Tomb Raider

Oh. My. God.

This game.........is..........amazing.

I've been saying that since I beat it. It was truly one of the greatest games I have ever played, and deserves, in my opinion, perfect 10s across the board.

But what makes this game stand out from the rest? Let's take a look.

First up, story. This game is another reboot of the "Tomb Raider" franchise, once again changing the back story of the main character, Lara Croft. But this time, you get to actually experience the journey that morphs Lara from the nerdy brains girl into the nerdy brains+hardened warrior that the rest of the series builds on. Lara is on an expedition to the Dragon's Triangle when a storm destroys the boat and she is stranded on an island with the rest of the crew. She must survive against rabid animals, insane and violent natives, and the supernatural. I won't spoil everything, but I will say that the game makes you care about every character (with the exception of Reyes) and you somewhat understand where the villains are coming from (doesn't make you feel sorry for killing them, thought).

Next, sound. The music sounds like it was scored by John Williams. Every song feels like danger and suspense, or survival and hope. Each song also fits the situation it's in. For example, Lara finds herself trapped in a burning palace, and has to escape. The music is fast paced, and speeds up whenever Lara encounters a savage. The sound effects also sound real, like the weapons firing, explosions, or structures falling.

Up next, graphics. This game looks completely realistic, and more importantly, Lara looks like a real person instead of her Barbie-doll figure. The fire looks like real fire, the rusted buildings look like real rusted buildings, the blood looks like real blood, and the list goes on and on.

Finally, game play. I haven't played "Uncharted", so I don't know too much about that game, but a lot of people I know have compared this to game to "Uncharted". However, since I haven't played "Uncharted" I will not be comparing to that game. But, regardless, the game play has a very cinematic feel to it. Almost no HUD icons appear, and when they do, it's something you need, like an ammo counter. The puzzles were fairly challenging to me, and I needed my brother's help to solve a few. Combat feels flawless, as the controls allow for smooth aiming and precision head shots. There were a few firefights that felt like they were never going to end, but they are far and few between. The controls respond 100% of the time, so if you die, it's your fault.

The only real cautionary thing about this game is the rating. This is the first "Tomb Raider" game rated M for Mature, and it deserves it. There is violent combat, as every single gunshot causes blood spray, and the Solarii (the natives) groan (sometimes scream) in pain as they die. Lara can die by implosion, gunfire, being crushed, falling, any real violent way to die is included in this game. Probably the most memorable moment of gore in this game is a little more than halfway through, where Lara knocks out two guards, takes her bow back (all her weapons were taken), and she jumps off the rock bridge into the chasm below. She lands in a river of blood, surrounded by skulls and and tied-up corpses. As someone who can handle "Left 4 Dead"-level gore, that caused me to jerk my head back in shock. I still remember that few minutes more than any other part of the game. If bloody violence bothers you or unsettles you, be wary when you pick this game up.

To sum it all up, the story is great, the sound is fitting, the graphics are realistic, and the game play is near perfect. Just make sure you can handle the gore. I need to have my mind wiped, just so I can play it again, and feel it again.

You're still here? Why? Go get it!

I started playing tomb raider this afternoon and boy was I surprised the gameplay is amazing the story line is great it just goes to show how far the tomb raider series has gone. this game shows how lara croft started her claim to fame throughout the years as a young girl thrusted into a hunt for all of her friends on an island with new puzzles and mysteries. in my mind the creators have gone really far with the game play and the high end graphics it has become one of the greatest achievements eidos has ever come up with and to have another talented British actress to play lara croft is another touch of class.

to summarize this game is great 10/10

Greetings from Lithuania.

Now i wasn't a fan of previous games, although i liked them, and beat couple of first ones on PS. But this game got me on hook from the first amazing trailer i saw. Gritty, realistic with some wonderful cinematic trick's - i was waiting for it. And it didn't disappointed me to say at least. What a fantastic game this is. I have walked about 30% or so but i can honestly say - this is an amazing and exciting gaming experience. Lara was never more sexy and vulnerable and interesting before. Evereyting works in this game. From awesome graphics to wonderful game play, from hidden tombs to gory and brutal fights - it's just awesome. Play this game, this is probably the best game you'l play this year, and if you do, this is going to be one exceptional year in VG world.

"Dark and gritty reboot" is a hot buzz term right now. When it works, you end up with something like Daniel Craig as James Bond or Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. When it doesn't, you get lackluster remakes of better classics. The new "Tomb Raider" is the video game equivalent of one of the former. This applies to more than just character and story. In the same way you think James Bond will never quip again at the start of "Casino Royale" or it takes Bruce Wayne an hour to dawn the batsuit in "Batman Begins", this reboot is almost unrecognizable as a Tomb Raider game at first, but eventually turns out to be exactly what the franchise needed to feel contemporary and relevant.

Reintroduced as human rather than iconic, clad in a practical pair of cargo pants instead of short shorts, Lara is a meek research assistant for a conceited reality TV archaeologist. Part of a crew including her mentor Captain Roth and her best friend Samantha, Lara barely gets up the nerve to offer her opinion on how to find a mythical island. Her advice leaves her team shipwrecked on the island they were searching for.

Tomb Raider games have usually consisted mainly of elaborate jumping puzzles and platforming sequences. While Lara's still able to jump and climb better than most to traverse the island, with platforming becoming more prevalent in the later stages of the game, gameplay places more emphasis on exploration and combat. While many will find parallels with the Uncharted games, which owe much of their inspiration to the Tomb Raider series, I found a lot in common with the Batman Arkham games. While not truly open world, with transitions between areas being accessed and blocked off through cut scenes, the island consists of several large hub areas, connected by fast travel camps that allow Lara to teleport from one campfire to another. While the plot itself is pretty linear, there are several side missions available in each area, including collecting relics (which Lara can examine L.A. Noire style) and GPS caches, hunting game for XP, and exploring various tombs. Some areas are blocked off while Lara collects and upgrades gear.

Lara's methods are far more lethal than Batman's. While the game has been advertised as turning Lara into a survivor, keeping her sheltered from the elements and hunting to keep from starving only play a role in the earliest missions. Soon, it turns from Lara surviving the elements to a more combat based type of survival. An army formed from other shipwreck victims controls the island. Lara starts with a torch and a bow and arrow, but can eventually collect and upgrade other weapons. Her arsenal's small but effective: one pistol, one shotgun, and one machine gun. While I never found much motivation to switch from the default weapon in previous games in the series, each of these has its advantages at different ranges, though the bow remains Lara's most reliable weapon, allowing Lara to pick off enemies with headshots, silently and from a distance. Lara also has access to a climbing axe, allowing her to pull off close-range stealth kills and melee attacks.

The most engaging part of this reboot is Lara Croft's character arc, taking Lara from trembling in terror and crying at each kill to the point she is hyper-confident and enemies are terrified of her. Reading about the transition from shipwreck victim to tomb raider is one thing. Experiencing it is another. This is partially thanks to a great voice acting/motion capture performance from Camilla Luddington (if you don't like her voice for Lara at first, wait until you hear her analysis of a tomb or an artifact), and partially to the gameplay itself. As more XP and salvage (in-game currency) is collected and Lara's skills and equipment are upgraded, the player feels more confident navigating the environment and battling heavily-armed foes. While failure can result in some pretty brutal death scenes for Lara, she can gain the ability to pull off some satisfyingly brutal finishes herself. Supporting characters are also well done, with back stories and motivations explored through both cut scenes and documents scattered throughout the island, rather than caricatures or plot devices as in previous games.

The highlights of the game, for me, were the optional side quests in which Lara gets to actually do some tomb raiding. The player makes their way to the center of a tomb, solves a puzzle, collects the treasure, and gets out. These are the moments that feel the most like classic Tomb Raider games.

With heavier emphasis placed on combat than platforming, the multiplayer component seems more appropriate now. Players chose an avatar for each faction, Lara's friends and the island's crueler inhabitants, and alternate sides between rounds of shooting. Refreshingly, players can do almost anything they can in single player in multiplayer, include climbing and jumping across the maps, detonating explosives, avoiding traps, and making stealth kills with the climbing axe. While not as good as many other multiplayer modes out there, it's a decent chunk of extra content.

With excellent graphics and some great set pieces that feel lifted right out of a modern action movie, complete with explosions and flying debris, this reboot is a totally new Tomb Raider with a great new direction for the series. I can't recommend it enough. Long time Lara Croft fans will find new things to love about the character, and newcomers have a perfect jumping-on point here.

Pros:

• Lara Croft is a great protagonist
• Origin story is handled and told very well
• Diverse gameplay
• Cool cinematic action set pieces
• Great graphics, voice acting, and animation
• Good variety of weapons
• Great puzzles

Cons:

• Gameplay can be abit clunky
• Underdeveloped side characters
• Forgettable main villian

Verdict: A solid alternative to the Uncharted games, Tomb Raider is a good adventure game that sets a great origin story for Lara Croft.

8/10