Tomb Raider (Video Game)
reviews/tomb-raiders.jpg
Developed by Crystal Dynamics
Published by Square Enix
Platforms: PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 (reviewed)
Tomb Raider takes us all the way back to the origins of Lara Croft’s adventure and how she became the tomb raider that she is today. The story starts with Lara getting on the ship Endurance with her fellow peers and starts our journey. Before we know it, the ship is caught up in a dangerous storm, and Lara and the others are stranded on a peculiar island in the Dragon’s Triangle. This is the beginning of Lara’s quest for survival–she must hunt for food while managing to fight off killer wolves, mercenaries and much more while still looking for survivors. We get to see Lara quickly come into her own right before our eyes.
Tomb Raider’s immersive gameplay will have you hooked within minutes of playing and unfolds with cutscenes and quick time events. Players are introduced to some of Lara’s most heartbreaking and terrifying moments including her first kill. Gamers will feel the emotion pour right out of the game and into their hearts as we see Lara trying to come to terms with what she has done and find the strength to continue on. This is only the beginning of the terror to come with Lara having to watch out for dangerous environmental issues on top of wild animals and the inhabits of the island.
The amazing graphics and music will drag you into the world and make you feel as though you are really there. Everything just looks and feels very much epic in scope and quality and that is a true sign of a Triple-A game. As you continue on in your journey the environment starts to become more realistic and dangerous as you follow Lara on her hunts for supplies and the excitement of discovering new locations and tombs. Almost every action that is carried out in the game can be connected to Lara becoming the great adventurer she is today. Combat is only matched by her extensive armory and is tight and intuitive. Be forewarned that the kills are more violent, bloodier and packed with gore for the reboot.
The puzzles are back and better than ever in Tomb Raider. As you discover tombs, players will notice that they start out easy and increase in difficulty as the game progresses and they really add a fun side-element to an already engaging storyline. It’s in these areas where you really see Lara’s love for archaeology and the hunt for treasure. Players will find tons of side missions and quests to complete even after they finishing the main campaign (that runs about ten hours in and of itself) which adds tons of replay value.
Gamers will enjoy Tomb Raider’s single player mode like never before but will also have the option to also try out the new multiplayer mode. The game’s multiplayer is only fun for short bursts even with its attempt to stand out among the various shooters out there today. Still it feels really superfluous and tacked on and one cannot help but wonder how the single player mode would have fared if it was the developer’s sole focus. All in all, Tomb Raider is an amazing game that is well worth picking up and has very shortcomings.
Tomb Raider can now be purchased for the MSRP of $59.99 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Tomb Raider is rated M by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence & Strong Language. To learn more visit the official Tomb Raider website.
Game Features:
4 out of 5
Categorized:Reviews
