Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 492 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 492 reviews
story42 positive mentions
stability11 negative mentions
  • The story and voice acting are engaging, adding depth to Lara's character.
  • The game features a strong focus on puzzles and exploration, reminiscent of the original Tomb Raider experience.
  • The graphics and level design are improved, creating a more immersive atmosphere.
  • The tank controls are clunky and frustrating, making navigation difficult.
  • There is a lack of controller support, which is surprising for a platformer originally designed for consoles.
  • The game suffers from backtracking and confusing level design, leading to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs.
  • story126 mentions

    The story in Tomb Raider IV is generally praised for its depth and character development, marking a significant improvement over previous entries in the series. Set primarily in Egypt, it combines engaging puzzles with a compelling narrative that explores Lara Croft's backstory and her relationships, particularly with Professor Von Croy. While some players find the plot lacking in coherence or depth at times, many appreciate the ambitious storytelling and the integration of Egyptian mythology, making it one of the standout narratives in the franchise.

    • “The storyline takes you on a globetrotting adventure, uncovering ancient secrets and battling nefarious villains.”
    • “This is easily the best story in the Tomb Raider series up to this point and the addition of professional writers really shows.”
    • “The story is pretty decent, not only because they tried to put an interesting story to follow in a Tomb Raider game, but also because the story is connected with the next games, Chronicles and Angel of Darkness as they are direct sequels to TR4.”
    • “The story is sparse, lacking in character depth, and overall not very interesting.”
    • “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.”
    • “Too bad it was a mishmash of different levels without any coherent story.”
  • gameplay79 mentions

    The gameplay in this Tomb Raider entry is a mix of familiar mechanics and new features, with some players appreciating the challenging puzzles and improved controls, while others criticize the lack of explanations for certain mechanics and the presence of frustrating bugs. The game offers a complex, non-linear experience with a blend of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, but some mechanics, like rope swinging, received negative feedback for their execution. Overall, while the gameplay retains the classic Tomb Raider feel, it shows signs of aging and inconsistency, leading to a divided reception among players.

    • “The gameplay experience is by far the most challenging in both its length and difficulty, with Lara required to solve complex puzzles and even play games like Senet in order to complete the levels.”
    • “It has something for everyone: the lore, the dark ambiance, action-oriented gameplay, and loads of puzzles that sometimes require deep thinking.”
    • “This specific entry maintains the 'measured 3D geometric acrobatic movements' gameplay style of the old games along with the puzzles and exploration.”
    • “Mechanics that aren't explained and that have never existed in previous Tomb Raider games.”
    • “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.”
    • “The only real downside on the gameplay part was returning the level's secrets to being resource pick-ups.”
  • graphics71 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the improvements over previous titles and noting the stunning visuals and atmosphere, while others criticize them as outdated and lacking polish. Many players appreciate the nostalgic charm of the graphics, despite their limitations, and acknowledge that the game runs well on lower-end hardware. Overall, while there are advancements in visual quality, the graphics may not meet the expectations of modern gamers.

    • “The graphics have been improved from the previous games and the animations are a lot smoother.”
    • “Graphically, this is the best looking of the core series so far but it's very much the Tomb Raider you know and love with some new lighting effects and a graphics touch-up.”
    • “Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation returned with new and smoother graphics, which can be noticed if you have played the previous three games.”
    • “I thought the graphics were outdated, the controls felt old, and I doubted I would ever give the game another chance.”
    • “The visuals are appalling; it looks like cardboard cutouts.”
    • “Ok, other than Lara having a makeover and some swanky new lighting effects, the graphics haven't changed much at all over the last four games.”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as beautiful and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience and evoking nostalgia. However, some players note a lack of variety in ambient sounds, leading to moments of silence that detract from immersion. While the music is generally considered strong, there are suggestions for improvement, particularly in its integration with gameplay elements like dialogue.

    • “The puzzles are fun, the combat is pretty reasonable, and the locations and music are :chef'skiss:”
    • “Awesome environment, beautiful music, cool story and riddles, awesome take on Egyptian mythology and the iconic Lara Croft.”
    • “This is also further improved through Peter Connelly's pure artistic genius: the soundtrack of this game is top notch, the ambience 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.”
    • “The one thing they could've touched a bit better is the music/ambiance sound.”
    • “Speech volume is tied to music volume so you're forced to listen to music if you want to know what is happening.”
    • “Musical cues still feature, but for the most part you'll hear nothing but your own footsteps, the wind rolling through passageways, and the occasional crumble of stones somewhere in the distance.”
  • atmosphere23 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, characterized by meticulously detailed environments, atmospheric lighting, and a haunting sound design that enhances the sense of foreboding and isolation. Many reviewers note a nostalgic yet darker tone, with a focus on exploration and puzzle-solving that contributes to a unique and memorable experience. Overall, the game successfully evokes a claustrophobic and eerie ambiance that resonates with players, making it a standout aspect of the gameplay.

    • “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.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches, crashes, and game-breaking bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment in the nostalgia and charm of the game, many express frustration over the buggy mechanics and the need to revert to previous saves due to these issues. Overall, the stability of the game appears to be a significant concern for players.

    • “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.”
    • “Cons, there are some buggy levels, it crashes in fullscreen without fixes, and rope swinging mechanics aren't very good.”
  • 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 and loading, making it 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.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in "Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation" is highlighted as a delightful blend of Lara Croft's signature wit and the game's thrilling action and puzzles. Players find the comedic elements, including amusing deaths and clever dialogue, to be a significant source of entertainment, enhancing the overall experience and keeping them engaged throughout the adventure.

    • “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 older titles in the series, others report sluggish controls and issues with cutscene stability, suggesting that further optimization may be needed. Additionally, players have mentioned the necessity of manual adjustments for optimal performance.

    • “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 arcs for Lara Croft, which were previously lacking. While some reviews note that the character development is still basic compared to modern standards, the enhanced design and narrative elements contribute to a more immersive experience. Overall, the game successfully blends intricate puzzles with a more fleshed-out protagonist, making it a standout title from 1999.

    • “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.”
    • “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 reception on this aspect.

    • “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
20hAverage play time
20-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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