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Shadow of the Tomb Raider
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Shadow of the Tomb Raider

201880/100
ShooterPuzzleAdventure

Historical · Mystery · Stealth · Survival

+1
Shadow of the Tomb Raider's strength lies in its meticulous environmental design and its emphasis on traversal. Lara Croft's latest outing blends climbing, swimming, and rappelling into a fluid ballet of movement, punctuated by tense combat encounters and intricate puzzle chambers. The game's lasting appeal comes from the feeling of isolation and discovery, as players uncover ancient secrets and navigate perilous landscapes, constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in a tomb.

About Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Details
In the two months since Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft and her friend Jonah Maiava have dedicated themselves to stopping the activities of paramilitary organization Trinity. The two track a cell to Cozumel in Mexico that is led by Pedro Dominguez, the head of Trinity's High Council. Slipping inside nearby tombs being excavated by Trinity, Lara discovers a temple containing the Dagger of Chak Chel and references to a hidden city. Murals adorning the walls allude to the Silver Box of Ix Chel and warn of "the Cleansing", a Mayan apocalypse culminating in a permanent solar eclipse. Lara ignores the warnings and takes the Dagger to prevent Trinity from acquiring it. Dominguez catches her and reveals that by taking the Dagger, Lara has triggered the Cleansing. He takes the Dagger, intending to unite it with the Box to stop the Cleansing and use the power it grants him to remake the world in his image. Lara and Jonah escape a tsunami that destroys Cozumel and foreshadows the coming apocalypse. Despite growing tensions between them over her actions, Lara and Jonah pursue Dominguez into the Amazon. Their plane crashes in the Peruvian jungle during the second cataclysm—a massive storm—and the two find their way to Paititi, the hidden city shown in the murals. Exploring local tombs reveals that piercing the Box with the Dagger will grant the user the power of the god Kukulkan, which must be used to halt the Cleansing. Lara witnesses Trinity soldiers being slaughtered by strange humanoid monsters later identified as the Yaaxil, guardians of the Box. When Lara saves a boy named Etzli, she and Jonah are brought into Paititi by his mother Unuratu, queen of the city. Lara sees Dominguez is the leader of a cult dedicated to Kukulkan and Unuratu reveals he is her brother-in-law Amaru, who was taken by Trinity as a child and raised to complete the ritual and reshape the world in their image. Unuratu directs Lara to the Box, but Lara finds it is missing. Believing the cult already has the Box, Lara, and Unuratu attempt to steal it, but Unuratu is captured. Lara also encounters the Yaaxil and their leader Crimson Fire. Lara infiltrates the cult's temple and overhears Amaru telling Unuratu that the Box was hidden by Andres Lopez, a missionary sent to Paititi by Trinity during the Spanish conquest of South America. Lara rescues Unuratu and realizes that Amaru does not fully understand the ritual; rather than merely imbuing Kukulkan's power, the ritual sacrifices it to stop the Cleansing. Unuratu is shot by Commander Rourke, Amaru's second in command. Before she dies, Unuratu implores Lara to complete the ritual but warns her not to let the Box influence her. Rourke attacks Lara and Jonah, who are separated as they leave Paititi to decipher the next clue. Thinking Jonah dead, Lara goes on a rampage that destroys an oil refinery and slaughters everyone there except Rourke, who escapes. She momentarily breaks down when she finds Jonah alive, but he manages to calm her, and they decipher the Box's location. Driven mad by the Box, Lopez established a mission near Paititi where he trained acolytes to complete the ritual. Lara and Jonah find a secret catacomb beneath the missiong leading to Lopez's tomb and the Box. Amaru finds them and forces Lara to surrender the Box. He admits that he ordered her father's death to prevent him from finding Paititi and revealing it to the world. Lara tries to persuade Amaru to use the ritual to benefit the world. He refuses, as the Cleansing will only affect Paititi. Amaru has used his position in Trinity to manipulate them into preventing it. He leaves Lara and Jonah to escape the third cataclysm, a massive earthquake that causes a landslide and destroys the mission. Back in Paititi, Lara and Jonah help the newly-crowned Etzli lead an assault on an underground temple complex at Paititi's center. They plan to disrupt Amaru's ceremony while avoiding the fourth cataclysm, a volcanic eruption threatening Paititi. Lara is forced to go on alone when Trinity cuts off Etzli's forces. She encounters the Yaaxil and Crimson Fire, convincing them to help her stop Amaru. Lara takes on the symbolic role of Ix Chel while Crimson Fire becomes Chak Chel. While the Yaaxil kill Rourke and the Trinity High Council, Lara makes it to the temple summit. She fails to stop Amaru from piercing the Box and absorbing Kukulkan's power as an eclipse blocks the sun. Lara overpowers Amaru after a lengthy battle; accepting defeat, he transfers Kukulkan's power to Lara as he dies. True to Unuratu's warning, she is tempted to use the Box to revive her parents, but instead lets Crimson Fire symbolically stab her, sacrificing Kukulkan's spirit and stopping the Cleansing. In the aftermath, Unuratu is laid to rest, and Jonah decides to take a vacation. Lara stays in Paititi to help Etzli restore the city to its former glory. A post-credits scene shows Lara planning her next adventure at Croft Manor, acknowledging that her role is not to solve the world's mysteries, but to protect them.

Top 3 Alternatives to Shadow of the Tomb Raider

1
Rating
Critic & community
93
Match
Recommendation strength
89%

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

2016 · Shooter

Like Lara Croft, Nathan Drake is a treasure hunter who combines acrobatic platforming, intense gunfights, and environmental puzzles in exotic locales, but with a more cinematic and character-driven narrative.

Why recommended

  • Features a compelling blend of third-person shooting, melee combat, stealth sections, and acrobatic traversal across stunning, detailed environments, mirroring Shadow of the Tomb Raider's core gameplay loop.
  • Criteria Compliance: Offers a robust 'Action' experience through its cover-based shooting and dynamic set pieces, and includes a competitive 'Multiplayer' mode with various game types.
  • The game's narrative-driven adventure focuses on exploring ancient ruins and solving environmental puzzles to uncover historical mysteries, appealing to fans of Lara Croft's archaeological pursuits.
2
Rating
Critic & community
89
Match
Recommendation strength
85%

Explore a breathtaking post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic creatures, combining stealth, ranged combat, and exploration. It shares Shadow of the Tomb Raider's emphasis on survival and uncovering ancient secrets.

Why recommended

  • Features a compelling open world where stealth, tactical combat against robotic wildlife, and resource gathering are crucial for survival, reminiscent of Lara's survival instincts in hostile environments.
  • Criteria Compliance: Provides intense 'Action' combat encounters against diverse mechanical beasts, requiring strategic thinking and quick reflexes. The game can also offer a 'Challenging Difficulty' on higher settings, demanding mastery of its combat systems.
  • The narrative is deeply rooted in uncovering the mysteries of a fallen civilization and the origins of the machine creatures, echoing the historical and archaeological discovery aspects of Tomb Raider.
3
Rating
Critic & community
85
Match
Recommendation strength
78%

While less focused on historical exploration, Control offers a similar blend of third-person action, environmental puzzle-solving, and a deep, unfolding mystery within a supernatural setting that rewards exploration.

Why recommended

  • Engages players with a unique combat system that combines powerful supernatural abilities with traditional third-person shooting, offering a fresh take on action akin to Lara's varied toolkit.
  • Criteria Compliance: Delivers a strong 'Action' experience through its dynamic combat and destructible environments, and while primarily single-player, the intense combat can be 'Challenging Difficulty' at times, especially against certain enemy types.
  • The Federal Bureau of Control headquarters is a constantly shifting, labyrinthine environment filled with secrets, hidden areas, and environmental puzzles that encourage thorough exploration and discovery.

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