Rise Of The Tomb Raider - 10 Things It Can Finally Get Right

7. Character Motivations That Correspond With Gameplay

Though the shooting mechanics of the previous game were absolutely spot-on for the most part, the fact that over the course of the title Lara became such a relentless killing machine so quickly never quite meshed thematically with the narrative the game was trying to tell. In fact, when Lara kills her first human it€™s a monumental moment and one of the emotional highlights of the entire experience €“ but it's immediately made redundant as she goes on to slaughter tens of men without remorse in the very next scene. This transition from vulnerable victim to ruthless savage isn€™t a bad story arc in itself, but the game never really fully committed to exploring this angle of Lara's character, and the dissonance between narrative and mechanics never quite made for a satisfying overall experience. If Rise of the Tomb Raider wants to deliver the most complete game yet, then the perfect marriage of gameplay and story is essential in delivering the ultimate Lara Croft tale.