Rise of the Tomb Raider - A Story of Legacy

I've been playing and reviewing the Tomb Raider games for the last couple of years - as I'm sure everyone and their mother has noticed by now. Last time around, we looked at the 2013 reboot. We've got two more chapters to go, and then we've covered all 12 mainline entries.

Well, now it's time to look at the 11th chapter: Rise of the Tomb Raider.

The Survivor Trilogy's Second Chapter

Development on the 11th entry in the Tomb Raider series started a few weeks after the release of the previous game. The story was written by Rhianna Pratchett, daughter of the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett - fun fact: she also wrote the story for the 2013 reboot. Rhianna apparently found the sequel's story harder to write because she wasn't too sure about Lara's mental state at the start of the game. Game director, Brian Horton put it best:

"When we think about what Lara's gone through, she's suffered through these traumatic events, seen friends die, and come out of the situation forever changed ... What she needs is a way to reconcile the pain that she has suffered and also the draw that she has, this compulsion, to discover more of these things now that she's just glimpsed them on Yamatai" - Brian Horton, Game Director

The devs drew on films like Rambo: First Blood II, The Grey, and The Descent, for inspiration on a few plot beats. Gamer feedback led to a greater emphasis on tomb raiding than the previous game.

Rise of the Tomb Raider was released on November 10, 2015 for Xbox and for PC on January 28, 2016. The game was met with critical acclaim with praise levelled at the graphics, presentation, story, and combat.

The Storyline

Set a year after the events of the previous game, Lara is struggling with PTSD and starts going through her dad's research looking for something to help explain her experience on Yamatai. Richard Croft's research puts her on the trail of the Divine Source, an artefact that is said to grant immortality. Of course, she's not the only one looking for this artefact; that would be too easy. Instead, she has to contend with a paramilitary organization called Trinity.

What did I Like about Rise of the Tomb Raider?

Pretty much everything. The graphics, even on the lowest settings, look great. The music is amazing. Apparently the composer worked on Game of Thrones, so that makes a lot of sense. The action and traps are brilliant! Camilla Luddington's voice work is also phenomenal!

I also loved that Lara was following one of her dad's trail. It makes the story far more personal than the previous one. Don't get me wrong, the 2013 game was personal too, but there's something about a family connection that makes things feel so much more intense.

What didn't I Like about Rise of the Tomb Raider?

Okay, so what didn't I like? Well...here's the thing; I had to do some serious tinkering with settings to get the game running comfortably. I had to turn several settings all the way down or, some cases, turn them off completely.

It was more than a little frustrating, and it was still very slow in the end.

The Trinity Organization also feels...not bad, just a bit out of place. It's far more intimidating than the Solarii cult from the previous game because they're far more organized and dangerous.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a Great Ride!

Overall, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a great ride. It might take a bit of tinkering to get the game running, but it's worth playing!