Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game played from a third-person perspective. In the game, players assume control of Lara Croft, who ventures through the tropical regions of South America to stop a Mayan apocalypse she unleashed. Lara faces a variety of enemies, including soldiers from the paramilitary organization Trinity, hostile indigenous tribes, and dangerous animals such as jaguars and moray eels.[1] The game prioritized stealth over direct combat with enemies.[2] Players can use Lara's Survival Instinct to scan the environment to identify enemies and objects of interest.[3] They can hide behind cover and vine walls to ambush enemies, and sneak through tall grass and bushes to avoid being detected. They can also use mud to camouflage themselves.[2] Certain items can be thrown to distract unsuspecting enemies, while smoke bombs can be used to confuse them.[3] Lara's Survival Instinct can also be used to identify if a stealth takedown will alert nearby enemies.[4] If direct combat is inevitable, players can also use Lara's bows and arrows and a variety of firearms to defend her.[3] They can also roll or dodge to avoid incoming attacks, and disengage from combat when they escape from enemies' line of sight. As players return to stealth, the artificial intelligence of enemies will begin searching for Lara starting from her last known position.[2]
Players navigate intricate environments to progress. Lara is equipped with a pickaxe that allows her to climb surfaces and hang over ledges,[5] and a grappling hook to swing across gaps in the environment.[6] She can also use her rope to abseil down a cliff.[7][8] The game features several large hub worlds where players can converse with other non-playable characters, discover side quests,[9] and trade with merchants.[3] Lara's outfits also provide her with added gameplay perks and bonuses.[10] While exploring, players can collect raw materials and hunt wild creatures for crafting arrows, consumables, and other upgrades.[9][11] Herbal plants can also be mixed and consumed to add certain benefits, such as restoring her health and briefly increasing her perception.[12] Players can also craft two arrow variants: Fire arrows, and Fear arrows that cause enemies to hallucinate and attack their allies.[13] If the player has to explore underwater, they must come up for air at specific air pockets in time to avoid suffocation.[13] The difficulty of the gameplay experience—including exploration, puzzles, and combat—can be separately adjusted.[14]