Tomb Raider GOTY

I was so happy to replay it. Nowadays the gameplay feels a bit archaic, but the atmosphere is still good.

Tomb Raider (2013) is an open-world action game where you explore the origin story of one of gaming's most famous heroines, Lara Croft. Unlike the older TR games which are linear and more puzzle-based, this one focuses more on action and exploring an open-world, set in the cursed island of Yamatai where Lara and her crew are shipwrecked and cannot leave. Gameplay-wise its fun, with a tense story, third-person combat, and platforming scenes. You can also level up your skills and weapons as well as changing Lara's costumes. But what most people have complaints about, is the fact that Lara doesn't do much tomb raiding herself. Most of the puzzles are actually set in the optional tombs, and they only reward XP instead of artifacts like you would expect. They are rarely located in tombs and usually are just scattered about. The departure of style from previous titles like I stated near the beginning is also another reason why people prefer the older ones. It's more like Uncharted they say. However, since this was my first TR game, I actually kinda prefer this style. Honestly my complaint regarding comparison to older titles is only that those games have varied levels exploring the world with colorful ruins, but here we're just stuck in 1 location and the game could use more color. One of the major differences between the GOG and Steam version is that they removed the dead multiplayer as well as its achievements, making the game story-only. But for me these are broken and a little less than half of them won't unlock. Still, that shouldn't discourage you from playing this masterpiece of a title, and of course its sequels!

It's interesting to recognize the games to which the next entries within the same genre will compare to as a standard. In that sense, it is undeniable that Uncharted™ (and its sequels) became a staple to the action-adventure genre from 2007 onward. It was almost inevitable that the Tomb Raider series would take notes and inspiration from that other series, from which this reboot brilliantly resulted. Despite being much more focused in the action part of it (and recognizing its dissonance with the story, that tries to ground the violence since her first kill but ends up almost glorifying it), this game ends up offering a new Lara Croft, intentionally distant from its original iteration but, for that, much more interesting. Although loving the character and having played the Legend Trilogy from start to finish, I'm not as defensive as some may be for the original games (which I never got around to playing). I simply adore the way they have taken this character here, inspired clearly by the Uncharted™ series but never copying it. Instead, it leans on this character's distinct characteristics and personality, with a story that explores her vulnerability, hiding a clear dormant survival instinct, that would develop in the sequels. I've seen many point out the lack of the dual pistols as Lara Croft's signature weapon, even by the end of this new trilogy, but not only do I recognize the bow as an intentional departure from the old games, offering a new iconic weapon for the character, but its integration is ingrained in the platforming and is an added challenge to the game's combat. I found myself using that weapon for most of the time, as it helped develop my aim and take my time developing a a stealthier approach for some of the encounters. I couldn't be more in love with this franchise than I am with this game, revitalizing the different game mechanics but, most noticeably, the main character. Lara Croft definitely became a hero of mine from this point on.

I had a good time when I played this game back then on another platform that we don't want to mention here. The script could use some improvement, but the gameplay is just right. I guess I give it another go. For the current introduction price it's a must-buy. Now let's just hope we get the two successors as well.

The original Tomb Raider games were fun to play back in their time but they are too dated for me to play now, This re-launch is actually much better than I expected, the graphics were great along with the game play. This triple-A title from 2013 is well worth playing and if you purchase this on sale it's a real bargain. Looking forward to the next two chapters here on GoG, if and when.