Got around to playing Rise of the Tomb Raider last weekend.
This game is really good. The number one point I'll make is that this game shouldn't be played on Xbox One or PS4. It looks awesome on a decent PC. It has plug and play support for the Xbox One controller and I'd guess the PS4 dualshock as well with drivers. At this point, all AAA games should be played on a PC that have controller support as opposed to a console. Xbox One/PS4 can't come close to the graphics power of new PC video cards.
Plays like the first Tomb Raider but everything is improved along with getting rid most of the scripted scenes that were annoying (falling down a mountain, avoiding getting skewered on a tree branch, etc)
The story just won an award:
Crystal Dynamics’ action-adventure sequel Rise of the Tomb Raider has been recognized by the Writers Guild’s, after taking home the coveted gold for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing’.
It was the only video game at the ceremony to clinch a prize, beating strong competition in the from of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Pillars of Eternity.
According to the official WGA site, the writing award spotlights the sequel’s core writing quartet: Lead Narrative Designer John Stafford, Narrative Designer Cameron Suey, Lead Writer Rhianna Pratchett, and Additional Writer Philip Gelatt.
As you'd probably expect from this game, the character animations and acting is a step above anything I've seen yet in a video game. The story is compelling and there's a lot of effort put into the villains as well to make them more human and multifaceted.
All of the side tombs are great puzzles and worth doing as they reward you with specific skills.
Visuals are amazing. I'm rocking a 980ti graphics card but I'd imagine this will look outstanding on most new PCs.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a top notch game from top to bottom.
tl;dr award winning story (beat out Witcher 3 which is impressive), amazing graphics, animations, game play, progression, atmosphere. Play on PC not Xbox One or PS4.