LogFAQs > #933208245

37. Tomb Raider (2013) / Rise of the Tomb Raider / Shadow of the Tomb Raider

There's no point in separating these games. They're all the same mechanics and characters set in different environments. Shadow has less combat than the other two, I guess, but that's about it.

I really like the gameplay of these games. Stealth is fun, climbing is fun, combat is fun, and stealing - er, researching priceless artifacts belonging to other cultures is fun. The Tomb Raider games strike a great balance between forward plot progression and the ability to explore around and find stuff. The setpieces are great too! I have a lot of good things to say about this series.

Unfortunately, the games are also lesser than the sum of their parts. Despite the cutscenes being well-directed and the characters being well-acted, the overarching plot of the series is dumb as hell and entirely fails at being compelling. It's a bunch of weird and/or dumb things happening in consecutive scenes that barely tie together, and there's a secret organization but the motivation behind it is moronic and underexplained, and there's some twists but they all suck? It's really a shame. I do like how Lara is written though - I don't think I would call it GOOD writing but it's entertaining. She's a total lunatic who convinces people she's not because she's an attractive woman with a posh British accent who is entirely aggreable up until the point where shit goes down, and I'm glad that Shadow leaned in hard on that idea.

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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.