Shadow of the Tomb Raider Croft Edition SteelBook - Xbox One

The graphics and gameplay are very good. The combat is cut down a bit from previous games and the exploration is definitely cranked up, much akin to the original Tomb Raider game. From rock climbing to flash floods to earthquakes to swimming sequences with piranhas and eels--the world is trying to kill you. Lara must overcome these obstacles in order to become the tomb raider we all know from the past. The puzzles and tombs give good challenges and can be real brain teasers, especially depending on the difficulty you choose to play on. The cutscenes are great and the story is satisfying overall. You can tell Lara is the primary focus, as most other character models often look less detailed and look a lot alike from one another, especially when standing near her in a cutscene. Playing the game straight through is probably a 10-12hr experience, but if you're like me and explore everything, collect all the relics, documents, etc, complete all the tombs and crypts, and so on, you may very well find yourself putting over 50hrs into the game. Amazing game!

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is part 3 of the new Tomb Raider Trilogy. Story wise this is perhaps Laura's darkest theme. Dealing with the ramifications of taking artifacts, Croft must come to grips of her actions and how they effect the local population. The game play is great if you have played any of the 2 previous Tom Raider. The climbing, bow play and exploration are good. There are moments when travel feels a bit constricted and forced cut scenes interrupt your explorations. I would say this is 3rd in overall terms of the trilogy. That said it is a good game and great story. If you enjoyed the previous 2 Tom Raiders (or exploration games such as Uncharted) you will like this one.

If you're a fan of the two previous Tomb Raider games, this is a continuation and fitting end. It doesn't revolutionize anything, but it doesn't need to. It just needs to provide an end to the creation of the current Lara Croft. The gameplay is similar to the previous games, with more emphasis on stealth. The game is more puzzle heavy than previous entries as well. The story is generally decent, though the weakest out of the three games. If you like Tomb Raider or action/adventure games then this is an easy recommendation.

If you enjoyed either of the first two games in the Tomb Raider reboot series, this game will not disappoint. The story and gameplay are really good, but not quite at game of the year levels (e.g. Spider-Man or God of War). Gameplay- bow feels great, but gunplay is slightly janky. Puzzles are at the right level of difficulty without being too frustrating or easy. Challenge Tombs are great. Story- Serviceable. Good voice acting and facial animation. Lara can be somewhat annoying throughout the game. Another complaint is the lack of variety in locations, most of the game takes place in jungles and caverns. At the same time, the Mayan apocalypse theme throughout the game is intriguing and unique. Solid 8 out of 10 from me. All action adventure video game fans should pick this one up, especially if you wait for a sale.

Rise of the Tom Raider was my favorite game I played in the past year, so I was really excited to pick up the sequel. There's a bit less combat, but the stealth is more excited, and the puzzles are much more complex (much more Legend of Zelda-like). This is also the best-looking game I've played in the past several years. The graphics are so lush and breathtaking that I just love walking around checking out the scenery.