Shadow of the Tomb Raider has been out for about 2 weeks now and the responses have been nothing less than positive. With a franchise struggling to create their own identity and bury the comparisons to that of the male protagonist, Nathan Drake, in the Uncharted series, Shadow of The Tomb Raider has successfully done so.

There are going to be comparisons when it comes to Uncharted and the Tomb Raider Reboot series simply because the two games focus on the same niche. Many of the gameplay mechanics and style of play are similar, especially when you compare Tomb Raider 2013 and Rise of The Tomb Raider to the Uncharted series. However, Shadow of the Tomb Raider has solidified its own spot as an independent action adventure game in the treasure hunting genre.

The most notable difference between Uncharted and Shadow of The Tomb Raider is the level of grit. Traversing through the jungle has never felt so unpredictable. Each encounter you have with an animal feels like a brand new experience. Each time you dive into a body of water, you are left wondering if you will find yourself in a tangle with another deadly predator. The dense jungle leaves the players with a sense of dread as they explore the terrain.

The Best Part Of Shadow of the Tomb Raider

One feature that has been greatly improved upon with Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the hunting mechanics. You need animal skins and other materials to piece together the best gear for Lara. The gear you are able to craft grants Lara with special skills and benefits, such as the ability to craft faster, or lowering your frequency of detection by enemies. You don’t have to go after the animals, but if you want the new gear you have to face some of the most deadly predators to roam the jungle.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider strikes fear into the player as they make their way through the story. Lara constantly finds herself pinned underneath rocks, trapped and harassed by deadly animals and struggling to reach the surface for air when submerged underwater. All of these instances left me gripping the controller frantically pushing the correct buttons in the right sequence so I could quickly relieve Lara of her pain. And this is where Shadow of The Tomb Raider shines. You never know what will happen and that unpredictability constantly leaves you at the edge of your seat with heart-pounding situations.

Now, as for the comparisons with Uncharted, I’m not saying one is better than the other. Both are amazing games with unique experiences. I asked a friend of mine if he was going to buy a copy of Shadow of The Tomb Raider and he said no. I asked why and he said, “ Tomb Raider is just a glorified Uncharted and I have no interest in playing it.” So the purpose of this article is to convince you to give both games a try and to put away the speculation that you have to be team Drake or team Croft. They are both great games rich with great stories.