Andy Naylor reviews Tomb Raider…
Lara Croft is back! Tomb Raider is not a reboot, remake or any other “re” word. It’s an origin story of how Lara Croft began her adventures in, well, Tomb Raiding. Setting out to build her reputation, a young Lara is aboard the ill-fated Endurance when it hits a catastrophic storm leaving the survivors shipwrecked on the fabled Dragon Island.
I must be honest before I start; I am not a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise. I found the acclaimed PSOne versions to be quite dull, which just added to my confusion about their popularity. Let’s be honest, we can all agree that the less said about the PS2 incarnations the better. So, with that in mind, when this landed on my desk I was quite unenthusiastic. I have never been quite so pleased to be surprised.
Tomb Raider is simply a beautifully crafted game, with an excellent and enthralling narrative. The story is addictive and is extraordinarily difficult to put down. The people at Crystal Dynamics have done their homework, they’ve taken a good hard look at what is popular in the gaming world and adapted and improved it and slipped it seamlessly into their own game. The most prominent of these being the use of quick time events throughout the title, lifted from the Uncharted franchise, but used sparingly and carefully so you’re not left thinking “What? Another?!”
Uncharted seems to be a heavy influence to this modern Tomb Raider, perhaps a little too closely in places, but with one major difference. It is very adult. While Uncharted is very much a video game Indiana Jones, with outrageous action and cheesy one-liners, Tomb Raider is very adult and much grittier. So much so that it is the first Tomb Raider game to be given an 18 certificate. So if you are buying for your kids, the violence and gore is certainly not suitable for souls of a sensitive nature.
While Lara is much more a real character than Nathan Drake, early on she does edge on overly whiny, which at times bordered on irritating. Thankfully, as the game progressed that issue dissipated and I simply enjoy the adventure. The graphics are simply sublime and the musical score is exquisitely used to convey emotions. When you should feel tense, the music is anxious and the pace quick. So many games get this wrong and overlook it, but Tomb Raider gets it spot on and the soundtrack accompanies the gameplay perfectly and enhances the experience.
For those of you who enjoy your online gaming, there is an online mode. Why? I don’t know. It adds nothing to the game and seems like an unnecessary addition in order put on the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live banner (depending upon your console preference) on the box in order to grab a few more sales. Not all games require an online portion, this certainly doesn’t need it. The single player is quite excellent all by itself.
This is the best Tomb Raider to date and you will struggle to play a better game this year. My main disappointment is that it has taken so long to get this Tomb Raider game onto the current generation of consoles. A must buy.
Andy Naylor – Follow me on Twitter
Originally published March 6, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
