The Tomb Raider series has been around for over two decades. There have been numerous changes in design and style over the years, some for the better while others gamers could do without. However, Lara Croft’s story could only go on for so long, thus came the ultimately wise move of rebooting the series. From the sleek, sultry Lara who always held assurance of herself to an uncertain, inexperienced young woman new to the dangers of an unknown world. Tomb Raider offers some wonderful breathing room for players to settle in and familiarize themselves with this new Lara Croft. The game itself serves a magnificently made environment for you to fall into and find your way back up. It sets the protagonist in a journey where she needs to tap into her darker side – although her personality frequently counters this urge – and frequent losses are a certainty, Lara is left bloody, battered and thoroughly beaten – a remarkable transition from her gentler self – yet the development of her character is a treat to watch. There is a whole lot to do in the island where you are left marooned, and with such diverse, intense action coming your way from every turn taken, it is a joy to play.
The story focuses on a shipwreck with the inhabitants of said ship stranded on an island. The intended expedition was led by Lara Croft, who now feels burdened by the responsibility of the wellbeing of her crew. However, much more sinister happenings are afoot and it is revealed that the shipwreck was no accident and the island is inhabited by savages. The pacing of the story is well done with the game play, you won’t feel it dragging for too long and before you might end up feeling that way, the climax presents itself. What isn’t all that impressive is the final twist which, if you’ve watched more than five movies in your life, is seen a mile away from the start. Still, that doesn’t necessarily deter the overall story line enjoyment, but is something that could’ve been handled better.
Tomb Raider is character driven, hence, the focus on firmly on Lara alone. The rest of the cast all have singular characteristics in that the skeptic is always the skeptic the kind one remains that way and the damsel in distress is never in safe conditions. Lara, meanwhile, offers superb depth. Although it’s in no way believable that such a petite young woman can take on hand to hand enormous men in droves, it is exceptionally empowering to see her do so. Regardless of one’s stand on feminism, it’s hard not to root for her when the odds are stacked against her to such lengths. The gritty conditions she finds herself in are such that you can’t help but feel for her, with such guilt riding on her and having to make decisions she’s not comfortable with, Lara is a greatly layered character.
There will undoubtedly comparisons made to the Uncharted series seeing that both these games are of the same mould. But that’s where the beauty in Tomb Raider lies, it doesn’t play like Uncharted. Tomb Raider is comfortable in leaving you to fend for yourself in grittier environments and tougher combat situations. Even the platforming has a different feel to it. There are a host of weapons available, each can be upgraded – although it doesn’t make much of a difference to their performance – but every weapon is intended to be utilized at the appropriate scenario. Such as the shotgun which should ideally be employed when you decide to go on a no holds barred assault and shoot point blank, or the longer range weapons which fire at a satisfyingly fast rate apt for distance combat, Lara’s bow is a very interesting weapon as it is also needed for grappling. The bow can also be ignited and the arrows shot for deadlier execution, there a number of creative ways one can employ in their playthrough. Numerous puzzles are also in your way, the game’s pacing is perfectly controlled as these appear only when you’ve had your fill of the combat sequences.
Although the puzzles aren’t overly intellectual, they are never easy either which means you’ll have to put your thinking cap on as well as be prepared for some more platforming as Lara is generally required to do a lot of jumping around in these moments. Level design is a joy, the faster and more exhilarating sequences more often than not consist of Lara tumbling through destruction, here you’ll need to be extra vigilant, Lara is prone to gruesome deaths. These fast paced moments never get tiresome either and highlight the brilliant scale of the game. The believability of the scenario will no doubt be questioned several times by the player, as Lara is much smaller compared to the foes she defeats, these are in droves and when you’ve dispatched them in hand to hand combat it does feel rather a long stretch. Also the presence of what seem to be about tens of thousands of skeletons and cadavers soon a stranded island is stretching the imagination a bit too far wide.
However, this can be forgiven as the tone of the game play quickly shifts from action adventure to survival horror and you’ll be too busy being engrossed in this to dwell too much over the flaws. During the quieter, more tension filled moments of the game will you truly appreciate the magnitude of the situation and just how miniscule Lara is compared to the adversity she faces. There will be more than one terrifying situation for you to deal with and the game ensures you are only equipped by your grit and determination in these times rather than your weapons. There are still many tombs to explore, these sometimes divert you away from the main focus and could prove to be slightly annoying when an obvious answer is hindered by a not so obvious route or lever to pull. Yet, the satisfaction at solving the puzzles and raiding the tombs is something to cherish.
Voice acting is perfect as far as Lara is concerned. The problem is that the rest of the characters were clearly left as a second thought in favour of the protagonists meaning their roles aren’t really interesting. Camilla Luddingtion is a superb Lara Croft and it is even more impressive for those who are familiar of her work from Grey’s Anatomy. The other voice actors could have been better, perhaps it was the lack of depth in their characters or otherwise, regardless they aren’t very standout. Graphics aren’t the best either, while the in game environments are bolstered by the pacing of the game, graphics don’t contribute much to the experience. Again, Lara is the only character whose model seems impressive, her appearance is drastically shifted as the toll of her toils begin to manifest, on the other end are the supporting characters who look just about the same from start to finish.
Tomb Raider is an absolutely refreshing game, offering an alternative to the Uncharted fans and having the chops to pull off being a worthy game in its own right. It delivers an original style of game play and with its sharp change in tone keeps the player interested in the journey of Lara Croft.