Rise of the Tomb Raider was the second entry in what is known as the Survivor Series. It was the direct follow-up to 2013's Tomb Raider, and it originally launched as an Xbox exclusive. However, as time went on, a "complete" 20 Year Celebration edition was eventually released, which contained all of the previously released DLC. This new version also included the story expansion "Blood Ties," which supported the PlayStation 4's newly released PlayStation VR.
Well, nearly ten years since the game's release, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration is now available on the Nintendo Switch 2, and we here at Netto's Game Room were given the opportunity to check it out. Though I have personally played every released version of Rise of the Tomb Raider, we have surprisingly never reviewed it, making the Switch 2 release the perfect opportunity to correct this! To be completely honest, the PC and PlayStation 4 versions are still the "superior" releases (taking into consideration the VR support that is absent from the Xbox version), but that's not to say the new Switch 2 version isn't impressive. In fact, not only is this the perfect chance for an entirely new fanbase to jump onboard, but longtime fans will be happy to know how stable of a release it is and how great the game works undocked in handheld mode. Rise of the Tomb Raider on the go is simply wonderful—something I previously resorted to using Remote Play to accomplish—and the Switch 2's screen only enhances the experience.
With that being said, for my recent playthrough on Switch 2, I split my time evenly between the two modes (docked and undocked) and put quite a bit of time into playing the extras simply because I enjoy them. Again, this is a title I was already very familiar with, and my main hope before diving into this port was that I would still be able to recommend it. Thankfully I can, but for anyone looking to play the game for the first time, that simple reassurance isn't quite enough. So, while this review will dive into Switch 2 version specifics, it will also serve as a complete, full review for Rise of the Tomb Raider. Those of you already familiar with the game can feel free to skip to the end, but for everyone else, let's jump right on in.
The Struggles and Obsessions of Lara Croft:
The story of Rise of the Tomb Raider picks up not too long after the events that transpired on the island nation of Yamatai, as featured in 2013's Tomb Raider, and the multiple incidents that occurred during the comic story arcs Season of the Witch, Secrets and Lies, and Queen of Serpents. After encountering the supernatural and seeing her best friend, Sam, locked up in a mental ward, Lara has a new outlook on life and struggles to fit back into the normal world. Years prior, her own father drove himself to his death as he researched the unknown; while everyone assumed he was simply crazy, Lara herself is now a believer.
During the time since she escaped the island of Yamatai, not only did she have to come face-to-face with the fact that the island's horrors followed her, but she also learned of the existence of a group called Trinity that was after her father's research. This group wishes to use the supernatural for their own evil ends, and Lara now believes she is the only one who can stop them. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long to learn that she also doesn't have a choice.
With her father's research now consuming her life, Lara and her other good friend and fellow Yamatai survivor, Jonah, head off to Siberia to look for a legendary artifact known as the Divine Source. This object is said to hold the key to immortality, and although Jonah initially protests Lara's plans to pursue it, he too isn't left with many options after Trinity makes an attempt on Lara's life. Stealing her father's research in the process, the two can't help but look on in horror as they ponder what to do next—which brings us back to Siberia.
Following the game's initial flashbacks recounting these events, Rise of the Tomb Raider eventually brings players back to the opening scene, with Lara and Jonah attempting to navigate snowy mountains as they follow clues Lara was able to uncover for herself. However, after an accident separates the two, Lara finds herself alone once again, reminiscent of her time on Yamatai. Though a much more seasoned explorer at this point, she is faced with the unknown and put in a race against the clock. Much to her dismay, Trinity has already arrived ahead of her, and now it is only a matter of time before the Divine Source is theirs.
While this is the initial setup for Rise of the Tomb Raider, the game also takes the time to help fill in more of Lara's story. Flashbacks further reveal her father's history and provide a bit more context regarding what happened to Lara between the two games; however, players would still need to read the comic to fully grasp the situation. Sadly, the remaining questions from the 2013 outing are not addressed in Rise of the Tomb Raider, which, in turn, allows the game to stand on its own.
As for how the story is told, Rise of the Tomb Raider makes use of multiple techniques throughout. Standard story cutscenes appear across the entire adventure, featuring outstanding performances from all of the actors involved. Lara and other characters constantly speak their minds or engage in banter during gameplay itself, and there are countless cinematic set-pieces that will leave a lasting impression. Additionally, notes and recordings can be found hidden throughout the world, which provide context to the game's overall mystery related to the Divine Source and give us insight into the motives of the other characters. It is thanks to all of this that Rise of the Tomb Raider ends up being more of a "grand adventure" compared to the previous title, and more in line with what fans of the series would expect.
Gameplay:
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Rise of the Tomb Raider is an action-adventure game with platforming, puzzle-solving, and even some Metroidvania-like elements attached. Like any sequel should do, the title builds off the previous entry and expands it to a much larger scale. While in 2013's Tomb Raider Lara had to learn how to become a survivor, in Rise she is already a seasoned veteran and much more capable in general. This means right from the get-go she has access to all of the core skills and abilities that were once slowly introduced throughout the game, including the climbing axe, though her weapons and additional abilities are stripped away to even the playing field. A key plot point at the beginning of the game is what strips her of her weapons, and once again players must build up their arsenal throughout the game.
When it comes to the general gameplay, Rise of the Tomb Raider mostly takes place on a single interconnected map with multiple regions to explore, and camps that serve as both a safe haven and as fast travel points. When entering a camp for the first time, Lara often will recount the recent events that have transpired, which gives players something to listen to while they manage their abilities and equipment. Outside of camp, the world is densely populated with cliffs and platforms to climb up, water to swim through, plants, trees, and other fauna to obscure your view, animals to hunt, and of course human bad guys to take out. There are also hub-like areas to explore with NPCs to talk to, and each of the regions has dozens of side objectives and challenges to complete as well. Focusing too much on these the first time through can feel a bit overwhelming and make parts of the game feel like a checklist, but simply completing them along the way toward your main goal takes a lot of the stress off.
Anything missed can be returned to later, and the sheer amount of side objectives to do greatly increases the game's replay value and adds to the post-game once the credits roll. Of course, some areas will be inaccessible the first time through a region as well, as Lara may lack the piece of equipment required to advance. While this is used mainly for story progression and keeps you from accessing areas that are being saved for later, sometimes there are completely optional areas behind these blocks as well. Again, this gives players a reason to return to regions they've already explored and helps add to the sense of discovery. With Lara being an explorer, and with the original titles being heavily exploration-based, it is honestly nice to see Rise of the Tomb Raider fully embrace this aspect of the series. Traveling off the beaten path always nets you a nice new reward as well, so it is always worth doing, but that's not the only motivation behind completing these side objectives.
With light RPG elements being incorporated, Lara constantly gains experience and levels up by completing actions—be that killing enemies, finding hidden items, or completing objectives—and each level-up grants her a skill point. From here, players can use these points to unlock either Brawler, Hunter, or Survival skills, which help Lara during her adventure. Skills range from passive abilities, such as increasing the experience gained when completing an objective, to active abilities, like being able to dodge attacks and counter-kill enemies. The game does offer more than enough level-ups to unlock everything, but players need to think carefully about which abilities suit their own needs the most and plan their builds accordingly. There's no denying that some of these abilities are more useful than others; however, later skills are locked until you've obtained a set number of them, so there's no reason to save your skill points until later.
Outside of skill points, Lara has a variety of weapons she can obtain throughout the game, and they too have upgrade options available. These upgrades require resources, which are scattered across the entire map, but are ultimately worth the time and effort. While having the best weapons isn't required to complete the game, it can make forced combat sections much easier, which happens quite often throughout the game. Though stealth-killing enemies is an option, there are moments where Lara must go in guns blazing, and having the bigger gun ensures she'll come out on top. In addition to this, special ammo and healing items can also be crafted with found resources, and this can be done on the fly when away from camp. These items too are important to Lara's survival, especially on harder difficulty modes.
Along with skills and equipment upgrades, Rise of the Tomb Raider features a large selection of costumes for Lara to wear and unlock. While some of these outfits are purely cosmetic, many of them also feature additional perks and bonuses to further improve Lara's abilities. Again, none of these abilities are essential to beating the game, so fans are free to simply use their favorite look, but the added boosts are a nice addition nonetheless.
The Return of Tomb Raiding:
Although the streamlined progression and shorter runtime of 2013's Tomb Raider is perfect for those who want a game they can complete in a single weekend, one of the biggest issues for longtime fans was the lack of tomb raiding. Despite keeping the same namesake, Tomb Raider was mostly a pure, blockbuster-style action-adventure from beginning to end, with very little in the form of puzzle-solving. Yes, it was there, and there were eight optional tombs to conquer, but none of them were of the same caliber the series was known for.
Thankfully, Rise of the Tomb Raider set out to correct this, though maybe still not quite to the same scale fans were hoping. This was done by not only incorporating more puzzles into the main story but also by hiding even more optional tombs throughout the world, which reward players with new equipment and abilities for completing them. Although not all of these tombs have puzzles to solve, they still require players to keep an eagle eye out for traps and for hidden items that can be easily overlooked.
When it comes to the difficulty, the tombs in Rise do vary in challenge, and players can turn on optional hints if they find themselves getting stuck. Many of the puzzles are physics-based and often require the use of specific equipment to clear them, but platforming plays a very important role as well. While these tombs do tend to be a little more straightforward than what the series used to be known for, they are a major step up from Lara's 2013 outing and more in line with what fans would expect.
Expedition Mode:
While Rise of the Tomb Raider didn't feature the multiplayer battle mode seen in Tomb Raider, it does include a new Expedition mode which greatly expands the game's playtime.
Under Expedition, players have multiple options to select from. Chapter Replay allows players to replay chapters of the main story and earn bonus rewards along the way, and Score Attack is a mode that rewards players for chaining together kills and asks them to complete stages as quickly as possible. While these two options are fun, the real stars of Expedition Mode are the pieces of completely original content.
Remnant Resistance is the first major addition to Expedition mode, which allows users to create their own missions and customize the experience within the game's main hub world. This allows for nearly endless content as the community can upload their own challenges, and thanks to all of the unique parameters that can be set, you never truly know what you'll be in for. This mode alone can be the main reason to return to Rise of the Tomb Raider, and it has kept players coming back for more for the last ten years.
The next major mode in Expedition is Endurance Mode, which is a full-on survival game built within Rise of the Tomb Raider. Once again, players are thrown into a hub world where they must explore, gather resources, and survive against the elements. Players need to manage typical survival mechanics, such as hunger, and enemies become stronger and more aggressive as time goes on. With the map itself being procedurally generated, you never know what to expect, making every run unique.
Cold Darkness Awakened is a mini-story and "horde mode" where players must explore a Soviet research base and survive against the onslaught of incoming enemies while attempting to complete the main objective. While not as substantial as Remnant Resistance or Endurance Mode, it's a fun little extra that complements the game. Though, it is the final mode that truly embraces this style.
The last Expedition Mode side-game is Lara's Nightmare, which is a round-based zombie survival game set within the Croft Manor. Explore the mansion, kill zombies, unlock weapons and upgrades, and see how long you can survive. To put it simply, it is a Tomb Raider take on the popular "zombie mode" that first really took off thanks to 2008's Call of Duty: World at War, and continues to be a major part of that series to this day.
Along with all of this, Expedition Mode does feature customization cards to collect, which further alter the game modes. While some of them are "for-fun" and provide classic video game cheat-style effects—like big head mode—others alter the gameplay itself. It is all just another reason for players to keep returning to Expedition Mode, with its countless hours of content. It is exactly the type of "for-fun" game mode that used to be popular during the '90s and 2000s, which is often missing from modern games today.
Blood Ties:
Outside of Expedition Mode, the Croft Manor is the setting for the extra story titled Blood Ties.
This mode sees Lara return to her childhood home and learn that it will be taken away if she cannot prove she is the rightful successor. This sets her out on a small personal quest down memory lane as she investigates the mansion and looks for any possible proof that the manor should be hers.
This mode plays out very much like a classic PC adventure game, with Lara needing to explore every nook and cranny to look for clues to solve puzzles. Along the way, she can pick up artifacts that will trigger her to recount memories of her childhood, or even find notes and letters left behind by her parents, uncle, and the butler Winston. All of this provides glimpses into the life of Lara and her family, and also tells the story of the loss of her mother. It is this event that ultimately sets the stage for Rise of the Tomb Raider, with the Divine Source being the objective of her father's research, and Lara herself finally understands him thanks to her own experiences on Yamatai.
Although a much more grounded adventure, exploring the mansion is a lot of fun, and a large chunk of it is available. While some halls are boarded up and cannot be accessed, the main sections of the mansion can be visited once the corresponding puzzle is solved or the correct gear is found. Overall, it only takes a few hours to complete at most, but it is well worth the effort.
While this extra story was also available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, it is still the PC and PlayStation 4 versions that stood out the most. While on Switch 2 and Xbox One the story can only be played from a standard third-person point of view as players take control of Lara, the other versions made use of VR for those who owned a headset. This allowed players to "insert themselves" into the Croft Manor and explore it from their own point of view.
Though the feeling of VR is difficult to explain to those who have never experienced it for themselves, one can still imagine how it would be walking into a real-world recreation of the building, and that is essentially what VR allowed players to do. To this day, over ten years since the release of the PlayStation 4 version, I still remember how it felt being "in" that world, and my friends and family I put through it have never forgotten it either.
Of course, the Switch 2 version doesn't feature the VR option, and that's completely okay—especially considering not everyone can handle VR! Though in my case, I personally credit Rise of the Tomb Raider as the game that helped me fully develop my own VR legs and completely fend off motion sickness. Either way, playing Blood Ties the standard way doesn't change a thing. I still really enjoyed it from beginning to end, despite remembering how to solve most of the puzzles. It isn't a mode one will return to often, but it is a great inclusion nevertheless.
The Switch 2 Version:
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, my biggest fear diving into the Switch 2 port was that I wouldn't be able to recommend the game. Yes, this was originally an Xbox One release, with an Xbox 360 version as well, but often ports to Switch 2 have to make sacrifices. While this is in fact the case with Rise of the Tomb Raider, thankfully the alterations made are minor, and the performance has been solid.
The game itself is locked at 30 FPS like the other console releases, and doesn't see any of the benefits of the "boosted" version of the game we see when running on stronger hardware. It is essentially the same experience as playing on a base PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. However, unlike those two versions, there are some cutbacks in the graphical department to ensure the title runs smoothly. In general, the game still looks outstanding, but those who extra fixate on the visuals, or purposely run multiple versions side-by-side for comparison reasons, will notice differences in the smaller details. For everyone else, however, you'll simply be able to enjoy a fun game for what it is. Sure, there are little reminders that this is a title originally released in 2015, but such things are present in all versions.
When it comes to actually playing the game on Switch 2, there are some additions to the game. From a control standpoint, the biggest change is the inclusion of mouse controls, which surprisingly work very well. I personally didn't have a hard surface nearby, but even using the soft cushion of my couch, I was able to quickly and flawlessly fight my way through a hectic combat situation, all while pulling off non-stop headshots. It was actually a bit impressive just how well it worked, but it isn't a feature I used too often outside of testing purposes. Simply lifting the Joy-Con will switch you back into traditional controls, which is what I've been used to since the release of 2013's Tomb Raider.
Speaking of the standard controller option, Rise of the Tomb Raider did trip me up multiple times throughout the adventure, with my own muscle memory causing me to hit the wrong button. I personally love that during gameplay the default options mimic the original Xbox One and PlayStation 4 releases of the game. In other words, B functions as the A and Cross buttons, while A is the same as the B or Circle buttons. It works out well and feels natural, but the moment a menu is opened, the "standard" Nintendo controls come into play. B is no longer the "default" accept button, like it is during normal gameplay, and will in fact function like a "back" or "cancel" button. It honestly isn't a big deal, and something newcomers will become used to almost right away, but it can be hard to break old habits, and that kicked me out of camps more times than I'd like to admit. Not a negative or anything, but worth mentioning, as I do greatly appreciate the rest of the game sticking with the standard control scheme.
With all of this being said, the biggest difference, and possibly selling feature, is the fact that the game can now be played in handheld mode thanks to the Switch 2 hardware. This is something I've accomplished in the past by using remote play features from PC and PlayStation 4; however, neither are a true on-device handheld experience as they require an internet connection. With the Switch 2, like with any other game, you can simply undock the console and then start playing the game on the go. Depending on your settings, the game can last for at least a few hours of playtime on a single charge as well, giving plenty of time to progress through the game. While the visuals do take a hit while playing undocked, the game still looks great and is a lot of fun to play.
The final thing to note about the Switch 2 release of the game is how the game feels when using Switch and Switch 2 accessories. For the purpose of this review, I played the game using the Joy-Cons, an original Switch Pro Controller, and the Switch 2 Pro Controller, also by splitting my time between both docked and undocked modes. While it wasn't too difficult to swap between the different controllers, the aiming in Rise of the Tomb Raider in general feels a bit different compared to other titles with shooting mechanics, and that is something I found myself having to re-adapt to. It was most noticeable when using the Joy-Cons, but even with both Pro Controllers, there was a bit of a learning curve.
Overall, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game is still impressive, and I personally enjoyed my newest trip through Siberia. The entire time I was reminded why I liked the game to begin with, and the minor "downgrades" didn't impact my enjoyment at all. Of course, some might be turned off by the 30 FPS, so keep that in mind if it is a deal-breaker for you. As for me? I love the fact I can now play Expedition Mode while watching TV thanks to the Switch 2 doubling as a handheld. Great way to wind down at the end of the day, without hogging the TV at night! And without having to rely on remote play and my internet connection.
Should you play it?
Rise of the Tomb Raider is arguably the best entry within the Survivor Trilogy. The game took everything 2013's Tomb Raider had to offer, greatly expanded upon it, and introduced new features along the way. It is the perfect example of what a sequel should be. While I'll personally always have a soft spot for the previous title, it being my own favorite of the three, there's no denying that Rise surpassed it in nearly every single way—and that's not even taking into consideration the additional modes. It is thanks to them, however, that Rise is the only title in the trilogy that has truly endless replay value and can keep players coming back for more. Sadly, Shadow of the Tomb Raider opted to go a different route with its extras, and Tomb Raider itself only contained a PvP multiplayer mode that either lives or dies by its community. Rise of the Tomb Raider, on the other hand, doesn't have this problem. While its extra modes can be played with online co-op, everything in the game can be played in single-player as well.
Of course, despite all of the great things I could say about the title—the general gameplay, the story, and the sheer amount of content—it doesn't mean the game is truly "perfect." There's no denying that some of the challenges or optional quests can drag a bit, and one could easily burn themselves out by doing it all in one go. Thankfully, this isn't required to complete the game, so it isn't truly an "issue," but it did initially slow my progression the first time I played the game on Xbox One. Also, I've always felt the aiming could be a bit tighter, but it doesn't take long to adapt—though the Switch 2 version still caught me off guard when I first started it up. There's also the fact that Rise of the Tomb Raider is, in fact, "more of the same," so those who didn't enjoy Lara's previous adventure might still not like Rise. While it is the stronger title that made a lot of improvements over its predecessor, it didn't reinvent itself in any way. This shift in style for the series is not going to be for everyone, and the Switch 2 release didn't magically change that either. With all of this being said, however, these minor nitpicks do not hold the game back from being a must-play for fans of the genre.
Overall, Rise of the Tomb Raider is an excellent action-adventure game, packed full of content. Outside of its engaging story mode, Expeditions offer endless hours of fun and will keep players coming back for more. While the Switch 2 version had to make some cuts, it doesn't impact the enjoyment of the game, and Nintendo fans should really consider picking it up. In fact, if you could only choose one entry in the Tomb Raider Survivor Trilogy to play, it should be this one.
VERDICT: Essential
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2
Review Copy was Provided
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