Tomb Raider GOTY

I had almost no experience with the series prior to this - watching a friend adjust the camera to get the best shot of the goods in a demo on one of those Playstation Underground discs doesn't really count - and this made a very good first impression. I usually don't like Third-Person Shooters, because the controls never feel like they were programmed by a sane person, but these work very well. I can't aim very well with a gamepad, but using WASD to control Lara in a 3-dimensional environment with complex platforming puzzles was much easier than I could've hoped! What starts out as a series of quick-time events and a lot of spectacle over substance gradually gives way to a very solid experience. You have experience, but instead of just gaining it from killing enemies, you also build up from solving puzzles and finding artifacts; they remembered that she's a badass action heroine, but an archeologist, first and foremost. Finding relics was neat, too, because she'd give some historical context, and you could inspect them, sometimes finding additional information. Experience is used to learn different skills, and though you'll have them all by the end, you have a chance at some customization until you get there. You also salvage scrap, which can be used to add parts onto your weapons to enhance performance; though you only have 4 weapons, they're all fun to use and build. That said, I killed most of my adversaries with archery, because it works very well; yes, I was a basic bow. Combat isn't super common, but it often unfolds something like a puzzle; there are plenty of solutions, often involving environmental elements. Puzzles can be challenging at times, but only once did I need to consult a walkthrough, because there was a thing I didn't even know I could do, and it was never explained; everything else was pretty intuitive.

I thought this would be a good entry in the Tomb Raider World but this clearly isn't it. Gameplay is meh, writing is terrible, everything is (badly) scripted... I've really tried to like this game and gave it a more than decent run but it just doesn't work for me it feels stiff and boring all the time and the story isn't interesting enough for me to try and push any further. I've hesitated between 2 and 3 stars because it's more boring and sloppy than really bad all things considered but in the end I really can't recommend it it's a big disappointment.

I don't actually own the game on GOG, as I bought it on Steam before it got here. However, I have to say I greatly enjoyed playing the game. However, as some other reviewers mentioned, it is vastly different from the other Lara Croft games. Gameplay-wise, there is less platforming and the puzzle bits are incredibly simple. It is more action oriented, and has you mowing down waves upon waves of baddies. There are also a TON of collectibles, unlike the previous games. Story-wise, you aren't playing an ass-kicking badass adventurer. You're playing as Lara Croft before she became Lara Croft, an innocent young woman just trying to survive in the harsh reality she's been thrust into. TL;DR: If you're looking for 20-25 hours of action oriented entertainment, buy it. If you're looking for platforming and puzzles, this won't scratch that itch.

I loved playing this game. Great graphics, gameplay, controls, animations, voice acting. The scenes integrates very smoothly with the game.

This game could be more grittier. Lara is taking bullets and just automatically heals after a few seconds with no treatment. She makes jumps and survives falls that would at minimum, break bones/disable someone. She does this repeatedly without blinking.