Crystal Dynamics have come up with yet another prequel game, but this time they are going back way far. Back to where Lara Croft was born as an explorer, an adventurer but most importantly, a survivor.
The life-changing experience takes place on an island in the “dragons triangle“ which is geographically south of Tokyo, Japan, and is declared to be officially a danger zone for voyagers across it. But that doesn’t keep our ambitious protagonist from sailing right into it in search of the Sun God, or Yamatai, whose existence is (was) still in doubt.
The ship doesn’t make it, and the 6 survivors become stranded on the island without any idea of the dangers it holds in store for them.
The story is carefully and wonderfully written, with the right amount of mystery and adventure required for a good Tomb Raider game to up its standards. And with plenty of back-story to catch up on, you’ll soon want to know more about the island itself, and not just what happens to the main story.
The main story, to speak, will very much engross you to play through what appears to be the longest campaign in the series, and a very good length of a single—player story. For all the veteran Croft fanatics the ending might come as predictable but for all enthusiastic general players it is a surprisingly different kind of a climax. What helps the experience to grow on you are the stunning visuals and the terrific voice acting which makes all the characters, shady or otherwise, come to life. In addition, the gameplay has been totally reconstructed to incorporate the right balance to tough shooting-type combat and platforming. In fact, the combat feels so good on this game that the previous titles will be surely pushed to the back of your memory for a while. The excellent cover system and weapon upgrade schemes have supplemented the often-spectacular escape sequences which add to the existing arsenal of climbing, swinging and grappling mechanics of the series.
Without revealing too much of the progress of the game, it can be safely said that watching Lara grow up from an ambitious explorer to a hardened survivor is a delight. Its not just her clothes which show the effects of the ride, but the look in her eyes change with time as we see the reflection of a lady fully capable of looking after not just herself, but also those who are near and dear to her, and her iron-willed determination helps her through the tough situations she finds herself in time after time.
This game is essential for all those who have stuck by Lara through the good times and the bad, but also welcomes any gamer looking for a game with a good story, great mechanics, impressive visuals and sound, and certainly the capability to leave behind a lasting impression on those who are accustomed to masculinity-dominated action in games.