Shadow of the Tomb Raider: The Nightmare (PlayStation 4) Review

This quest is undertaken from Uchu, again, like the last DLC, in the Skull Cave of Paititi. Learning of the White Breath, a poison that Uchu himself once failed to claim, but believes could turn the fight against Dominguez in the rebels' favour, Lara puts her life on the line to retrieve this weapon from the wilderness herself. The first obstacle before overcoming the ancient tomb that guards it, though? Lara's own nightmares.

The opening part of this quest sends Lara into a hallucinogenic state, waking up in her manor and hearing and seeing voices and people close to her from her past and present. The advertising for this mission makes out there is a lot more depth to this than what is actually here. "Lara Croft faces off against familiar enemies and fallen friends." "Explore Croft Manor in a harrowing trial unlike anything she has faced before."

It couldn't be more opposite. What we're given is something that looks quickly slapped together, with no exploration at all. Most of this "facing off" is resigned to background voices, flashbacks happening around Lara as she walks through a few halls, and some pretty missable dead bodies or names on tombstones. In between this, there is some pistol blasting at random enemies and soldiers, with infinite ammo reducing any tension, before happening upon a doppelgänger cutscene that pressures Lara into tipping herself over the edge for all the misery and destruction she has caused to those around her. This whole sequence of events is over far too early, and is a missed opportunity to revisit not just Croft Manor, but friends and foes from all of the trilogy games.

Following this is the Challenge Tomb itself, which is better designed for co-op, unlike the previous mission that was solo only. Once again, there is nothing too difficult here, except for just getting the timings right of the platforming and lever pulling, else getting squashed or impaled. Compared to the darker settings of the previous DLC tombs, and Lara's nightmare in this mission, it is refreshing to play through a more bright and vibrant looking ruin. Completion of this quest awards yet another new costume, a more powerful axe, and the White Breath skill, which produces poisonous gas when fear arrows are used, making enemies turn on each other.