Tomb Raider is a solid action-adventure platformer exploring how Lara evolved from a normal woman into the Action GirlAdventurer Archaeologist we know her as. It's the first time in the series that she has been developed as an actual person as opposed to a shallow Third Person Seductress, and it's evident in her interactions with Roth and Sam. However while these three characters are very well-developed, the rest of the cast unfortunately doesn't get as much fleshing out, especially Alex. The game probably could have benefited from an opportunity to explore Endurance before the wreck to interact with and get to know the remainder of Lara's companions before all hell breaks loose, even if at the expense of getting the player into the action sooner.
There's also a bit of Gameplay And Story Segregation that gets to be a bit egregious at times. A major turning point in her character is her first human kill, which is depicted as a horrible and traumatizing experience that brings her to tears, and subsequently she begins mowing the Mooks down by the hundreds without batting an eye. I think fewer, smaller, but far more difficult encounters that required Lara to rely more on her wits than raw firepower to survive would have fit the narrative much better. The survival aspects could also have been a bit more prominent. The game also largely turns away from the series' hallmark puzzle-solving for the most part, which could have worked very well into the theme of survival.
At times the plot feels like it's pulling the player along, rather than being driven by their actions, and the main story feels rather short (about 12 hours of play) but it does succeed admirably at investing the player in Lara's emotional struggle. She's put through hell, and with the voice acting provided by Camilla Luddington it's hard not to feel anything with every injury and Hope Spot that gets dashed. Still, a few more hours of play in the main plot could have gone to better establishing the supporting cast. Controls on the PC are pretty responsive though some are awkwardly placed, and combined with the save interface makes it very clear this is a port and was designed to be played on a console.
Still, it's a solid installment and I look forward to seeing where Lara's development will go now. Definitely worth picking this one up.
A Survivor Is Born
Tomb Raider is a solid action-adventure platformer exploring how Lara evolved from a normal woman into the Action Girl Adventurer Archaeologist we know her as. It's the first time in the series that she has been developed as an actual person as opposed to a shallow Third Person Seductress, and it's evident in her interactions with Roth and Sam. However while these three characters are very well-developed, the rest of the cast unfortunately doesn't get as much fleshing out, especially Alex. The game probably could have benefited from an opportunity to explore Endurance before the wreck to interact with and get to know the remainder of Lara's companions before all hell breaks loose, even if at the expense of getting the player into the action sooner.
There's also a bit of Gameplay And Story Segregation that gets to be a bit egregious at times. A major turning point in her character is her first human kill, which is depicted as a horrible and traumatizing experience that brings her to tears, and subsequently she begins mowing the Mooks down by the hundreds without batting an eye. I think fewer, smaller, but far more difficult encounters that required Lara to rely more on her wits than raw firepower to survive would have fit the narrative much better. The survival aspects could also have been a bit more prominent. The game also largely turns away from the series' hallmark puzzle-solving for the most part, which could have worked very well into the theme of survival.
At times the plot feels like it's pulling the player along, rather than being driven by their actions, and the main story feels rather short (about 12 hours of play) but it does succeed admirably at investing the player in Lara's emotional struggle. She's put through hell, and with the voice acting provided by Camilla Luddington it's hard not to feel anything with every injury and Hope Spot that gets dashed. Still, a few more hours of play in the main plot could have gone to better establishing the supporting cast. Controls on the PC are pretty responsive though some are awkwardly placed, and combined with the save interface makes it very clear this is a port and was designed to be played on a console.
Still, it's a solid installment and I look forward to seeing where Lara's development will go now. Definitely worth picking this one up.