Hi all,

Just wondering who else has played this? I started yesterday and for me it might be one of the genre-defining games of it's kind.

Perfect visuals, more depth to the characters, more open worlds, better puzzles, less frequent but better combat. Really cool side quests and/or stories. Overall storyarc capitalizing on the setup of the previous two titles.



I've enjoyed the Uncharted Series on PS3, and looking back at the other two recent Tomb Raider titles, it's kind of the same evolution. But this title now, to me, really stands well on it's own.

Also it runs really nice on 4K Max Settings Best looking game I've ever played, some of the cutscenes to me are photorealistic. Environments are totally awesome.

Wish they would remaster the 2013 one and release them all under the same engine. That would rock.

MS has the XBOX version on sale for $30 right now
I am tempted.

For 30 bucks you can't go wrong. I paid 50EURs.

Just tried, for comparison, the 2013 release, and have to say it did age well. They are not "weird" next to each other, although the latest clearly plays all the strenghts of DX12.

It was bundled with my XBox but I am tied up with Red Dead Redemption 2 - I'll get to it, though. Especially with your glowing endorsement!

Too bad I don't have a 4K TV yet!

That's good to hear Colonel. I do not own it yet but I really loved the first two. Its pretty amazing how fast and far it went on sale so soon. I'd really like to play it as I've enjoyed what they've done with the reboot. Speaking of Uncharted, if you have or end up getting a PS4 the Uncharted Collection is excellent. I played all three games on the PS3 originally but then I played them again with the remaster collection and they're like a dream to play as they now run at 60fps and they are all still excellent looking games and play soooo well at the higher fps. The Last of Us remaster plays at 60s fps and is a stellar game.

Does the combat feel any different than the first two? Is it better? Is there more opportunity for stalking and stealth. The aspect you mentioned in the spoiler tags sound really cool. I love all the bits of lore based loot you can pick up and examine in these games.

Speaking of

Hi Coot,

Haven't seen that movie but probably should

Yes, the combat in SOTTR is a lot more about stealth and stalking, in fact they added a whole bunch of abilities to facilitate that. Stuff like covering yourself in mud and then blending into muddy background. Arrows that lure enemies and then explode with poison. One of the DLCs is a SMG with Silencer so you get an early start on silenced bullets.

I would say the past titles were 70/30 combat versus Puzzles and Exploration, this now is more 50/50. So there are fewer enemies, but more options to get rid of them. Come to think of it, so far there's also limited dangerous wildlife (i.e. no more wolves everywhere). The wildlife that is there, is mean and beautifully done.

Swimming and diving is a bigger part, and rappelling and overhang climbing add more verticality.

Also really neat: You can set separate difficulty for puzzles, exploration/traversal and combat. This for example gets rid of the "whitewashed" ledges and ladders, or gives you more audible and visual clues how to solve mechanical contraptions.

Are the previous two Tomb Raider games also worth getting?

Looking at getting a PS4 (Pro) for RDR2 and looking at what other games to explore (beyond God of war and Uncharted)

I'm looking for something to replace Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Fallout , Skyrim etc. I am looking for a strong story , lots of exploration and questing and the ability to turn combat down to EASY. I do not enjoy 'hack and slash' and always play a ranged/sniper type character ( which is why I did not like Witcher )

Do you think that this new Tomb Raider might fit the bill ?

I have both but I have only played Rise of the Tomb Raider and it is pretty awesome.

I enjoyed the first of the new series (Tomb Raider) a lot, though it is markedly different in style and story telling than any of the earlier Tomb Raider games -- it was closer to the Uncharted series but with a collect/build/purchase/upgrade skills and weapons aspect similar to many other games of that era. Rise of the Tomb Raider is in my Steam library, and I intend to get to it after some other games in my library. I'm currently playing Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain which has has fantastic visuals.

Archie: Yes, might fit your bill as long as you consider two things:

A) It's not an RPG, even if you can upgrade skills and collect experience

B) It offers freeroam-exploration and sidequests, but is not really open world and the main story and places are linear.

Maddog: ROTTR is very good; TR 2013 was also good, but by now visually not keeping up with the newer two, and she is a lot "softer" there.

The trilogy makes sense to play from start to finish in the proper order, for sure.

I agree. The first two games are great and worth playing and should be prior to a later version. This reboot is a definate series. These games are action/adventure games with a focus on narrative and well realized world environments to explore that fit the story. Not open world games but open levels with nooks and crannies to explore. Combat in these games are fun but not difficult. The first game uses some QTEs which sometimes can get a little over done feeling but they are not that bad and serve a cinematic purpose and are not used too much. I really appreciate games like these and Uncharted because they have great stories, exciting environments that feel big and have enough room to explore a little and little lore bits throughout to flesh out the world. I like the story telling and the platforming is well designed. I also appreciate the "supernatural" elements within these Tombraider reboot games. I haven't played the third yet but the first two had that element which I like. Uncharted started out that way but they boogered that up with Uncharted 4. Still a great game but I feel the writing took a wrong turn in that game.(that's a different discussion)

i HATED IT...i mean the puzzle part was fine, definitely a step in the right direction, but the story and worse, lara characterization ? might as well call her louise or clara. But the worst of all ? THREE FREAKING GAMES to become tomb raider.....and at the end of it WE STILL ARE NOOOT!!!!! seriously, i was honestly expecting a post credit bonus mission being you know, lara croft TOMB RAIDER. just a tease into what is to come....

REALLY DISAPOINTED ! (as you can see by the caps), the sales were also abysmal. My fear is that after almost 30 years championing woman in games and surviving among heavy action male bravado games, we might just lose lara croft because of stupid feminists rewriting her.
Because if square enix shelve her, she will join kane and lynch in limbo among others.

#notmylara

</rant>

Ps: i know alot of people liked it, but i honestly though the hub was a huge waste of resource that could had gone elsewhere. My idea of world hub is lara library, you go into the world A, find a puzzle you can't clear, go to library, find hints at world B, world B find the solution to puzzle on World A, continue as you should, sorta like those indiana jones montage. where you the player actually feel like lara croft figuring stuff, not stupid look at totem and learn a language to backtrack to a close off area you must return AFTER you beat the whole region....just because.

I have all three but I have yet to finish "Rise of the Tomb Raider" as DCS and FSX occupy most of my time. But, I sense I am nearing the end of "Rise" so I will be starting up "Shadow" relatively soon, like in a year or so, hahaha!

v6,
boNes

Shadow was a big let down. Inferior to the last two in many ways. Very poor pacing as well.

Its not as good as Rise of Tomb Raider. Also had the misfortune of coming out same time as Spiderman, AC odyssey, and RDR2

I'll wait until it goes on serious sale before picking it up, but I'll be getting it.

Back in the days of the original Tomb Raider, my then very young son used to sit on my lap and we'd play "Jumpy Girl," which was pretty magical.

So I buy every one in the series, and even though he's a grown man now, we sit together and play each one.

Plus it's the only series where killing endangered species is accepted without judgement.

Interesting to read the differing opinions here... for me I rate it higher as the previous two, mostly because the change of pacing and the jungle environment.