After a brutal storm destroys the boat she was traveling on, a frightened young woman is left washed ashore on an unknown beach. On her own but not alone she has only one goal, to survive. Here begins the first adventure for a young and inexperienced Lara Croft in a story which charts the journey of an ordinary woman who finds out just how far she must go in order to stay alive.
I bought my first PC in early 1998, a custom rig I had built for the sole purpose of becoming a PC gamer. The first game I played was Tomb Raider II. Ever since I’ve had a soft spot for the buxom adventurer who solved puzzles and amassed rare treasures while executing a variety of interesting, if not always physically possible, moves to explore her environment and stay alive. When the announcement came of a Tomb Raider reboot I was excited at the prospect, especially as the release date got closer and various game play trailers started surfacing. I particularly like this one because of its nod to gamers inhabiting the character they are directing through the game.
I am an avid gamer. But I’ve also become more frugal over the years, rarely buying a game when it is at its new $60 price. So when Xbox ran one of its promotions last week, with various one-day sales, Tomb Raider was offered for download at $19.99. I’ve been on the island with Lara Croft ever since.
The first thing to understand is that this is not the Tomb Raider of the past. In their desire to reboot the series for a new generation of gamers, Square Enix has penned the story of a younger, less confident Lara Croft in the early days of her archaeology career. Lara Croft and her crew are searching for the city of an ancient Queen, a descendent of whom is along for the adventure. When the ship she is on is destroyed in a freak storm, Lara and the crew are washed ashore on a mysterious island filled with dangerous, brutal people and Lara Croft is forced to become the adventurer, the survivor, that gamers (and movie-goers) are familiar with.
Gone is the ridiculously disproportionate body that made Lara Croft a pixelated sex symbol. In her place is an attractive, physically fit young woman whose journey is anything but sexy. “Brutal” and “gritty” are words I see used often in reviewing this game and both are more than adequate descriptions of the game, particularly early on when a series of partially-playable cut scenes create a highly cinematic opening to the game. In those cut scenes players are introduced to an island on which ritual sacrifice is taking place and where armed mercenaries seem hell-bent on killing first and asking questions later. Lara Croft goes through a series of rough, brutal and admittedly implausible (like most adventure movies) series of escapes and death-defying sequences that would leave a non-computer-generated person a vegetable, if not six feet under.
From there the game springboards into action as Lara Croft must save her friends and discover the secret that is creating a Bermuda Triangle style island where the weather destroys any craft attempting to leave.
The games graphics are outstanding. Although a few too many levels take place in the dark, there is little else to complain about in a game that utilized every ounce of the technology it was created to be played on. The cinematics are gorgeous and the motion-capture truly does make you feel as if you are watching a movie. The story may be standard adventure fare, but that doesn’t stop it from being fun and exciting, especially as you are able to put yourself into the adventure by controlling the protagonist. Actress Camilla Luddington provides voice work that is top notch. And the game play mechanics are enjoyable without being incredibly difficult.
Tomb Raider is less about raiding tombs and finding treasure, although the game winks and nods at the original games with artifacts that can be sought and found during the game but are not necessary in order to progress through the story line. This is more of a third-person stealth, fighting and environment-exploring game in which the protagonist grows in abilities as the story unfolds. Tomb Raider is not short on blood and gore, it is described as “brutal” for a reason. And while the game does not linger on these details, it is given a Mature rating for a reason.
Tomb Raider can be played through fairly quickly if a player chooses not to take on the various challenges and item-finding quests woven into the main storyline. Though it does take away from the idea that you are in a race against time to save your friends, just before the last sequence of the game you are warned that you are passing a “point of no return” and the game gives you the ability to “fast travel” back to various camps on the island to replenish supplies and do any tasks you left undone. This is necessary if you want to be a completist as there are certain areas early in the game that you are unable to access because you don’t have the weapons and/or upgrades necessary to, for example, blast your way through barricades or closed doors. I went back and used the provided maps to find all the items before finishing the game as I like to get the most out of a game and it was too fun to not do so. You can also return to these areas after you’ve finished the game, an option I didn’t discover until I myself finished it.
For me Tomb Raider is a game I will replay. The story and voice acting are interesting enough that I won’t feel like I’ve “been there, done that”, but it is the gameplay I will enjoy. I love games where I can fight with bow and arrow and this is one of the more fun aspects of Tomb Raider. You can earn ‘salvage’ points to spend on upgrades by not only finding various parts but also by hunting food (deer, rabbits, wild boar) in the game for food. Needless to say I did a lot of hunting (more fun with bows and arrows, kids!).
I would rate Tomb Raider a solid “A“. Fantastic graphics, accessible play for a wide variety of skill levels, and an engaging, cinematic story.
I’m not a gamer but this does sound like a fun one. I love the story. Knowing me I would get sucked into the fun and not get anything done at work or at home. Enjoy playing it again.
It was fun, if a bit too addicting. I lost a lot of sleep with this one.
I’ve been having the same experience, but with the novel In Cold Blood. I didn’t expect to like it, but it’s on 1001 list. I can’t put it down. And then when I do, I imagine the killers trying to break into my flat. I need a warm fuzzy book for my next reading pleasure.
I know the feeling…although I think I’ll be going down the murder route next. Need to get back to the latest Louise Penny book before her new one comes out next month.
I’m afraid I gave up at “partially playable cut scenes”, which is totally incomprehensible to me. What? But never mind, since I’ve never played a computer game. I’m glad you’re enjoying the game.
(nudge: any news for us on the artwork you got at SFAL?)
I finally got my second set of framed prints back so I can actually take pics of them. Now just need to get around to taking those pics and posting everything. Which means I need to stop wasting my time playing games!!! 😉
I had way too much fun with Tomb Raider earlier this year and I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it too!
The story may be, as you said, standard adventure fare, but I thought they’d handled it so well that it felt like something entirely fresh and new. ^_^ And… I’m not sure ‘fun’ is quite the word I’d use given how brutal the game is, but I’m not sure any game is going to come close to topping it for my favourite game of 2013 (and, since I’m replaying some of the games that got me into both gaming and storytelling in the first place, that’s a tough spot to get).
And I’d never seen that particular trailer before, so I wanted to thank you for including it. ^_^ Thank you.
What games are you replaying?
I hadn’t seen that trailer either until I was looking for the trailer I first saw but then this one seemed too cool to pass up. It is a neat idea.
I’m glad the price dropped so I could finally justify spending the money to play it. Had I not been already playing so many other games I probably would have purchased it during release week.
Currently? Mostly Monkey Island and Baldur’s Gate, on and off. I’m looking forward to 2014 which should see the release of several games I’m either highly curious about or anticipating.
It is! I think it’s a really effective idea too, certainly once you twig what it’s doing and/of when you’ve already played the game.
*nods* Glad the price drop gave you a chance to play it now! I don’t usually buy games during release week either, but Tomb Raider, for me, was definitely worth the price I paid. I really should replay it properly soon… (Too few hours in a day. T-T)
Monkey Island is so fun. I never played any of the Baldur’s Gate or Diablo games. My first foray into those type of games was with the first Dungeon Siege. I’d love to get a gaming PC again and go back and replay those. I’m also aching to replay all three Thief games. And No One Lives Forever..(and on and on).
I’m going to pick up Far Cry 3 as well now that it dropped to $19.99.
It iiiis. I grew up on the MI games, so they also hold a lot of nostalgia for me. Diablo never caught my interest much, I have to admit, though I loved the heck out of the Thief games. I really hope that the upcoming game will be of the same quality as Tomb Raider‘s reboot.
I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Me too!
Carl, I don’t play games but I’m the odd one out in the family in that respect so I probably know as much about these games as anybody! My husband bought this game and completed it in a stupid quick time because as you were saying he became rather obsessed with the missions! Skyrim, Oblivion, GTA, Assassins Creed, Farcry, Zelda – you name it – I’ve NEVER played it (well, except for Pokemon)! But I’ve certainly experienced it and that’s the thing with the games these days they’re much more a watchable experience with little movie clips, puzzles, missions! They do distract me from my books I must admit even though I’m not playing.
Lynn 😀
I love games where I can sneak around and sneaking up on bad guys in this one and (I’m embarrassed to type this) shooting them in the head with an arrow for a quick kill was just too much fun. I’m a very bad man.
We’ve been finally getting into playing table top games, ones that we saw on the Table Top show that Wil Wheaton hosts. They have featured several cooperative games, ones where all players are working together to beat, or be beaten by, the game. Forbidden Island is a favorite and does not take a lot of work to get up to speed on. We are hoping to soon play a more involved looking game based on the H.P. Lovecraft universe called Elder Sign.
another reason to consider the xbox gaming system. I like the premise of this one, and the redraw of Lara.
i enjoy your game review posts, btw.
I have enjoyed the Xbox. I need to try games on the Playstation 3. I have one we got used to use for a bluray player in the other room but have yet to give it a try for gaming.
And thanks!
I’ve never been a gamer. I bought a Sega Genesis & the X-men when it first came out and never made it off of the 2nd level. But, I do enjoy & am intrigued by the graphics and storylines behind a lot of games I see online like Halo, Dragonage, the Nathan Drake games and of course TombRaider. But as you mentioned…the EXPENSE of these games! Guaranteed to keep me out of the market knowing my own limitations when it comes to gameplaying. (Bejeweled Blitz is about all I can handle.) 😀
Glad you enjoyed it Carl! and maybe one of these days i’ll make another attempt at gameplay.
I didn’t play much on the Genesis besides the yearly versions of Madden. The 360 has been much more like PC gaming which is why it has appealed to me more and more over the years.
The Dragon Age games are great. Love ’em.
I just reviewed this game myself. I loved it. I mean wow! I got it from redbox so I didn’t want to keep it too long so I skipped some of the treasures and what not. But for $2 a day perfect!!
Angie
Angela’s Anxious Life
Cool, I’m going to check it out. This is a perfect Redbox rental, I agree. Hopefully as it gets even cheaper you’ll be able to pick up a copy one day and do all the extra stuff.
I played TOMB RAIDER 1 with my son way back in the early 1990s! Such fun! I’m sure this latest incarnation is much more sophisticated. The graphics look awesome! I love an entertaining computer game!
Funnily enough, the original Tomb Raider is one of the few I’ve never played.