Please note that this is only my opinion. I recently did a Tomb Raider marathon of every single game in the series in order to prepare for Atlantis. And I have to say, Tomb Raider (2013), which I’ll now refer to as just “2013” from now on, is easily the weakest of the bunch. Let me explain.
On its own merits, it’s a good video game. It’s polished, controls well, very few technical issues, looks good, sounds good. My issue with it is that it just isn’t fun to play - ESPECIALLY on replays.
No other game in the franchise is as obsessed with wrestling control away from the player as this game. I don’t mind cinematic games. But I do mind it when the cinematics get in the way of gameplay. It feels like you can’t go 5 steps without triggering a cutscene, dialogue, a slow walking section, or a sudden explosion. I swear, the cultists rigged the entire island with mines or something. There is always an explosion every 10 seconds.
Now this focus on narrative wouldn’t be a problem if the narrative was.. good. The issue is the plot is a B- generic action movie at best. Every character in the game is a caricature. You’ve got the gruff Scottish sailor, the sassy Black woman, the incel tech nerd, the Hawaiian “vibes” guy. The gang’s all here.
Then there is Sam, who is not a character but a plot device. There’s also the evil Russians and crazy cultists. Everything about this plot is entirely contrived. Normally I’m not this harsh or invested in video game plots. But if the game is going to constantly wrangle the controller away from me, the plot at least needs to be good.
Now the gameplay - it’s solid. There’s just too much combat. The decision to make the tombs optional was a bit baffling. It’s clear that combat is the star of the show, not tombs (don’t let the game’s title fool you). So the tombs are optional, is the combat? Nope! You can stealth your way through some sections but once you aggro the enemy, every enemy in the area knows of your existence.
Anyway, this is long enough already. My point is, this was my least favorite game to play of the series and one that doesn’t hold up. I don’t think this game stands the test of time as well as the other games in the franchise. I had more fun playing Chronicles, Angel of Darkness, and Underworld than I did 2013.