3/5 ★ – peacebrendanp's review of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.

A really solid game. I'm having a hard time giving this game a rating, because there were some moments where I was really surprised at what the game was doing. But, there are a lot of moments that made me feel like this game is a product of it's time. I don't think the game has aged poorly at all, but there are some aspects of the game that miss the mark for me. A lot of folks compare this reboot series to the Uncharted series, which makes sense; there is a decent amount of inspiration derived from that series (which is funny, because Uncharted is assuredly somewhat inspired by the Tomb Raider series). But, the game feels more directly inspired by the Arkham series. It borrows "set-pieces," treasure collecting, platforming, and some supernatural elements from the Uncharted series. But, it's actual game design premise seems more closely related to the metroidvania-esque philosophy of the Batman: Arkham games. There will be areas that will be blocked off until you obtain more tools as you progress through the 8-to-10-hour campaign. This aspect impressed me a great deal, as the game does not slow down in it's trickle of new equipment and weapon upgrades. I was also impressed with the slow trickle of cuts and scratches that Lara slowly gains throughout the campaign. It helps sell the story of being stranded on the island that they are on. The art style also was something I appreciated; it's muddy and gray, but it works here. The story they are telling is one of survival, and the color palette mirrors that. You will scrounge for scrap and ammo throughout the semi-open world, to upgrade weapons to better your chances of survival. Overall the game feels like a classic Tomb Raider game, more-so than I remember it feeling. It feels very arcade-like. This is to it's detriment a lot of the times. The platforming feels stiff, and feels very much on-the-rails. I often felt like I didn't really have control of Lara when scaling a wall, and the lack of routes is very apparent as well. This translates to the set-pieces as well; the set pieces really feel lack-luster. Not that they needed to be as bombastic as the Uncharted series, but they feel really stiff, and feel like I really can just push the analogue stick forward and make it through a scenario without any real feeling of suspense. The combat is also really one-note here. While you are given a decent number of tools to dispose of enemies, the combat just doesn't feel deep or dynamic. And, the amount of dragged-out firefights that you will get into is too much. The upgrades you receive, both to character and weapons, are not interesting. The latter, provides enough upgrades to keep things interesting, even though I did not appreciate how upgrading a weapon to the next tier was handled. As, it doesn't really make sense to have a World War II assault rifle turn into an AK-47-esque gun. Character upgrades are one-note, and super rudimentary - they never really feel like they alter the game enough to be interesting or fun. Some of the upgrades alter hand-to-hand combat, but those use-cases, are so specific, that they might as well have either not been in the game, or been in the game as default animations. Because, that's essentially what they are: unlocking a specific execution animation. It's annoying. Even then, the hand-to-hand combat is fine. There are some interesting ideas, but nothing note-worthy. The combat, overall, feels clunky at it's worst, and looks fine at it's best. The game feels the best when you are exploring the open-world, despite the climbing mechanic feeling pretty stiff. There are a number of tools to unlock to reach new areas, and it does make the game world interesting to explore. I liked the setting of a rainy island, off the coast of Japan. I did not like how tombs are handled. There is essentially one major tomb, which is reached via events of the story, and several optional tombs. The optional tombs are really simple puzzles that provide minimal rewards. It truly feels like a disservice to even call the optional tombs, "tombs." They are more like caves, that all look alike, and maybe have some basic looking statues. Something to note here, the game uses a shaky-camera, which you will get used to, but it can be pretty disorienting in the first hour of the game. I had a hard time not noticing it, and it's something that normally wouldn't bother me. But, here it's something that feels obnoxious. The story is really lack-luster here. I really like this story as a concept for Lara's origin story; we have a younger, naive, and doubtful Lara Croft here. This aspect of the story is something that I liked. All of the other aspects are hindered by basic and sometime corny writing, and performances that are equally uninspired and corny. The story moves the game forward, and overall, I didn't feel like the game overstayed it's welcome too much. The ending really throws a lot of enemies at you, and contains a supernatural element that is fine, but feels mostly basic. There is a fun little nod to Lara's retro dual-wielding days at the end of this game, which I appreciated. The music feels old, in both a nostalgic way, but also a really boring and uninteresting way. Overall, I think peoples' mileage will vary with this one. This is my second playthrough of this game since it first came out. I think it introduces a more mature Lara, with some pretty gruesome death animations to boot. There are a lot of ideas here, and you can tell the series is attempting to launch into the modern-era with modern mechanics and survival mechanic ideas. I do think there is a lot to appreciate here, and even a lot to love. However, I think with time, I have just come to expect more from games. When it comes to older games, specifically games that came out between 2005 and 2015, there are a lot of games that are stuck in this awkward space. A space where they are attempting for something very cinematic, but a space where mechanics can feel undercooked and clunky the more time goes on. I feel like this game falls into that category. It has not aged poorly by any means, and it is definitely worth at least one playthrough if you are interested in the series. But, by the end of the game, I was ready to move on. The experience doesn't necessarily feel fresh. And, some of it's mechanics fail to carry the game through the modern age. Despite everything I just said, it's somewhat hard to believe that this was a PS3 game at launch. Still glad I replayed it, as I make my way through this series. Console Played On: PS5 (PS4 Version) Game Played: 05/2024 - 05/2024 Review Written and Published: 05/27/2025