Lara Croft GO

Lara Croft Go is a challenging puzzle platformer that feels like a classic Tomb Raider experience.

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Lara Croft GO is a turn-based puzzle adventure game set in an ancient, long-forgotten world. Explore ruins, discover secrets, and confront deadly challenges to uncover the myth of the Queen of Venom. Featuring striking visuals, engaging gameplay, and a captivating soundtrack, this game brings a fresh perspective to the iconic franchise.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,648 reviews

graphics196 positive mentions

replayability11 negative mentions

Engaging and clever puzzle design that gradually increases in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge.
Beautiful minimalist graphics and a soothing soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
The hint system is helpful and allows players to progress without getting stuck, making it accessible for all skill levels.

graphics
358 mentions
55 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Lara Croft Go" are characterized by a charming low-poly aesthetic that effectively captures the essence of the Tomb Raider franchise while maintaining a minimalist and clean design. Many players appreciate the game's vibrant colors and simple yet beautiful visuals, which enhance the overall puzzle-solving experience. Although some critiques mention the graphics as rudimentary, they are generally seen as fitting for the game's style and contribute positively to its nostalgic atmosphere.
- “The minimalist art style is sharp and appealing, with carefully crafted environments that enhance the experience of each level.”
- “The graphics are stunning and the puzzles are challenging enough to keep you engaged for hours on end.”
- “The graphics are uniquely minimalistic and vibrantly colorful, and holy crap this game gets 4k and 120 hz and it looks stunning; the art style is a mix between the classic Tomb Raider and the more recent Lara Croft bird's eye view games.”
- “The graphics are less artsy, less detailed and more abstract compared to Hitman, but they still get the job done.”
- “The only drawback to the visuals is that Lara Croft is supposed to look hot, not low poly.”
- “Let's be honest, it's a mobile port with minimalist graphics and replayability.”
gameplay
355 mentions
29 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lara Croft Go" is characterized by its engaging turn-based mechanics that blend puzzle-solving with strategic movement, allowing players to manipulate both the environment and enemies to progress through levels. The game introduces new mechanics gradually, maintaining a smooth learning curve while offering increasingly complex challenges, though some players note that the controls can feel clunky due to its mobile origins. Overall, the combination of clever puzzles, beautiful visuals, and a relaxing atmosphere makes it a satisfying experience for puzzle enthusiasts, despite some criticisms regarding its simplicity and repetitive elements.
- “Very interesting turn-based mechanics where not only objects like pillars but also enemies are incorporated into solutions as you manipulate their movement to make them step on floor switches or shield Lara from traps exactly when you need to.”
- “The gameplay is simple at first but steadily introduces new mechanics throughout the entire game, from beginning to end.”
- “The turn-based mechanic transforms each level into a carefully orchestrated dance of tactics, heightening the sense of accomplishment when you finally decipher a particularly tricky challenge.”
- “The gameplay is tedious, be advised.”
- “Only real problem is the gameplay - it's a port of a mobile game, and the 'swipe to move' controls have just been translated as click and drag, which isn't great, but you get used to it.”
- “Gameplay is mostly boring and only the puzzles from the last two worlds are challenging.”
music
220 mentions
55 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to complement the visuals and gameplay, creating a relaxing ambiance that is both enjoyable and fitting for the puzzle-solving elements. Many also appreciate the nostalgic nods to classic Tomb Raider themes, making the music a standout feature of the game.
- “The music creates an immersive and relaxing atmosphere, and the sounds are just enough to give you the right cues at the right times.”
- “Accompanied by a sumptuous soundtrack fitting every enchanting environment you will traverse on your journey, the game makes for a relaxing experience that will surely please any kind of player.”
- “The soundtrack integrates nicely and doesn't drone on, even if you were to finish the campaign in one sitting.”
- “The soundtrack features chill ambient tracks, with a strong emphasis on pads and textures, that sounds modern and fits the look and slow pace of the game, though it lacks the memorable melodies the classic series got us used to.”
- “It's a bit underwhelming in the presentation, doing just enough to be visually appealing but not doing anything too exciting with the music, or anything much with the story.”
- “The music sounds like it was written in half a day.”
story
167 mentions
15 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often described as insignificant, serving primarily as a backdrop for the puzzle-solving gameplay. While the main narrative is straightforward and can be completed quickly, the bonus chapters introduce more complexity and challenge. Overall, players appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and environmental cues, but many feel that the lack of a substantial plot detracts from the experience.
- “The classic treasure hunt that the popular archaeologist pursues is cleverly made engaging thanks to proper use of short cutscenes and in-game environmental interactions and storytelling, which not only bring tension but genuinely make you want to keep playing, eager to see how the adventure will reach its conclusion.”
- “Although there are no dialogues in the game, it still manages to narrate a complete story through its gameplay.”
- “Its effective inferred story, quick pace, plenty of collectibles, and few cinematic moments make gameplay feel surprisingly adventurous.”
- “There is a story, but it’s frankly insignificant.”
- “If you're looking for some sort of cohesive story or something, look elsewhere.”
- “The lack of dialogue or voice acting makes the story of gathering artifacts feel small and unimportant.”
atmosphere
73 mentions
68 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, minimalist art style, and immersive ambient soundtrack, which together create a nostalgic and engaging experience reminiscent of classic Tomb Raider games. Players appreciate the well-executed sound design and the relaxing ambiance that enhances puzzle-solving, making the atmosphere a standout feature that draws them into the game world. Overall, the combination of graphics, music, and level design contributes to a captivating and atmospheric gameplay experience.
- “The visuals are nicely designed and pretty good-looking in their own right, complemented by a minimalistic yet atmospheric ambient soundtrack.”
- “The atmosphere overall is very well executed, in both visuals and sound.”
- “Lara Croft GO has done one of the best jobs of building atmosphere and creating immersion I've ever seen in a computer game, setting an excellent example that visual design is much more important than technical brute force in graphics.”
- “The atmosphere feels like a short, simple excursion.”
- “Not much of a story to the game, but the atmosphere is there that makes it a Tomb Raider classic game.”
- “It's a mobile game, but it has enough atmosphere to carry its weight as on the computer.”
replayability
46 mentions
13 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with many players noting a lack of substantial replay value due to linear gameplay and fixed puzzle solutions. While some hidden treasures and collectibles offer a slight incentive to revisit levels, most players feel that once the game is completed, there is little reason to play again. A few users appreciate the challenge of finding secrets, but the consensus leans towards minimal replayability after the initial playthrough.
- “To add some replayability, there are hidden treasures to be found in the background of many of the levels.”
- “These hidden relics and items provide a satisfying incentive to explore every corner of the map, adding replay value without feeling forced.”
- “There's a steady stream of small challenges, and a surprising degree of replay value.”
- “It’s very much a linear game without much replayability, but that’s what I’m personally looking for nowadays.”
- “The only downside to this game, in my opinion, is that there is no real replay value as the puzzles do not change on subsequent playthroughs.”
- “Replay value is pretty non-existent; once you know how to get through, there is nothing new to be seen and it amounts to pixel hunting.”
optimization
22 mentions
27 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed feedback; while it runs smoothly on older hardware and performs well on Linux, some users noted long loading times and occasional freezing. The transition from mobile to PC has led to some control issues, particularly with mouse input, but many players appreciated the visual design and stability, with no significant crashes or FPS drops reported. Adjustments like disabling full-screen optimization were suggested by users to improve performance further.
- “This game has charming visual design and music, an intuitive and responsive user interface, and runs smoothly on old hardware, and works perfectly on Linux.”
- “Not everyone will like it, but most likely this decision optimized the production pipeline and directed more resources to improving gameplay, which turned out nice in the end.”
- “By a game port that came from mobile, Lara Croft Go, although it is done in Unity engine, was well optimized; congratulations to the developers.”
- “The loading/reload times were a tad long and could have been optimized for the PC release.”
- “With MSAA enabled, the game has a much higher impact on performance than it could (about ~4x higher GPU usage).”
- “There's occasional freezing and stuttering; the cursor does some crazy jittering when you mark a hidden treasure.”
grinding
20 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with many describing it as tedious and frustrating, especially in the later stages where mistakes can lead to having to restart entire levels. While some appreciate the challenge and strategic elements, the repetitive nature of certain mechanics, such as dragging the mouse for movement, detracts from the enjoyment for many. However, there are moments of satisfaction when overcoming difficult puzzles, suggesting that the grind can be rewarding despite its drawbacks.
- “The gameplay is tedious, be advised.”
- “It gets incredibly frustrating and tedious having to restart the entire level whenever you make a single mistake.”
- “The first additional campaign tends to be a bit more punishing and frustrating, getting quite a bit tedious by the end.”
humor
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it clever and entertaining, particularly in its puzzle design and character interactions. While some consider it amusing, they note that it may not be essential for die-hard fans of the franchise. Overall, the game is described as funny, with a mix of clever twists and lighthearted moments that enhance the gameplay experience.
- “And the concept is so clever and funny; if you like logical puzzle games with mind twists, I can only recommend!”
- “Hilarious puzzle game.”
- “Buut it's very funny; the puzzles really catch your attention, and a free chapter is coming!”
stability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
70 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some players reporting smooth performance and no glitches, while others experience frequent bugs, crashes, and issues with achievements. Despite the beautiful graphics, many users have noted significant glitches and a lack of developer support for these problems. Overall, while some enjoy a stable experience, others face frustrating technical issues.
- “Runs great, looks great.”
- “No glitches, stuttering, or crashes.”
- “The game runs smoothly, with no glitches at all.”
- “Also, for human relations, do check the forums: thousands of reports of glitches and crashes, little to no response by the developers or publisher.”
- “As of December 2018, the achievements are buggy - many won't unlock and there is no support from the devs.”
- “The game freezes if I try to replay previous levels.”
monetization
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, particularly in the PC version, which lacks microtransactions and offers free hints and expansions. In contrast, the mobile versions are criticized for their reliance on microtransactions, leading to perceptions of them as cash grabs. Overall, players appreciate the absence of monetization pressures in the PC experience.
- “You don't get the monetization aspect from the mobile versions here, which is nice.”
- “No microtransactions and a free expansion coming; I have no complaints.”
- “In those 90 minutes, I didn't even think about using a hint (at least they are free in the PC version; on the phone, they are microtransactions).”
- “Glory projects gone awry, cheap mobile games, and the infernal franchise cash grab still populate the store shelves.”
- “Dismissing Lara Croft: GO several times as some sort of shallow spinoff game using the Tomb Raider popularity, a cash grab at worst or lacking content at best, the Steam store was persistent to keep recommending this.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotions while navigating the game's cleverly designed environments, likening their experience to exploring a tomb reminiscent of Lara Croft's adventures. The transition from mobile to PC has led to some frustration, but the emotional engagement with the puzzles and atmosphere remains notable.
- “The game made me feel like I was wandering through a cleverly designed tomb, reminiscent of the adventures of Lara Croft.”
- “The emotional depth of the story truly resonated with me, creating a powerful connection to the characters and their journeys.”
- “The atmosphere and narrative elements combined to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and reflection throughout my gameplay experience.”