CAMPAIGN
It starts in an interesting fast pace that grasps your attention. It makes you feel that a great story is coming, or so it seems. In fact, a lot of nonsense is on its way and I'm not talking about the overall fiction in the story but, for starters, about its narrative and plot weaknesses. I won't get into specifics here to keep it spoiler free for those who haven't finished it yet, but unfortunately about one third of the way into it, it became evident that it wouldn't live up to the expectation of being a great game, therefore falling into the category of "just another game".
And so, to stuff the game up, there's "the works" of any mediocre title: hidden challenges (which in this case can be considered like a form of collectibles), a number of more traditional collectibles and optional tombs. These last ones, while a good idea to provide you with a break from the main story, are too small and too easy to figure out the solution. Everytime you do that, Lara loots their standard big chest, although the camera never captures the image of whatever riches she hides in her pockets.
Other let downs are related to concepts that they didn't execute well in this game, such as the leveling mechanics. Most of the perks in that system are uninteresting, so at some point doesn't matter which one you decide to purchase, you either won't use/need it or notice it when you do.
Also the need to go around during the whole campaign (and also in the MP mode) searching and destroying crates to find metal nuts/salvage, gets old after a while.
MULTIPLAYER
The first time I played it online, there was a lot of issues connecting and keeping people connected. Unfortunately that experience didn't resume itself just to that first time. More often than not the game would fail to keep or return people to the lobby after the first round of a match, to the point that it's easier to back out and search again for a match after playing a first round.
The MP isn't horrible though, as some people may say, but clearly it's not something very polished neither. After completing their duty on reaching level 60 (over 1,700,000 XP), it's likely that completionists will abandom it.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Except for the MP achievements, which they obviously overdid it, this was a fast and easy completion. The campaign achievements are not tied to a difficult and there's only one that's story related, which is an interesting change from what we're used to. On the other hand, reaching level 60 online will be a beach and will cost you many hours of investment, no matter if you boost it solo, with a partner or through finding online matches to do it legit. If you opt for the last, avoid playing "Team Deathmatch", as it is the one that returns the least XP per match. "Rescue" is one of the modes that rewards the most XP if you're the one collecting the health packs, which is possible since people tend to focus on killing each other instead of completing the objective. "Free for all" is another interesting choice, if you're a skilled player and can finish in first or second.
SUMMARY
Most Positive:
- Story graphics; Voice acting; Playability (controls and combat).
Most Negative:
- Weak plot/narrative; Uninteresting in-game features such as the skills to purchase in the leveling trees; Grindy MP achievements and irrelevant campaign collectibles; Unstable MP mode.
P.S.: 2,5 stars is my personal rating from my gaming collection, where I compare with the bunch I've played. Since I cannot change it there without change it here, I'll leave it as it is. But I think that many gamers would rate this title at least a 3 out of 5 stars. It's not a AAA game though, no matter the weight of its brand.
2.5