Tomb Raider

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1278 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,098 out of 1278
  2. Mixed: 95 out of 1278
  3. Negative: 85 out of 1278
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  1. HDFR
    Jun 17, 2013
    4
    For a game with so much hype surrounding character portrayal the supporting cast is weak. Sassy black chick serves as the critical voice to all the Lara’s concerns over the islands supernatural qualities. Cute Chinese girl functions as a plot device by being kidnapped like athat guy who always disappears in The Hangover films. Large framed and even larger hearted Hawaiian guy keepsFor a game with so much hype surrounding character portrayal the supporting cast is weak. Sassy black chick serves as the critical voice to all the Lara’s concerns over the islands supernatural qualities. Cute Chinese girl functions as a plot device by being kidnapped like athat guy who always disappears in The Hangover films. Large framed and even larger hearted Hawaiian guy keeps everyone’s spirits up while the island’s indigenous shower them all with fire based projectiles. The supporting cast is a too wide and nobody gets enough screen time or engaging dialogue to make a real presence, the main protagonist included. Lara isn’t well fleshed out either. She displays brief turmoil following her first kill, but she soon goes on to find new and outlandish ways to expose the inner craniums of hundreds more men without showing any further remorse or having the excuse of being drugged up to the eye balls like Far Cry 3’s Jason Brody. The writers attempt to book end the narrative with mournful references to her dead dad, but everything in between reads like the script of your average cookie cutter action flick.

    A lot of the narrative’s credibility has been tied to the portraying of Lara in a vulnerable light, but this doesn’t instantly make for thoughtful characterizing. If someone rewrote Mansfield Park and recast Fanny Price as a busty gun toting whore I doubt it’d be met with such appraisal, or perhaps it would; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did alright, but I digress. While we’re talking literature, it’s worth mentioning that Tomb Raider attempts to embellish it’s narrative with collectable diaries and documents la Bioshock, but they don’t embellish it so much as contain every scrap of what could have made this story interesting. Additionally they’re so monotonously voiced and lengthy that players are like to harvest them for xp and swiftly move on. In further regard to the vulnerability aspect of Lara, it’s a tone that fails to resonate when she’s brushing off twenty foot drops every few seconds like some sort of human bouncy ball.

    Average writing aside game play isn‘t particularly jaw dropping, not to say that it‘s altogether poor as it functions fluidly, but remains uninspired. The box art is tag lined “A survivor is born” although survival elements are sparse. An opening tutorial has Lara murder and cook Bambi for nourishment. Later a heavily injured Lara has to abandon aggressive modes of combat, instead making use of throw able objects, bow kills and takedowns. However such scenarios were gimmicky and fleeting when instead they could have been more intricate and permanent features.

    More often or not oppurtunities to employ stealth are scripted and conclude with forced fire fights in which players need to hunker down in the same spot to pick off foes from behind cover. You can’t give a player the option to approach combat in their way for so long only to snatch it away. That’s like being invited to a dinner party where the first two courses are comprised of lobster and caviar, but turns out that desserts a massive un-optional sandwich.

    A.I isn’t too intelligent, take out one enemy by yanking him with rope and arrow from a platform and his buddy two feet away will assume they’ve went for a spontaneous paraglide session. Enemies endlessly gravitate towards flammable barrels like they were full of winning lottery tickets and the island’s rigged with more explosives than a Wile. E. Coyote cartoon so combat soon becomes pretty, but stale.

    Environments make impressive use of vertical spaces, but routes for dispatching enemies are persistently linear. Camera angles are occasionally an issue in woodland areas resulting in the player’s view being obscured by more shrubbery than if they were being tea bagged by a tree beard from Lord of the Rings. Woefully enemies can make better use of the vertical spaces than the player during combat and anytime the opportunity to perform impressive manoeuvres arises the game has the nasty habit of cutting to a cinematic or QTE, alarmed that the players satisfaction levels may be spiking.

    Out with combat, tomb raiding is optional activity and when the ’tombs’, read ‘small caves’, are encountered they’re usually preceded by long needless crawls towards an area containing remarkably simple puzzles. The purpose of these is supposedly to give the player a long look at Lara’s arse so there goes you feminist angle.

    The undeniably present lack of free will displayed in the game’s set pieces leads to the theory that it may have been Crystal Dynamic’s wish to produce a Tomb Raider movie. The abundant use of slow motion, cut-aways and the way the screen goes film noir when Lara takes damage would certainly suggest so. This in mind here’s the alternative to buying the game. Watch one of the old Angelina Jolie films with controller in hand and press the trigger every time Lara wastes some guy.    … Expand
  2. Caste
    Jun 14, 2013
    9
    Very nice reboot over the Tomb raider franchise.

    It's like a mix between uncharted and batman franchises, picking the best of their latest games.
    The story is entertaining, the exploration and secrets are interesting enough to look for them and technically it's top notch.

    Quite recommendable!
  3. stephenmumbles
    Jun 9, 2013
    2
    I remember playing the old Tomb Raider games on the first Playstation, they were great, adventurous, etc etc. You know what I'm talking about...I heard great things about this one and was excited to see what it had to offer.

    The game starts out with a wreck, and you have to pretty much escape it and find your crew. To do so, you have to do a whole lot of slow crawling through cracks,    I remember playing the old Tomb Raider games on the first Playstation, they were great, adventurous, etc etc. You know what I'm talking about...I heard great things about this one and was excited to see what it had to offer.

    The game starts out with a wreck, and you have to pretty much escape it and find your crew. To do so, you have to do a whole lot of slow crawling through cracks, slow climbing, slow swimming under stuff and through water...out of caves, etc. My little brother was watching me play that part and asked me how it was. I told him the truth, I said "it's boring right now, very boring...but this is just the opening sequences, so I'm sure it'll pick up after I find my crew".

    I was wrong...

    Turns out the entire game is finding your crew and being stuck on this island. Meaning the environment never changes, the tasks never change, and well...there are a whole lot of very long cut scenes that do most of the work.

    As for action, I could probably count the number of bullets I used on one hand. I spent a lot of time trying to upgrade my weapons, for the best gameplay experience. And turns out it was a waste of time. The upgrades are there just to distract you from the fact that you're not doing much of anything in the game. Finding paths to certain places and whatnot isn't tough, and there are a few "puzzle" type moments that are not difficult at all (by 'not difficult' i mean compared to a game that exists in the same world as the very challenging puzzle game "portal").
    All that is really left to do is explore the world and find stuff, right? Well, no, not really...you run out of special abilities to upgrade to, and one is an ability that reveals every cave entrance/diamond/pretty much everything on your map for you. And when you're running around it makes stuff glow on your screen so you can find it, too...taking away the need to explore. So what's left to make the game enjoyable? Nothing...

    Overall this was the single most boring game I've ever played. The cut scenes were intriguing though, I'll give it that...even if they were very very long. And it's nice to see Laura become the Tomb Raider we all know and love. But, if they really wanted to make a cut scene oriented origin story, then I think they should've just made an animated series instead and then released a 'real' game for us to play.    … Expand
  4. Buds_McGreen
    Jun 9, 2013
    9
    Okay enough with the Uncharted comparisons critics, sheesh. Tomb Raider is one of the finest platformers to come out in some time and it definitely stands on it's own. You take control of a young Lara Croft who get's stranded along with her ship mates on a (supposedly) deserted island. There is a legend surrounding the history of the island, and let's just say that the story throughout theOkay enough with the Uncharted comparisons critics, sheesh. Tomb Raider is one of the finest platformers to come out in some time and it definitely stands on it's own. You take control of a young Lara Croft who get's stranded along with her ship mates on a (supposedly) deserted island. There is a legend surrounding the history of the island, and let's just say that the story throughout the game is very solid and keeps you guessing. When Lara starts out, she seems a little frail and apprehensive. However once you navigate a few caverns, collect some loot and hone your hunting skills, Lara quickly turns into the fierce killing tigress that she was always meant to be. Collecting and then upgrading weapons is fun and eventually you'll feel like a genuine bad-azz, dispatching the local thugs with ease and. Speaking of the thugs, they can seem slightly repetitive after a while, but I'm just glad Crystal Dynamics stretched the campaign out as long as they did. In a day and age where COD games routinely release with puny 4 hour campaigns, Tomb Raider is fairly lengthy.
    The console versions have great graphics, but the PC version with Tress FX enabled is truly a sight to behold. When this game ends you will be sad. It really sucks to see the ending to one of the best platformers in the genre, and Lara's tight little body will burn a place in your memory until the next Tombs need a Raidin'..
    P.S.
    Sorry if the last sentence in my review seems slightly pervy or whatever, it's my first review.    … Expand
  5. pkstormy
    Jun 8, 2013
    9
    I bought this game (along with DIshonored, Far Cry 3, Halo 4, Bioshock Infinite, Call do Duty Black Ops 2, Call of Juarez Ginslinger, Tom Clancy Future soldier, and Medal of Honor Warfighter, along with a few others). I like Tomb Raider (so far) for what it is versus anything others think it should be. Tomb Raider is like Far Cry 3 but a little more puzzle-based (especially figuring outI bought this game (along with DIshonored, Far Cry 3, Halo 4, Bioshock Infinite, Call do Duty Black Ops 2, Call of Juarez Ginslinger, Tom Clancy Future soldier, and Medal of Honor Warfighter, along with a few others). I like Tomb Raider (so far) for what it is versus anything others think it should be. Tomb Raider is like Far Cry 3 but a little more puzzle-based (especially figuring out the right combo of buttons, stick movement), easier to kill foes, and a more linear based story. I dislike Halo 4 other than the breathtaking graphics. I play Black Ops 2, future soldier and gunslinger when I'm in a shooter mood with a little variety. But those times when I want a game similar to those games, but with more puzzle solving and less shooting and something more "simple", linear, Tomb Raider definitely solves the craving. It's a game that can leave you stuck on a section until you can get down the correct timing of pushing buttons on the remote versus stuck because of any strategic difficulty or killing of foe. i like this. All the games I've mentioned are worthy games I will never regret buying. Tomb Raider though is the one Game i play when it fits the right craving. I like the simple upgrading, the camp ground as the "shop" to do everything, the fire/torch to add a new twist, the ability to skip long sequences (although skipping them can leave a bit of initial confusion on what to do). There were a few frustrating times when the game didn't respond to the joystick movement which meant replaying a short (thankfully not long) kill sequence but this is really minor for a well done game which has kept me busy for several days already. I initially thought it might be a great game for my 10 year old niece but the deer hunting/gutting were a small, small amount of upsetting for a 10 year old (she likes fable 3). This game is fun and it's a game I enjoy playing for a few hours before switching to another. The graphics were slightly less sharp than I wish (I really like Far Cry 3). Since both games have a very, very high radio tower to climb, you can see the difference when climbing to the top (Far Cry 3 will leave you breathless). For the $30 I payed for Tomb Raider on demand, it was definitely worth the money for the entertainment so far even if the story does drag on a bit and there are some lengthy cut-scenes. Still, it's like watching a descent adventure movie where I get to make a difference and solve some puzzles along the way that are not so horribly difficult that I can't come back to the game and eventually figure them out (unlike Metro 2033 and some other games where I get frustrated enough to put the game on the shelf until I have time to google how to solve the part I'm stuck on). Tomb Raider did a really nice job of taking an old, worn character and give her new life with a now 3rd person enjoyable game that makes you feel things that you should feel when playing this kind of game (i really dislike the older tomb raider style games). Like Far Cry 3, they did a lot of things right with this game which far out-weigh any minor flaws. I just wish they had done a little better with some of the graphics. They are like "almost" great but slightly shy of being mouth dropping awesome. Some scenes are worth seeing in the game while others seem to be average typical in a game.… Expand
  6. le_one
    Jun 7, 2013
    10
    This is huge. The graphics are stunning and the story just as great. Surviving, defeating enemies and collecting documents and improving weapons have never been more interesting! This is Lara's greatest adventure and the best Tomb Raider to date.
  7. oscarreviews
    Jun 1, 2013
    9
    this game is great!, we finally get to see how lara becomes the adventurer she is today, the story is engaging, combat is excellent, platforms are also great, puzzles are good not too hard but not too easy, i really liked this game! awesome characters, great accion, voice acting is great too, if you have not bought this game yet i recommend that you should
  8. TonySum41
    May 31, 2013
    10
    I have been a fan since the original Tomb Raider on the Playstation One. This new installment really hit the mark. The story is great, the characters are very well developed. Lara Croft is back and better than ever. Tomb Raider needed a fresh new look and Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics really outdid themselves this time.
  9. HappySteven123
    May 29, 2013
    8
    Tomb raider is a great game. Easily the best game of 2013 so far with bio shock coming at close 2nd. Tomb raider tells an incredible prequel story. It is is exciting, fun, sad and unexpected and a must play through for anyone who enjoys adventure games. I'm someone who is not a big fan of uncharted and I have never been a big fan of tom raider until now. It is a beautifully made game aTomb raider is a great game. Easily the best game of 2013 so far with bio shock coming at close 2nd. Tomb raider tells an incredible prequel story. It is is exciting, fun, sad and unexpected and a must play through for anyone who enjoys adventure games. I'm someone who is not a big fan of uncharted and I have never been a big fan of tom raider until now. It is a beautifully made game a lot of care and love has went into the graphics, they have changed the way Lara looks without completely reinventing her. The game a,so manages to create a very emotional story with many characters who join Lara on this journey some are likeable but some are not well fleshed out but it doesn't effect the emotion er and power in this story.gameplay is fun and easy to learn even after climbing and jumping for six hours you will still be scared while climbing but in an exciting way. Combat has been nailed in this game it follows your standard 3rd person shooting mechanic there is not a lot of fighting in this game however if there is one thing I didn't like was I found some fighting moments to be frustrating and unfair but who really cares about that. Tomb raider is an incredible game and a great competitor with uncharted and if this is how tomb raider is going to be made from now on they have a new fan.… Expand
  10. MasterAliq
    May 29, 2013
    9
    I have never played any Tomb Raider game before. And I decided to give this game a go. And it was amazing. I love Lara's development from a timid, fragile girl becoming a bad ass killer, merciless, survivor. The story was great, well-written, maybe a little bit cheesy sometimes. However, her friends' character development are weak. I love the gameplay a lot. It is an amazing game, andI have never played any Tomb Raider game before. And I decided to give this game a go. And it was amazing. I love Lara's development from a timid, fragile girl becoming a bad ass killer, merciless, survivor. The story was great, well-written, maybe a little bit cheesy sometimes. However, her friends' character development are weak. I love the gameplay a lot. It is an amazing game, and probably one of the best games of 2013… Expand
  11. drlowdon
    May 21, 2013
    8
    Series reboots seem to be all the rage at present but Tomb Raider can certainly be held as an example of how to do it right. Series purists will argue that there is a little too much focus on combat at the expense of platforming but, for me at least, Lara Croft's first adventure struck mostly the right balance providing thoroughly enjoyable gameplay throughout is ten hour running time.Series reboots seem to be all the rage at present but Tomb Raider can certainly be held as an example of how to do it right. Series purists will argue that there is a little too much focus on combat at the expense of platforming but, for me at least, Lara Croft's first adventure struck mostly the right balance providing thoroughly enjoyable gameplay throughout is ten hour running time.

    A promising start and I’ll certainly be looking out for the sequel.    … Expand
  12. gyigyo2
    May 18, 2013
    4
    I can't believe this is the new Lara i mean she hate tombs,The story is nothing to do with tombs.The old Lara and her persona was way better,story was better king arthur,mystic tombs,This game should be called the "Lost Island" or something similar.
  13. Monster999
    May 17, 2013
    9
    Pretty awesome if you want my opinion. I played the game for 11 hours straight. I rented it from a redbox so I definitely got my moneys worth. Anyway I have never been a big tomb raider fan but this game converted me. I was pleased.
  14. mathewdbarlow
    May 17, 2013
    5
    This isn't really a game, more of an interactive cinematic experience. Everything you do is scripted and linear, it's almost impossible to die and you can't influence outcomes by your actions. You can complete huge swaths of the game by simply pressing forward on the gamepad and watching Lara pull off death defying moves traversing burning environments or parascending through denseThis isn't really a game, more of an interactive cinematic experience. Everything you do is scripted and linear, it's almost impossible to die and you can't influence outcomes by your actions. You can complete huge swaths of the game by simply pressing forward on the gamepad and watching Lara pull off death defying moves traversing burning environments or parascending through dense forest, but it's all completely disconnected from your actions on the controller. The times you have control in the open environments are enjoyable, but unfortunately too limited by the requirement to progress the story.

    The story is compelling, but I want a game with real gameplay and a Tomb Raider with challenging puzzles like in the old days...not an animated film/game hybrid with a sweaty controller in my hand.    … Expand
  15. Nickkix37
    May 16, 2013
    8
    This is a great game. I've previously played a lot of tomb raiders and this is by far the best. Great graphics and cinematic game play keep you clenched to your seat. You never know what to expect with each cut scene! Movement has greatly been improved. Customizable weapons are at you disposal, so you can progress faster in the game! Beautiful cinematic views and great area locations.This is a great game. I've previously played a lot of tomb raiders and this is by far the best. Great graphics and cinematic game play keep you clenched to your seat. You never know what to expect with each cut scene! Movement has greatly been improved. Customizable weapons are at you disposal, so you can progress faster in the game! Beautiful cinematic views and great area locations. Great physics along with great orchestrated music. Complete 100% of the game and review tons of game art. Definitely will make Game of the year list of 2013! If your looking for a game that pulls you in right from the beginning, then is game is for you!… Expand
  16. barflow
    May 15, 2013
    9
    This game takes the delicate, young Croft through a state of psychological brilliance and intrigue, paired against despair and unfounded hate. In executing a game almost a decade after the popular series was making its mark in the market, the developers not only put life in the busty adventurer, but made her relate-able (as much as possible when comparing your every-day gamer to a gritty,This game takes the delicate, young Croft through a state of psychological brilliance and intrigue, paired against despair and unfounded hate. In executing a game almost a decade after the popular series was making its mark in the market, the developers not only put life in the busty adventurer, but made her relate-able (as much as possible when comparing your every-day gamer to a gritty, in your face revenge killer who searches for long lost treasures).

    The game, most especially in the opening, is not completely littered with cut-scenes. However, they are common. Most notably, they are common without being destructive to any degree. They flawlessly wedge their way into the gameplay, incorporating even the semi-common slow motion action and button mash scenes that, yes, make no sense. However, the designer is keeping you enthralled.

    By making the introduction interesting and keeping out repetitive wash and action, they don't overwhelm you with terrible cut scenes like most games, only to then destroy your senses through implementation of overplayed and overly familiar battle scenes. They acknowledge the fact that most battles in a single game will be dramatically representative of each other, but do so without making them drab or useless.

    The story alone is worth 10 points. The beautiful graphics (playing on eyefinity, 3-monitors. its ok to be jelous), matched to the not entirely linear story only reinforces that rating. Puzzles make sense without being blatantly obvious. And a modern feel of experience for weapon upgrades and skill, resembling Croft's jump into the busty destruction we are all familiar with from her soft past, make for a modern game with a historic feel, all without giving you the handicap all games seem to be giving you.

    Also, the lacking downloadable content remind me that this company is the last one to remind us that the cost of the game is about the story, playability, replayability, and enjoyment...Not about making extra bucks and changing their name to Blizzard Entertainment, all while holding ourselves in public because, hey, we are Blizzard and we don't care about you. Now pay us for this reskinning.

    Lets just hope companies will follow in these footsteps and do the right thing. Make art that is enjoyable, accurate, and destructively fun.

    As said, the execution is almost incredibly flawless. However, the one thing I can't get over is the fact that they gave her a "mountain axe" (its called an ice tool); enabling her to throw 1/8cm steel straight into rock and pull it out again without bringing any damage to the tool. This is just depressing since i have been ice climbing most my life and know exactly the limitations.

    No, this shouldn't bother me. But I could expect this in an Indie game and not a game where, despite the legend they try to bring to life in Yamatai, the developers did their homework. All they needed to do was call Petzl (the company they obviously got the design from) and ask, "how do you use this?"    … Expand
  17. Latimer
    May 13, 2013
    9
    Simply an excellent game. I spent two days off of work and finished the whole game because I couldn't stop going. The combat really shines as the game goes on, the visuals were beautiful, and the story was enough to keep you interested. Its games like these that should be the foundation for the next generation. Well done.
  18. hennasb
    May 12, 2013
    10
    To put it simply, this game is amazing. In the latest instalment of the tomb raider franchise, you play as a younger Lara Croft. Without revealing too much of the storyline, the crew of the Endurance become stranded on a Japanese island. From the minute you land on the island, you realise the sheer beauty that the developers of this game have pulled off. The Island is covered in lushTo put it simply, this game is amazing. In the latest instalment of the tomb raider franchise, you play as a younger Lara Croft. Without revealing too much of the storyline, the crew of the Endurance become stranded on a Japanese island. From the minute you land on the island, you realise the sheer beauty that the developers of this game have pulled off. The Island is covered in lush forest and mountains tower over you. In the first five minutes you experience some of the great quick-time event sequences that are scattered throughout the game.

    The combat in the game is genuinely fun. The gunplay isn’t anywhere as good as say, Call of Duty but it is still enjoyable and it works. The greatest enjoyment you will get in the way of combat is the bow. It is insanely rewarding to use and there is nothing more satisfying than nailing a headshot on an enemy. You also have the option to go hunting. The bow, again, is the best choice for hunting, which is also a great addition to the game. You can hunt wolf, deer, boar, rabbit and many more animals, all giving you an XP reward once looted.

    There is also the option to go exploring around each of the locations. Collecting salvage, relics, documents and GPS caches is a great addition. If you ever want a break from the constant, fast paced action you can use your survival instincts to hunt down these items. As well as the extra relics, documents etc. there are optional tombs. Optional tombs are hidden tombs that involve puzzle solving to get through and reach the treasure. The treasure highlights all the relics, GPS caches and documents in the specific area on your map and gives you a large XP reward.

    XP plays a big part in the game. Once you level up, a skill point is unlocked, which can be spent at a base camp. The skills are all useful and I never found one was wasted on something I didn’t need. Collecting salvage can be used to upgrade weapons. Anything with fire seemed to be extra useful, for example this could be used to shoot explosive barrels, taking out a group of enemies in a matter of seconds. At the base camps, you have the option to travel to previous areas, which is helpful when you are trying to collect everything.

    Tomb Raider also has a multiplayer but it is nowhere near as good as the single player. There are four game modes, team death match, free for all, Cry for Help which is a domination like mode and rescue which involves you stealing health packs from dead enemies. Cry for help is fun to start with but, like the rest, gets boring after playing a few hours. In the few hours of multiplayer I played, I encountered lag, bugs and lots of overpowered bows. It was fun but it felt like an unnecessary addition to an almost flawless game.

    Overall this game is excellent. I had to search hard for things that had gone wrong with this game. If only the developers had removed the multiplayer and instead, spent the time extending and perfecting the single player this game would have been exceptional.    … Expand
  19. CasualSum1
    May 11, 2013
    10
    This game is absolutely awesome. The earlier titles of Tomb Raider were hard for me since I suck at jump puzzles. This game absolutely put those away. There were some inconsistencies with Lara being constantly hesitant of taking the shot at the big baddy and saving her friend. The truth is, in order to make the game longer the directors deliberately made this whole weird situation evenThis game is absolutely awesome. The earlier titles of Tomb Raider were hard for me since I suck at jump puzzles. This game absolutely put those away. There were some inconsistencies with Lara being constantly hesitant of taking the shot at the big baddy and saving her friend. The truth is, in order to make the game longer the directors deliberately made this whole weird situation even worse. However as a whole, this is definetly the best game I've played this year.… Expand
  20. DeadManSinging
    May 7, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lara Croft is one of the most famous and influential characters in gaming. Some would say the most famous. She's a cultural icon and a sex symbol. And the new game in the Tomb Raider franchise does her justice. A fresh start was what the series needed after 3 mediocre titles and 2 disastrous film adaptations. I can honestly say I wasn't the biggest fan of this franchise until I played this game, but because of this title Tomb Raider has gained a new fan.

    Basically the new title in this influential series is a retelling of the universe, and this time Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics right rightly thought to start with the origin story. The plot follows 19 year old archeologist Lara Croft, who is on her first major Expedition on the ship S.S Endurance. During a storm the ship is wreck on an Uncharted island in the fictional "Dragons Triangle" in inhabited by vicious wild animals and a psychotic cult of pirates called "The Solarii".

    It is a story driven semi-open world game. One of the main things about this game that makes it great is the fact that you can play it stealthily or as a more traditional Third Person shooter. Playing it stealthily is limited however as you don't get a silenced pistol until much later so you will be using the Bow and Arrow for the majority of the game. But I used to Bow and Arrow as my weapon of choice in the game in all playthroughs as it is the most usefully and accurate weapon in the game. You can't play the entire game stealthily, as there are occasional ambush sections where you will need to fend off waves of enemies at a time, which is one of the few negatives of the game.

    Another negative is the fact that you can not choose when you wish to crouch or sneak. The game crouches and sneaks for you when you need it to and it does actually do this quite well, however I am sick of games that try to automatically do things for the player, as I wish to actually PLAY the game and control my character. I also wish this game had co-op because there is great potential for a co-op mode in this game, even if it was only a horde mode like style and I really hope they add a co-op in the next game.

    Visually the game is great and the environment never seems to get bland or boring and there is always something happening in the world. The platforming in the game as been massively improved from previous titles and is similar to other Action Adventure games such as Uncharted and Assassin's Creed. There are plenty of weapons in the game however you can't gain a new weapon in the game after you have killed an enemy like most Third Person Shooters or Action Adventure games, and instead you must either unlock them be finding parts for each weapon in the game world or have them given to you be NPCs. I severely hope they fix this in the sequel as I hate games that do this.

    Multiplayer is this games downfall, as it seems a bit tacked on and you can only seem to get any kills with the cross bow and only one of the 2 factions start with it in their load out. (The Solarii must unlock it) however Tomb Raider is not about multiplayer so I will not exactly hold it against the game. There are only 7 tombs in the whole game, which allot of traditional fans are upset about, however this is the origin story, and we can hope to see more tombs in it's sequel.

    if you are a fan of the original games you should enjoy this game and I would highly recommend to people who wish to get into the series to start with this game. Out of the games I have played that have come out this year, this is by far the best. However, that being said I have not played Bioshock Infinite yet which looks like it would blow this out of the water.    … Expand
  21. Johng4
    May 4, 2013
    9
    This game is fantastic, ive played the old tomb raiders before and they didnt really hook me, now Tomb Raider is more modern and it is sweet, alot of people are comparing this to Uncharted, but they are not really all that much alike. This game has a very unique story that isnt bad at all and will have you playing to see what happens next. This is a reboot of the series and the plot takesThis game is fantastic, ive played the old tomb raiders before and they didnt really hook me, now Tomb Raider is more modern and it is sweet, alot of people are comparing this to Uncharted, but they are not really all that much alike. This game has a very unique story that isnt bad at all and will have you playing to see what happens next. This is a reboot of the series and the plot takes place as Laura Crofts first ever exbhibition, which is why at first she seems like a very broken women who cant handle herself.... well after about an hour into the game she is a killing machine capable of wiping out waves of dudes and becoming a serous threat to there plans. Gamplay is very good and is about the only thing that resembles Uncharted. Its a third person action game. There are alot of weapons to choose from but my favorite is the bow and arrow especially after you get the badass upgrade for it. And suprisingly its not a short game either there were a few times while i was playing it where i thought it was gonna end but it didnt, and there are alot of optional tombs for you to explore to get relics and extra xp, so replay value is present. As far as is the game worth the money or not... yes, yes it is. This game deserves all of the praise it has gotten and is a very worthy purchase.… Expand
  22. illicit008
    May 3, 2013
    10
    Tomb Raider is one of the best games I've ever played. I loved it. I'm going to be very sad once I've completed this game. I can't see me finding another game I'll enjoy as much for a long time.

    9.5 10

    5 Stars

    Excellent
  23. Cdn1234
    May 2, 2013
    10
    This game is GREAT! For you of those saying pick up CoD and then saying TR is "unrealistic," i would say that is fairly hypocritical. For one, CoD (with the commando pro perk) allows you to jump off buildings, no matter how HIGH AND LIVE! Still seem realistic,not to mention that your guy gets Swiss cheesed with bullets and DOESN'T DIE! And if this game still seems unrealistic, keep in mindThis game is GREAT! For you of those saying pick up CoD and then saying TR is "unrealistic," i would say that is fairly hypocritical. For one, CoD (with the commando pro perk) allows you to jump off buildings, no matter how HIGH AND LIVE! Still seem realistic,not to mention that your guy gets Swiss cheesed with bullets and DOESN'T DIE! And if this game still seems unrealistic, keep in mind you're playing a VIDEO GAME! Would you like to have CoD more realistic? Take away zombies, all perks (with the exception of the ones having to do with ammo and 'nades) take away health regain and there you have it, realistic CoD! Not to mention that your guy can sprint and jump over things like he is carrying nothing!
    I'm not hating on CoD, trust me! I love CoD! I just hate it when people underrate a great game because of it being "unrealistic" and then saying "go pick up CoD" or some other unrealistic game.

    Also, i do agree with whoever said they like "Far Cry 3," that game is also a great game with AI that actually can challenge you!    … Expand
  24. Funksatron
    May 2, 2013
    8
    The game started out a bit rough around the edges. The introductory stages weren't very interesting and it wasn't clear that you'd have to revisit these areas to access all areas. Once you get most of the critical mobility abilities, though, the gameplay really seats itself and reveals how enjoyable it was intended to be. The plot is on par with any Uncharted game. The facial detail on theThe game started out a bit rough around the edges. The introductory stages weren't very interesting and it wasn't clear that you'd have to revisit these areas to access all areas. Once you get most of the critical mobility abilities, though, the gameplay really seats itself and reveals how enjoyable it was intended to be. The plot is on par with any Uncharted game. The facial detail on the characters during cutscenes leaves much room for improvement, but it's not so bad as to be off-putting. Close quarters combat could use a bit of refinement. Personally I'd like to see more puzzle solving and less combat, but I was having fun doing both. I will certainly play the next installment in this rebooted franchise.… Expand
  25. Somapix
    May 1, 2013
    6
    There is a lot to like in the latest incarnation of Tomb Raider. A more realistic take on the character, a deeper and more thoughtful story than past games, graphics that are among the best out there, and a lot of fun gameplay along the way. But despite all the good aspects, I felt I was never able to fully let rip and enjoy it in my own way.

    Walk towards an enemy and Lara will    There is a lot to like in the latest incarnation of Tomb Raider. A more realistic take on the character, a deeper and more thoughtful story than past games, graphics that are among the best out there, and a lot of fun gameplay along the way. But despite all the good aspects, I felt I was never able to fully let rip and enjoy it in my own way.

    Walk towards an enemy and Lara will automatically crouch into cover. Walk into a dark cave and she'll light up a torch. Sometimes dramatic and tense in-game cut scenes merge directly in and out of gameplay and at points I wasn't actually sure if I was in control or not.

    Exploring the semi-open world is encouraged to find all the hidden collectables and level up your character, but you can unlock upgrades which point out where the collectables are which gets rid of the need to actually explore anywhere. If you walk within 200 yards of one of the 'secret' tombs a pop-up will appear on screen saying "Secret Tomb Discovered" and it will show you where it is on the map (not to mention the literal huge arrows painted on to the scenery that point towards said secret tombs in most cases). To me that defeated the point of them being secret tombs, and took out the satisfaction of discovering them for myself.

    All of this creates is a very linear experience where you aren't allowed to decide how to approach a situation. What if I wanted to run into a room full of bad guys guns blazing? Not allowed, because that's not how the game wants me to play it. This is made even more frustrating by the fact that so much of the game is actually a lot of fun, the story really is quite engaging and Lara's character is well defined. I just wish I could play it my way rather than having it hold my hand all the way through.    … Expand
  26. tattoosteve
    May 1, 2013
    9
    i really wish they didn't objectify women so much in games (torrent "miss representation" film) but the game overall is really amazing. the story, gameplay, controls and character dev are all spot on, and so i've got to put my feminist politics aside.
  27. Storm1672
    Apr 29, 2013
    9
    Great improvements make this game superior than its predecessors. Though not on par with the last 2 Uncharted games, it has greater depth in its gameplay and personally i like better the grim style.

    It's in the path of the Uncharted series as a cinematic experience and has kept some gameplay elements from previous TRs. It's spectacular and a thing of beauty to watch (some of the best    Great improvements make this game superior than its predecessors. Though not on par with the last 2 Uncharted games, it has greater depth in its gameplay and personally i like better the grim style.

    It's in the path of the Uncharted series as a cinematic experience and has kept some gameplay elements from previous TRs. It's spectacular and a thing of beauty to watch (some of the best graphics on the X360), technically proficient and has some great physics. The combat is hate/love, but it suits the neurotic situation and the character of the unexperienced Lara (though she kills a lot of bad guys...)

    If it had some more climbing to do, some more of the great physics puzzles (a lot more actually) and a more sturdy combat, it could have been perfect.    … Expand
  28. greg6781
    Apr 28, 2013
    9
    If you like uncharted you will love this game, I watched the e3 demo a couple of years ago and my wife got me the game for easter and I just completed it. There is def a replay value to it as will and I fully intend to go back and play it again once I get caught up on all my games. I will say that there is only a few games I go back and replay and tomb raider is that good
  29. dubz88
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    Tomb Raider is an amazing reboot of the franchise and I definitely enjoyed my experience playing this game. The game looks great from a graphical standpoint. Gameplay is solid. Lara Croft's character model is particularly detailed and I liked how she will react to the environment. For example, when you are near a wall or cliff side she will put her hand up against the object if you get tooTomb Raider is an amazing reboot of the franchise and I definitely enjoyed my experience playing this game. The game looks great from a graphical standpoint. Gameplay is solid. Lara Croft's character model is particularly detailed and I liked how she will react to the environment. For example, when you are near a wall or cliff side she will put her hand up against the object if you get too close or cover her face when you go near fire. It may be something that was overlooked by players but I thought it added to the player immersion. The story is fairly engaging, although the NPCs that Lara interacts with throughout the game are somewhat underdeveloped and lacking in any real depth that makes you care about them. Tomb Raider is also a very mature game, there are numerous parts in the game that truly highlight the intense struggle Lara Croft must go through to survive.

    There are also numerous collectibles throughout the game that encourage you to explore the environment. Finding these collectibles also give you experience points and salvage which you can use to upgrade your skills and weapons. Upgrading skills allows Lara to climb walls faster, perform stronger melee kills and find more loot in throughout the world.

    My only complaint, if I had to say something, would be the length of the game. I really would've liked to continue playing this game but I am hopeful that single player DLC may be released as I most certainly purchase it. Also, multiplayer is somewhat forgettable in comparison to other, more established, game franchise. I would've preferred the resources that were put into creating a multiplayer, be put into expanding the single player experience.    … Expand
  30. freitas-pc2
    Apr 26, 2013
    10
    Na minha opinião, um dos melhores jogos de 2013 jogabilidade, enredo e otimos graficos uma das melhores experiencias que tive no meu xbox 360.
    O jogo um belo rebot da serie.
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2013
5
#5 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2013
11
#11 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 70 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 70
  3. Negative: 0 out of 70
  1. CD-Action
    Apr 5, 2013
    85
    The new Tomb Raider is not as revolutionary as the original from 1996 but this reboot is the most mature, interesting and friendly entry to the series. For me it is Uncharted on steroids, a game that’s better in every aspect than Nathan Drake’s adventures. [CD-Action 04/2013, p.52]
  2. GameCritics
    Apr 4, 2013
    65
    Tomb Raider is a fine game, but something essential feels like it has been left out. Lara seems to have found the map, but missed the treasure.
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  3. Gamer Limit
    Apr 4, 2013
    95
    Tomb Raider is the second best Uncharted game behind Uncharted 2. While it gives up a lot of its adventure identity fans have come to know and love, the end result is still a fantastic game that shouldn’t be missed by any action fan. If Crystal Dynamics can inject more adventure elements into a potential sequel, it would be a pretty interesting proposition indeed.
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