Falling in love with Lara, All over again !!!
First of all, let me start by saying this was not my first Lara croft game so I was wondering how this new direction of Ms. croft would turn out. I mean I thought a young, vulnerable Lara is not exactly the type of heroine I would like (as opposed to the gun-toting bad-ass that previous tomb raider games have portrayed her). However, once you get past the first 40-50 mins of QTEs you will find yourself so immersed in the story that you will really start to feel for this slender young 21 year old student who is forced to fight or die.
Now the story is all about Lara's survival and how she deals with the challenges (both in terms of taking out bad guys and the toll she takes mentally). Yes, this is perhaps the most interesting aspect of this game for me personally anyways, you somehow feel a sense of sympathy whenever she's been thrown down a cliffside, drops into a cavern full of rotting dead bodies or does a Rambo(you'll know what I mean once you play it) or being tossed around in general. And, boy does she endure some punishment ( I literally let go of the mouse at some points). The character development of Lara from vulnerable young woman to tough-as-nails heroine is as emotional as is exhilarating but the same cannot be said for the supporting cast. I mean, yes they do have some sort of character arc and significance but they are nowhere as well developed as Lara and frankly that is to be expected given that this is Lara's origin story. But a little for development for the other characters would have been appreciated.
The gameplay is top-notch and one of the most fluid I have played in recent times. there are QTEs, quite a few actually, but it is masterfully done to implement the flow of the story and frankly they are not much of a hindrance. Shooting mechanics are top notch and smooth. One of the very first weapons you get to use is the bow which can be upgraded as can other weapons(including your pistols,smgs, rifles, shotguns and the like) via these smartly implemented camp sites, which are essentially save points.The one thing that is underdeveloped is hunting and scavenging, you do get to hunt for meat in the beginning but that's about it. I think, that they should have done away with the regenerative health feature and instead in order to get the health up she has to hunt or forage in the gorgeous environments. Old tomb raider lovers though, need not be disappointed, there are plenty of tombs to explore and though these explorations are not part of actual story missions, they are quite challenging and rewarding nonetheless. Previous Tomb Raider games have had their issues with camera angles, but thankfully this one has no such issues. Rather, they provide some breath-taking views of the environment.
And, trust me visually this game is stunning, From the dense jungles to snow capped mountains to plane wreckages, every thing looks very polished and well done. Character animations are extremely well crafted and Lara especially looks very beautiful. In fact this is one of the key reasons why you may get emotionally attached to the character, there is something about seeing a young woman in distress that really makes you go soft inside and is a welcome change from having to play with tough ballsy military characters with a devil may care attitude.
And, yes this game does borrow from other action rpgs/ shooters out there but it is this game's rather its heroine's ability to pull you in with her defiance in the face of odds and showing her vulnerable side that really sets this game apart from its predecessors.
P.S: I recommend playing this game on the PC because it looks that good, however Nvidia users(being one myself) have some crashes related to our drivers, which will be fixed soon.