CARES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE Before I begin to consider the game, I would like to express my positive impressions, and thank you, for the care that Crystal Dynamics has had with the fans. Seven days before launching the game to the world, September 14, the company made available, even without being 100% finalized, the game for all the official members, including us, of Lara Croft Fans.
Along with the game, we received a "Review Guide", with guidelines on what we could or should not do, problems that could appear in the game, but which have now been solved through the updates; details of the launch, commands, a brief history, combat tactics, mobility techniques, tombs, skills, missions - including the city of Paittii, music, difficulty settings, director and part tips between the team. While the game was downloaded, reading was important so do not miss any detail. Ready. Game installed. The heart began to beat harder, especially when the initial screen appears, showing the Amazon forest and, after pressing the start button, appears Lara, almost imperceptible, hidden among the bushes ready to attack. Anxiety level rising at 3, 2, 1.
ALL CONFIGURED. TIME TO PLAY Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the conclusion of the games that brought Lara Croft to another level and, in this adventure, much darker. The heroine accidentally causes a Mayan apocalypse after facing the Trinity for possession of a mystical artifact. And this causes it to go through several events, such as tsunami, earthquake, eruptions, among other facts that leave the atmosphere of the game in a mix of tension and anxiety. The initial fifteen minutes were no longer new, because I had already watched and even wrote my impressions in another article (which you can find on our site under the name "15 minutes of Shadow of the Tomb Raider to make the heart beat stronger. SPOILER)”. But, I confess, being able to play that initial time made me very happy. I stopped to see every detail of the game, which is, without a doubt, flawless, especially in visual terms. Your level of quality is up many games of the current generation.
We can see, as details, the textures of clothes, goals and environments; a much more realistic lighting, especially inside the jungle. The animations, which in this game are presented in a greater amount than the previous two, live up to movie scenes: rich in detail, engaging and with consistent dialogues that tie the story very well.
The game continues with its phases at a rather linear pace, except for the slightly more open map of Paititi, which shows the simplicity and routine of a people hidden in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. It's beautiful to watch, and to play. Throughout the game Lara finds an exaggerated amount of collectible items, taking into account the reduced amount of action that the game brings. Your weapons will always be equipped and your bag will always be full. It is worth mentioning that this can change when you configure the difficulty of the game (I played in normal mode), or if you trade items with merchants. One of the most impressive points in the game is the amount of underwater stages. At various times, the paths to be covered are so large and tight that you begin to be distressed to cross without drowning, until you find the pockets of air, for Lara to take a breath and swim back.
The game has some parallel missions and relatively easy to solve. I believe that, in a next opportunity, this can be solved with more challenges that will bring even more rewarding rewards to Lara Croft. I thought it might get better. One of the cool points of the game, for me, were the tombs. Now, in greater numbers, they are more challenging and, some, deadly. In addition, we can find crypts that help in understanding the mythology and Lara to make decision. Other points that can not be left out of the game are photo mode, which is very fun, and the addition of stealth elements, making the game even more interesting. I confess that when they added the story of Jesus Christ to history, it is a point that the game could be lost, considering that I did not like religious citations very much (not for not believing, but for knowing that certain narratives are lost in Rise of the Tomb Raider. But to my surprise, it stayed right. Although a bit gloomy, at some points, as in the stage where Lara is close to finding the statue of the Virgin Mary, full of crosses around her, I found that it gave a tone of more mystery to the game by citing points in the story more contact since always.
LARA CROFT MORE EXPRESSIVE, HUMAN, SHADOW AND MORTAL Lara Croft is, without discussion, more human, more expressive and with a certain tone of humor that brought more personality to the character. And I loved it, I confess. One of the early scenes that most makes it clear, in my opinion, was when his friend Jonah knows a possible "flirting" when they arrive in Peru. Lara, very discreet, understood the mood that is in the air and goes behind an artifact so as not to break the romance that began at that moment. In addition, we can see, in many moments, a much darker and brutal Lara.
I'm sure technically it was a very big challenge to develop a Lara with so much detail, especially in regards to hair that, in my opinion, bothered me on several points. The impression I had is that they have increased the amount of hair in front of her face to the extent that you lose certain facial expressions, as well as pretending that the head is disproportionate to the size of her body. I would like to see, in an upcoming game, less hair covering the face of Lara Croft. If it were tied braided then he would be very happy. Or at least behind the ear. One point of the game that caught a lot of attention was the possibility of playing with Lara Croft still girl. (This was only possible in Tomb Raider The Last Revelation, when the little girl was led by her mentor, Van Croy.), In an impeccable Croft mansion, full of details and also of adventures.
MYTHOLOGY THAT COMPRISES TO THE MOST DEMANDS When Lara starts exploring the city, behind artifacts, we are surprised by the way the game is conducted. There is dialogue, interaction and side quests, which was not possible in previous games. It is possible to analyze the local culture, the problems of infrastructure and the sad reality of finding ancient and sacred temples mixed with the filth of the "city" that has infiltrated it.
For anyone who is a fan of mythologies, ancient stories and Tomb Raider since its inception, Shadow of the Tomb Raider was a great surprise. We can find, in the adventure, regions of Mesoamerica and South America, with a Mayan and Inca atmosphere, which takes us on a journey of discovery of Ix Chel (Goddess of Fertility, Weaving, Medicine and the Moon) as well as Chack Chel (Goddess of Wiring, Water, Birth, Creation and Destruction). The game brings a lot of texts and artifacts that lead us to stories never told, at least in the world of games. By the way, the goddess's look is incredible. Without verbal dialogue, she is able to pass through her body and facial expression, anger, wild instinct and even a certain gratitude for Lara as the story unfolds.
As the characters are introduced, we can see a significant improvement in their visual details and their expressions (in relation to previous games), contributing positively to the game. When the goddess Check Chel proposes to help Lara, passing between the worshipers of the goddess, at the end of the game, and being respected is a shiver. A masterpiece truth. There were a lot of technique there. There where a lot going on in that scene whose mystical atmosphere leaves us, fans, delighted. I remember that, in the game, I went down the stairs so calmly to be able to appreciate every detail that was thinking for that scene specifically. And the mask that Lara uses, like a real queen, is that of a jaw dropping. Simply flawless.
AWESOME SOUND EFFECTS
One of the things that surprised me most in the game was the sound effects. And there are few games that do that, in my opinion. Here is a parenthesis to emphasize that this impression can be increased if you play the adventure with a quality headset. It was so nice to enjoy the sonic details thinking for this game, like, for example, the jaguars getting ready to attack Lara, the sound of the rain coming in contact with the plane, the water when it starts to destroy everything on the way with that exciting tsunami and, breakdowns, explosions caused by short circuits; but for me the most immersive sound effects were those of the dense Amazonian forest: animals, insects, vegetation that was moved by the wind, the character treading on the mud. Everything was impeccably thought out and I carefully inserted into the game. Even soundtrack was also inserted into the game. Brian D'Oliveira and Martin Stig Anderson have achieved an even greater immersion of the player in the game. In addition, Square Enix and Eidos Montreal took great care to include songs with instruments typical of the region itself.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS Overall, Shadow of the Tomb Raider surprised me a lot. For me, it was the best game after the Reboot of 2013, although it did not bring great news in relation to the previous game. At times, the impression I had is that the game would lose its force in its narrative and even due to the lack of action we find in relation to the other two previous titles, but it surprised to rescue the amount of situations of exploration, very found in the the first games that made Tomb Raider a worldwide phenomenon that we fans admire and want to see whenever possible. I super recommend the new game and, of course, I'll play again, until I get bored. So, never again. LOL.