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Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration review
Exceptional
by zNeverSleep

Solid evolution from the last game. The mechanics are deeper, the graphics are better, the gimmick moments are more impactful, and the story gains more emotional layers. But there are some bad points too.

Gunplay feels deeper in this game. It's a little harder, since you have less ammo available. You can't autoheal in higher difficulties, enemies flank more often and throw things at you a lot to make you rotate. Because of that, crafting becomes important to get special ammo, and mitigating the use of some weapons becomes important (you don't want to get in a bad spot with no shotgun ammo).

Graphics-wise, this game is beautiful. I played in 4K Ultrawide with max settings. It's so easy to be impressed here. The scenarios, illumination, destruction, and overall cinematic look make a huge difference. Not to talk about the facial expressions. It's hard not to admire Lara's face often. Unfortunately, the 21:9 aspect ratio doesn't work in cutscenes, which breaks the experience. The performance was really unstable, but since I'm playing in 4K with an RTX 2060, I'll not complain about it.

About the story... well, the premise is not as good as the last game, honestly. The best part about it is there is more emphasis on Lara's persona. It's not that deep, but it's there, and I know it will be explored in the next game. That said, the characters could be more interesting. Feels like everything goes around Lara. That breaks the immersion a little. But there's a lot of potential here.

Some things that are worth mentioning: Amazing OST, good level design, rich environments, and, not less important, kinda disappointing gun sounds. I'm not asking for a Battlefield audio design level, but this does feel flat. Like the guns are toys.

That said, I'm really excited for the next game.
«Can’t stop playing»
«OST on repeat»

Other reviews2

Hello everyone! As I’ve been a huge Tomb Raider fan since my childhood, I decided it would be perfect if I wrote my a game review about one of her games. Since I just finished Rise of the Tomb Raider, I’ll start with it. Know that I’ll also play the first in the series again in order to provide you with a review for it as well. You see, she’s my icon, a real survivor and awesomely strong woman. Plus, I’ve got very good memories of how I came to love her series. So, expect quite positive reviews when it comes to Tomb Raider.

While I felt Rise of the Tomb Raider was slow per moments, Lara’s adventure was still gripping. And what a twist with Ana, too! Storytelling-wise, I enjoyed it greatly. Plus, the tombs and challenges were pure fun to me. Like I mentioned above in the full review, I love puzzles! The extras made me very happy, too. Moreover, the gameplay was still interesting, though a bit too easy perhaps? For all these reasons, I give Rise of the Tomb Raider a rating of 4 out of 5. 

If you want to read the whole review, head over to my blog: https://thecatsadventure.wordpress.com/2020/02/05/rise-of-the-tomb-raider-a-review/
«Can’t stop playing»
«That ending!»