Tomb Raider
Definitive Edition
Lara Croft. The name is known to many a gamer……of a certain age range. She is an immortal symbol of gaming and is recognisable when next to other such prominent figures like Solid Snake, Mario, Sonic and Crash Bandicoot. So its no surprise that a remake and a retelling of her story would come around, as that seems to be a trend among developers at the moment.
So what is Tomb Raider and how is it different from its predecessors? Well having never played any of the original Tomb Raider games I can only tell you that it is incredibly different…….based on previous games and their settings. This is an origin story folks so settle down and listen to the story.
Redefining a series
Lara Croft a twenty one year old archaeologist travels to the coasts of Japan in search of the lost kingdom of Yamatia located in the dragons triangle. Only it doesn't go exactly as planned I mean when does anything, ever, go right in a video game. The ship that Lara is travelling on is suddenly hit by a storm and is torn in two this marks the beginning of a long road of survival for Lara and the crew of the Endurance, which by the way very subtle but good name for a crew of survivors on an island.
The s*** hits the fan early as Lara washes up on the island of Yamatia she is abducted and hung upside down in a sack next to corpses. I know right. Grim. The sequence that directly follows it is not for the squeamish as she has to set her self on fire to gain freedom and when she does, Lara is impaled on a piece of metal in her side. The sympathy pain is real I can tell you that. And thats just the beginning, injury follows injury as the game progresses.
So what do you do when your trapped on an island with no forceable way off it? What do you do when you find out that the islanders there aren't exactly into luau? What do you do when every big gun is pointed at you and you just used up the last of your clip? The answer is that you get tough and you get tough quick. Because thats what this Tomb raider is about. Its not about a bodacious super model archaeologist, its not about the perceived fantastical beings that lurk in the shadows, no this Tomb Raider is about an innocent young woman who is thrown into a harsh and unrelenting landscape that threatens her life at every corner. The landscape isn't just harsh either, this game is very…..physical it makes a point of you using almost all the tools you have at your disposal for instance, Lara manages to get hold of a climbing axe and uses it to traverse rock walls sometimes you are forced to jump towards these rock walls and you need to press a button in order to grab ahold of it and woe betide you if you mess it up as you watch Lara plummet to her death. The game makes a point of these moments being as nail biting as possible as you have no idea where the next curve ball will come from.
The setting of Tomb Raider is always dark and bleak, the sky of the game world is always overcast and even in those brief moments when it isn't there is still something to throw off the tranquility. Such as demonic alters with bodies strewn across them like rag dolls…..did I not mention that? The purpose of this Tomb Raider is to make a very grim point, the people and the island are all a little bit mad and as much as you would like to leave there are just too many people saying other wise.
Lara Croft Reborn
As I said before Lara Croft is an immortal figure in gaming as popular as her, arguably inspired, male counterpart Nathan Drake. She has always been presented as a confident and capable woman in previous games and that is what people think of when asked about her. However this is not the same Lara Croft no this is a Lara Croft for a generation of people who are unfamiliar with her plight, her business in Tomb Raiding.
Meet Lara Croft. Successful, bright, intelligent, has an eye for architecture and an ear for history, has braved the three peaks of England, She's english forgot to mention that, generally an alright gal. Lara is immediately thrown into a world that is unfamiliar to her a world in which she must survive by any means necessary, a world that has her struggle to get by.
If I had to say anything about Lara Croft as she is in this game then I would call her innately human. The way she is portrayed is human, her responses to situations, her uncertainties basically her personality is human. Which I think is an incredible step as most protagonists of games nowadays are buff guys who can shake off an arrow to the chest, its refreshing therefore to see someone react in a way that is plausible. Lara displays this humanity during the first couple of hours into the game by having to kill a deer for food and she is audibly upset by the process, when she is captured again by the enemy A.I. and is forced to then kill him she weeps after the ordeal as the shock of what happened sets in, this is what gives her character as at first she is shocked and worried about having to do these acts to survive Lara grows accustomed to it about mid way through the game, she realises that this is the reality she is faced with and that she must deal with it.
Obviously if someone were pushed through an ordeal such as this, no one would come out the same. The most interesting thing about Lara's overall evolution is that, at first, she is timid, innocent, relatively weak….in combat terms most fights are a struggle and her inexperience is shown frequently in some of the games cutscenes, Lara really has to try against foes……at first. As the game goes on and Lara starts making use of different weapons and failsafes, she becomes more hardened by combat and the once innocent young woman is changed into an efficient killer and I have to say from my point of view its actually quite frightening how she can just transition from blubbering after having to kill a man to doing it so effortlessly later on, hell at one point Lara starts to taunt her enemies saying that they can't kill her. The change isn't sudden but it is one of the finer points of detail in this new Lara.
Thats not to say that she is a psychopath though, its not like Lara enjoys the killing I think she just thinks of it as another part of survival, as an archaeologist she has an interest in history and any time a relic is found during the game she will showcase her knowledge by narrating where the object is from proving that she isn't just all bluff. As her character progresses we see that Lara is also an incredibly resilient person doing feats and stunts most other characters wouldn't be able to, I mean thats the point of the game obviously if you got stuck with all the boring parts it wouldn't be fun but its still interesting.
In all honesty I like this Lara Croft a lot, when compared to the original. Obviously I am a little biased as I've never shown interest in the series till now but even so she displays a new side of female protagonists and she makes an excellent case for more of them in the future. Lets remember guys, girls are just as capable of saving the world and rescuing the princess.
The Game itself
Tomb Raider itself is a game with very similar makeup to the Uncharted series, its easy to see where the influences came from, but don't get it twisted while there is a great amount of linearity to both games Tomb Raider allows for more searching, the game world is bigger and encourages back tracking as well as making use of all of your weapons and tools at your disposal. However it's fairly easy to get lost in the terrain of Tomb Raider as there is a lot of information at once, when using survival sense various objects of interest are highlighted as well as your current objective, this can make it difficult to navigate through areas with so much going on…not a humungous flaw but not something you always won't.
But where does Tomb Raider prize itself, well it does it quite frequently in the form of collectable items and tombs to well, raid. There is a great amount of things to do in Tomb Raider even if it is only back tracking there is a great sense of wonder to it, and working out some of the puzzles, though frustrating at times, are rewarding. Tomb Raider feels like an adventure game as well with each time you climb a stone wall and each time you over come a difficult obstacle, its inviting and fun to scale some of the heights of the game and to witness its bleak surroundings.
Which brings me to my next point. A constant feeling in Tomb Raider is the feeling of bleakness that the world has been drained of sympathy and colour it serves as a constant reminder of Lara's situation and while she may catch a break every now and then it is usually met with a catastrophic failure immediately afterwards. With other games the colours can be encouraging even optimistic and at the same time it makes the player feel better when playing through the game this isn't the case with Tomb Raider it is a grim reminder of the gruelling fate that Lara can expect and just when she can get her hopes up they are quickly dashed by any number of unforeseen circumstances.
Finally the combat of the game. Tomb Raider incorporates a cover mechanic like most modern shooters but it endeavours to create situations in which you are forced to move and change tactics and with so many weapons at your disposal there really isn't any excuse not to switch periodically. The most intriguing part of Tomb Raiders combat is that Lara starts off rather docile, having no real combat experience previously that changes over the course of the game and she gains more devastating and brutal movements, one of the stealths takedowns is literally her shoving a climbing axe into an enemies head for an impromptu lobotomy. It adds character depth to Lara's skill set as she becomes increasingly aware that she cannot avoid killing it also shows how desperate she is to revert to such underhanded techniques to get the edge on opposition. Overall the emphasis on using Lara's quick movements and cunning is one of the finer points of it all, I suppose adding more variety will come in later games. Something I will note however is that I had a hard time believing that the inhabitants of Yamatia couldn't kill a single untrained woman, of course I suspended disbelief for the purposes of the game but it seemed to me that they weren't in as much danger as a lot of the npc's made out.
The Closer
"A famous explorer once said, that the extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are. I'd finally set out to make my mark; to find adventure. But instead adventure found me. In our darkest moments, when life flashes before us, we find something; Something that keeps us going. Something that pushes us." - Lara Crofts Opening Lines
Tomb Raider is a colossal change from its predecessors, it is a unique change from previous games and it just feels like a good game. A recent theme with developers has been to reinvent certain series in an effort to bring them back to life and while I can say that certain series of games maybe don't need the vitality boost there are some that could use it. Tomb Raider is neither of the above, it didn't really need a reboot but for the purposes of getting younger generations interested in the series perhaps it was needed. From where I am sitting however I have to say that I throughly enjoyed Tomb Raider, this is one welcome reboot that shows the potential for the series to truly grow, to branch out.
Tomb Raider is a great game that stands apart from others of its genre it shows us the complexity of human life as well as a need to survive that borders on the primal. The game is captivating and not for the purposes of its graphics but simply for the struggle that the game presents as well as the various characters that endure the storm alongside Lara. If there is a better example of what a rebooted series should look like then I can think of no greater example than Tomb Raider.
It also makes me hopeful for Rise of the Tomb Raider. As this game had me transfixed if Square stick to their guns and use the same formula I am sure they will be onto a winner.
So what is Tomb Raider and how is it different from its predecessors? Well having never played any of the original Tomb Raider games I can only tell you that it is incredibly different…….based on previous games and their settings. This is an origin story folks so settle down and listen to the story.
Redefining a series
Lara Croft a twenty one year old archaeologist travels to the coasts of Japan in search of the lost kingdom of Yamatia located in the dragons triangle. Only it doesn't go exactly as planned I mean when does anything, ever, go right in a video game. The ship that Lara is travelling on is suddenly hit by a storm and is torn in two this marks the beginning of a long road of survival for Lara and the crew of the Endurance, which by the way very subtle but good name for a crew of survivors on an island.
The s*** hits the fan early as Lara washes up on the island of Yamatia she is abducted and hung upside down in a sack next to corpses. I know right. Grim. The sequence that directly follows it is not for the squeamish as she has to set her self on fire to gain freedom and when she does, Lara is impaled on a piece of metal in her side. The sympathy pain is real I can tell you that. And thats just the beginning, injury follows injury as the game progresses.
So what do you do when your trapped on an island with no forceable way off it? What do you do when you find out that the islanders there aren't exactly into luau? What do you do when every big gun is pointed at you and you just used up the last of your clip? The answer is that you get tough and you get tough quick. Because thats what this Tomb raider is about. Its not about a bodacious super model archaeologist, its not about the perceived fantastical beings that lurk in the shadows, no this Tomb Raider is about an innocent young woman who is thrown into a harsh and unrelenting landscape that threatens her life at every corner. The landscape isn't just harsh either, this game is very…..physical it makes a point of you using almost all the tools you have at your disposal for instance, Lara manages to get hold of a climbing axe and uses it to traverse rock walls sometimes you are forced to jump towards these rock walls and you need to press a button in order to grab ahold of it and woe betide you if you mess it up as you watch Lara plummet to her death. The game makes a point of these moments being as nail biting as possible as you have no idea where the next curve ball will come from.
The setting of Tomb Raider is always dark and bleak, the sky of the game world is always overcast and even in those brief moments when it isn't there is still something to throw off the tranquility. Such as demonic alters with bodies strewn across them like rag dolls…..did I not mention that? The purpose of this Tomb Raider is to make a very grim point, the people and the island are all a little bit mad and as much as you would like to leave there are just too many people saying other wise.
Lara Croft Reborn
As I said before Lara Croft is an immortal figure in gaming as popular as her, arguably inspired, male counterpart Nathan Drake. She has always been presented as a confident and capable woman in previous games and that is what people think of when asked about her. However this is not the same Lara Croft no this is a Lara Croft for a generation of people who are unfamiliar with her plight, her business in Tomb Raiding.
If I had to say anything about Lara Croft as she is in this game then I would call her innately human. The way she is portrayed is human, her responses to situations, her uncertainties basically her personality is human. Which I think is an incredible step as most protagonists of games nowadays are buff guys who can shake off an arrow to the chest, its refreshing therefore to see someone react in a way that is plausible. Lara displays this humanity during the first couple of hours into the game by having to kill a deer for food and she is audibly upset by the process, when she is captured again by the enemy A.I. and is forced to then kill him she weeps after the ordeal as the shock of what happened sets in, this is what gives her character as at first she is shocked and worried about having to do these acts to survive Lara grows accustomed to it about mid way through the game, she realises that this is the reality she is faced with and that she must deal with it.
Obviously if someone were pushed through an ordeal such as this, no one would come out the same. The most interesting thing about Lara's overall evolution is that, at first, she is timid, innocent, relatively weak….in combat terms most fights are a struggle and her inexperience is shown frequently in some of the games cutscenes, Lara really has to try against foes……at first. As the game goes on and Lara starts making use of different weapons and failsafes, she becomes more hardened by combat and the once innocent young woman is changed into an efficient killer and I have to say from my point of view its actually quite frightening how she can just transition from blubbering after having to kill a man to doing it so effortlessly later on, hell at one point Lara starts to taunt her enemies saying that they can't kill her. The change isn't sudden but it is one of the finer points of detail in this new Lara.
Thats not to say that she is a psychopath though, its not like Lara enjoys the killing I think she just thinks of it as another part of survival, as an archaeologist she has an interest in history and any time a relic is found during the game she will showcase her knowledge by narrating where the object is from proving that she isn't just all bluff. As her character progresses we see that Lara is also an incredibly resilient person doing feats and stunts most other characters wouldn't be able to, I mean thats the point of the game obviously if you got stuck with all the boring parts it wouldn't be fun but its still interesting.
In all honesty I like this Lara Croft a lot, when compared to the original. Obviously I am a little biased as I've never shown interest in the series till now but even so she displays a new side of female protagonists and she makes an excellent case for more of them in the future. Lets remember guys, girls are just as capable of saving the world and rescuing the princess.
The Game itself
Tomb Raider itself is a game with very similar makeup to the Uncharted series, its easy to see where the influences came from, but don't get it twisted while there is a great amount of linearity to both games Tomb Raider allows for more searching, the game world is bigger and encourages back tracking as well as making use of all of your weapons and tools at your disposal. However it's fairly easy to get lost in the terrain of Tomb Raider as there is a lot of information at once, when using survival sense various objects of interest are highlighted as well as your current objective, this can make it difficult to navigate through areas with so much going on…not a humungous flaw but not something you always won't.
But where does Tomb Raider prize itself, well it does it quite frequently in the form of collectable items and tombs to well, raid. There is a great amount of things to do in Tomb Raider even if it is only back tracking there is a great sense of wonder to it, and working out some of the puzzles, though frustrating at times, are rewarding. Tomb Raider feels like an adventure game as well with each time you climb a stone wall and each time you over come a difficult obstacle, its inviting and fun to scale some of the heights of the game and to witness its bleak surroundings.
Which brings me to my next point. A constant feeling in Tomb Raider is the feeling of bleakness that the world has been drained of sympathy and colour it serves as a constant reminder of Lara's situation and while she may catch a break every now and then it is usually met with a catastrophic failure immediately afterwards. With other games the colours can be encouraging even optimistic and at the same time it makes the player feel better when playing through the game this isn't the case with Tomb Raider it is a grim reminder of the gruelling fate that Lara can expect and just when she can get her hopes up they are quickly dashed by any number of unforeseen circumstances.
Finally the combat of the game. Tomb Raider incorporates a cover mechanic like most modern shooters but it endeavours to create situations in which you are forced to move and change tactics and with so many weapons at your disposal there really isn't any excuse not to switch periodically. The most intriguing part of Tomb Raiders combat is that Lara starts off rather docile, having no real combat experience previously that changes over the course of the game and she gains more devastating and brutal movements, one of the stealths takedowns is literally her shoving a climbing axe into an enemies head for an impromptu lobotomy. It adds character depth to Lara's skill set as she becomes increasingly aware that she cannot avoid killing it also shows how desperate she is to revert to such underhanded techniques to get the edge on opposition. Overall the emphasis on using Lara's quick movements and cunning is one of the finer points of it all, I suppose adding more variety will come in later games. Something I will note however is that I had a hard time believing that the inhabitants of Yamatia couldn't kill a single untrained woman, of course I suspended disbelief for the purposes of the game but it seemed to me that they weren't in as much danger as a lot of the npc's made out.
The Closer
"A famous explorer once said, that the extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are. I'd finally set out to make my mark; to find adventure. But instead adventure found me. In our darkest moments, when life flashes before us, we find something; Something that keeps us going. Something that pushes us." - Lara Crofts Opening Lines
Tomb Raider is a colossal change from its predecessors, it is a unique change from previous games and it just feels like a good game. A recent theme with developers has been to reinvent certain series in an effort to bring them back to life and while I can say that certain series of games maybe don't need the vitality boost there are some that could use it. Tomb Raider is neither of the above, it didn't really need a reboot but for the purposes of getting younger generations interested in the series perhaps it was needed. From where I am sitting however I have to say that I throughly enjoyed Tomb Raider, this is one welcome reboot that shows the potential for the series to truly grow, to branch out.
Tomb Raider is a great game that stands apart from others of its genre it shows us the complexity of human life as well as a need to survive that borders on the primal. The game is captivating and not for the purposes of its graphics but simply for the struggle that the game presents as well as the various characters that endure the storm alongside Lara. If there is a better example of what a rebooted series should look like then I can think of no greater example than Tomb Raider.
It also makes me hopeful for Rise of the Tomb Raider. As this game had me transfixed if Square stick to their guns and use the same formula I am sure they will be onto a winner.
