Rise of the Tomb Raider Review Roundup

Crystal Dynamics' reboot on Tomb Raider in 2013 is going to be a hard act to follow. Having successfully reinvented a franchise over 15 years old, the studio now faces the task of defining a new era for Lara Croft.

While the first game sparked the fire of adventure in Lara, Rise of the Tomb Raider aims to feed the flames by sending the young archeologist on a quest to seek out the truth behind the events of the first game, and world's greatest myths.

But how does her second outing fair? We've gathered some review scores and editor opinions and put them in a list below. Give them a read and by the time your done you'll have a good grasp of the critical reception Rise of the Tomb Raider has received.

For a wider view on the game's critical reception, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Developer: Crystal Dynamics
• Platform: Xbox One, Xbox 360
• Release Date: November 10
• Price: $60/£49.99

GameSpot -- 9/10

"Rise of the Tomb Raider's first shot pans over the vast, foreboding landscape we'll soon come to know. In many ways, it functions as a promise on the part of Crystal Dynamics: there are big things ahead of us. And at the end of Lara's journey, after we've seen her through this adventure, and experienced everything the world has to offer, it's clear that promise was kept." -- Mike Mahardy[Full review]

Polygon -- 8.5/10

"In many ways, Rise of the Tomb Raider could be viewed as a fairly modest sequel. It successfully builds off Crystal Dynamics' excellent reboot, but it doesn't introduce any massive changes; the scope is greater but still in spitting distance of the previous game. But successfully regaining the feeling created in an extremely good game is no small feat. This is the inauguration of Tomb Raider as a formula once more, but for now, it's a formula I'm happy revisiting." -- Phil Kollar [Full review]

IGN -- 9.3/10

Rise of the Tomb Raider raises the bar set by Lara’s last outing with a rollicking adventure story, strong villains, gorgeous vistas, and smart puzzles – go off the main path to find the best stuff in dastardly optional tombs. Though the mandatory combat doesn’t distinguish itself with challenging enemies unless you crank up the difficulty, Lara’s newfound versatility on the battlefield makes fighting a lot more fun. Once again it’s Lara herself, however, who steals the show, her complex ambitions and hardened resolve showing new sides to a character who has well and truly grown from survivor to the most fascinating action hero in video games today. -- Lucy O'Brien [Full review]

Destructoid -- 7.5/10

"Rise of the Tomb Raider is better than its predecessor, but only because of its additions; it doesn't fix any of the things that were wrong with Tomb Raider (2013). The story is smoothed down, much of it hidden away in dull audio logs. It's not about "survival" as billed, given the ease of mowing down dozens of folks and plenty of resources. But finding tombs wherein to clamber about ancient Rube Goldberg machines, coupled with the gorgeous visual flair and diverse environments, make Rise's wilderness one worth exploring and elevate Tomb Raider's otherwise perfunctory take on the third-person action platformer. I still get a strong sinking feeling in my stomach when I've misjudged a jump and watch Lara careening towards a splat." -- Steven Hansen [Full review]

Game Informer -- 9.5

"Rise of the Tomb Raider captures the thrill of being an adventurer and leaves you thinking about Lara's next move. You have daredevil sequences, heroic moments, fun exploration, and exciting fights that even Indiana Jones would envy. If Crystal Dynamics keeps raising the bar from here, I can't wait to see what's next for Lara." -- Kimberly Wallace [Full review]

VideoGamer -- 9/10

"Having enjoyed the Tomb Raider reboot I expected good things from Rise of the Tomb Raider, but those have been exceeded to a degree I didn't imagine. Crystal Dynamics has made a game that expertly rekindles memories of the series' triumphant past and yet still feels incredibly modern. In an era when triple-A blockbuster games often drown beneath a desire to make things more explosive or complex than before, Rise of the Tomb Raider shows how it should be done. This is captivating romp that should cement Lara as a modern gaming icon." -- Tom Orry [Full review]

GamesRadar+ -- 4.5/5

"While Rise of the Tomb Raider is a comparatively safe sequel in that it changes very little of an existing, winning formula, this is an adventure game that takes full advantage of new-gen technology… and it's magnificent. Intelligent, beautiful, varied and huge, this is a very classy video game, and one that's surprisingly malleable. Just watch out for all the stuff on the floor." -- Justin Towell [Full review]

Xbox Achievements -- 80/100

"Rise of the Tomb Raider is a strong sequel to 2013's reboot, building upon the potential of its predecessor while adding to the sense of wonder and exploration-based aspects more in keeping with Ms. Croft's roots. Of course, more tombs and puzzles to solve would always be welcome, but Rise is nonetheless a fantastic blend of entertaining combat encounters, traversal and open-world exploration, and arguably a cut above the previous game in gameplay terms, if not necessarily in story terms." -- Richard Walker [Full review}