karl
February 25th, 2013, 02:26 PM
Crystal Dynamics' reboot of the Tomb Raider series is as surprising as it is brilliant.
By Ashton Raze
I'll be honest; I've been sceptical about this Tomb Raider reboot for quite some time. From the footage showing a series of scripted action sequences chained together, to the talk of turning Lara Croft into a 'cornered animal' whom the player will 'want to protect'. Dark, gritty and realistic was the pitch, but various pre-release incidents caused this to muddy, to turn into something a little harder to have confidence in. It was difficult to know what to expect, and going in as a huge fan of the series up till this point, I was worried. In a way, I'm now glad of that concern, because it made the experience of playing through the game all the more surprising.
The image of Lara as a cowering, cornered animal - of a weakened character gradually learning to become strong - is shattered almost instantly. This categorically isn't the characterisation they've gone for. Certainly, there are elements of Lara developing character strength, particularly in regards to saving other people, and indeed in getting stronger in the sense that she finds new equipment as the game progresses, but Lara is never weak. From the very beginning of the game, she's the near-invulnerable action star of Tomb Raiders past, then as the game progresses her methods and skills expand even further. This isn't a negative thing. Rhianna Pratchett and the writing team have created a (semi) believable, relatable protagonist without resorting to the kind of disempowerment certain discussion suggested they would.
Full text here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-reviews/9892777/Tomb-Raider-review.html
By Ashton Raze
I'll be honest; I've been sceptical about this Tomb Raider reboot for quite some time. From the footage showing a series of scripted action sequences chained together, to the talk of turning Lara Croft into a 'cornered animal' whom the player will 'want to protect'. Dark, gritty and realistic was the pitch, but various pre-release incidents caused this to muddy, to turn into something a little harder to have confidence in. It was difficult to know what to expect, and going in as a huge fan of the series up till this point, I was worried. In a way, I'm now glad of that concern, because it made the experience of playing through the game all the more surprising.
The image of Lara as a cowering, cornered animal - of a weakened character gradually learning to become strong - is shattered almost instantly. This categorically isn't the characterisation they've gone for. Certainly, there are elements of Lara developing character strength, particularly in regards to saving other people, and indeed in getting stronger in the sense that she finds new equipment as the game progresses, but Lara is never weak. From the very beginning of the game, she's the near-invulnerable action star of Tomb Raiders past, then as the game progresses her methods and skills expand even further. This isn't a negative thing. Rhianna Pratchett and the writing team have created a (semi) believable, relatable protagonist without resorting to the kind of disempowerment certain discussion suggested they would.
Full text here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-reviews/9892777/Tomb-Raider-review.html