Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 452 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation Game Cover
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Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation is the fourth game of the Tomb Raider games series, it plays very similar to the previous games in the series but some new things have been added to the game. The biggest addition is that now rather large parts of the game consist of several interconnected levels sometimes explored in any order, with puzzles in one level often requiring that some actions are don…

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Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 452 reviews
story38 positive mentions
stability11 negative mentions
  • The game features intricate puzzles and a captivating storyline that keeps players engaged.
  • The atmosphere and level design are immersive, with a strong Egyptian theme that enhances the exploration experience.
  • The game introduces new mechanics, such as rope swinging and item combining, which add depth to the gameplay.
  • The controls are clunky and can be frustrating, especially for players accustomed to modern gaming mechanics.
  • The backtracking required in interconnected levels can lead to confusion and make progress feel tedious.
  • Technical issues, such as poor optimization for modern systems and lack of controller support, detract from the overall experience.
  • story117 mentions

    The story in this installment of the Tomb Raider series is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth and connection to Egyptian mythology, while others find it lacking in character development and coherence. Many appreciate the ambitious narrative and the integration of puzzles with the storyline, but some criticize it for being overly complicated or disjointed. Overall, it is seen as a significant step forward in storytelling for the franchise, though opinions vary on its execution and engagement.

    • “The story is one of the best of the core-era games, going hard with those sweet, sweet Egyptian mythological elements.”
    • “This is definitely my favorite Tomb Raider game to date - it's classic Lara, with some of the most fiendish puzzles in the series and an awesome storyline to bring it all together.”
    • “The introduction of linked levels that you can travel back and forth through at your leisure brings a totally new dimension to the game, and although it can start to feel a little long-winded towards the end, it's entirely worth it to be able to see all the gorgeous levels and experience the story.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay78 mentions

    The gameplay in this installment of Tomb Raider is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of challenging puzzles and new mechanics that enhance the platforming experience, though some mechanics are poorly explained or underutilized. While many players appreciate the nostalgic elements and the combination of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, frustrations arise from buggy controls, particularly with rope mechanics, and a lack of clarity in certain gameplay aspects. Overall, the game maintains the classic Tomb Raider formula while attempting to innovate, resulting in a lengthy and complex experience that may appeal to fans of the series despite its flaws.

    • “As for the gameplay experience, it 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 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.”
    • “The only real downside on the gameplay part was returning the level's secrets to being resource pick-ups.”
    • “There were other puzzles but they were very frustrating because their mechanics were not explained at all.”
  • graphics70 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 low-poly graphics, but modern gamers may find them unappealing compared to contemporary standards. Overall, while there are enhancements, the graphics still fall short of expectations for a game released in the current era.

    • “If you are up for an old school challenge featuring stunning visuals and beautiful ambient music, not to mention a great love for exploration, then this is the game for you.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some praise the soundtrack as beautiful and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience, others note a lack of variety and ambiance sounds, leading to moments of silence. Peter Connelly's composition is highlighted as a standout, evoking nostalgia and fitting well with the game's Egyptian theme, though some players feel it doesn't quite match the quality of previous installments. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's environment, but there are calls for more consistent and engaging audio throughout.

    • “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.”
    • “If you are up for an old school challenge featuring stunning visuals and beautiful ambience music, not to mention a great love for exploration, then this is the game for you.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere21 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie, foreboding qualities, effectively immersing players in a world filled with isolation and horror elements. Reviewers highlight the combination of sound design, level intricacies, and nostalgic elements that contribute to a unique and engaging experience, reminiscent of classic Tomb Raider titles. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating atmosphere that enhances exploration and puzzle-solving, despite some critiques regarding level design and hub-world mechanics.

    • “Everything feels eerie, hollow; the sound ambience may be my favorite ingredient of the atmospheric recipe core design came up with.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, particularly due to poorly designed levels and repetitive puzzles that lead to excessive backtracking. Players often find themselves lost in similar-looking areas, resulting in constant saving and loading to avoid losing progress. While the game features solid controls and challenging puzzles, the overall experience is marred by a drawn-out and monotonous gameplay loop.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “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.”
  • 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 keybinding, suggesting that further optimization may be needed.

    • “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, 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. I changed the keys with no 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.”
    • “It has a lot of puzzles (as real Tomb Raider games 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 reception regarding its overall 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 :)”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is intended to be lighthearted and playful, with users emphasizing that it is meant to be taken in a comedic context. Overall, the humor is well-received, contributing positively to the gaming experience.

    • “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, with clever jokes and witty dialogue that kept me laughing throughout.”
    • “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with hilarious scenarios and unexpected punchlines that always catch me off guard.”
    • “The quirky characters and their funny interactions add so much charm to the game, making every moment enjoyable and entertaining.”
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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