The action-platformer landscape is one that Tomb Raider can be credited with making popular. As the series was released about a quarter of a century ago, numerous titles have followed the format this franchise has set. 2013’s Tomb Raider reboot changed things up, and remains in line with modern games in the genre.
Since there are a finite amount of games in this series, fans have taken to pursuing other titles with a similar feel and style. There are more than enough options in this regard, as many quality entries are available that deliver the same kind of entertainment that Tomb Raider provides.
Updated September 26th, 2020 by Zach Gass: Lara Croft and her adventurous escapades have grabbed thrill-seeking gamers for years. With a decorated series for the original Playstation and a highly successful 2013 remake that reinvented the series into an action-packed expedition, it’s plain to see that gaming’s favorite treasure-hunter isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But supposing players have beaten her challenges and wish to pursue other adventures? They certainly don’t need Miss Croft to have a good time. There are plenty of games that have learned from her exciting exploits.
Updated November 22nd, 2021 By Ben Jessey: The original Tomb Raider titles helped create a new wave of action-adventure games that included plenty of climbing and free-running. As a result, the series isn’t as original as it used to be, as there are many games out there that resemble Lara Croft’s adventures.
Of course, they’ll always be something that makes Tomb Raider unique, but finding similar games is a lot easier now than it was in the ’90s. While we’d already covered 15 TR-esque games, we thought you deserved some extra choices. So, here are the new additions alongside the others.
18 Last Of Us (2013)
Uncharted is understandably the Naughty Dog series that gets compared with Tomb Raider the most. However, there are several similarities between The Last Of Us and Lara Croft’s most recent adventures.
For instance, both are third-person action adventures titles that encourage you to be stealthy, there’s plenty of hard-to-watch gory moments, and each game includes a deep narrative. So, The Last Of Us is worth playing if you’re a fan of the newer Tomb Raider instalments.
17 A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019)
Set in a slightly fictional version of the 1300s, A Plague Tale: Innocence is about two young siblings that are trying to survive against French Inquisition soldiers and plague-carrying rats. The two protagonists differ from Lara as they’re a lot more vulnerable.
Yet, while Amicia de Rune doesn’t have the brawn of the explorer, she’s equally resourceful. Throughout the game, she constantly needs to use stealth and solve puzzles to advance, like Croft has had to do on many occasions.
16 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019)
Star Wars and Tomb Raider sound like polar opposites. However, Jedi: Fallen Order has a more grounded feel to it than many of the SW movies. And the protagonist Cal is a kind-hearted and adventurous person, just like Lara.
His journey in Fallen Order isn’t too dissimilar to the one Croft goes on in the 2013 game, either. He, too, faces insurmountable odds and ends up becoming a lot more capable than even he thought was possible. There are even some gameplay similarities as Cal has to solve many puzzles and do plenty of climbing around.
15 Lara Croft And The Temple of Osiris (2014)
Although her name is indeed in the title, this is a far more fantastical adventure than her usual outings. In this isometric sequel to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Lara teams up with members of the Egyptian pantheon to try and stop Set, the god of chaos, from raising an evil army and taking over the world.
It’s a different take on the familiar character and formula, but has just enough weapons and treasures to maintain that classic Croft experience. And it matches the quality of the best Tomb Raiders, too.
14 Darksiders (2010)
Speaking of fantastical titles, fans of the explorative series might want to turn their attention towards Darksiders.
True, the first two titles in this dark fantasy saga might take more from the Legend of Zelda series, but to say there wasn’t some note of Tomb Raider in some of the environments, transversal, and puzzles would be completely untrue. War might be a bit more armed than Lara Croft, but she could handle his terrain on any given day.
13 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Tomb Raider might not be the first game that comes to mind when thinking of Zelda-esque titles. But the biggest and arguably most beloved entry in this classic series will make any fan of exploration titles feel right at home, especially in the legions of dungeons the game encourages to explore.
Some of the game’s mazes and puzzles feel like something straight out of a Tomb Raider title, especially if they have Link traversing over large obstacles. While it might lack the gunplay and action-movie notes, gamers are denying themselves joy in not picking up this adventure.
12 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood earns an honorable mention, mainly due to the exploration sequences as Desmond Miles instead of Ezio. Granted, it feels like the basic platforming and puzzle elements of a Tomb Raider game, but there’s no denying that a certain familiar feeling is present.
It’s also worth mentioning that the exploration quests for the Brutus armor feel like something straight from one of the original titles.
11 Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017)
How many AC titles have a specific mechanic in the game where one literally has to raid a tomb? A bit on the nose, but not an unwanted or unloved title. In fact, there couldn’t be a better place for a Tomb Raider or AC title than Egypt.
Armed with a torch and a sense of adventure, players will have their adventurous side more than satisfied as they slink through ancient pyramids and creepy crypts in this expansive adventure.
10 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007)
There have been many comparisons made between Tomb Raider and Uncharted. The first entry in the Naughty Dog franchise is the best one for Tomb Raider fans, as it contains a jungle setting with puzzles spread out and a fast-paced style of action.
There’s also the mythological aspect that Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune brings, which is done without making too big of a deal of it. Along with that, Nathan’s imminently likable persona is what makes this game so engaging.
9 Enslaved: Odyssey To The West (2010)
This one has a unique backdrop of the future, where the world is almost without any more humans. The gameplay focuses heavily on platforming, and it steers toward the action-adventure aspect of things.
Like Tomb Raider, puzzles can be found at any point within the game, with players having the chance to stop from the main story and engage in further puzzle-solving. The platforming sequences make use of the natural setting, as the playable character climbs and swings around ruins.
8 Prince Of Persia (2008)
Prince Of Persia deserves more praise than it gets, and the 2008 instalment is one of the best in the series. Plus, it’s the one that hits closest to the mark of a third-person action-platformer. The open world is what makes this game so interesting, as exploration is seen in a new light with the Prince traversing environments to find new items.
The enemies are mythological creatures, fighting whom requires the player to do some creative bits of acrobatics. The puzzles are far more detailed than most other games here, mainly due to the open world allowing gamers to take their time.
7 Far Cry 3 (2012)
Sure, this is a first-person shooter as opposed to a third-person action-platformer that Tomb Raider is, but what fans will find relatable is the backdrop of Far Cry 3. Like it was in the case of the rebooted Tomb Raider games, here, too, the player has to go through tribes and dangers on an island.
It’s also more than just a mindless shooter, as the game has RPG elements, skill trees, and stresses upon the exploration part. Far Cry 3 is basically what a third-person adventure game would be if the option of first-person was available.
6 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Fans of the new Tomb Raider games have lauded the use of stealth as opposed to shooting around. These people will enjoy Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain due to it also encouraging players to do some thinking.
Here, gameplay focuses on journeying into the open-world environment with tactics in mind. However, there’s a bunch of action available as well, with the option to use horses or jeeps and tanks while scoping the enemies out. What it lacks in platforming the game makes up on boss fights, who have supernatural qualities.
5 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018)
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to have Tomb Raider in the past then perhaps Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the closest likeness. With legendary creatures to be fought, crypts to be explored, and a whole lot of climbing to do, this game is the most expansive action-adventure game.
The open-world never gets boring either, as Odyssey has a vast environment to explore, using horseback or the sea for the player’s journeys. As is the case in Tomb Raider, gamers have to regularly update their arsenal of weapons in order to beat progressively difficult enemies.
4 Just Cause 3 (2015)
It’s not often a game hands out such a big environment with the main purpose of exploration, making Just Cause 3 a worthy exception. It even has dozens of tombs to locate and uncover, something that happens through the use of platforming.
The focus here is on the manner of how a person chooses to scale buildings and mountains, and a whole lot of materials are left to discover to appeal to the player’s adventurous side. Combat has a heavy emphasis on ballistics over stealth, although like most third-person features it’s up to the player to determine their style of play.
3 InFamous 2 (2011)
While InFamous 2 is far from perfect, it’s still a highly effective superhero entry in the third-person adventure game landscape. There are two ways the campaign can go, as it’s up to the player to choose if they want to be evil or be on the side of the good guys.
The combat is chaotic, along the lines of the rebooted Tomb Raider series, in that the protagonist is bombarded with attacks that they need to avoid or respond in an explosive style of their own. There’s not as much exploration to do here, although the platforming is certainly something different due to powers the protagonist possesses.
2 Batman: Arkham City (2011)
Perhaps the most immersive superhero video game made, the reason why Batman: Arkham City is lauded so much is due to it playing out in the same quality as the best action-adventure games out there. The map isn’t the largest, but the depth in exploration and side missions is hard to argue against.
The game interjects the platforming aspect through the use of Batman’s superhero abilities, such as the grappler or his agility. There’s also the presence of a superb storyline that pulls gamers in right from the start due to the mystery that begs to be solved.
1 Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
This title feels like a cross between Tomb Raider and Assassin’s Creed, with a plot that has to be one of the most thrilling ones in video game media. Horizon Zero Dawn sets players up in the wilderness, set in the future, and it feels as if the whole world is for the taking.
The game reinvents itself constantly during the campaign because of the contrasts in the locations the protagonist visits. Every area brings with it new challenges to uncover and overcome, all the while keeping the thrilling theme of the game intact by throwing in enemies and fast-paced platforming sequences.
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