Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Marvel’s Spider-Man are this week’s best games

Whether you’re raiding ancient tombs as Lara Croft or web-swinging across rooftops as Spider-Man, it’s a spectacular week for video game fans.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

As the finale to the massively successful “Tomb Raider” reboot trilogy, action-adventure game “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” is delightfully epic. We are, after all, dealing with the Mayan Apocalypse here; it doesn’t get any more epic than that! But while the game is as grand as any adventure involving lost cities and ancient terrors, it also boasts a story that takes some dark, emotionally powerful turns.

It’s been a treat watching Lara Croft’s evolution from an inexperienced young woman to a bona fide badass. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” goes beyond that and sees the video game icon finally seizing her destiny to become the Tomb Raider.

Reaching that point won’t be easy for Lara, however, and in the course of her transformation, she’ll have to face not only her enemies, but the consequences of her obsession, as well. It’s a story that reveals just how human and vulnerable Lara is—qualities that make her a more compelling and well-rounded character than she’s ever been.

Lara’s adventure takes her to the dense jungles of South America, where she must unearth the secrets of the lost Incan city of Paititi. This of course means she’ll be exploring a lot of tombs both optional and main quest-related.

And what magnificent tombs they are! Not only are there more of them this time around, they’re also bigger, more complex, and more brilliantly designed. Each comes with new, unique puzzles that’ll challenge your brain—not to mention your dexterity as Lara dodges traps, makes death-defying leaps, swings across gaping chasms, rappels down cliffs, and dives into dangerous waters.

Speaking of water, swimming in “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” isn’t the dreadful experience that it is in most other titles. Like the rest of the game’s environments, the underwater areas are a joy to navigate, thanks to tight, intuitive controls and excellent level design.

The combat, while exhilarating, takes a back seat to stealth. Sneaking around entails hiding in foliage or covering yourself in mud, then striking when no one else is looking. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” therefore focuses on a more cerebral approach to enemy encounters, one that’ll have you strategizing while under pressure. As gratifying as it is to play the invisible predator, stealth does make things a bit too easy sometimes, especially when enemies are so conveniently lured into traps.

When not fighting the bad guys, you can hunt wild animals and gather materials for use in the crafting system. Lara can also learn a range of skills that will make her more effective at fighting, scavenging, and exploring the world around her.

“Shadow of the Tomb Raider” is blessed with astonishing visuals and sound, which work together to breathe life into its diverse environments. Jungles are teeming with the convincing sounds of nature, and vegetation that moves realistically in the breeze. Cities are populated by people going about their daily lives. By speaking with Paititi’s inhabitants, Lara can not only gain quests, but also learn about the history and plight of the city and its people. It’s a nice touch that makes the world that much more immersive.

The game takes some fifteen hours to complete—double that if you’re into the side missions and other optional stuff. Its topnotch level and puzzle design, intense action and exploration, and extraordinary atmosphere make “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” a must for any gamer. And as the last part of a trilogy, it’s a conclusion that feels earned—one that gives you faith that wherever Lara goes from here on out, we can be sure it’ll be another wild, rip-roaring adventure.

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Marvel’s Spider-Man

For the longest time, the “Batman: Arkham” titles have been the gold standard for superhero video games. But now a new contender is swinging into town, and he’s got the moves, the gadgets, and the rogue’s gallery to swipe the proverbial crown off the Dark Knight’s head.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man” is an action-adventure game where you play as everyone’s favorite web-head. His playground, as you can expect, is New York City, rendered into a fantastic open world where he’ll be saving people from danger and fighting some of his most powerful adversaries.

If you read the comics or have seen the films, you’ll be familiar with Spider-Man’s traversal style. This is impeccably represented in the game. You’ll be swinging between skyscrapers and soaring above the New York City traffic, crawling or running on walls, performing amazing parkour feats, and hitching rides on top of speeding vehicles. Moving around is so fluid and exhilarating you’ll often find yourself swinging from rooftop to rooftop for its own sake. It helps that the city is as gorgeously detailed as it is fun to explore.

His fighting style is lifted directly from these sources, as well. Spider-Man is the consummate acrobat, somersaulting into the air and leaping over enemies, bouncing all over the place while unleashing lightning-fast punches and kicks.

He’s got a sweet arsenal of gadgets, too, such as the electrifying Spider Drone; Web Bombs and Electric Webs, which are great for crowd control; the Impact Web, which packs a punch; and more. By combining his agility with clever tools usage, you can let loose a whirlwind of nasty tricks on your enemies. Will you smash your enemies into each other, use the environment against them, or hurl them off the rooftop? You can even launch enemies into the air and beat them up while you’re both airborne. It’s a blast that combat gives you so many opportunities for creativity and improvisation.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man” doesn’t cut corners with its set pieces, which are some of the most explosive segments of the game. The boss battles are just as impressive, though some of them suffer from repetitiveness.

The story is spectacular and is replete with emotional highs and lows. Spider-Man/Peter Parker remains one of the most relatable heroes ever created, with problems most of us will find immediately familiar. The game even manages to throw in a romance that doesn’t feel forced, but necessary to our hero’s story.

Advancing said story are diverse missions. Some of these will take Spider-Man indoors; some of them will task you with a stealthy approach, allowing you employ the hero’s more predatory tactics. You even get to play as Mary Jane and other fan favorite characters. As for the side missions, some of them are on the simplistic and repetitive side. Nevertheless, they do much to bring life to the game’s virtual world.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man” also comes with a range of unlockables—from skills to a variety of cool Spider-suits. Costumes not only give Spider-Man different looks, but also grant him new, exciting powers, giving them an additional layer of utility.

If you aren’t obsessive about completing every side quest, “Marvel’s Spider-Man” will take you more or less 20 hours to complete. And because it perfectly captures what it’s like to be Spider-Man, it’s a thrilling, empowering experience you won’t likely forget anytime soon.

Platforms: PlayStation 4

— BM, GMA News