Although Shadow of the Tomb Raider has found itself with many positive reviews on Steam and Epic Games, there are many mixed and low-rating star critiques that can easily make you avoid getting the game. But should you?
There are so many things we can talk about in the Shadow of the Tomb Raider Review, that I don’t even know where to start. If you’ve played the previous titles and wondering if you should get the sequel too, or you’re just a player searching for their next big game, playing Lara Croft may be the best or worst purchase you’ve ever made.
For me, the low-rating reviews I’ve read kept me from playing the game, and essentially – and as you’ll read next – it was a bad decision. It’s more than just another release, it’s about Lara Croft, a character that we grew up loving. It’s also the final release, putting a final end to the trilogy, and making it more nostalgic than ever before.
Editor’s Note
I got the Definitive Edition of the game back in 2022 when Epic Games was giving the title completely for free for a limited time.
What is the Shadow of the Tomb Raider?
First and foremost, especially for people who haven’t played the video game series, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is actually a sequel to Rise of the Tomb Raider and the final and last entry in the Tomp Raider game series and Survivor trilogy.
It’s an action-adventure game that was released back in 2018, and it has been developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix’s European. The game is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows, but in November 2019 a new version was released for Linux, macOS, and Stadia.
Unlike what you may think at first, one of the best facts about Shadow of the Tomb Raider is that the game cost an estimated $110-135 million to get developed, and as of this moment of writing, still possesses a spot in the list with the most expensive games in the history of gaming.
Where to buy a cheap Steam Key for Shadow of the Tomb Raider
You could get it from Steam or Epic Games, but you can find it even cheaper on third-party marketplaces. They do include versions for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, but if you’re a Linux or macOS user, you should get the PC version.
You can also find different editions of the game, but we’ll link you to the Definite Edition:
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Get it as cheaply as possible from the following sources:
The prices may change, so make sure to visit all the websites to find the cheapest option. It’s also important to always check if the edition that you’re getting is available for your country – some are locked in some regions.
System requirements for PC players
Apart from PlayStation and Xbox players, the minimum and recommended system requirements for PC players may differ depending on their operating system. The game is available for all popular choices, including Windows, macOS, and Linux alike.
The requirements are different when it comes to each operating system, so make sure that you have everything that’s needed before getting the game, including the operating system’s version, newest drivers, and specific device models (for macOS owners).
System requirements for Windows PCs:
The good news is that Windows gamers can even run the game in the unsupported Windows 7. The bad news is that you’ll need a more powerful CPU and GPU if you want to run the title on its ultra settings.
| System | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| OS: | Windows 7 64 bit | Windows 7 64-bit |
| Processor: | i3-3220 INTEL or AMD Equivalent | Intel Core i7 4770K, 3.40 Ghz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600, 3.20 Ghz |
| Memory: | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Graphics: | Nvidia GTX 660/GTX 1050 or AMD Radeon HD 7770 | Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 480, 8GB |
| DirectX: | Version 11 | Version 12 |
| Storage: | 40GB available space | 40 GB available space |
System requirements for macOS:
When it comes to macOS owners, things are a bit tricky. The first thing that you need to know if its your device is supported by the game.
As of the time of writing this article, you can run the game with any 15″ and 13″ MacBook Pros released in 2016 and later, all Mac Minis since 2018, all 21.5″ and 27″ iMacs Pros since 2017, all 27″ iMacs since 2014, and all Mac Pros since late 2013.
| System | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| OS: | macOS 10.15 | macOS 10.15 |
| Processor: | 2GHz Intel Core i5 | 2GHz Intel Core i5 |
| Memory: | 8 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | 2GB AMD Radeon R9 M290 or better, 1.5GB Intel Iris 540 or better | 2GB AMD Radeon R9 M290 or better, 1.5GB Intel Iris 540 or better |
| Storage: | 40GB available space | 40GB available space |
| Additional Notes: | Available on specific MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac Pros | Available on specific MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac Pros |
System requirements for Linux PCs:
Although the system requirements may be referring to Ubuntu and SteamOS, you can actually run the game just fine on any other Linux distro. I was successfully able to run the game in Arch Linux with KDE Plasma just fine without any extra configurations.
| System | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| OS: | Ubuntu 18.04 64-bit | Ubuntu 18.04 64-bit |
| Processor: | 3.4GHz Intel Core i3-4130 | 3.4GHz Intel Core i7-4770 |
| Memory: | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | 2GB AMD R9 285 (GCN 3rd Generation), 2GB Nvidia GTX 680 | 8GB AMD Radeon RX 480, 8GB Nvidia GTX 1080 |
| Storage: | 40GB available space | 40GB available space |
| Additional Notes: | Requires Vulkan, Nvidia requires 418.56 or newer drivers, AMD requires Mesa 19.0.1 or newer, AMD GCN 3rd Gen. GPU’s include the R9 285, 380, 380X, Fury, Nano, and Fury X, and Intel GPUs are not supported. | Requires Vulkan, Nvidia requires 418.56 or newer drivers, AMD requires Mesa 19.0.1 or newer, AMD GCN 3rd Gen. GPU’s include the R9 285, 380, 380X, Fury, Nano, and Fury X, and Intel GPUs are not supported. |
If you’re a Linux user, here are a few pieces that you may find extremely useful:
- How To Setup Linux For Gaming
- Gaming on Linux: A Beginner’s Guide
- Best Gaming Linux Distros to Choose
I’ll be covering more about games on Linux and how you can set up the operating system as your ultimate gaming beast.
The plot
The game begins with Lara and her friend Jonah Maiava infiltrating a Trinity base in Cozumel, Mexico. Trinity, a secretive paramilitary organization, has been hunting for powerful ancient artifacts, and Lara hopes to stop them once and for all.
In the process, she retrieves the legendary Key of Chak Chel, a sacred dagger, from a hidden tomb. However, by taking the dagger, Lara unknowingly triggers a Mayan apocalypse, setting off a chain of deadly natural disasters.
Soon after, she crosses paths with Dr. Pedro Dominguez, the leader of Trinity, who steals the dagger and intends to unite it with another artifact – the Silver Box of Ix Chel – to “remake” the world in Trinity’s vision. Realizing her mistake, Lara sets off to find the Silver Box before Trinity can use its power.
There is lots more to the story, and we can see Lara’s transformation from a reckless adventurer into a mature and responsible hero – giving a final end to the trilogy.
The overall gameplay
If you don’t appreciate games that make you lost, constantly looking on YouTube and Reddit for answers, solving puzzles, and finding ways to get out of, let’s say, a pyramid, then it’s not for you. Shadow of the Tomb Raider has a little bit of everything, and while you enjoy the environment to its fullest, you’ll face many wonders as you progress through the game.
Personally, I had a hard time getting out of the pyramid, especially when I was constantly seeing that I had to obtain the Reinforced Knife in order to open the passage – but that’s something that you’ll have to do when (and if) you start a new Game+ game, meaning playing everything from the very beginning and unlocking them again.
The Peruvian jungle is probably one of the most detailed and atmospheric settings I’ve ever explored in a Tomb Raider game. Unlike Rise of the Tomb Raider, which had a mix of snowy mountains and caves, Shadow throws you into a lush, overgrown wilderness where everything feels hostile, yet mesmerizing.
One thing that really stood out to me was how alive the jungle feels. Birds scatter when you move through the underbrush, jaguars stalk you from the shadows, and if you’re not careful, you can accidentally stumble into a nest of venomous eels while swimming. There were times I just stopped to take in the view and take some shots using the Photo Mode feature (I’ll talk about it in a bit), only to hear the distant growl of something lurking nearby, making me instantly regret my decision.
The movements and actions of the character made me a bit worried, especially at first. They feel somehow “clanky” and “weird” to perform, and I found myself falling into the darkness by a mistake more times than I can count.
At first, I tried playing aggressively, running into enemy camps with my bow like I was in Horizon Zero Dawn. Big mistake. The AI in this game is smarter than I expected, and Trinity soldiers will flank you, throw grenades, and force you out of cover. So I learned my lesson: stealth is key.
Lara can now mud herself up like Rambo, blend into the environment, and take enemies out silently from the bushes. This makes you feel like a true jungle hunter, and honestly, it’s one of the most satisfying mechanics in the game. There was a moment when I wiped out an entire enemy camp using only stealth, one by one, like a ghost. It’s surely a great option for stealth enthusiasts.
Lara has an upgrade system, and while some skills felt essential (like the one that highlights enemies through walls), others felt more like minor perks. Hunting animals, gathering resources, and crafting weapons is still a thing, but I never found myself relying too much on crafting. It’s useful, but not as game-changing as the stealth mechanics.
Overall, I was expecting way fewer features in this game, yet I found myself spending more time learning than actually fighting (in a good way). It’s not perfect, that’s for sure, but it’s not that bad either. It’s actually a very enjoyable game, especially for players who have already completed the previous titles.
The multiple editions, downloadable content, and DLCs
I’ve played with the game’s Definitive Edition which I got completely for free from one of the weekly Epic Games Store’s offers. Although I wanted to play it for a long time, it stayed on my gaming digital self, waiting for the day I’d launch it. But before actually installing and reviewing it I wanted to check out all of the editions that are currently available.
There are four editions that you can choose from, including:
- Standard Edition: The base game with no extra content. If you just want the core story without any frills, this is the version to go for.
- Croft Edition: This was basically the “deluxe” edition and includes the Season Pass, three additional weapons and outfits, and a digital soundtrack.
- Ultimate Edition: For hardcore fans, this came with everything in the Croft Edition plus physical collectibles: A Lara Croft figurine, a replica of Lara’s climbing axe, and a flashlight with the game’s logo.
- Definitive Edition: Released later, this edition included all the DLCs, all outfits, and extra content from the Season Pass. If you’re picking up Shadow of the Tomb Raider now, this is the best version to get since it includes everything in one package.
All the downloadable content and the DLCs (based on the edition that you got) will be automatically downloaded and installed alongside the basic game – or that was my case with the Epic Games Store.
The ‘Photo Mode’ feature
I can’t even describe my happiness when it comes to the Photo Mode feature in any game that I play. Just writing about it makes me even happier. When a game gives me a Photo Mode feature, I tend to explore each inch of its world just to find the best spots for some great shots.
If you are a reader of our blog, then you already know that we constantly use the Photo Mode feature we found in most games to take some high-quality 4K and ultrawide shots that our readers can download and use as their default wallpapers. You can find all of our wallpapers here.
Eidos-Montréal has made Shadow of the Tomb Raider‘s Photo Mode feature exactly as it should have been. It runs smoothly, gives you all the options that you’d expect, and you can quickly find all the screenshots in your Documents folder.
When you launch the ‘Photo Mode’ feature, you’ll be able to freely move around Lara, zoom in or zoom out, adjust the Field of View (FOV), and make your backgrounds blurry thanks to the Depth of Field (DoF) option. There are also some available filters and effects that you can use, such as changing your shots to black & white, sepia, vivid, and other dramatic effects.
The brightness and contrast are also adjustable, but the coolest feature is Lara’s facial expressions. For example, each time that you take a picture, you can choose to change Lara’s facial expressions with options such as Serious, Smiling, Angry, Socked, and Sad – and most of them are pretty neat to use.
My overall experience: Would I purchase the game now that I’ve played it?
The short answer is, “Yes, I would get the game with closed eyes knowing what I know now“. Unlike many other games that I truly regret spending my money on, this was a beautiful exception.
From the graphics to the gameplay to spending lots of minutes trying to figure out how to solve a puzzle and get out of a place, and then spending even more time looking for the best spots to take some great shots with the Photo Mode feature, the game has everything’s needed to make it truly exciting and enjoyable.
So, would I purchase the game with the knowledge and experience I got playing it? Yes, even quicker this time, and I wonder why on Earth I left it in my gaming library for so long without giving it a chance.
Have you ever played Shadow of the Tomb Raider? And if so, what did you like and hate the most about the game, and was the final ending what you expected?
