The antique scenery isn't relegated to the side tombs, either the game is good about filling its critical story path with these kinds of big stone clockwork puzzles, as well. They're also where you'll find the highest density of ancient machinery to climb on and manipulate (and they mostly look really cool to boot). And the game's 'challenge tombs' in particular each grant you a highly useful, unique skill you can't get otherwise. Better weapons and attachments are scattered among the other collectibles. Generic collectibles like relics and logs earn you experience that feed your talent tree. But the side missions and collectibles really feel relevant to the gameplay as well, since they all feed into an expanded version of the crafting and skill progression from the previous game. It all works well enough to make me wonder what a truly open-world Tomb Raider from this developer could be.Дoing all this side stuff felt worthwhile on its own merits, because the activities are all fun to engage with and because I like checking off video-game to-do lists. The hubs also house a number of friendly NPCs who you can run up to and chat with, to get some extra story detail. Each one has a huge number of items and challenges to find, a collection of real live quest-givers (!) who dispense side missions (!!), and a handful of honest-to-god tombs (!!!) whose depths you may plumb at your leisure. Here, the hub zones almost feel like little open-world maps unto themselves.

The first game toyed with the idea of wider levels that consisted of more than a single linear path toward the exit, but it didn't go far enough there wasn't much to do in those places besides hunt for a few collectibles you'd missed. The story routinely sends you through 30 minutes to an hour of tense, tightly designed climbin'-and-shootin' sequences in linear, constrained areas-the stuff you expect from this kind of big-budget thrill ride-and then right around the point when you feel like it's time for a break, it pops you back out into one of a handful of expansive hub areas that are chock-full of shorter, less urgent activities. The story beats feel a little more earned here than they did in the last game, partly because a good bit of the flavor text that appears in collectibles and even overheard dialogue successfully builds up and contextualizes all the people you're chasing and secrets you're uncovering. In contrast to the first game, which had you murdering mercs by the dozens and then abruptly remembered to go 'oh hey supernatural stuff!' in the last third, this game creates a more slow-and-steady build toward its mystical reveals that makes them more enjoyable when they inevitably happen. More importantly, Lara's clashes with fanatical Trinity operatives and her dealings with the mountainous region's mysterious locals provide for some fun twists and turns that aren't much less satisfying even when you see a few of them coming. Lara's dad, the august Lord Croft, died in pursuit of the very same artifact, and the game interweaves some flashbacks and a little pining for his life's work into the quest in a way that isn't hackneyed or overbearing.

This sequel finds a more seasoned, confident Lara Croft chasing down a legendary artifact called the Divine Source in the mountains of Siberia, with the modern, militarized version of a shadowy ancient sect called Trinity hot on her heels. Rise's premise feels ripped straight from Indiana Jones, or the old pulp serials that inspired it, but the game handles its storytelling deftly enough that it's hard to care if it's all a little derivative. There are enough depths to explore and artifacts to find to keep you busy for a really long time. It's a lengthy and gorgeous adventure with a lot of variety that represents a great step up from Crystal Dynamics' previous effort. You know, some good old-fashioned tomb-raiding. By contrast, this sequel cuts all that larger-than-life action with a more generous dose of side activities, a greater focus on exploration, and a deeper sense of wonder at the ancient ruins and myths you're uncovering. But then, my prevailing memory of the last (first?) Tomb Raider is of nothing but set pieces and shootouts. The second outing for Crystal Dynamics' earnest reimagining of Lara Croft follows the same blueprint as 2013's reboot, which is to say there's a fair number of tightly scripted action set pieces and shootouts with heavily armed mercenaries in here. Rise of the Tomb Raider is an apt name for a game that improves as much on its predecessor as this one does.

Rise of the tomb raider review