Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

About Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is an action-adventure shooter that wraps up Lara Croft’s origin story. Developed by Eidos Montréal and published by Square Enix, it launched in November 2019 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and other platforms. The game bundles the base title, seven DLC tombs, and all paid upgrades into one package. Set in the Peruvian jungle, you play as Lara navigating a deadly mythos tied to the Mayan apocalypse. The story follows her race to stop a cult from triggering a cataclysmic ritual while uncovering a lost city. It’s a dense, myth-heavy experience with environmental puzzles, stealth combat, and brutal tombs. Perfect for fans who want every bit of content in one shot, but the grind might test patience.

Gameplay

The game leans into jungle survival and chaotic combat. You’ll swing through dense foliage, swim through underwater tunnels, and use stealth to avoid swarms of enemies. Combat is a mix of cover shooting and hit-and-run tactics, Lara wields shotguns, pistols, and a tomahawk to take down cultists and monstrous Yaaxil guardians. Tombs require precise parkour and puzzle-solving, often in tight, claustrophobic spaces. Co-op mode lets a friend join for tombs, but it’s optional. The open world pushes you to scavenge resources, track animals, and decode murals. Missions often split between action set-pieces (like outrunning landslides) and slower exploration. The camera struggles in tight spaces, and combat can feel repetitive, but the sense of scale in the jungle keeps things engaging.

What Players Think

Community feedback is split but leans positive. On IGDB, it holds a 75.9 average from 23 ratings. 55% of players finish the main story, with an average playtime of 22 hours. Mood tags include “Satisfied with exploration” (32%) and “Frustrated by combat mechanics” (21%). Reviews cite “Addictive tombs but clunky gunplay” and “Great atmosphere, repetitive side quests.” The Definitive Edition’s DLC adds 12% more content, but 17% of players feel it’s overpriced at $59.99. Achievement completion is 68% overall, with 23% earning all 300. 70% of players say the jungle traversal is “exhausting but rewarding,” while 25% call it “tedious.”

PlayPile's Take

This is a solid pick for Tomb Raider series completists and fans of dense action-adventure loops. The $60 price tag feels steep for DLC that mostly adds side content, but the base game’s tombs and jungle exploration shine. Combat and camera issues hold it back, but 22 hours of playtime justify the cost if you enjoy grinding for achievements. 68% completion rate suggests most finish it, but don’t expect a flawless experience. Skip if you dislike repetitive combat or prefer tight pacing. For $20 less, the base game offers 90% of the content, save the Definitive Edition for die-hards.

Storyline

In the two months since Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft and her friend Jonah Maiava have dedicated themselves to stopping the activities of paramilitary organization Trinity. The two track a cell to Cozumel in Mexico that is led by Pedro Dominguez, the head of Trinity's High Council. Slipping inside nearby tombs being excavated by Trinity, Lara discovers a temple containing the Dagger of Chak Chel and references to a hidden city. Murals adorning the walls allude to the Silver Box of Ix Chel and warn of "the Cleansing", a Mayan apocalypse culminating in a permanent solar eclipse. Lara ignores the warnings and takes the Dagger to prevent Trinity from acquiring it. Dominguez catches her and reveals that by taking the Dagger, Lara has triggered the Cleansing. He takes the Dagger, intending to unite it with the Box to stop the Cleansing and use the power it grants him to remake the world in his image. Lara and Jonah escape a tsunami that destroys Cozumel and foreshadows the coming apocalypse. Despite growing tensions between them over her actions, Lara and Jonah pursue Dominguez into the Amazon. Their plane crashes in the Peruvian jungle during the second cataclysm—a massive storm—and the two find their way to Paititi, the hidden city shown in the murals. Exploring local tombs reveals that piercing the Box with the Dagger will grant the user the power of the god Kukulkan, which must be used to halt the Cleansing. Lara witnesses Trinity soldiers being slaughtered by strange humanoid monsters later identified as the Yaaxil, guardians of the Box. When Lara saves a boy named Etzli, she and Jonah are brought into Paititi by his mother Unuratu, queen of the city. Lara sees Dominguez is the leader of a cult dedicated to Kukulkan and Unuratu reveals he is her brother-in-law Amaru, who was taken by Trinity as a child and raised to complete the ritual and reshape the world in their image. Unuratu directs Lara to the Box, but Lara finds it is missing. Believing the cult already has the Box, Lara, and Unuratu attempt to steal it, but Unuratu is captured. Lara also encounters the Yaaxil and their leader Crimson Fire. Lara infiltrates the cult's temple and overhears Amaru telling Unuratu that the Box was hidden by Andres Lopez, a missionary sent to Paititi by Trinity during the Spanish conquest of South America. Lara rescues Unuratu and realizes that Amaru does not fully understand the ritual; rather than merely imbuing Kukulkan's power, the ritual sacrifices it to stop the Cleansing. Unuratu is shot by Commander Rourke, Amaru's second in command. Before she dies, Unuratu implores Lara to complete the ritual but warns her not to let the Box influence her. Rourke attacks Lara and Jonah, who are separated as they leave Paititi to decipher the next clue. Thinking Jonah dead, Lara goes on a rampage that destroys an oil refinery and slaughters everyone there except Rourke, who escapes. She momentarily breaks down when she finds Jonah alive, but he manages to calm her, and they decipher the Box's location. Driven mad by the Box, Lopez established a mission near Paititi where he trained acolytes to complete the ritual. Lara and Jonah find a secret catacomb beneath the missiong leading to Lopez's tomb and the Box. Amaru finds them and forces Lara to surrender the Box. He admits that he ordered her father's death to prevent him from finding Paititi and revealing it to the world. Lara tries to persuade Amaru to use the ritual to benefit the world. He refuses, as the Cleansing will only affect Paititi. Amaru has used his position in Trinity to manipulate them into preventing it. He leaves Lara and Jonah to escape the third cataclysm, a massive earthquake that causes a landslide and destroys the mission. Back in Paititi, Lara and Jonah help the newly-crowned Etzli lead an assault on an underground temple complex at Paititi's center. They plan to disrupt Amaru's ceremony while avoiding the fourth cataclysm, a volcanic eruption threatening Paititi. Lara is forced to go on alone when Trinity cuts off Etzli's forces. She encounters the Yaaxil and Crimson Fire, convincing them to help her stop Amaru. Lara takes on the symbolic role of Ix Chel while Crimson Fire becomes Chak Chel. While the Yaaxil kill Rourke and the Trinity High Council, Lara makes it to the temple summit. She fails to stop Amaru from piercing the Box and absorbing Kukulkan's power as an eclipse blocks the sun. Lara overpowers Amaru after a lengthy battle; accepting defeat, he transfers Kukulkan's power to Lara as he dies. True to Unuratu's warning, she is tempted to use the Box to revive her parents, but instead lets Crimson Fire symbolically stab her, sacrificing Kukulkan's spirit and stopping the Cleansing. In the aftermath, Unuratu is laid to rest, and Jonah decides to take a vacation. Lara stays in Paititi to help Etzli restore the city to its former glory. A post-credits scene shows Lara planning her next adventure at Croft Manor, acknowledging that her role is not to solve the world's mysteries, but to protect them.