At the start of the year I planned to put together a pile of shame and work through it across 12 months. I decided against it because, realistically, once April(ish) hit I’d only get through a handful of games between new releases and the rest of my Explosion Network duties.
I have a new game plan that’s less demeaning—because I can’t fail it! I’m simply going to keep track of any pre-2020 games I finish throughout the year and tick them off the old pile without committing to a pre-determined list. Smart, isn’t it? Now I can just play what I want and feel good about getting through whatever I can.
So let’s kick it off. First game cleared this year: Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Ex-Pile of Shame #1: Rise of the Tomb Raider
What I Played: The campaign, some optional tombs, and a bit of dawdling for collectibles.
Difficulty: Normal
Playtime: Nine and a half hours
Synopsis: Lara uncovers an ancient mystery that places her in the crosshairs of the ruthless organization Trinity. Racing to reach the Lost City of Kitezh before they do, she sets out for Siberia on her first true tomb-raiding expedition.
I finished Tomb Raider (2013) on PS3 at launch but missed Rise of the Tomb Raider initially because I didn’t own an Xbox. When it hit PS4 it arrived at a silly time—I was playing Mafia III and then got distracted by PSVR. I finally grabbed it on a PS4 sale… and still didn’t play it until it came to Xbox Game Pass. Specifically PC Game Pass, because I’d just bought a new monitor—my first 2K, G-Sync–enabled, above-60-Hz display—and wanted something pretty to test it with. Seeing Rise on Game Pass, I thought: why not.
It was a great choice to show off the screen. The game is beautiful for its age: stunning vistas, gorgeous fire and particle effects, and excellent hair physics on Lara all grabbed me instantly.
I don’t think the story here is as strong as 2013’s Tomb Raider, but it’s definitely more action-heavy with big set pieces—the final level, in particular, feels like it’s out-Uncharted-ing Uncharted. I just didn’t care for the supporting cast, and the villains are pretty boring. From what I’ve heard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider doesn’t redeem that either, which is disappointing.
Moment-to-moment, though, it’s a lot of fun. The climbing feels great, and there’s a satisfying variety of weapons and ways to take down enemies—even if I preferred the more stealth-focused approach of the previous game.
I’m confused why the game’s tombs are optional when they’re some of the best content here. It’s an odd separation from what made Tomb Raider, well, Tomb Raider.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is on Xbox Game Pass too, so I might get to it this year—just not immediately. Even though I enjoyed my time with Lara, she needs a rest before I go back to battling Trinity.
P.S. Now that I can answer the internet’s hot topic from 2016: Uncharted 4 is way better. Its story and characters are consistently more engaging—even if I’d give Rise of the Tomb Raider the nod for set pieces.
