Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 557 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation Game Cover
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In Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation, Lara Croft mistakenly releases the evil God Set and must re-imprison him to prevent Armageddon. As she navigates through ancient Egyptian tombs, Lara faces intricate puzzles, deadly traps, and relentless pursuer Werner Von Croy. This action-packed adventure offers thrilling gameplay and captivating storyline in a race against time.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 557 reviews
story48 positive mentions
stability13 negative mentions
  • The game features improved graphics and sound, enhancing the overall experience compared to previous titles.
  • The puzzles are challenging and rewarding, providing a sense of accomplishment when solved.
  • The interconnected levels and exploration elements create a more immersive and engaging gameplay experience.
  • The controls are clunky and can be frustrating, especially for new players unfamiliar with the tank control scheme.
  • The game suffers from confusing backtracking and unclear objectives, often requiring players to consult guides.
  • Technical issues on modern systems, such as crashes and lack of controller support, detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • story149 mentions

    The story in this installment of Tomb Raider is generally praised for its depth and focus, marking a significant improvement over previous entries. Set primarily in Egypt, it intertwines Lara Croft's adventures with Egyptian mythology, offering a more cohesive narrative and character development. While some players find the plot engaging and well-structured, others criticize it for being simplistic or lacking in depth, indicating a mixed reception overall.

    • “Tomb Raider 4 changes things up by for the first time putting more focus on the story.”
    • “The storyline takes you on a globetrotting adventure, uncovering ancient secrets and battling nefarious villains.”
    • “The story is one of the best of the core-era games, going hard with those sweet, sweet Egyptian mythological elements.”
    • “Despite the apocalyptic events taking place in the story, the environments hardly convey them.”
    • “Yet the story itself is weak in plot design and a lot of things aren't explained in this series, although they get explained later in other sequels.”
    • “But later in the game it seemed the makers of this game forgot about the storyline and just added some extra levels to make the game longer.”
  • gameplay87 mentions

    The gameplay in this Tomb Raider installment is a mix of classic mechanics and new features, offering a challenging experience with complex puzzles and exploration. However, many players found the lack of tutorial explanations for new mechanics frustrating, leading to confusion and reliance on walkthroughs. While the game retains the nostalgic charm of its predecessors, it suffers from some outdated controls and occasional bugs, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The gameplay is the best that classic Tomb Raider has ever been - just compare how many more fan mods were built in the TR4 engine than in any other classic TR.”
    • “It has something for everyone: the lore, the dark ambience, action-oriented gameplay, and loads of puzzling that sometimes requires deep thinking.”
    • “The combination of nostalgia, the atmosphere of the game, the gameplay, and Lara's charm.”
    • “Some puzzles were challenging, almost unfair, taking me quite some time to solve due to mechanics that weren't immediately obvious and were specific to only one puzzle.”
    • “Several points of the game require that you figure out new mechanics that were never introduced in the tutorial level, e.g. pressing action to open a hidden trapdoor on the floor.”
    • “The only real downside on the gameplay part was returning the level's secrets to being resource pick-ups.”
  • graphics80 mentions

    The graphics of the game have seen notable improvements compared to earlier titles, with enhanced visuals and smoother animations, yet many players still find them dated and reminiscent of early 2000s aesthetics. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and the game's ability to run on lower-end hardware, others criticize the graphics for lacking depth and detail, suggesting that they do not meet modern standards. Overall, the visuals are considered a step forward but still fall short of contemporary expectations, leaving a mixed impression among players.

    • “Her final send-off was intended to be her biggest adventure yet: huge levels, new abilities, and ever more impressive graphics were prepared to accompany her into the afterlife.”
    • “The graphics have been improved from the previous games and the animations are a lot smoother.”
    • “Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation returned with new and smoother graphics, which can be noticed if you have played the previous three games.”
    • “While the graphics capture the ancient setting well, the stiff controls show their age.”
    • “The graphics smell like the early 2000's and it's definitely worth buying.”
    • “The visuals are appalling, it looks like cardboard cutouts.”
  • music35 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its strong and atmospheric tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, particularly during exploration and combat. However, some players note a lack of variety and memorable themes, especially during key moments like the final showdown, which can feel awkwardly silent. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, it is seen as a step down from previous entries in the series, with some players expressing a desire for more engaging musical cues and ambiance.

    • “The setting, the music, the story are all just fantastic and everything you want in a true adventure.”
    • “This is also further improved through Peter Connelly's pure artistic genius: the soundtrack of this game is top notch, the ambient themes are what make the levels so unique and they manage to make you feel like you're Lara Croft herself, which is a beautiful nostalgic feeling that I sadly cannot find in any other exploration game as of yet.”
    • “From the title screen music to the final boss fight, there isn't a moment that isn't amazing, challenging, or just lovably goofy.”
    • “No stats screen, no 'the end,' and not even a new music track to signal the end of an era - all we get is the same 'danger music' we heard throughout the game's boss encounters (except the final showdown, which lacks gravitas in part because of how awkwardly silent it is).”
    • “The one thing they could've touched a bit better is the music/ambiance sound.”
    • “The use of music and sound effects is awkward and at times plain embarrassing.”
  • atmosphere22 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its meticulous detail, immersive environments, and effective use of sound, creating a sense of foreboding and isolation. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke nostalgia while delivering a darker, more claustrophobic experience compared to previous titles in the series. Overall, the combination of atmospheric lighting, haunting soundscapes, and intricate level design contributes to a compelling and immersive gameplay experience.

    • “The meticulously detailed environments and atmospheric lighting add an extra layer of immersion.”
    • “The atmosphere, the level design, and the overall feel of this game and all the secret tomb raiding really opened up my favorite part about gaming, the exploration.”
    • “This part was as interesting as the previous ones, but this part had a more heavy and depressing atmosphere.”
    • “There is a colder, darker, more foreboding atmosphere in this game as the sky gradually begins to darken, there's the constant sound of wind-swept dunes whistling through the game's corridors and open areas, and skeletons and mummies begin rising from the dead.”
    • “This is true horror where you can feel the solitude and the atmosphere in the tombs and the creepy sounds.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability is notably poor, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by users, including game-breaking issues that necessitate reverting to previous saves. While some players find the experience nostalgic and enjoyable despite these flaws, many recommend waiting for a remaster in 2025 to avoid the current version's instability and reliance on mods for proper functionality. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," detracting from the overall experience.

    • “I recommend giving it a playthrough, but I would wait until the remaster in February 2025 as this original version requires mods to run properly, and there are some bugs and glitches that were never fixed.”
    • “There are so many glitches I have come across.”
    • “Furthermore, the game is quite buggy and there are some game-breaking bugs that will require you to return to a previous save.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, particularly due to poorly executed backtracking and repetitive level designs that lead to confusion and frequent deaths. While the game features challenging puzzles, the overall experience is marred by slow progress and the need for constant saving, making the gameplay feel drawn out and laborious.

    • “This would not be too much of an issue if this wasn't padded out with badly executed backtracking, most notable in the Cairo area, and some of the puzzles in the late game such as the under the Sphinx symbol puzzle, the rather tedious climbing of the pyramid (twice!) and for some unexplained reason a lot of the main rooms in the final part of the game look very much alike, often resulting in getting lost easily.”
    • “It is quite obvious that the developers' momentum had all but evaporated at this point and the fact that the final set of levels is drawn out, highly repetitive and tedious only cements that theory.”
    • “Last Revelation has great production and solid controls for an old school TR game, but is also the most tedious and frustrating game of the PS1 era titles thanks to some awkward puzzle/level designs.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending Lara Croft's signature wit with entertaining gameplay elements, including amusing deaths and quirky control schemes. Players find the mix of action and puzzles not only engaging but also consistently funny, making for a thrilling experience that keeps them laughing throughout. Overall, the game's humor enhances its adventurous spirit, leaving players both entertained and eager for more.

    • “This game is a delightful mix of action, puzzles, and Lara's signature humor that kept me entertained for hours on end.”
    • “But fear not, solving these puzzles provides a satisfying sense of accomplishment, even if it comes with the occasional hilarious death.”
    • “It's a game that combines action, mind-bending puzzles, and Lara Croft's trademark humor in a way that will leave you laughing, questioning your sanity, and hungry for more.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing poor performance even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3090. While some users note that the game is better optimized than other titles in the series, others criticize sluggish controls and the need for manual adjustments to improve performance. Additionally, issues with cutscene stability have been mentioned, indicating that further optimization could enhance the overall experience.

    • “Out of all the old Tomb Raider games, this one is optimized the best.”
    • “Bad PC performance using a RTX 3090.”
    • “The game is old and must be optimized by yourself.”
    • “I read a couple of bad reviews saying the game is poorly optimized for high-end machines. I have a Windows 7, i5, GTX 760 setup, and they also complained that the controls are sluggish and you can't even change the key bindings. First, the controls are sluggish because the original game's controls were also sluggish; on that part, the game doesn't change a bit. The keys I changed without any problem. The only thing I can complain about is that the engine-based cutscenes shake a little bit when the camera moves; the other cutscenes are all right.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Tomb Raider 4 marks a significant improvement in character development for the series, introducing a more engaging story and deeper character portrayal, particularly for Lara Croft. While some reviews note that the overall narrative remains basic, the enhanced character design and memorable moments contribute positively to the game's experience. However, other entries in the series are criticized for lacking similar depth in character development.

    • “Tomb Raider 4 has some of the best puzzles in the series; it looks great and has its shining moments for something from 1999. The music is absolutely incredible and memorable, and for the first time in the series, we have an actual story with character development.”
    • “Lara Croft is more detailed in character design, along with slight improvements in the details of the locations.”
    • “It has a lot of puzzles (as a real Tomb Raider game should), it has a lot of backtracking (like, a lot), it has annoying enemies (but they're fun to kill nevertheless), it requires a lot of precise jumps (but thank god for the saving system - although you can screw yourself over severely if you save in a wrong place) and a pretty basic story (not a lot of character development but it's still fun).”
    • “I wish they had kept this more glamorous character design in the more recent Tomb Raider releases.”
    • “Lara Croft is more detailed in character design along with slight improvements in the details of the locations.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    While some users note a lack of replayability due to confusing solutions in certain areas, others highlight the game’s strong replay value, suggesting a mixed overall perception of its replayability.

    • “It has lots of replay value.”
    • “Cons: confusing and non-intuitive solutions to certain set pieces, lack of replayability.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game is praised for its profound emotional impact, resonating deeply with players without feeling contrived. Many users, including families, express a strong connection to the narrative, often leading to heartfelt reactions.

    • “It's the most emotional game without forcing it.”
    • “My family and I absolutely loved this game; it's one of the best classic TR games. I can't write anymore; I need to shed a tear :)”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

20hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
7-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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