The recordings for Tomb Raider: The Dark Angel began on the 20th of July in London. So far, the drums and the guitar have been recorded along with the vocals today. All the other instruments except for the drums and guitar are synths (for now).

The orchestra will be recorded on the 26th of July at Angel Studios in London. Eric Loren, Martin Iveson, Murti Schofield and cosplayers Xeno-morpheus, Rident & Madenice will be joining the team for an unforgettable day of bringing The Dark Angel Symphony to life.

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The Serpent’s Heart is a massive step up from its previous dlc titles. The challenge tomb uses classic elements we all know and love such as timing, precision and very deadly traps (finally no rope arrows). We welcome the new mechanics and hope to see more of this sort of level design if not in the future dlcs then in the future games. However, these new mechanics are not without a problem. Since the main challenge is keeping Lara on a raft whilst avoiding traps, the fact that Lara cannot crouch is very problematic as she keeps scrambling off it. This is why we believe the new Tomb Raider games will have to undergo a bigger change of how we control Lara if we’re to get back to these sort of traps. We have also encountered few glitches due to heavily scripted grabbing spots. It’s annoying not to be able to climb back onto a pole because of the way it’s programmed – grab and jump one side only. 

While it is a nuisance to start the mission in Paititi mainly because of the outfit restriction, at least this time around we were able to equip the new outfit for the challenge tomb. Unfortunately it was disappointing to see yet another tribal outfit especially when majority of fans are very loud about not wanting anymore of those (and we agree). The good thing about the new Dragon Scales outfit is that Lara’s arm muscles are more buff like they were in E3 footage and that’s great. 

The story once again takes place before the eclipse brining back a character we encountered in Paititi. The plot is okay, but we’re here for the tombs as we’re not fans of dlc stories taking place before the eclipse. The Serpent’s Heart story does create a plot hole in the main storyline as Lara obtains a Godslayer bow as her reward (a bow meant for challenging Amaru for the throne), but doesn’t have it with her when she faces Amaru in the main campaign. They way it’s presented gives the bow a bigger meaning than it ends up having.

Unfortunately, The Serpent’s Heart sounded very unfinished with some of the sfx missing and no music. We can’t rule out a glitch, but our experience was that some “emotional” moments sounded very flat due to their skimpy sound design.

In conclusion, is this dlc worth it? We say yes! The challenge tomb is what counts and that’s where this dlc shines. 

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I must admit I’m not a  fan of the Brocken outfit and will stick to standard ones (looking at you Adventurer outfit).

The next DLC titled The Pillar came out on December 18th.

I enjoyed The Pillar more than The Forge, but the story really confused me because it’s set prior to the ending. It makes me wonder when exactly did it take place since we’ve been with Lara during the apocalypse events 24/7 so from the player’s perspective, it doesn’t really make much sense. This time around the cutscenes seem to be good length in comparison to the gameplay. Once again, where this DLC shines are the puzzles.
The Pillar’s atmosphere actually feels like an apocalypse is happening and that’s something the main game didn’t manage to convince me in the first time around.

I prefer the Sinchi Chiqua Battle dress outfit to The Forge‘s Brocken outfit, but there are already too many tribal outfits. On the other hand, The Oathtaker’s bow is one of my favourite Shadow of the Tomb Raider bows.

I was hoping that the 7 DLC stories would be connected and create an interesting new after SOTTR events story, but so far the narrative placing only confused me and left me wondering why did they take this storytelling direction?

Here’s to hoping the 3rd DLC will be more original than going back to something we’ve already been through and are over with.

Check out our gallery:

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You can purchase The Forge as a standalone for $4.99.

From the web:

In her DLC debut, Lara must brave the lava-flooded Forge of the fallen gods to uncover the secrets of Kuwaq Yaku. Throughout her journey, she will uncover details about a friend’s ancient legacy, and overcome a danger long thought to be lost in flame. The Forge delivers a brand-new challenge tomb, playable in both solo and co-op. Players who complete the challenge tomb will be rewarded with the Grenadier skill, Brocken outfit, and Umbrage 3-80 weapon. Read more

Check out the new video going more into detail of what to expect:

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the best game of the new trilogy. We were really pleasantly surprised the first time we’ve played it at the Reveal Event in London and playing the full game only made us love it more.

The gameplay is naturally similar to the previous two games as it is the final installment of the new Tomb Raider trilogy. Just like Rise of the Tomb Raider improved over Tomb Raider (2013) mechanics, SOTTR builds upon the existing ROTTR elements.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a game that feels like a proper Tomb Raider game after many years. It has lots of callbacks to the classics in terms of outfits, plotlines and locations. Many locations reminded me of Vilcabamba from Tomb Raider (1996) which is a huge plus.

I played SOTTR with the following difficulty settings:

Combat: easy

Exploration: hard

Puzzles: hard

I was never a fan of combat (I still shiver when I remember Shanty Town), but I regret playing on easy because the aiming system can be a bit of a nuisance as much as it can be helpful. Basically, it aims for you, targeting the nearest enemy. Now, this might sound like a huge plus to everyone who’s not a combat fan, but it tends to get in the way during some simple situations. For example, I tried to knock down a totem from a tree, but it kept automatically aiming at the nearest animal. I had to shoot the animal before I could try to aim back at my first target – the totem. If another animal appeared, I ended up switching my position completely.

Puzzles & Exploration set on hard really challenges you and removes all white ledges. What made the whole experience feel like a classic Tomb Raiding experience was the fact that I got stuck a few times and really had to think what to do without having any assistance (Survival Instincts (Q on PC) won’t help you either because it’s disabled if you choose the hard setting). I’ve missed being stuck, not knowing what to do – just like in the good ol’ days.

SOTTR’s plot is much better than the previous two games as it makes you feel for characters. I have never been a fan of how emotion-showing new Lara is, but this time around I get why she’s acting or feeling a certain way. Her emotions are justified and she feels more real. Her relationship with Jonah also feels more real. That’s all I’m gonna say cause I’d hate to spoil any of the plot to anyone who hasn’t played the game.

One thing I really love is that you can set NPCs to speak in their native language, which enhances the experience and overall atmosphere of the place Lara’s currently in. I just wish Lara could respond in their language as well instead of English.

The Market is something I never knew I wanted until I got it. Since Lara is now able to buy/sell items she collects, putting extra effort into collecting as many items as you can is really rewarding. It gives exploration a whole new purpose besides getting experience points.

I would like to point out the music of the Shadow of The Tomb Raider because it is fantastic! I haven’t been this excited for a soundtrack since Underworld. I knew from the moment I’ve heard it in London, it was going to be amazing and it really lived up to my expectations. The sound design is also incredible.

I want to say to all classic fans: give this game a chance. Lara is still the new Lara, but the gameplay is great, the puzzles are challenging and the locations are gorgeous.

All screenshots taken by Terenete with Photo Mode.

Special thanks to Jennifer Milward.

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