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Shadow of the Tomb Raider sees the iconic Lara Croft attempting to prevent a Mayan apocalypse (no, not that one). Lara is accompanied by partner Jonah on an adventure that intends to be rip roaring, with puzzle and narrative sections acting as respite from the action. Unfortunately, the game fails to make either satisfying.

The game attempts to unify the genres of thriller and puzzle into an Uncharted-esque experience – a fascinating blend as puzzle games are about careful thinking and thrillers usually require rapid reactions and intuition. A fusion of these genres should see a synthesis of the two speeds, resulting in a game that requires quick thinking and action. Unfortunately, STR fails to do this. The game often jumps between action and puzzles as one quickly dodges a booby trap before slowing down to spin a turntable so that a stiff mine cart can be lugged into position causing pacing whiplash.

These sections are interspersed with character moments. Early on the player explores the Croft manner as a young Lara. The scene begins playfully but is weakened by writing with the subtlety of an apocalypse. Lara’s attempts to relate her father’s curiosities to her inner thoughts leave the formulaic plot to bare.Her musings on a baby tyrannosaurus being an egregious example. This hamfisted exposition coupled with a mystery that gives the player too few clues to think ahead ensures there is little drive to reach the final act.

This is where the game’s split focus comes back into play. Different types of gameplay are referred to as “pillars”. Narrative focused games such as Uncharted typically have many pillars allowing narrative flexibility so that a range of scenarios can take place. To ensure that the player is not overwhelmed by the flurry of different gameplay types, the different pillars often lack depth. This does not phase most players, as the narrative leads them through with  variety maintaining interest. My lack of investment in Lara and Jonah’s tale, however, lessened my interest in seeing the ending. I tried anticipating each puzzle, as they are by far the points where the game shines brightest. The game did not rest on any pillar for long however; there would be a simple set piece, fight or dialogue section between every puzzle. This limited the rate at which each pillar could increase in complexity, leaving the gameplay shallow.

While fans of this trilogy may happily jump into this outing, I found it dull, scatterbrained and bloated.