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[DOWN]

Sad that it was so cross gen. Would have been nice to really jump past the Definitive Edition engine significantly to current gen only since it sounds like they really wowed stylistically in this entry

 

[derFeef]

Eurogamer puts it the best way:

I like their reviews and not to jump on you, but why do you mean best way? Did you review it as well?

 

[JeffZero]

I'd rather have less cutscenes with the back story in the diaries. I don't play a game like this for long cutscenes about unimportant things I don't need to care about. At least this way its optional for the people who want all the story.

I'm sorry if I sound crass or uncaring -- truly, I tend to seek a nice middleground in most things, including discussion of gaming preferences. But in this case, really, can't you be just as pleased with a cutscene skip button? I play many of the games I play in large part for their stories, and the presentation therein, and I just do not enjoy this big trend toward packing some of that away "in case you should happen to care." It harms said presentation tremendously.

I am unsure of how ROTTR operates on this front; it doesn't sound so bad and blatant as, say, MGSV. And at the end of the day I admittedly wouldn't expect nor desire a story quite so complex here as I'd hoped to find with MGSV, anyway. But all the same, it's simply a trend I loathe and can't help commenting on.

 

[darkinstinct]

10/10. Pure genius. Do we know who´s behind this account?

Maybe Phil Spencer. It's his kind of humour.

 

[Alo0oy]

Awesome scores, I don't want to spoil myself, but people who have it/read the reviews, can you list the combat additions (crossing fingers for hipfire) and how well the Tombs were received?

Thanks

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Game length?

Videogamer implied it was really lengthy but didn't put a number on it

 

[bananafactory]

Ugh. The better this reviews the worse I'm going to feel. It deserves better than to have buried like a JRPG behind the industry's biggest brand name IPs with massive marketing budgets. A lot of blame is going to be placed on the very negative reception the game had at its reveal because of the exclusivity window, too. Those are 100% avoidable corporate decisions wrecking a game's destiny, and it sucks.

Even if it doesn't do as well as it could on X1, there's the PC and PS4 releases next year which should help sales a lot. I think it will have good legs.

 

[justsomeguy]

Ugh. The better this reviews the worse I'm going to feel. It deserves better than to have buried like a JRPG behind the industry's biggest brand name IPs with massive marketing budgets. A lot of blame is going to be placed on the very negative reception the game had at its reveal because of the exclusivity window, too. Those are 100% avoidable corporate decisions wrecking a game's destiny, and it sucks.

Buy a copy to cheer yourself up

 

[Skippy27]

IBTimes UK - 4/5

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/rise-tomb-...ynamics-stellar-sequel-cusp-greatness-1527543

With Rise of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics has made a stellar sequel, but hasn't yet reached the full potential glimpsed in 2013's reboot. It is visually fabulous, boasting stunning environments, and improves the core exploration and combat gameplay, but there's still room to improve further. With even bigger open worlds, dialled down violence and a stronger script, the inevitable next instalment could really be special. There's no doubt that Crystal Dynamics deserves the chance to make that happen.

 

[Linkyn]

Witcher 3 is the hands down king for GOTY IMO. Dont see how anything could beat it.

I just kinda more meant it seems high enough quality to be in the convo / short list for some people

That, definitely.

Releasing so close to award season doesn't hurt, either.

 

[winstano]

Ours:

"A genuine contender for the best game of the year"
http://nextgengamingblog.com/blog/rise-of-the-tomb-raider-review/
10

 

[normalmode]

The Daily Dot - 4.5/5

http://www.dailydot.com/geek/rise-of-the-tomb-raider-review/?tw=dd

 

[despire]

Good to hear that the game is good but this will bomb so hard, at least judging by the preorders at the store I work for.

Long wait for the PS4 release :/

 

[bananafactory]

I'm talking about general acclaim. I would be very surprised if a major publication handed GotY to a game like Tomb Raider over MGS/Witcher/Bloodborne.

Well, I'm not sure why you'd be surprised, or what you mean by "a game like Tomb Raider". If you look at what the big sites like IGN and Gamespot said about it, there's no reason to think they wouldn't be considering it.

I'd say it has just as good a shot as anything, based on this reception.

 

[dark10x]

Witcher 3 is the hands down king for GOTY IMO. Dont see how anything could beat it.

I just kinda more meant it seems high enough quality to be in the convo / short list for some people

Matter of opinion, I guess. Witcher 3 was far and away the most crushingly disappointing game of the year for me. I do not like The Witcher 3. This comes from a huge fan of W2 even. The open world ruined it.

That said, it's clearly a very well made product, and I respect that, but it's not for me.

 

[GwyndolinCinder]

I really dont wanna get the xbox one version, but i dont know if i have in me to wait for pc release c:

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Ugh. The better this reviews the worse I'm going to feel. It deserves better than to have buried like a JRPG behind the industry's biggest brand name IPs with massive marketing budgets. A lot of blame is going to be placed on the very negative reception the game had at its reveal because of the exclusivity window, too. Those are 100% avoidable corporate decisions wrecking a game's destiny, and it sucks.

Fucking what?

 

[EGM1966]

Barely any story - overblown story. Reviewers, I am confused.

Overblown seems to relate to it being heavy handed and overly portentous: which can apply to slight stories too.

Can't comment until I've played it but the story trailers I've seen thus far and going by the reboot the tone clearly leans to being self important "this is Lara Croft. Must that name has meaning. Look how much she's being challenged, etc, etc".

Won't harm the gameplay which looks good but the tone does look portentous and going by reboot I can easily believe characterisation will be heavy handed.

I always chuckle when I see "great story" noted for a game like this. There's little chance the story will be objectively great weighed critically. Doesn't mean it can't be fun or enjoyable but when it comes to narrative in video games many critics (and players) still use "great" to reflect their enjoyment and if it rattled along vs being narratives "great".

Overall good scores I think for the game but I remain concerned for it being buried under CoD and Fallout and Battlefield: where charts are visible (like Amazon) it's further down rankings than looks good for a title launching 10th.

 

[Inuhanyou]

Sad that it was so cross gen. Would have been nice to really jump past the Definitive Edition engine significantly to current gen only since it sounds like they really wowed stylistically in this entry

They were always going to use the DE engine. Nixxes got the code base for the XB1 port and had to degrade it, not the other way around.

I don't understand this double standard. UC4 is using an enhanced version of the Last of Us engine which is a last gen game, which is also an enhanced version of the UC2 engine, yet i don't see people crying about that

 

[statham]

HELL YES! it delivers!

 

[Markitron]

There are some serious red flags over Fallout 4 that have a lot of people wary. I wouldn't be surprise if it gets dinged hard or goes the other way and gets mass critical acclaim.

Maybe I haven't been reading enough articles, but these red flags seem like GAF hyperbole to me.

I don't understand this double standard. UC4 is using an enhanced version of the Last of Us engine which is a last gen game, which is also an enhanced version of the UC2 engine, yet i don't see people crying about that

Uncharted 4 isn't coming out on the PS3.

 

[killroy87]

I like their reviews and not to jump on you, but why do you mean best way? Did you review it as well?

I would assume he just means that review most lines up with his sensibilities. No reason to take it so literally

 

[Blimblim]

Can you at least post few framerate analysis?

The NDA is super vague and I really have no idea what I'm allowed to post or not, so right now this will have to wait.

Videogamer implied it was really lengthy but didn't put a number on it

Took me around 15 hours to complete the game at 73%. Still quite a few things to do, including tombs.

 

[JeffZero]

Good to hear that the game is good but this will bomb so hard, at least judging by the preorders at the store I work for.

Long wait for the PS4 release :/

We have hardly any preorders for it at my store, either, yeah.

 

[skLaFarebear]

I'm sorry if I sound crass or uncaring -- truly, I tend to seek a nice middleground in most things, including discussion of gaming preferences. But in this case, really, can't you be just as pleased with a cutscene skip button? I play many of the games I play in large part for their stories, and the presentation therein, and I just do not enjoy this big trend toward packing some of that away "in case you should happen to care." It harms said presentation tremendously.

I am unsure of how ROTTR operates on this front; it doesn't sound so bad and blatant as, say, MGSV. And at the end of the day I admittedly wouldn't expect nor desire a story quite so complex here as I'd hoped to find with MGSV, anyway. But all the same, it's simply a trend I loathe and can't help commenting on.

No because I wouldn't wanna skip anything important right? I love my story heavy RPGs/video games as well, but I'm not playing a game like Tomb Raider for its story and wouldn't want long cutscenes or story taking away from what I want to do, which is raid tombs, collect treasure, and play through the levels. This is just personal preference here more than anything.

Metal Gear is a different beast in itself in comparison. As much as I love the game and like the idea of tapes, its a game with a massive amount of lore and a franchise known for its cinematics and should have had more cutscenes.

 

[Kenzodielocke]

So, you can say anything about the game, but only can show already released b-roll footage. Stupid embargo tbh.

 

[Auto_aim1]

It’s been a while since I’ve played a satisfying single player game with a great story this year, but better late than never. Hope there are more Tomb Raider games on the horizon utilizing the same formula as this game and its predecessor. The franchise is here to stay.

http://www.gamechup.com/rise-of-the-tomb-raider-review/

 

[SlickVic]

Good news. I really like the 2013 game and going by these reviews, sounds I might end up enjoying this one even more. Between the Witcher 3, Life is Strange, Arkham Knight, MGS V, AC Syndicate, Tales from the Borderlands, and now hopefully Rise of the Tomb Raider and Fallout 4, this has been a fantastic year of games for me.

 

[Adam M]

The NDA is super vague and I really have no idea what I'm allowed to post or not, so right now this will have to wait.


Took me around 15 hours to complete the game at 73%. Still quite a few things to do, including tombs.

Ah ok, thanks. Also good to know that it's not a short game.

 

[despire]

We have hardly any preorders for it at my store, either, yeah.

I should clarify that I work in one of the biggest online retailer in my country. So not some small mom and pop store.

So it's really bad in Europe.

 

[Chris1]

Seems like if you liked the first one you'll like this one even more.. Good enough for me. Friday can't come soon enough.

 

[Ascenion]

Witcher 3 is the hands down king for GOTY IMO. Dont see how anything could beat it.

I just kinda more meant it seems high enough quality to be in the convo / short list for some people

Imo, MGSV edges it out simply due to not having blatant performance issues. In a fair world where both were rock solid though then yeah I'd give it to Witcher 3, but that PS4 frame rate is inexcusable even if it is fixed now, but that's just me.

 

[Obliterator]

We have hardly any preorders for it at my store, either, yeah.

Let's hope reviews help it, but good god releasing it next to Fallout was suicide

 

[JeffZero]

No because I wouldn't wanna skip anything important right? I love my story heavy RPGs/video games as well, but I'm not playing a game like Tomb Raider for its story. This is just personal preference here more than anything.

Metal Gear is a different beast in itself in comparison. As much as I love the game and like the idea of tapes, its a game with a massive amount of lore and a franchise known for its cinematics and should have had more cutscenes.

Okay, fair enough. And I agree, MGSV certainly needed more whereas this game doesn't need so many. Sorry if I came across as needlessly argumentative, I'm just bitter over what feels like a burgeoning trend.

 

[GHG]

Very very good reviews. Will check this out next year at some point.

Strange that we are not allowed to see frame rate analysis yet though. What are they trying to hide?

 

[User 479360]

I think I may have liked the reboot more than the majority. I fucking loved that game. As such, this one has been high on my radar/list.

Never liked original TR

 

[Sn4ke_911]

.

 

[_machine]

Glad to see a positive reception; I really liked the previous installation and though it's not at the top of my list of games to be excited for, I am glad they didn't mess up a decent formula.

 

[IbukiLordSA]

SAGamer 9.6

http://sagamer.co.za/xbox/review-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-xbox-one

 

[Jameson]

Congrats Crystal Dynamics! Not sure when I will be buying this, could be next week or Q1 next year on PC.

 

[nbnt]

Those scores are.. Better than what I'd expected, huh.

 

[Inuhanyou]

Uncharted 4 isn't coming out on the PS3.

Uh, if Bluepoint were in charge of downgrading UC4 for PS3, it would be the exact same thing.

Its not an up port, nor does it have any effect on the XB1 lead platform version, its a downport done by a talented studio

 

[hawk2025]

Ok, added this to my Fallout buy through Best Buy.

Great reviews.

 

[Slayer-33]

Those scores are.. Better than what I'd expected, huh.

Besides the scores I have an extreme urge to play the shit outta this game tbh. I want it bad

 

[skLaFarebear]

Okay, fair enough. And I agree, MGSV certainly needed more whereas this game doesn't need so many. Sorry if I cane across as needlessly argumentative, I'm just bitter over what feels like a burgeoning trend.

Don't worry about it. I know people love their cutscenes and I can see why speaking as a huge metal gear fan. I just think that throwing backstory into the diary works for something more like Tomb Raider as opposed to Metal Gear where it should have been in both cutscene/tape form or Destiny which thought it was a good idea to hide its actually somewhat interesting backstory outside of the game itself.

And its hard to say how RotTR's story presents itself without even playing the game. I hope it can find its sweet spot for cutscenes so they don't feel barren without it also feeling overbearing.

 

[Mezoly]

Even if it doesn't do as well as it could on X1, there's the PC and PS4 releases next year which should help sales a lot. I think it will have good legs.

I have a feeling releasing it later on these platforms will cause it to sell less on these platforms than on day one. I think the hype will die down and the game problems will come to the surface that will cause less people to buy it. It will be interesting on how square will price it on PS4 because it will be much cheaper on xbox one.

 

[ElephantShell]

Reviews look good, if I had an Xbox One I'd definitely be picking it up. The wait for the PS4 version will be long but thankfully 2016 looks like it will keep me busy in the meantime.

As far as GOTY contention goes, I could see it winning a couple from outlets who gave it a 9+.

 

[im_dany]

Now I'm debating if I made the right decision going for Fo4..

 

[StaffyManasse]

Nice!

I'm officially jelly.

 

[Ape]

Imo, MGSV edges it out simply due to not having blatant performance issues. In a fair world where both were rock solid though then yeah I'd give it to Witcher 3, but that PS4 frame rate is inexcusable even if it is fixed now, but that's just me.

Welcome to PC gaming, where the word is fair.