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The Trilogy Comes To An End
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the conclusion of Lara’s origin story. As one of the most expensive games ever made, the pressure was on to improve on the previous two games and provide a satisfying ending for Lara.
Her story stagnated in Rise of the Tomb Raider, where the focus shifted to dramatic sequences and Lara’s handling of Anna and Konstantin. The narrative was exaggerated and felt too serious for the nature of the game. The story wasn’t entertaining in the way an adventure story usually is.
What Is Adventure
Adventure can be defined in many ways: An unusual and daring experience; excitement associated with danger or the taking of risks; or a reckless and potentially hazardous enterprise. The problem with these definitions is, they’re often taken at face value.
Excitement. Daring. Danger. Reckless. Hazardous. These words are easy enough to understand and apply to a story. There’s excitement in travelling to another country; there’s daring in scaling a cliff; there’s danger inside a crumbling tomb; there’s recklessness in going head to head with an illuminati-like organisation; and it’s hazardous to swim under water without knowing there’s an end.
The problem is, these are all hallmarks; some of the dullest in adventure narrative. But crucially, they’re what we’ve come to expect of an adventure. In that case, I’m going on an adventure everyday when I drive my car, or when I cross the road, or go into a pub I’ve never been in before, where the locals don’t recognise me. Arguably, there’s more adventure to be had in the local area, than there is in a pampered holiday ‘abroad’, where the facade of tourism protects (on the whole) against crime.
There are two words in the previous descriptions (which I lifted from the OED) – unusual and enterprise – that can assist in steering the concept of adventure away from the usual depictions storytellers rely on, to methods that aren’t too dissimilar but capture the essence of adventure better.
Unusual is that which does not commonly occur, or something remarkable. Enterprise is an undertaking, especially a bold or complex one, and can also mean initiative or resourcefulness. These words capture the soul of adventure.
Trinity is unremarkable and represents a commonly occurring theme; and I wouldn’t class getting a guide to take you to some local ruins as an enterprise. I think a healthy adventure then, is one that is so unbelievable it seems stupid when considered outside the narrative.
Whilst Shadow of the Tomb Raider isn’t perfect, the storytelling is certainly improved over its predecessor. As a result, the game has moments of raw fun; dramatic sequences that feel more exciting because we’re unused to them; and an addictive story due to its unpredictability. It was obvious what Anna’s role was going to be as soon as we met her; it wasn’t obvious that we were going to find Paititi inhabited.
Another Year Later
Lara and Jonah follow Trinity to Cozumel, Mexico. Whilst there, Lara discovers a temple containing a dagger and references to a hidden city. Regardless of the apocalyptic Mayan warnings depicted inside the temple, Lara takes the dagger to prevent Trinity from acquiring it.
Dominguez (head Trinity guy) tells Lara about the dagger and a box that can stop the Cleansing. Only, he wants to remake the world in his image. Following this, a tsunami engulfs Cozumel; an indicator that the apocalypse has begun.
Lara and Jonah head to the Amazon despite Jonah’s insistence that she stop. They crash into the jungle during the second cataclysm (a storm). As Lara discovers new tombs, she learns that she must must stop the Cleansing by harnessing the powers of a god.
Upon saving a child, Lara is fortuitously taken to Paititi where they eventually help the queen bring down the Kukulkan idolator Dominguez. Where does this adventure take the player?
Navigating The Jungle
The maps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider never feel as large as some of the open areas in Rise, but they feel more expansive than those in Tomb Raider (2013). The South American setting and extensive use of the jungle isolates Lara in a different setting without hindering the enjoyment of exploration. The jungle acts as a descent from the mountainous terrains of the previous games, which represents a deeper dive into Lara’s personality.
I spent more hours in the game that I did with its predecessors but I saw more areas, some of which were smaller hubs branching into larger spaces. In some instances, especially near the Mission of San Juan, these side areas are merely a path to a challenge tomb. These offshoots were usually detailed with the remnants of local history, sublime oases, or the necrotic remnants of vicious tribes.
Later in the game, the city of Paititi becomes a super-hub for the main narrative events. Paititi is glorious in both scale and attention to detail. I made sure to select the local languages option so I could listen to the languages in their authentic environments. As I wandered through Paititi, the conversations and hubbub greatly enhanced my immersion.
Revise And Refine
A bartering system was introduced so players could trade unwanted finds. The problem with its implementation was in its execution: A shallow this-for-that system that doesn’t reward the player much in return. There wasn’t a particular need for it because there wasn’t an abundance of items in the previous games. The same applies here.
The swimming was enhanced and felt more natural; it looked more dramatic and the water courses were longer and more interesting. The graphics and the gamut of colours was greatly improved, which rendered the underwater labyrinths as lost grottos that sparkle and dazzle. Air pockets were added to allow for these sections to be longer and give urgency to the underwater action.
Being able to rappel down cliffs was a welcome feature, which expanded on Lara’s repertoire. It improves the functionality of the gameplay and allows for unique actions to take place when using stealth.
Stealth has been further improved by the utilisation of terrain: Lara can cover herself in mud to remain undetected, especially at nighttime. Densely vegetated surfaces provide ample coverage for Lara and give the player freedom to approach stealthy scenarios however they want, and from multiple angles.
There were instances in the previous games where the stealth mechanic simply didn’t work and I was often discovered in locations when I shouldn’t have been. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider I planned my approaches and frequently executed my ‘game-plan’ without being seen or heard. Even in situations when the enemies are curious about your whereabouts, there are ways out. This was one of the biggest improvements on the older games. I was in control of Lara.
More More More
The Challenge Tombs in Shadow of the Tomb Raider are longer, their designs are intricate and intentional, and the puzzles aren’t as simplistic as they were previously. They are my favourite aspect of the game and I was glad Eidos-Montréal continued to improve on the formula.
These contained tombs are always intriguing to explore. The design of each tomb is unique and often stunning to admire. Each tomb rewards the player with a permanent upgrade so the player is incentivised to explore.
I understand that games have to be accessible to a range of players, and big studios tend to appease the majority. That said, I welcomed the increased difficulty of the puzzles and struggled for a few minutes on occasion with some of them, which is why we do puzzles. They’re not as difficult as dedicated puzzlers, and nor should they be, but it’s an important part of Tomb Raider’s identity, and I’d like to see continued experimentation with tomb difficulty in future instalments; this is where the game feels most at home.
A story could be told through the tombs alone; though I doubt Embracer (the Swedish giant who recently acquired the studios related to Tomb Raider) would want to risk their investment so soon. A story told through a series of linear tombs, levels if you will… It will never happen.
Nine Challenge Tombs is a lot but it’s not enough; more tombs means more fun. A series of compulsory tombs that focus on the story could be balanced by a selection of optional tombs with increased difficultly. That way, players who don’t want the increased difficulty of the optional tombs wouldn’t have to engage with the content.
That’s A Wrap
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the game Rise should have been; the problem then is in analysing Shadow as the end of the trilogy. Realistically, this is the quality Tomb Raider should be aiming for. Combat is versatile, the maps were an ideal size for exploration without being too linear or overly large; the challenge tombs are excellent and Lara’s narrative, and its closure is satisfying.
Being able to take control of Lara and experience her childhood was an interesting use of story in a game. By putting the player in young Lara’s shoes, the sensitive story could be told through the naive eyes of a child viewing an adult world. The experience admitted players into the real Croft Manor; a Croft Manor we’ve never seen before.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a thrilling finale to an excellent trilogy. Each game has value and contributes to Lara Croft’s modernised and updated identity. The games weren’t as innovative as they could have been but that’s not to sleight their quality and the entertainment they provide.
The games that established the great franchises will forever be immortalised. The original Tomb Raider trilogy is untouchable, so I ask, why not try and recreate the originality of the originals? There’s an obvious fear to upset the monetary equilibrium of franchises, but even the hardcore fans get upset when the same game is released over and over – Fifa and Call of Duty spring to mind.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a superb mixture of extreme adventure, set against the kind of fabulous backdrops you’d read about as a child, and feature realistic character development that separates the backstory from the immediate action.
Another trilogy finished. Another origin story told. Where will Lara go next?
