Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Tried, returns the most famous archaeologist ever

Thanks to Koch Media we had the opportunity to get our hands on the third adventure dedicated to one of the most iconic protagonists of the entire videogame panorama. No introductions are needed, and it is clear that we are talking about the new Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the last episode of the reboot series started way back in 2013 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. On this occasion, it was also possible to speak directly with Jason Dozois and Heath Smith, respectively Narrative Director and Lead Game Designer of the title, who told us about the creative process behind the latest trilogy . It is evident that in recent years there is no longer the same interest in the Tomb Raider series, overshadowed under different points of view both by Sony's successful Uncharted series, which is often compared to the adventures of the historic heroine, and by the size of excellent content released in this luster. Nevertheless, what has been achieved in recent years by Crystal Dynamics before and Eidos Montréal now, it has undoubtedly brought a breath of fresh air of all respect to the famous archaeologist, but what will we have gathered from the early stages of the game?

Tomb Raider is finally with us

The opening bars from our adventure take place around a year after the events of Rise of the Tomb Raider, with a Lara even more determined to face the Trinity, directly involved in the death of her father. The title will mainly take us to vast South America, first passing through Mexico, then moving on to Peru. The main theme of the entire journey will no longer be survival, but rather the growth of a woman who is preparing to become the Tomb Raider par excellence that we all learned about back in 1996, an aspect on which the development team has placed great emphasis. In fact, it is immediately clear how much our Lara is has matured compared to her first expedition aboard the Endurance, although at the same time we can see how much the growth process is still ongoing: the archaeologist, in fact, will make a series of mistakes that will cost her dearly and will put her back to the wall , forcing her to reevaluate many of her beliefs. In essence, therefore, the premises of the narrative sector promise well, and seem to ensure an interesting development and above all consistent with what has been seen so far in the series.

Never change a winning team?

The aspect on which we focused most during the test concerns the gameplay, fundamental for the type of games to which it belongs Shadow of the Tomb Raider. With great regret, however, it must be admitted that we basically find ourselves faced with what has already been proposed in the two previous chapters, introducing very few innovations in this sense. With this in mind, the swimming skills by Lara, who is now able to dive to a greater depth, remembering even more closely the old chapters of the historic brand. The modality too stealth has undergone some improvements, allowing the heroine to hide from enemies by means of vegetation, although this choice is decidedly unoriginal and inspired. In short, despite the enjoyment of a now consolidated gameplay, one has the feeling that one could have dared much more. The graphic sector of the title then appears well cared for and in line with today's productions, although in the same way as Rise of the Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider 2013, the clear gap between a Lara recreated in detail, and the rest of the cast with a clearly lower number of textures is evident. Visually, the game as a whole suffers a lot, but it makes up for it by giving us incredibly beautiful glimpses to look at.

The version we played, moreover, was not yet the final one, but given the imminent launch, a noteworthy improvement is highly unlikely. In addition to that, Square Enix production in the hours of play has proved extremely stable, since we didn't run into any bugs, and the framerate was always constant. In conclusion, Shadow of the Tomb Raider it presents itself as an enjoyable and quality game, but which in some ways takes a few steps forward, giving us the impression of facing a more of the same that is struggling to leave their comfort zone. Fans of the genre, in any case, should find bread for their teeth, and keep an eye on the work of Eidos Montréal and Cystal Dynamics. Of course, before taking stock, let's wait to get our hands on the title, which will arrive on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next. 14 Settembre.