Even after I spent 12 hours completing the game's main story line, I had only finished about 60% of what "Shadow" had to offer.As seen in Vadim's tweet, the unused "select a steering method" widget lists three options that would only be applicable on a mobile release. Luckily, there's plenty of time to spend getting lost in the jungle. Too often, when you follow the story mode, Lara is forced into combat that feels less than satisfying. It's a lot more rewarding to be discovering hidden crypts and tombs and solving puzzles than being strung along by the rather mundane story. The game is at its best when you're left to explore the massive open world on your own. Enemies are also more likely to detect Lara while she's hiding and are harder to take down. When those levels are set higher, Lara's survival instincts are less effective at the start of the game and need to be enhanced using the skill tree. It will let you know what climbing tools you need to advance, for example, and certain areas will be clearly marked to guide the way. When you set those to lower levels, the game offers helpful prompts. In "Shadow," players can set the difficulty levels for its various gameplay components, including for combat, puzzles and climbing. Making the wrong choice usually means triggering a trap that leads to a gruesome death. They also leave it up to you to make the right choices with their own perception.
The puzzles scattered through the game's tombs are not as open-ended as those in games such as "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." But they are intricately designed and make good use of Lara's full tool set. Puzzles are a staple in the Tomb Raider series, and those interested in flexing their brain muscles will not be disappointed. If enemies discover you while you're trying to sneak past them, you're usually forced to scramble for a new hiding place or die in the immediate hail of bullets. As in many survival games, a bow is often the best option, because gunfire attracts enemies.Īs easy as climbing is in the game, gunplay often feels stiff, and most shootouts feel like a losing battle. Hiding from armed mercenaries in mud and overgrown vegetation is key to the game, because Lara rarely has the firepower to take down multiple enemies at once.Īs Lara, you can choose among four basic weapons: bows, pistols, shotguns, and rifles. When hidden, Lara can easily kill enemies with a single button press, preempting a fight. Thankfully, the game has frequent checkpoints, so missing a jump will usually just put you right back where you attempted it.Ĭombat is a standard part of the game, but Lara can almost always use stealth tactics instead to dispose of her foes.
Understanding how to climb properly is essential, as a slipup means instant death for Lara. The climbing mechanics are easy to pick up and the controls feel great as you jump and swing between rock walls, ledges, and trees.
Later on in "Shadow," you can upgrade them with climbing boots and a rope ascender.
You'll be able to use her familiar climbing axe and grappling hook to navigate most of the game's terrain. The gameplay in "Shadow" feels like a natural evolution from "Rise of the Tomb Raider." Early on, "Shadow" brings back all of Lara's usual tools and then builds from there.