Lara Croft has come a long way from the inexperienced adventurer we first laid our eyes on when the franchise received a reboot. Playing through Shadow of The Tomb Raider and looking back at previous titles you have seen Lara evolve tremendously. Lara has become one of the most badass female characters we have seen in gaming history. Shadow of The Tomb Raider wastes no time in making sure that you are wide awake. The opening cut scene has you gripping the control in a nervous wreck wondering if you are going to make it. Honestly, at times throughout Shadow of The Tomb Raider, my anxiety levels were at an all-time high. At one point you are swimming through an underwater cave and everything is all peachy until all hell breaks loose. The narrow passage that you need to swim through slowly becomes a race in time as the boulder blocks you clear-cut way. Cue the cut scene and mini-game as I stood up and starting hammering down on the X button to help Lara survive. Moments like this had me dialled into SOTTR and constantly checking my pulse and that wasn’t even the most intense sequence in the game. You will embark on one of the biggest Tomb Raider games to date as you try to stop the evil group Trinity, oh and also stop a Mayan Apocalypse from happening. No big deal right? Buckle up you are in for a treat. The story has a great way of keeping you intrigued and on edge at the same time, deadly encounters with a Jaguar will have you left in shock( just wait till you get to that part) but still manage to pull on your heart-strings along the way by showing you a sequence as a younger Lara. This moment in the game was very enjoyable and shed some light on her back story a little bit more. I won’t spoil too much throughout this review… I PROMISE!. The story and its characters work very well together, the relationship between Lara and Jonah is something unique and helps some of the dull moments in the story although not many to complain about. Lara’s combat system has greatly evolved since the last two installments and in a big way. Covering yourself in mud, or vanishing into a wall of vines and performing a stealth kill is rewarding and exhilarating every time you pull it off. Throughout SOTTR you are constantly scavenging and collecting crates, uncovering ancient ruins all the while as you are gaining XP. Progressing through the game you will begin to unlock skill points, skill points will help you mould Lara the way you want. If you are like me and enjoy tracking down all the hidden tomb locations you might want to use these helpful tips. Located in the skill tree info below two major skills you should unlock first are the Caiman’s Breath and Caiman’s Speed perks. As SOTTR has a lot of underwater exploration these two perks will do wonders for your character build and help you conquer some of the most challenging tombs and events during the campaign. Swimming does take a bit of time to get used to with the controls. At times I found player moments and controls a bit clunky but still manageable. Camera angles work but at times you might see a little texture blunders but don’t let that bother you.   [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHBAIuMnkpk[/embedyt]    

SEEKER SKILLS:

Hoatzin’s Step– Reduce noise from jumps, landings and falls. Crow’s Cunning– Reveal traps while using Survival Instincts. Viper’s Nest– Increase the amount of man-made crafting resources gathered from source Owl’s Vision– Survival Instincts last for a longer period after you start to move. Highlight enemies, resources and objects in “one with the jungle” difficulty. Eagles Grasp– Increase the chances of finding rare animals. Illipa’s Sight– Locate the heart of a large animal while using Survival Instincts. Heart shots inflict massive damage.  

WARRIOR SKILLS:

Puma’s Rest– Increase precision by holding charged shots. Raposa’s Threat– Visual assistance when aiming at the enemy’s head. Howler’s Speed– Never slip when grabbing ledges. More reaction time for traps and grappling enemies. Raposa’s Drop– Reduce damage when falling from heights. Roll on impact and then take no damage at all. Puma’s Charge– Reach full draw weight more quickly. Reduce time between charged shots. Jaguar’s Fury– Resist damage from enemies for a short period after performing a stealth kill.  

SCAVENGER SKILLS:

Serpent’s Strike– Perform a silent takedown within mere feet of another enemy without worry of them being alerted. Boa’s Coil– When performing a stealth kill, automatically loot your target. Viper’s Venom– Curse your enemies by using a poison grenade powerful enough to slay all non-boss enemies. Serpent’s Skin– Conceal yourself from enemies by using mud and camouflage. Hurucan’s Mantle– Reduce damage taken by fire and explosives. Caiman’s Heart– Regenerate health faster than before. Caiman’s Breath-  Increase breath capacity when swimming underwater. Stacks with Caiman’s Breath II. Caiman’s Speed  – Increase speed when swimming.   [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYWmRoTQdd8[/embedyt]   Some of the most exciting moments in SOTTR are when you decide to take on some of the challenging hidden tombs. I can tell you first hand that they are challenging and won’t be a walk in the park. Selecting the right perks and the right equipment goes a long way, not all tombs are available right away and some upgrading to Lara’s gear is necessary for you to be able to take on these hidden and brutal challenges. After completing the game you will want to backtrack and try your luck at completing these tombs. GOOD LUCK!. Some keys to the game are to help out the locals! complete side quests which will then in turn bring on new weapons, new gear and unlock more quest givers along the way. Vendors located in city hubs become resourceful as you can buy and sell gear to help you with your arsenal. The lost city of Paititi is one of the biggest hubs in Tomb Raider history and this is where you will complete story missions, side quests by helping the locals and also track down some hidden tombs. Now there is a lot more to this area but like I said before NO SPOILERS!. Like the rest of SOTTR the visuals of this hidden city are phenomenal. Throughout SOTTR you will have moments where you stop and just move your camera and look at the horizon. The team did a fantastic job of bringing this landscape to life.       Shadow of The Tomb Raider is one of the best Tomb Raider games we have seen since the reboot and maybe even ever!. Playing through all three titles and watching Lara evolve has been a wonderful and enjoyable treat as a gamer. As a long time fan of the series, I enjoyed every moment of SOTTR as it had me at the edge of my seat. A well-crafted story and a lot of side quests will give you some great playtime with this gem. Challenging tombs will keep you busy and alert as they are more deadly and require patients, which I lost at times. SOTTR should be on everyone’s watch list and if you are a fan of the series you won’t be let down.   Cheers folks!