Rise of the Tomb Raider Critic Reviews

The past decade has seen the genre jump, shoot, and blow stuff up real good with games like Resident Evil 4, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Dead Space. Each redefined what a well-balanced 15-hour experience could be by delivering a compelling narrative, tight gameplay, and outstanding world building. Rise of the Tomb Raider bests even those classics with a character that resonates like no other. Even if it took nearly twenty years for that to happen, this is an adventure worth replaying with a hero who’s unforgettable.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is all about its pacing. It’s a game that will throw you into a huge action sequence and then slowly ramp back up. You don’t have to worry about endless waves of enemies. Instead you will move from one area to the next, traversing the world, hunting so you can craft and upgrade, and scouring the world for treasure and tombs. Crystal Dynamics took what worked in Tomb Raider and made it even better. Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best games of the year. It’s absolutely beautiful and plays as good as any game on the market today.

These breaks in linear action are wonderfully judged, allowing you to take a breath, find hidden treasure and help tribespeople by hunting down some wild boar or disrupting Trinity communication towers. There’s perhaps nothing here that you won’t have seen in open-world games, but these alluring pockets of freedom breaking out from a cinematic thrill-ride is a clever change of pace.

And that's Rise of the Tomb Raider in a nutshell. The parts that weren't so great about the reboot are better, while the best bits are bigger, louder and more plentiful.

One of the finest — if not the finest — games of 2015. The Rise of the Tomb Raider doesn’t quite rise to the heights of its magical predecessor, but it builds on 2013’s Tomb Raider in every way, delivering a game that’s as much a video game as it is work of cinematic art — and setting a high bar for adventurers of the future (remember that, Uncharted 4).

One of the best things I played all year.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a brilliant game on the XBox One but it’s familiarity with the previous game prevents it from being its natural successor.

Rise of the Tomb Raider captures the thrill of being an adventurer and leaves you thinking about Lara's next move. You have daredevil sequences, heroic moments, fun exploration, and exciting fights that even Indiana Jones would envy. If Crystal Dynamics keeps raising the bar from here, I can't wait to see what's next for Lara.

This is easily the best 3D action game on the Xbox One, and hopefully it isn’t swept under the rug sales-wise in a crowded holiday season.

The traversing in a platform adventure is the most fluid and seamless I’ve ever experienced, and the story gave me chills the more I unraveled, especially with the collectibles I found.

Overall, Rise of the Tomb Raider is easy to recommend. The gameplay is compelling and the tombs are a joy to explore, but Lara herself is the star of the show.

Rise of the Tomb Raider raises the bar set by Lara’s last outing with a rollicking adventure story, strong villains, gorgeous vistas, and smart puzzles – go off the main path to find the best stuff in dastardly optional tombs. Though the mandatory combat doesn’t distinguish itself with challenging enemies unless you crank up the difficulty, Lara’s newfound versatility on the battlefield makes fighting a lot more fun.

Maybe the best action-adventure of 2015, and the best looking game on Xbox One. Lara is back, and it's better than ever.

Crystal Dynamics have effortlessly done the impossible with Rise of the Tomb Raider, crafting a sequel that is superior to their reboot in every single way possible. It’s a bigger, more expansive experience that has a captivating narrative, engrossing gameplay loops and an absolutely stunning presentation. Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best action games ever crafted, and a generational leap forward as the series looks towards the horizon. Lara Croft is in good hands.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is an epic adventure, and it’s a story well told and well played.

Rise of the Tomb Raider takes what we loved about the franchise's reboot and makes it bigger and better. A great combination of gameplay elements that you shouldn't miss if you enjoyed the previous Tomb Raider.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a blast to play. This sequel blends together combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving better than its predecessor, balancing all of these elements and stretching them out in a way that makes the pacing feel spot on.

Crystal Dynamics creates a stunning, raw and exciting adventure that improves itself in all areas. This highly enjoyable game offers more freedom and exploration than its predecessor.

While there has been an influx of open world games over the last few years, Crystal Dynamics have been able to find a perfect balance of cinematic action and strong adventure elements...Rise of the Tomb Raider is an adventure like no other, giving players a twenty hour experience that will have them engaged from the moment Lara comes on screen.

Rise of the Tomb Raider successfully builds upon the already good previous episode, delivering a rock-solid experience with a compelling story, gorgeous visuals and an open world packed full of things to do. Our only complaint is about the still too simplistic puzzles, but it's definitely a game every lover of this genre should look forward to playing.