Tomb Raider is the reboot by Square Enix of the classic hit series starring Lara Croft. It’s an origin story so the events taking place in this game are well before she becomes the well-known adventurer in the previous games. She is an archaeology graduate who set out on a journey as part of a crew searching for the lost kingdom of Yamatai. It was mainly her idea but the crew consists of descendants of the Yamatai people, her father’s friend, a celebrity archaeologist filming a reality show and a few others. The journey takes a turn for the worst when the ship is caught in a freak thunderstorm and eventually crashes on an unknown island with Lara and the crew separated. And as luck would have it there are inhabitants currently on the island and they’re not the welcoming kind as they start killing some of the crew members while capturing others, Lara included. Lara awakes to find herself in a gruesome cave that makes it clear she better find a way to escape or else suffer the same fate as those who were captured before her. Who are these inhabitants who are clearly not native to the island and can Lara save herself, the remaining crew and escape the island before it’s too late?

GAMEPLAY

If I had to use a simple phrase to describe Tomb Raider it would be “intense and a lot of fun.” There are a lot of prequels nowadays whether they’re movies or video games and I know they can be overdone but this game has an enjoyable story and consists of action sequences better than any previous Tomb Raider game. The graphics are amazing and the blending of cutscenes and gameplay is done so well that at the beginning of the game there were times I was standing there waiting for something to happen only to realize that I was actually in control of the character. It starts out very simple with Lara having nothing in her possession nor is she an experienced killer or adventurer. This is made clear from the opening

sequences as well as the commentary she provides during scenes. Another and more profound way this is made clear is by the beating Lara takes early on. And I don’t mean beating from just any particular person but in general whether it was an environmental hazard or some other obstacle in her way of escaping. And although she doesn’t start with any weapons she has an ability called “survival instinct” that allows her to view the environment differently to find usable objects and ledges (as well as other items as it’s upgraded.) And staying true to the theme of this being a completely new experience to Lara even the upgrade screen initially comes from building a fire and making a campsite. Throughout the game all skill and weapon upgrades take place at campsites and as you progress further in the game you can use campsites to fast travel between areas already completed.

Skill upgrades are available when you acquire enough XP and weapon upgrades are available when you collect enough salvage (or weapon parts). The skill upgrades are divided into three parts: survivor, hunter and brawler skills. These consist of pretty good upgrade choices so none of them feel like a waste and it’s reflected in the gameplay and theme of Lara growing with experience. Salvage is found throughout the game and you can eventually acquire salvage from defeated enemies or animals you hunt. But make no mistake, this is a story driven game, not an open-world one so the hunting is really just to get some xp and salvage. There’s no deep hunting system. The game does however encourage travelling back between campsites and revisiting areas because some parts are inaccessible until you acquire a weapon or device from a later point in the game. New weapons are acquired organically as the story progresses.

All of this would be wasted if the controls weren’t any good but the controls are very solid and for the most part the camera angle was excellent and required only slight adjustments at rare times. There’s alot of jumping and climbing and it’s very smooth even when transitioning to a scripted action sequence. The gun play is good and even though you don’t get a choice regarding the weapons in your inventory you can choose which weapon you prefer to use to defeat enemies once you acquire more.  Even the bow is very powerful and with upgrades is as strong as any gun. The stealth and cover system is automatic and depends on your speed of movement. So if you’re trying to sneak up on some enemies using cover the game will make you automatically crouch. It actually works very well and there wasn’t one time I tried to use stealth in an area and the controls were screwed up.

This game gets so many things right and that’s why I enjoyed the experience from beginning to end. Even though it’s story-driven there’s enough to explore or revisit without getting completely sidetracked from the story while not feeling constrained in movement. Early on the story is told through video recordings or flashbacks and then it focuses more on what is currently taking place on the island, why there are so many people from this island who aren’t natives and why they’re trying to kill everyone. There isn’t much exploring in terms of tombs and the few tombs that are in this game are simple challenges once they’re located. The lack of tombs doesn’t detract from the game overall because the story itself is very entertaining and some of the action sequences are just incredible. Whether it’s running while Lara is tied up to escape from captors or running through a burning temple later in the game while trying to rescue friends, the action gets the adrenaline going without feeling rushed from one sequence to the next. Lara is portrayed very well so the first kill in this game really feels like it’s her first kill ever. So by the time you’re doing silent kills and takedowns with her the character development doesn’t feel extreme but necessary in order for her to survive. So by the time she says  “run you bastards, I’m coming for you all” it’s very believable because of all she’s been through and I admit that was one hell of a moment.

The story is enjoyable and even when it takes a turn into the supernatural it holds up well. If there was any game that defines the origin of its character thoroughly and in an extremely enjoyable fashion this one is it.

MULTIPLAYER

The multiplayer for this game is based on characters from the campaign mode and based on the concept of survivors (Lara’s team) vs Scavengers (Mathias’ team). You select one of the characters from the game and that is who you customize and yes you can change characters between matches. Some characters are only available after reaching a specific level. There are 4 multiplayer modes: Team Deathmatch, Free for All, Rescue and Cry for Help. The first two are standard modes that shouldn’t need further clarification. Rescue is team based and the objective for the survivors is to retrieve all the medical supplies and bring them back to base before being killed by the opposing team 20 times. Cry for Help requires the team of survivors to activate beacons before time expires or the opposing team captures the batteries. It’s a modified form of Conquest. Overall the multiplayer was enjoyable although it can take a while for newcomers to fully enjoy it due to higher level players being able to kill them with one shot due to weapon upgrades. It is however worth playing and it doesn’t take long to level up. There are zip lines, the ability to set traps, random dust storms and other elements that extend the Tomb Raider experience. All in all I found the multiplayer to be solid. 

SUMMARY

Tomb Raider is an outstanding reboot to the series and is a prequel story done correctly. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and some of the action sequences rank among the best I’ve played in some time. Lara’s journey from a relatively naive character to a badass adventurer is very believable because the story is executed excellently. The multiplayer is solid enough to provide additional hours of gratification and stays true to the theme of the story with its survivors vs. scavengers setup. If you’ve ever enjoyed any of the previous Tomb Raider games you’ll love this one absent any real tombs to explore. There are enough tidbits to enjoy such as the acquisition of certain weapons familiar in the other games. If you’re new to the series this is the perfect game to start with since it’s an origin story. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys action-adventure games because this is one to remember.