@mjorh: You're very welcome!

In all honesty, ROTR improves nearly everything Tomb Raider already did well. But if I have to pick one, it's the correlation between the crafting and exploring. I spent hours in the bigger hub areas looking for collectibles, resources, and hidden tombs. The gathering can be a little tedious, but it's all worth it when you get the final upgrade to your favorite weapon, or a perk that completely changes how you approach combat.

@Garfield360UK: Correct! So one might require you to get 5 headshots in a row before completion, while another only grants you stealth options.

@Garfield360UK: So ROTR has Exhibitions mode. It's not competitive in the way that you're fighting other players, but rather, returning to old areas with new modifiers or objectives. I didn't mention it in the review, as I didn't feel it was essential to the overall experience, but if you're the kind of player that likes score attacks and leaderboards, Exhibitions will have you covered.

@superflyzero: It never rubbed me the wrong way. The camera definitely shakes on ziplines and when executing melee attacks, but when shooting, or just exploring, I didn't notice anything terrible.

@olddadgamer: So there is slightly more variety to enemies. Some have riot shields, some have sniper rifles, some come rushing at you with knives. There are more later on, but I don't want to spoil anything.

That being said, it's more the level design and environmental factors that I love. The frozen pond example I mention in the review is one of the best uses of a game's environment I can remember in the last few years. And there are so many perks that help you stay stealthy or go in guns blazing. I prefer stealth, and the bushes, tree branches, and feel of the stealth attacks all work so well together.

@KHAndAnime: I did! And it worked fine in every mode. I would have mentioned it, but it wasn't a feature I spent a TON of time with. But if you prefer to play couch co-op, then BO3 is a safe bet.

@legaldruggie: I appreciate your insight!

To respond, I'd point you toward my Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection review, where I actually said the gameplay got in the way of the first game, and later games, being fun overall. (I gave the collection an 8)

Of course, it's up to the individual reviewer how much they think a story or campaign impact the overall experience. So, finding a reviewer who has the same approach to enjoying games as you would be helpful. But it's all opinion! I just happen to value narrative. Definitely not as much as gameplay. But if the narrative gets in the way of me having fun with the game (see my recent Volume review), then I think it's a problem.

@BranKetra: Blade Runner is another great example! I also appreciate the thought you put into the comparison.

I guess the point I was trying to make is that something can be incomprehensible in an overarching fashion, even if it does bring up a few clear questions. And the questions Black Ops III raises were some of the more promising parts of its story to me, so I was disappointed to find they didn't go too in-depth past the point of just asking the questions. They didn't really explore the possibilities in any meaningful way.

And as for the rest, it's just convoluted and fragmented in a way I didn't like. I'd definitely love to hear your thoughts once you play it!

@xxyetixx: I've actually had this problem with the last few Call of Duty games. But, I didn't review them, so the person who wrote them will have an entirely different opinion.

I think the last game to really nail the constant progression was Modern Warfare 2. The number of weapon specific challenges, and the way they unlocked without having to spend tokens on them, always made unlocks feel meaningful. I like that the Black Ops games let you spend points on what you really want to use, but I feel as if it wasn't actually changing the way I played. With Modern Warfare 2, I was constantly adapting to the new machine gun, shotgun, handgun or launcher I just acquired.

So although the Specialists are definitely a novel idea for BO3, it soon felt like the generic COD experience when they weren't unlocking often. That doesn't mean it's bad, but the last few CODs really haven't encouraged me to prestige like Modern Warfare 2 did, with its rewarding unlocks, challenges, and dizzying array of options. That was also the first time I experienced that kind of progression, so it was both novel and, in my opinion, well designed.

@with_teeth26: So there are a few long range maps in BO3, which are actually some of my favorite. There's one called Infection that has a really good blend of mid, close, and long range encounters.

That being said, the majority are built to encourage movement, especially considering you have more maneuvers this time around: wall runs, ground slides, and clambering, to be specific. It all feels fluid, and I wasn't camping nearly as much as I used to (I know, I camp, I suck, you can hate me). All in all, if you're looking for measured, long range gameplay, BO3 might not be your best bet.