Dynamic action, environmental puzzles, breathtaking landscapes, valuable artifacts, and a charming protagonist – that’s how the Tomb Raider series would be probably summarized best.
If you like Tomb Raider and already played all of them, yet your adventurer’s spirit thrives for more, check out some of the best games like Tomb Raider on the list down below and begin a new exciting journey.
Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
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Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection | 2022-10-19 | Adventure & Shooter | Iron Galaxy, Naughty Dog | |
I Am Alive | 2012-09-06 | Adventure | Darkworks | |
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Goty Edition | 2019-03-22 | Adventure | FromSoftware | |
Assassins Creed Odyssey | 2018-10-05 | Action | Ubisoft Québec | |
Bioshock Infinite | 2013-03-25 | RPG | Irrational Games | |
Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY | 2010-03-26 | Adventure | Rocksteady Studios | |
Far Cry 3 | 2012-11-28 | Adventure | Ubisoft Montreal | |
Enslaved Odyssey To The West Premium Edition | 2013-10-24 | Adventure | Ninja Theory | |
Just Cause 3 XXL Edition | 2018-10-24 | Action | Avalanche Studios | |
Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition | 2020-08-07 | Adventure | Guerrilla Games | |
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Goty Edition | 2019-03-22 | Adventure | FromSoftware | |
Ark Survival Evolved | 2015-06-02 | Adventure | Studio Wildcard | |
Prince Of Persia The Sands Of Time | 2003-12-02 | Adventure | Ubisoft Montreal | |
Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain | 2015-09-01 | Adventure | Kojima Productions |
Far Cry 3
Release year: | 2012 |
Genre: | First-person shooter |
Developer | Ubisoft Montreal |
Let’s start with Far Cry 3. Tropical jungle on a secluded and seemingly deserted island – checked. Wild and vicious animals waiting in the bushes for unaware adventurers like yourself – checked. Being put in the shoes of an ordinary man, not a hero destined to save the world, which encourages sneaking and staying low – checked.
Far Cry 3 truly delivers a unique experience that combines open area exploration with simple survival. Although no hunger or base-building mechanics are present, you still get that feeling of being entirely on your own against the island while trying to save your friends from a bunch of psychos. Extremely fun and addictive gameplay allows you to use a variety of modern weapons that can be mostly looted from bandits. It also features some role-playing elements, including skill trees and crafting, to make your difficult task slightly easier.
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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Release year: | 2016 |
Genre: | Action-adventure, third-person shooter, platformer |
Developer | Naughty Dog |
There are a lot of similarities between Uncharted and Tomb Raider series, making Uncharted 4 a perfect title to play if you are already familiar with miss Croft’s adventures.
Nathan Drake is a treasure hunter. Although he is an agile and athletic man, he’s no superhero so he has to resort to his wits once he meets armed enemies or stumbles upon another puzzle. It may sometimes prove to be difficult to make your way through the level, especially considering the fact that you will spend some time climbing and looking around for another conveniently placed ledge you can catch on to. It’s not always obvious where you should jump next, so don’t get mad when you accidentally fall and kill yourself – figuring it all out is part of the fun.
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Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Release year: | 2010 |
Genre: | Action-adventure |
Developer | Ninja Theory |
Nothing possibly shouts “adventure” more than a game set in a post-apocalyptic world torn by a conflict between men and machines, where you will be forced to obey orders of a scared girl, Trip, who has slyly put a slave headband on your head, so you basically have no other choice than to help her.
The game is played from a 3rd person perspective and it puts emphasis on combat and puzzle-solving. What makes the game unique is the fact that you can actually not only control your own character but also order your captor to use her skills as she runs around. Teamwork will sometimes be crucial to overcoming obstacles – for example, Trip can ride on your back or be thrown somewhere else in order to get access to new areas and clear the path for you.
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Just Cause 3
Release year: | 2015 |
Genre: | Action-adventure |
Developer | Avalanche Studios |
We’ve already had games, where you are not a hero, so let’s take a look at something from a completely different side of the spectrum. Something, where it’s not unusual to see your character gliding across the entire map in his suit or casually walking on top of a flying plane shooting rockets left and right and wreaking havoc upon his enemies.
Just Cause series was always known for not being too strict when it comes to realism, often favoring ridiculous but fun and dynamic gameplay over boring and slow sequences. The third entry in this action-packed franchise brings some important changes and improvements over its predecessors, such as more stable parachuting and being able to tether multiple objects with the grappling hook. The latter can also be used to grapple nearly any object present in the game.
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Horizon Zero Dawn
Release year: | 2017 |
Genre: | Action role-playing |
Developer | Guerilla Games |
Once a console-exclusive title, Horizon Zero Dawn entered the PC market in 2020, making it possible for us to enjoy this gem on our computers as well. Beautiful views, technologically advanced machines, and engaging combat that mainly focuses on the use of bow and spear – it’s all here.
The game tells the story of a huntress named Aloy as she explores a vast open-world inhabited by ancient robotic creatures – a remnant of the old civilization that at some point mysteriously vanished. As a part of a tribe society, Aloy is tasked with investigating why the usually peaceful mechanical creations are becoming corrupted and aggressive. Horizon Zero Dawn is an action role-playing game, so expect to see many RPG elements, with the most important being skill trees that allow you to strengthen your character by giving you access to more powerful and useful abilities as the game progresses.
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Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Release year: | 2009 |
Genre: | Action |
Developer | Artificial Mind and Movement, Amaze (PSP) |
Those who know Lara Croft, surely do know Indiana Jones. Both are archaeologists and both often find themselves in the middle of nowhere, solving difficult puzzles, exploring ancient ruins filled with dangerous traps, and risking their lives while hunting for valuable artifacts.
The game’s story revolves around the titular staff – it is said it’s the same staff Moses used to part the Red sea. Apparently, Nazis are also interested in retrieving the artifact, so the charming fedora-wearing adventurer has to step in and thwart their plans. Gameplay-wise Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings focuses on fighting the baddies and solving puzzles with occasional minigame sequences being thrown in, including flying a plane or riding a raging elephant.
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Sekiro : Shadows Die Twice
Release year: | 2019 |
Genre: | Action-adventure |
Developer | FromSoftware |
If you prefer games set in fictionalized visions of medieval Japan, then you may want to try Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While not exactly a title like Tomb Raider, it has a lot to offer to those who can overcome the steep learning curve and rather challenging difficulty level.
FromSoftware is well-known for developing games where it’s not unusual to repeat certain sequences over and over again due to their difficulty and nasty surprises waiting around every corner. Sekiro is no different but there is something addictive in this kind of gameplay. The moment you finally defeat a powerful boss who at first appeared to be nearly untouchable is extremely satisfying, especially considering the fact that it’s your own skill and reflexes that matter the most, not the equipment your character is wearing.
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Ark: Survival Evolved
Release year: | 2017 |
Genre: | Action-adventure, survival |
Developer | Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, Virtual Basement |
The adventure has many faces – how about living on an island inhabited by dinosaurs you can tame and ride? A fun mix of prehistoric wildlife with advanced technologies, and a subtle story you can try to piece together to find out what’s exactly going on.
Ark puts an emphasis on survival. You start naked on a seemingly abandoned island only to find gigantic creatures freely roaming the land shortly after. But there’s no time to think about how you got there and what’s that weird implant on your wrist – you are starving, thirsty, and the night’s coming. You must act quickly to satisfy some basic needs before you start exploring the area and begin looking for answers.
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The Last of Us
Release year: | 2013 |
Genre: | Action-adventure, survival horror |
Developer | Naughty Dog |
It would have seemed that zombie-oriented games are thing of the past, as the theme is often overused, leading to boredom but new titles set in post-apocalyptic plague-infected worlds are still popping up now and then. Although this one is not particularly new, it’s definitely worth mentioning, seeing as zombie games are still popular.
The Last of Us focuses on the adventures of Joel as he tries to help a girl named Ellie and get her to safety during the zombie apocalypse. Gameplay-wise you will spend most of the time sneaking past enemies but sometimes confrontation is unavoidable and then you have to use either firearms or melee weapons to defend your team of two. Ammunition is scarce, so caution is advised – a missed shot can often result in being forced to watch the death screen shortly after.
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I Am Alive
Release year: | 2012 |
Genre: | Action-adventure, survival |
Developer | Darkworks (2003–2008), Ubisoft Shanghai (2008–2012) |
The dark and brutal reality is what you will be facing here. After a series of catastrophic events, including earthquakes and floods that hit almost the entire United States, the society collapsed. As one of the survivors, you will have to deal with the new world order, where people desperately starve for resources and are willing to do whatever it takes in order to get them.
In terms of gameplay, the title focuses on climbing the ruins of a destroyed city. What sounds like a simple idea quickly becomes a test of reflexes and strategy skills, as climbing drains stamina forcing players to micromanage the use of character’s energy – failing to do so will result in falling down and most likely death. But height is not your only enemy so proceed with caution or you may end up with a knife stuck in your back.
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Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Release year: | 2003 |
Genre: | Action-adventure |
Developer | Ubisoft |
If one looks for something between Tomb Raider and Assassin’s Creed, this is probably the best title to choose from. Sure, it doesn’t have a female protagonist and no modern guns are present, but the thrill of adventure is real, and the Middle Eastern setting only makes things better and more unique.
Although being quite old, the game didn’t lose much of its value over the years. It’s a third-person platformer with a lot of climbing and parkour involved. Among the game’s iconic features it’s worth mentioning the possibility to manipulate time. For example, if you make a wrong move you have the opportunity to rewind time a few seconds back and correct your mistake. You can also stop the time completely for a short duration – this, for example, can freeze water in time, turning it into a solid object you can use to get to seemingly inaccessible parts of the level.
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Batman: Arkham Asylum
Release year: | 2009 |
Genre: | Action-adventure |
Developer | Rocksteady Studios |
Depending on what you loved the Tomb Raider series for, you might also be interested in checking out one of the Dark Knight’s adventures taking place in a high-security prison for mentally-ill evildoers – Arkham Asylum.
Batman was always known for his pacifist style of taking care of dangerous people and villains. For this reason, you are given many useful gadgets you can use to render opponents harmless, such as the iconic Batarang that can temporarily stun enemies. Combat is smooth and fluid, allowing you to quickly jump between foes, breaking their noses, and punching their guts in a countless number of one-versus-many encounters. Some simple RPG elements are also present, making it possible to strengthen your character over time.
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BioShock Infinite
Release year: | 2013 |
Genre: | First-person shooter |
Developer | Irrational Games |
Sometimes more casual and arcade-oriented gameplay is desired. In such a case, BioShock Infinite might be worth trying, as it’s exactly this but also throws a lot of additional fun factors into the mix.
The game revolves around the mysterious character of Elizabeth, a young woman who possesses a special ability to manipulate tears in the fabric of reality, allowing her to easily access countless alternate universes. For the majority of the game, she serves as your companion who can use her talents to aid you during battle. For example, she can reach into another reality to quickly bring you more ammo or create a cover for you to hide behind. Combat has arcade feeling and requires you to use both weapons and superpowers known as Vigors to succeed.
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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Release year: | 2018 |
Genre: | Action role-playing |
Developer | Ubisoft Quebec |
Assassin’s Creed is undoubtedly the most popular franchise that focuses on the long-lasting conflict between two very influential organizations – the Templar Order and Assassins. One of the latest entries in the series will take you back to ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War.
After a short tutorial sequence, you will be able to jump right into third-person action. The game comes with a huge open-world environment for you to explore, and there’s so much to see that discovering new places could be a game in itself. A smooth combat system mixed with parkour elements and an intriguing story will surely keep you busy and eat a big chunk of your free time. It’s worth noting that Odyssey puts more emphasis on role-playing elements than its predecessors. This includes the presence of branching quests and three separate skill trees, each fitting a different playstyle.
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Release year: | 2015 |
Genre: | Action-adventure, stealth |
Developer | Kojima Productions |
Last but definitely not least we’ve got a game that was always a solid choice when it comes to adventure titles. Solid, as in Metal Gear Solid. A perfect option for those who like a bit of sneaking and a bit of fast-paced action, all mixed together with a good dose of ridiculous humor.
MGS V: The Phantom Pain will take you eleven years prior to the events from the original Metal Gear. The game comes with various improvements over its predecessors, with the most important being the introduction of an open world you can freely roam on foot or using one of several available types of vehicles. When it comes to missions you can often choose your preferred approach – it’s up to you to either eliminate targets from a safe distance or get close and personal, though being silent and staying low in both cases is recommended and encouraged.
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The Tomb Raider series started back in 1996 and managed to get a cult following for its classic adventure-oriented gameplay and a charismatic character of Lara Croft. The franchise became so popular that it gave life to lots of merchandise gadgets and even became an inspiration for several spin-offs and movies. It’s also not uncommon to see references to the series in other games in form of numerous easter eggs.
Tomb Raider’s popularity has risen again in 2013 when a game called simply “Tomb Raider” was released. It was meant to serve as the series’ reboot, and developers took a very different approach when it comes to depicting miss Croft. Instead of showing her as an experienced adventurer like it was in previous games, they decided to travel back in time to when Lara was much younger and vulnerable but still determined and smart enough to be able to help her friends if a helping hand was needed. The game was such a success that it even got sequels later on, including Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2015.
Tomb Raider games are usually adventure-type with some combat and puzzle-solving involved. New games from the franchise are more focused on stealth, as young Lara is not as badass yet as she was in original games, forcing her to be more careful and use her wits instead of brute force. This means that if you’re looking for a game like Tomb Raider you need to ask yourself what you liked Tomb Raider for the most. Depending on your answers you might be interested in checking completely different console or PC games, such as Batman: Arkham Asylum, Ark: Survival Evolved, or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.