Developed by the team at Eidos Montreal and published by Square Enix, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a downloadable action-adventure video game like its forebears. It is also the twelfth game in the series and the direct sequel to the latest entries Tomb Raider (2013) and Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015). These two, in many ways, reinvented the series for a more modern audience and updated some of the many time-honored gameplay mechanics found in the older games.
After all, Lara Croft debuted when 3D platforming and adventure games were still very much in their infancy. Now the genre has developed well beyond those somewhat elementary – some might even call them crude – gameplay mechanics. With a focus purely on single-player gaming, Shadow of the Tomb Raider doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. And anyway, it is not something gamers will expect from a game featuring Lara Croft so that’s fine by most fans.
If you want to reach out back in time and see what the old games are like, here are the links for download of the first six games in the series (not counting two Game Boy only titles):
- Tomb Raider (1996), Tomb Raider II (1997) & Tom Raider III (1998)
- Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999) & Tomb Raider Chronicles (2000)
- Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)
How to Download Shadow of the Tomb Raider
To download the game simply hit the Download button located at the end of the review. The game is available for download since 14 September 2018. Before that date, you can pre-order a regular version of Shadow of the Tomb Raider collector’s edition and meanwhile, you can watch this awesome trailer.
So What’s the Story?
Using Aztec and Mayan mythological stories as a kind of backdrop for the narrative of the Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the devs have promised a more in-depth exploration of the storyline than found in past games. They also decided to focus on teaching gamers more about the series’ hero Lara Croft and what motivates her to be a “tomb raider.”
How About the Game’s Mechanics?
Played from a third-person perspective, Shadow of the Tomb Raider features iterative changes over its predecessors but still largely focuses on gunplay when necessary and acrobatics at all times.
Players who enjoy the unique platforming the Tomb Raider games tend to offer will find a lot to love in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This is because special attention was paid to these segments and the range of movement extended to Lara Croft in this game is greater than ever before.
What Can We Expect in Terms of Graphics?
Graphically, the game is immersive and impressive, offering a variety of environments that are striking given the series theme and providing gamers with a glimpse into Lara Croft’s world like we’ve never had before.
In case you would like to have a bit more background on the series, here it is.
One of the longest-running series in all of video gaming, the Tomb Raider has captured the hearts of millions of people across the globe. It did it with compelling gameplay, innovative puzzle-solving, and exploration elements. Another key element to the success of the series was its iconic busty protagonist, Lara Croft.
Originally debuting on Sony’s then-nascent PlayStation console back in 1996, Tomb Raider has never strayed too far from its initial formula of sending the player into ruins all around the world in search of ancient artifacts, treasure, and uncovering the mysteries behind the game’s protagonist.
Any Good Music and Sound?
Sound and music also show up to do their duty and largely pay service without overshadowing the extremely realistic backgrounds, objects, lighting, weather, and enemies found in the game.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: the Bottom Line
The game is a must-have.
There is something much more visceral about Shadow of the Tomb Raider than in the other games and, in continuing the re-imagining of Lara Croft for modern audiences, Eidos Montreal and their collaborators at Crystal Dynamics have made a true gem for moderns gamers.
Available for Sony’s PlayStation 4 as well as Microsoft’s Xbox One and Windows-based PCs, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a true video game epic.
