Is it amazing or is it middling? Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s just-released PlayStation 4 reviews can’t really seem to make up their mind, so you may have to wait for our verdict in the near future to decide. Lara Croft’s latest seems to have really split opinion, with scores settling all over the shop. The consensus seems to be that it’s solid – but the complaints seem to have divided critics. Here’s a round-up of some of the reviews.
IGN - 9/10
With a story that manages to satisfactorily tread the line between high-concept fun and grounded character exploration, Shadow of the Tomb Raider meaningfully wraps up the journey Lara began in 2013 and convincingly leaves her in a place resembling where she was when we were first introduced to her more than 20 years ago. I would have liked a little more incentive to explore the beautiful world Eidos Montreal has created, but I’d much prefer too much content than too little. There’s so much to enjoy elsewhere in a game that’s stuffed to the brim with ideas and devilishly challenging puzzles. I can’t wait to see where Lara goes next.
Destructoid - 7.5/10
That's why the narrative payoff falls short. Lara has always played the roles of savior and protector and researcher and badass -- almost entirely because those are parts she has been thrust into. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a perfectly good game, but it feels as though it never figures out a way to address the most compelling aspect of this arc: Lara's personal growth. What path does she want to carve? What does she want her legacy to be? Maybe she'd be happiest spending her life raiding tombs -- all of the danger with none of the world-ending stakes. The glass half-full analysis is that she's a regular chip off the ol' block; glass half-empty, she never really escaped her father's shadow.
Videogamer - 7/10
Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes the series’ formula and pushes it, polishing the platforming and bolstering its tombs, but the game’s power ebbs as the main quest is bloated with distraction, and the writing is still patchy and dull.
GameSpot - 6/10
The core mechanics that have been with the series for half a decade are starting to show their limitations. Making the journey to Shadow of the Tomb Raider's peaks is certainly an attractive goal, but like the challenging terrain Lara needs to traverse, the path there is getting rougher and more unpredictable.
Eurogamer - No Score
Shadow of the Tomb Raider ends this reboot on much the same note that it began, which for its fans may not be such a bad thing. This is a well-crafted and polished experience, and when the game actually gives you full control and leaves you alone to seek out its quieter mysteries, it can render you wide-eyed with wonder. And this Tomb Raider may have motivation and purpose and a vague semblance of an emotional arc but it all rings hollow, particularly when elsewhere there's repetition and an overall lack of new ideas. This Lara has forgotten herself and forgotten the joy and the thrill.
Will you be buying Shadow of the Tomb Raider? Have these reviews helped confirm your decision? Do your best Camilla Luddington impression in the comments section below.
Comments 100
I'll be buying this one when it's £7.99 in three months purely so I can take a dump on the voice acting and script.
Heard about the insta-fail underwater stealth sections and decided I never want anything to do with this game.
So... does she finally, FINALLY become the Tomb Raider that all 3 games of this series have been hyping up?
Seems to me that IGN have over scored on this one and the general consensus is that it is going to be an average 6 to 7 out of 10.
@ShogunRok really, i hope they patch that out
@Cassetticons From what I've read so far, no. Stay tuned for Revenge of the Tomb Raider.
@Cassetticons I've seen mixed things. Some reviews say she's closer than ever to the original image of Lara, others say that she's basically just the same Lara that she has been for three games.
Honestly, there's such a divide between some of these reviews that you would think they're reviewing different games.
As much as I want this, I honestly think the game is gonna flop and be dead cheap in the Black Friday sales.
I played Rise about a month ago and didnt really do it for me. I thought the story was weak and the game felt off for me for some reason. And the sound of an insta fail stealth section sounds horrific for me so will avoid if true.
It's like spiderman is cemented in folks minds with this game now coming out. It's ok to enjoy more than one game at a time guys.
I'll be picking this up along with Spidey when they're both cheaper. Love rise and the reboot itself so there's no reason why I won't buy this.
@get2sammyb @ShogunRok Yeah, so it seems my issues with the first 2--that they're just treading water with this reboot, is still valid. It's a shame, because the first game with its cult survival story really grabbed me.
Then again, I'm so deep in DQ11 that I won't escape for a while. I'll def pick this up in the inevitable New Year £10 sale.
I will defo be buying but not for a while. Just got back from a holiday where i bought 7 new vita games, and spiderman will be waiting for me when i get home, and firewall arrives tomorrow with my aim controller. So i am gamed out for now!
@bindiana while i enjoyed rise, your criticisms are justified and shared by many. If you read interviews with rhianna pratchett since she stepped away from penning the series, she alludes to alot going on behind the scenes, which might explain it
I wasn’t going to get this at launch, but I’m disappointed nonetheless.
Lara Croft has somehow become the worst part of her games.
@Rob_230 @bindiana The writing is atrocious and the voice acting is just as bad. It's the weakest element of the reboots by a long way. Obviously there's still enjoyment to be had, but geez...
@Rob_230
I am not saying it was a bad game or anything just didnt really have any charm I think. I think one thing holding these games back is the one place setting older Tomb Raider games had you globe trotting. I remember my gf saying while I was playing it is all of it in the snow!
@get2sammyb really ? i thought this game is last one for Tomb Raider
@get2sammyb am i allowed to ask who from the PushSquare team is reviewing Shadow?
At this moment i'm SO glad I got Spidey instead!
I've enjoyed the gameplay in the Tomb Raider reboot and sequel, but agree the voice acting is weird! #BringBackKeeleyHawes. Totally believe like you that Shadow will likely go on sale very quickly.
after all the marketing this gamed pushed before its release............... this is rather disappointing :/
With games like Uncharted 4 and Horizon Zero Dawn being out after the Rise of the Tomb Raider, you know the bar has been set, you either go all out and do better or just don't really do it.
Pretty much what I expected from the gameplay we saw. The reviews really are split. PlaystationLifestyle gave it a 9.0 while Dualshockers gave it a 7.5 🤷🏾♂️
Thanks to a humongous backlog, I'll be getting this game at a later date, probably for about a tenner in a sale but I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
@Perryg92 It'll be @Quintumply!
I heard there was inputlag again.... 😑
Ign crews are tomb raider fanboy, I remember rise score better than uncharted 4. Also lost legacy score the same as state of decay 2.
I still want to try the game, but I'm not going to buy it at full price.
Still buying it because I loved the first two games. Hopefully now that this is out of the way though they can get Eidos Montreal back on the Deus Ex series, which is the one they know best.
Honestly tired of people painting 7/10 as a bad score...
What I've read seems like a 6/7 out of 10. Also just proves what a joke ign are and it pays to take one of two points of what ever they review
Always loved the Tomb raiders games this is a day one purchase. Happy to support the game now rather than wait.
@zarak001
Metro also gave this 8 and Spiderman a 7 , reading review it sounds more like a 7 than a 9.
Like others, I'm going to wait for the complete edition. I wanted to support it day one but it was this or Spidey so...
@wiiware
The same reviewer at IGN also gave Uncharted 4 a 9.0. My guess is, you don't like the new Tomb Raider games. That's fine but not everybody has to agree with you and it certainly doesn't make them a fanboy/girl. Lucy O'Brien has been pretty consistent in her reviews for these types of games. Uncharted The Lost Legacy was reviewed by a different person who may not hold Uncharted in the same regard she does. Don't see anything here that screams 'fanboy.'
@suikoden It definitely doesn't sound like a 9 though lol. Only way to judge it though is to buy and play the game. Only Tomb Raider I played was the original back on PS1 and the controls were terrible. Put me off Tomb Raider for life lol.
The Kotaku review gives the game a lot of positives. Certainly sounds like a solid 8 game if I were to put a value on it.
... Kotaku review for me too (another reason to remove scoring system) - it made me read the review and the entire thing wasn't summarised into one sentence / paragraph...
After the reveal I was hoping for a more realistic/grounded game definitely adult oriented. What I've seen of exploration looks cool but not sure at all about the combats. Never intended to buy early though. Possibly at some point.
@OneManDroid
Indeed. I want to read reviews where you feel the author is opening up without the constant concern of justifying a score. No score means you feel more inclined to take what matters to YOU from the review and discard what doesn't .
Doesn't mean you can't question it though. Haha. I feel its sound to question everything.
Seems alright, 7/10 scores are good. Still day one for me.
@beemo Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Witcher 3 and God of War merit 10s for me.
Hopefully now Square Enix will allow Eidos Montreal to get back to the Deus Ex series after this. Tomb Raider has been spinning its wheels for years now.
@beemo For me I don't think a game a has to be without flaws to be a ten it more comes down to the overall package, are graphics great, is the gameplay compelling, is the story (if it needs one) well told etc. Its why I'm not the biggest fan of scoring systems cos its usually what people end up debating whereas I prefer the context of the review.
Hopefully the next game can be the 1st game that was on the PS1 I would love that TR to be remade(but keep it the same'ish) AMAZING it was
Yeah I'll buy. When it's the complete edition at $20 or less
Hmmm... Poor Lara. From early 90s PC days she was the positive female role lead battling bad guys, hunting for history's treasures (cos she had a passion for it!) and my type of adventure super heroine gal. Wish I could see Lara bounce back in more ways than one!
Loved the recent games and sure I'll love this. May have to rest Spidey to start it!
I enjoyed the freshness gameplay-wise of the reboot, but both it and Rise just had the most horrible writing and infuriating 2D, cut and paste characters. Wasn't really a fan of the added open-world elements of Rise either, and everything I've seen of this one points to that being even more the case, with loads of needless bloat. I really hope this trend of making every game open world gets lost in a tomb in the very near future.
Should’ve stuck to Deus Ex, Eidos 🤷🏻♂️
Damn, everybody writing this game off so quickly, lol. To me, this looks like the peak of the series, gameplay-wise. The story has always been a letdown in this reboot, IMHO, so I'm not too surprised about that.
Guess I'll have to try it for myself!
IGN is always different lol
In other news (and reviews), Marvel's Spider-Man just achieved world peace... by also being bang-average but well put together, but also in receipt of $$$$$$ony's entire marketing budget.
@KALofKRYPTON
The gameplay looks great in parts, but the plot and voice acting are very much putting me off. Enjoyed the first two games (especially the first one) but think I'm gonna wait a while before getting this one. Have to admit I'd love to see the series go back to its roots at this point.
Rise was a top game, the best in the series since the one where you could lock her resident evil butler in the freezer. This'll probably be worth the sale price but not £50
I loved the first 2 games and this is still my most anticipated release of September. It wasn't just the story that I loved but the actual Game-play and RPG elements that they brought in. It wasn't a 'linear' game-play with nothing to do other than follow the path through the story (like Uncharted is) which is why I prefer Tomb Raider's game-play - so if its more of the 'same' with more 'depth', side missions and more complex 'puzzles' as well as more tombs, then I am fine with that - even if the Story isn't necessarily as good as the first or as good as Uncharted's story which not many, if any, games can match.
The point was to end this 'trilogy' of the beginning of Lara and how she became the Tomb Raider as well as leave it open for the future. This is the 'end of the beginning' not 'the END'. I can see why some reviewers feel like she is the 'same' Lara and why others think the game leaves it at the point where she is the Lara we knew before 2013 but leaving it for future games to give that Lara her direction and what 'legacy' she wants to leave. At the end of the day, does anyone really consider their 'legacy' at a similar point in their life/career? That's something you may consider towards the end of your career...
Whilst this is an 'end' to the trilogy, its really just the 'beginning' for Lara as the 'Tomb Raider' we know ...
I'll wait for a sale 1 year from now. Rise was a little over rated but enjoyable. The problems with the animation, combat and climbing which is the core game hasn't improved or been fixed. Watched Gamespot review and sounds fair for the score they gave it. Yet to watch the IGN one.
@Flaming_Kaiser sigh.I sold the last one after an hour of playing because of this
The underwater section on shadow is weird, in youtube it seems like lara is swimming on zero gravity cave rather than under water.
Haha, definitely NOT a GOTY contender.
The classic games are way better, I will wait for this to be on sale or PS Plus.
@get2sammyb You should wait for the GOTY edition.
Oh wait, with these scores...nevermind.
@PS_Nation That would be the "definitive edition" which usually translates as "this is our GOTY re-release but we didn't actually win any"
I liked the first reboot despite never caring much for the originals.thought the tomb puzzles were great. I have rise sitting in the drawer and if I like the wide linear approach they went with, I'll probs get this down the line. Not expecting uncharted level story telling from this to be honest. People making out 7/8 of 10 is a disaster when it means it's still decent. There's nowt wrong with giving scores, just folks interpretation of them.
Welp by the middling reviews and alot of people saying they will pass you can kiss this franchise goodbye! Not every game is gonna be a 10/10. Just look at gameplay and make your own decision. Someone's perspective may differ from your own experience.
@KALofKRYPTON lol Spider-Man is far from average it’s done for Spider-Man games what arkham asylum did for batman games. The New York in Spider-Man is one of the most detailed,realistic and alive cities this generation and the story is really good with really fun combat and web slinging that is easily the best of any Spider-Man game ever
This game will be the first casualty of this crowded market. It will be cheap soon. Hang in there.
@beemo
If the ps4 is flawed what about the Xbox one, you honestly can say it has better games, and before fanboy is shouted i have an xbox
Yea, definitely waiting for a price drop before I pick this up, maybe just wait for the GOTY edition.
Nothing wrong with a 77 though, not that it really matters, should be an enjoyable game.
Too much skirt, not enough short shorts.
Eurogamer’s review doesn’t provide a score, and I can’t possibly read such a long and complicated paragraph to help me come up with my own thoughts and conclusions. What can I do? I’ll have to contact them and demand a score, any score. I’m worried the internet will break without one.
I really hate the sh*t Tomb Raider cops over here literally gets POOOOOPPPPED on multiple times for pushing out too many trailers, spiderman does the same but noone seems to care lol
So it ended up how o thought it would go. Refining a game is great but there have to be meaningful additions too. I'm sure a lot of people agree with me when I say that we want a similar experience to the originals with a modern game approach. The other 2 games were decent but it felt like a slogfest a lot of the time. We want adventure, tombs and an interesting villain. Not a paint by numbers semi open world adventure game.
@bbtothe And you know what I hate? That I have to keep reminding you to please watch the language. Next time you won't be warned
Do not use profanity; Use of unsavoury language including profanity and swearing is not acceptable, please remember that this website has users of all ages.
Thank you for Understanding
I enjoyed the previous two games in the trilogy, so I'm looking forward to this game.
It sounds like the reviews are split between people fine with the same old formula and of those who wished they expanded on the game. With developers really nothing up their creativity in 2018, it seems the same old formula didn't cut it for some reviewers.
Just wait few months to get it fully patched during a sale. This is my humble way of life. Day 1 means more money for a less perfect version of the same game. This summer I got the first Wolfenstein, the first Tomb Raider and Ni No kuni 2 for a total of € 40. Tuesday I'll get Project Cars 2 and Deus Ex MD for a total of € 30. Five games for the price of one.
Hype and marketing is what you pay on Day 1 and it sounds just stupid to me...
@dark_knightmare2 But still just another Spider-Man game. I'm not saying it's bad, not at all - just doing very little that hasn't been done already. Riffing on all that have come before but presented in a nicer package. There were great Spidey games before MSM, and there were even good Batman games before Arkham. Arkham was transformative though and there really weren't Batman games built like it previously, some had elements but nowhere near as deep.
My point is, people are ragging on SOTTR for its relative similarity to the rest of the series, but ignoring that when it comes to MSM.
@KALofKRYPTON But when has a good comparable Spider-Man game last come out? I don't think there's been one since the PS2 era, so two generations ago we had the "similar" games. It's had long enough time difference and if you compared the PS2 games to the new one MSM you'd probably find the list of differences much longer. The Tomb Raider games have been much more recent and wouldn't have near as long of a list of differences.
@Jaz007 Are you serious? I know SM2 is lauded as one of the best - it certainly broke new ground for what you could do in a Spidey game, and it really was the first to really nail web-swinging - but things really didn't stop there. Did you play TASM or TASM2 (this generation), both actually decent games and better in most ways than SM2, by virtue of having more available power if nothing else.
Between those there was Web of Shadows, Shattered Dimensions, Edge of Time. All decent to really good (SD was great) games.
Most of the time those games were reviewed against each other, and of course SM2. Rightly so as they share so many elements of the core experience.
Even from the announcement trailer, MSM looked a hell of a lot like TASM2. I know it's all new and shiny, and the story is great etc - but TASM2 is seemingly written off as a middling at best game - which I suppose it kind of is; it was tied to an awful film, it was incredibly similar in scope, content and gameplay to it's immediate predecessor and continued to cover very well trodden ground. But it was actually rather fun to play and was stuffed with significantly more content than a movie tie in would normally receive. It reviewed badly I'll admit, but if it was such a terrible game, I really wouldn't have put the work in for a platinum trophy.
I'm just puzzled by the effect of the hype machine and seeming lack of any sort of objective critique for MSM. It's a great game, but why is it getting 10s all over the place when it also, treads such familiar ground.
@LaNooch1978 I've had a chance to play MSM now, the traversal really isn't that different from TASM2; there is a feeling that the game wants to keep you moving, TASM2 felt a little less forgiving if you hadn't chained your route together.
Enjoyed the Definitive release, Rise of the TR just felt like more of the same so started enjoying it less, not interested in this one at all unless its £9.99 in a year or twos time and I've got nothing to play.
I didn't bother with the last one, and won't be getting this.
The first of the reboots was... okay. Parts of it struck me as wholesale rip-offs of parts of the various Uncharted games. Yes, I know Tomb Raider was first... that's not what I'm talking about. It wasn't just 'similar'... there were parts which felt almost as if they'd ripped whole sections out of Uncharted games and literally just changed the character model from Nate to Lara.
It'll be a cheap pick up down the line, Spiderman & Dragon Quest XI are all I need til RE2
I just like how the title says Tomb Raider PS4 reviews instead of just Tomb Raider reviews. As if it doesn't apply to the other versions of the game or they don't exist. Lol.
@SDF_Macross77 LOL you not been on this site before ? shhhh dont mention other systems it gets you a ban.
@RustyBullet haha, I have been on here a while and I do laugh at the intensity of the PS4 centric view. It makes sense as its a PS4 site but its even more intense than Nintendo Life about Nintendo. The title of this article just pushed it up a notch for me, lol.
@SDF_Macross77 Yea man I like this site for my PS4 news, but it makes me laugh sometimes, which isn't a bad thing.
I enjoyed the first two, so I'm planning on getting to this once I finish Spider-Man.
Wow so much dislike for this series and surprisingly from the staff. I've enjoyed them all and feel that they are far better than most of you are giving them credit for.
@get2sammyb Wow! just an unbelievable comment.
@KALofKRYPTON The games like Web of Shadows and whatnot aren’t comparable simply due to traversal, and I looked at buying TASM2 many times, but never could bring myself to spend the time or money due to how mediciore the reviews were. It got a 50.57 average critic rating, which is pretty bad for a game to get.
I’m glad you liked it, but it wasn’t generally considered a good game, below average to average at best. It doesn’t invalidate your opinion, but it makes it hard to argue general populace had a good game to compare it to since the PS2 era.
@Jaz007 The basic web swinging mechanic is the same, and it's not as if SM2 has the same traversal system - though TASM2 does in a basic fashion.
So why not compare the basically similar games about the same character(s) in the same city doing the same things? Because of one mechanic?
@KALofKRYPTON You could compare TASM2 to the new one I guess, but my point was to compare a generally thought of as a good game with real web-swinging mechanics, which hasn’t been around since the PS2. For the rest of them, I would argue real web swinging makes all the difference for the PS3 era games. Web of Shadows looked cool, but I couldn’t get past the lack of the web actually connecting to stuff and swinging using the sky.
@get2sammyb I'll be waiting until BF 2019 when the GOTY Edition is $25 New or cheaper myself .
@Jaz007 That's suggesting that MSM has the same web swinging as SM2, which is doesn't, at all. TASM2 is probably closer to SM2 web swinging than MSM with the right/left swing options.
@KALofKRYPTON What I'm trying to say, is that both MSM and SM2 have a focus on web-swinging and that the webs actually connect to the something everytime. There is no swinging from the sky, which many spider-Man games have for some reason. I also realize that it plays differently with the web swinging it the two games in terms of controls, but the focus is the same and is the point I'm trying to make. TASM2 isn't generally thought of to be a good game. It scored rather low all around. You liked it, which is fantastic, but most didn't, so it woudn't be a comparable generally thought to be good game. For having a focus on web-swinging, even if controlled differently, it makes more sense to compare it to a game form the PS2 days for most people.
@Jaz007 My point is that TASM2 isn't 'generally well thought of' because it was seen as very much more of the same, it also needs webs to have something to cling to, and also has independent controls for each web shooter while swinging.
@get2sammyb When is the PushSquare review coming? I know I have missed an update and I apologize - I love the site and community!
@DrKameren We, er, don't have it.
@get2sammyb Thank you so much for your reply. The fact that they did not provide you with ample time to review (an amazing site + growing community) continues their efforts to undermine their sales through poor corporate decisions.
@DrKameren Ah well, these things happen!
@get2sammyb These things happen? Your site has almost every other review... what happened with SE?
game is fantastic loving it so much
@get2sammyb
The voice acting is top notch and haven't found much bad in the script so far.
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