The series received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Metacritic, which uses a
weighted average, assigned the first season a score of 65 out of 100, based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Ryan McCaffrey of
IGN criticized the series not being compelling, having "generic and minimalist" animation, and lacking humor, asserted that villain Charles Devereaux engaged in villainy in "comic-book-esque levels of camp," and said that he would not be tuning into a season 2. In contrast, Kayleigh Dray of
The Guardian described Lara Croft "performing seemingly impossible feats in the name of archaeology" from the beginning of the series, saying her character was re-imagined in a more
feminist way as compared to her original debut, retained the appeal of previous iterations, and Lara was, in her view, "the undisputed custodian of her own complicated life at long last." Sam Stone of
Den of Geek said the series provides a "natural evolution for Lara and her journey" while avoiding having its story rooted to the game's events, while remaining thrilling, and having Lara's character as "more confident, self-aware, and fun-loving." Katie Doll of
CBR said that the series fills in "missing gaps of Lara's life that weren't previously explored" and argues that Devereaux's character mirrors Lara while the series explores who Lara is as a person beyond a tomb raider, including her
trauma, and praised Atwell's voice acting for Lara and the fluid animation in the series. Nate Richard of
Collider praised Lara's character development during the series, but said the series takes a while to get going, praised the voice acting of Atwell,
Richard Armitage (as Devereaux) and noted that the relationship between Lara and Camilla Roth is a big highlight, hinting at possible romance between them, and hoped that Camille's character appears in future installments. Rendy Jones of
Rogerebert.com said the animated series is the best adaptation of Lara's character, noted the "sharply-angled character designs" and said that animators preserved the "action-adventure elements from the source material" and noted that many scenes and locations flow with "artistic exhilaration," and praised the voice performance of Atwell, arguing it is enhanced by "bold imagery more akin to a psychological thriller." Lyvie Scott of
Inverse said the series feels like the "most accurate on-screen portrayal" of Lara and her world and called it a "compelling watch" for long-time and new fans alike. Manuel Betancourt of
The A.V. Club called the series enjoyable because it sticks with the basics of a Tomb Raider tale, while anchoring Lara's emotional journey in her grief following Roth's death, along with entertaining sequences, allowing her to "showcase her wit, knowledge, and many badass moves." Lauren Rouse of
Game Rant said the series provides a new look at Lara's story, including her vulnerabilities, praises Atwell's voice acting, calls Devereaux an "excellent foil to Lara's character," and lauds the animation style which harkens back to "classic cartoons" in some ways. In another review, Rouse said that the series is "depicted in an anime style" and compared it to other video game adaptations which have been animated, such as
Castlevania,
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, ''
Dota: Dragon's Blood, Arcane: League of Legends, and Dragon Age: Absolution''. Other reviewers gave a mixed reception. Willa Rowe of
Kotaku criticized the pacing, plot, and characters, like Devereaux, but praised the performance of Lara Croft as "stunning" and calling her the "saving grace" of the series, and compared the series negatively to
Castlevania, and hoped the second season would be better. This contrasted with Marcelo Leite of
Screen Rant who praised the animation as echoing the
Tomb Raider games, and captures what gameplay is like. Matt Patches of
Polygon noted that the series reframed "Conrad Roth's legacy in dramatic fashion," called the scene between Camilla Roth and Lara Croft to possibly be "the steamiest scene in all of Tomb Raider" and asserted that the relationship between both characters either has the vibes of Korrasami (
Korra and
Asami Sato from
The Legend of Korra) or a "deep friendship." Stanley Hanley, in an article for
TheGamer, asserted that the franchise should "stop" trying to create
Tomb Raider lore, and stated that Lara's theft of a cursed artifact "sort of delivers consequences to her actions" but criticized it for feeling like viewers should be "sad because she stole something." This differed from Renaldo Matadeen of
CBR who noted that the
Tomb Raider franchise "didn't acknowledge the damaging nature of
European colonialism," argued that the series begins with Lara Croft giving a "white plunder vibe," but ultimately wants to hold "herself accountable in a way that shows growth," differing from
Indiana Jones,
The Goonies, and
National Treasure, even not wanting the relics in her mansion, and saying that the second season it set up for Lara to "explore more cultures," broadening her worldview. However, he notes that although Lara stops her father's relics from being auctioned, she gives them to a museum, even though museums also "contribute to the theft of indigenous artifacts" and points to a scene in
Black Panther, but praised the series for having Lara's character self-reflect and challenge "her reasons for treasure hunting." ==Notes==