Just played the 2013 one and really enjoyed it, fucking QTEs aside. People who've played both, how does Rise compare?
I wouldn't even think about getting it until the PS4 version update is applied to PC and there's a big sale, anyway.
TR 2013 is actually a good game by comparison. But only compared to this, not other games.
It's amazing how much decline can happen in 2 years. That's 2 years of recyclng the old assets and upgrading textures, although somehow it runs horribly. They also don't understand the first thing about color theory - neither do I but I know when something looks like it's awash with bloom and color and hurts my eyes - the devs of this don't. And reviewers said this game looks amazing and will stress your system to the max. Well I guess the second part is true.
I think the Sovjyetski facility is just something that got axed from the 'first' one. It's so badly designed. The first one
tried to make its platforms and railings look like they somewhat belong, in this one they're just placed randomly it seems and there's a village of what must be circus artists, because they too like Lara, must get from place to place with rope arrows. Game taking place around Syria would have been a more inspiring location than this shit.
Story is like something envisioned by M. Night Shamalamayamayomama, transcribed by some intern that doesn't speak english with every possible cliche and obvious plot-twist imaginable. And there's so much story. Cut-scenes everywhere, but it's awful. Why so many cut-scenes when that becomes a game in itself - seeing how fast you can press space to skip it.
Crafting doesn't make sense and turns into repetitive scavenger hunt for materials. Upgrades are pointless and weapons within their own types are samey. The weapons are for the most part as useless as the upgrades are boring. 6 different bows or thereabouts. You will only ever need 3; beginner bow, automatic story upgrade to recurve and finally compound bow through upgrades, about mid-way through the game. Compound does so much damage that it's ignorably slower draw speed and time are non-issues. The remaining bows are 'ancient' bows - one sporting longer duration of your 'insta death cloud of maximum death'. It already kills everything instantly in a wide area with an upgrade. What do I need the duration boost for when it does lower damage in other situations?
I did get some enjoyment out of stealth 'challenges', although how an NPC is unaware of someone behind them in foot-high snow, no matter how slow they walk, I don't know. Also seeing your worn upgrades show up on your toon is a fun thing to see that's over quickly because most upgrades are done quickly, only hindered by story progression.
Really, they seem to have learned nothing from the first one and what worked in it and improving what parts didn't. They've remade it, with baby's first area design, new (improved I'll give them that) interface, new graphical features to qualify for a next-gen prize with no thought on how it looks or performs, and a story so unoriginal it should be taught in classes on how not to write one. Also sure, the first one threw physical realism out the window tied to a 20 ton weight, but this one one-ups even that. Hypothermia doesn't exist - it's just a fortunate segue into a memory cut-scene. Bones don't break unless you're a foot above the limit and then you die instantly. Invisible face kevlar exists. Wounds heal almost instantly, and then instantly with skill upgrades - which by the way are mostly recycled from the first one and are so bland it almost induces physical pain. Lara is still emo-Lara. Kill 200 people mercilessly in the first one and survive by your own means alone, some years later in the same situation, act like you've never left your safe-space in your life.
