechua for example. Another aspect that stands out more is the option to adjust the difficulty of the story, the puzzles, the confrontations, and the exploration. This makes the game more versatile.

    In the gameplay, stealth is prioritized. Although, it could improve in the secondary missions and not to put the missions of messenger, but it is a pleasure to play with Lara.    … Expand
  22. PabloTA
    Sep 13, 2018
    10
    The game of the year without doubt!! This game is very underrated unfortunately
  23. Paulo969
    Dec 5, 2018
    10
    O melhor Tomb Raider ate hoje e o jogo que mais respeitou a essencia do original. Isto é um tomb raider para os fãs e nao para os que procurarm um spin off do call of duty. 90% exploraçao, 10% combate. Cenarios incriveis , imensos coletaveis , 30 horas de jogo, esta tudo aqui para tornar este jogo um autentico classico.
  24. arcofadiver
    Nov 24, 2018
    10
    I will echo others who have said not to believe the negative reviews! I almost abandoned the game an hour or two in because I thought it was inferior to the first two installments of the trilogy and going to be a slog to get through. But luckily I stuck with it through its slow start and was rewarded with far and away the best segment of the series. Full marks and kudos to the team behindI will echo others who have said not to believe the negative reviews! I almost abandoned the game an hour or two in because I thought it was inferior to the first two installments of the trilogy and going to be a slog to get through. But luckily I stuck with it through its slow start and was rewarded with far and away the best segment of the series. Full marks and kudos to the team behind this game!

    It's true that there is significantly less combat in this one and in the first two hours, what combat there is, felt clunky and unsatisfying. But stick with it - the game slowly becomes the most immersive, beautiful, interesting Tomb Raider yet. Stunning, vast worlds and intriguing exploration - and all skillfully executed.

    The tombs are plentiful and have a satisfying degree of difficulty that can be tailored to your taste by selecting the level of hints from none to maximum. There are additional skills and maneuvers that are really fun and the combat eventually becomes engaging and challenging.

    Yes this is an evolution not a revolution but the familiar feels great and the graphics are so much better than the first two, that the world completely sucks you in. I grew to prefer the balance in this one of more exploration and tombs than combat .

    If you're looking for a first person shooter - look elsewhere. If you're looking for one of the best immersive adventure games available on PS4 look no further. Do not miss this one if you are a Tomb Raider fan.    … Expand
  25. TheSnitchfather
    Sep 14, 2018
    10
    10/10 easily.
    Best one out of the reboot trilogy, simple as that. Rottr was also great, but this is even better. Got the Croft Edition and wasn't disappointed at all. Let's be honest, most people who cry about graphics are people who should be watching movies instead of playing video games. It's about experience and fun, not about how "real" a game looks. This game sacrifices    10/10 easily.
    Best one out of the reboot trilogy, simple as that. Rottr was also great, but this is even better. Got the Croft Edition and wasn't disappointed at all. Let's be honest, most people who cry about graphics are people who should be watching movies instead of playing video games. It's about experience and fun, not about how "real" a game looks. This game sacrifices Uncharted-style graphics for gameplay, while Uncharted did the exact opposite.    … Expand
  26. bear00766
    Jul 17, 2020
    10
    el juego es genial mejoro las mecánicas de los juegos anteriores cierra muy bien la trilogía
  27. pwm
    Feb 8, 2021
    10
    I loved this game. As good as it gets for adventure games, right up there with the Uncharted series.
  28. gabrievin
    Sep 12, 2018
    10
    Simply the best adventure of Lara Croft so far. If you have played the previous ones, know that this is a great homage to the classics, in addition to following the tradition of quality that came with the reboot. Be sure to play!
  29. FrostyFeet97
    Feb 6, 2019
    10
    I bought this game little bit later and I wasnt disapointed. The graphics are stunning, story is well written, game mechanics are working greatly. This game far exceeded my expectation.I like how the stealth is implemented. Overally really great game!
  30. CtrlAlt
    Sep 18, 2018
    10
    I'm at 40% through. High Difficulty settings. Taking my time and enjoying the sights. It's a great touch to hear native languages and learn about the various artifacts and lore. I'm a fan of both TR and Uncharted, and this scratches the itch very well.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 11, 2019
    60
    Shallow story aside, Shadow of the Tomb Raider has the best tomb exploration in the series, and that’s what it’s all about.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 31, 2018
    60
    Still very good, but in some ways weaker than the previous game. Still, fans shouldn’t miss it, just because it is the conclusion of the trilogy. [Issue#289]
  3. Gaming Nexus
    Oct 22, 2018
    74
    Shadow of the Tomb Raider should leave us wanting more from the rebooted Lara Croft game, but with some clunky controls and a lazy combat system, what saves the game from being below average are beautiful visuals, fantastic puzzles and tomb layouts along with true adventuring. It’s as mixed up of a bag as one can get.
    Read full review
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