Surely it is a return to roots but still lacks something.
First of all it is really obvious from the first seconds of the game that it was designed to give you the same feelings as the first game did. More exploration, less fighting, more puzzle solving, less cut-scenes. Epic environments, great scale and lush graphics. Lara is beautiful as ever and now that an amateur athlete has modeled for mo-cap sequences the animation is the best I've seen in the series. There are very few cut-scenes which in a way is good, doesn't take away that action element. The puzzles are enormous, some of which will take approximately 2 hours to complete. The game certainly aims for an epic scale about everything including graphics and puzzles. But still something is missing. Whether it is the feeling of loneliness or that epic scale that the developers went for. You can't help but feel that the game is somewhat empty. It is just you, a few enemies (animals from the wilderness or humans) and huge puzzles. And of course there is that big issue about the camera angles. This has been mentioned on other reviews and I thought them to be a little harsh, but as you go along you feel that the camera angles would be better with a little bit more work. Sometimes it gets to the point that you can't see yourself or see the path you are supposed to follow.
But for all the effort, quality of graphics and the intention of making this game like the original has resulted in a enjoyable game that brings back good memories. It is not a must buy but if you are a fan and you want to explore huge environments you could give it a chance.