Rise of the Tomb Raider

   Rise of the Tomb Raider tries to do everything and thus, instead of being brilliant in a niche, it is mediocre across the board. The only thing that really stands out, is the engine. You have a ton of options for PC and the game looks beautiful. Initially I thought that I can develop my character on the stealth side and play the game that way, but I soon found out that you’ll be forced in firefights. The stealth/shooting mechanics are kind of simple but overall realistic, and they fit well in the game. You will have to suspend your disbelief as you gun down wave after wave of well-equipped and well-trained soldiers. The way you find weapons is extremely contrived, when realistically you should be able to just pick one up. The tombs are no longer elegantly designed, so now, when one is finished, you won’t end up easily at the exit. And don’t expect any real challenge from them either. The final “boss” battle is bad and I can’t enter in more detail without spoiling. The characters are modeled very well, but the “acting” (facial animations in story segments) is very bland. The story is decent but again one has to drop some realistic expectations and be willing to make compromises if one wants to enjoy the game.