‘Tomb Raider’ reintroduces old friend in captivating new light
By ROBERT WORKMAN | GamerHub.TV (MCT)
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Lara Croft, one of this generation’s most recognizable icons. She last appeared in the big budget “Tomb Raider: Underworld,” a game that didn’t fare as well as Eidos had hoped, mainly because it was treading on territory we’ve seen before. She also appeared in the lively downloadable adventure “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light,” which came to an end a lot sooner than we preferred.
But those adventures are in the past, because the latest “Tomb Raider,” which has begun hitting stores, presents a dark new setting for the heroine. It actually tells of her upbringing, as a 16-year-old setting sail with a crew aboard the Endurance for adventure. She finds it when the ship is wrecked at sea, and comes across a group of mercenaries who don’t exactly take well to visitors.
What follows is a startling adventure that’s worth checking out, from beginning to end. That’s because Crystal Dynamics does an amazing job showing Lara’s growth, from frightened young girl to all-out gutsy broad, slowly getting into the tradition of taking out enemies and exploring the island with every bit of her skills.
And leave it to the developer to keep real danger included every step of the way. If the player isn’t careful, Lara can easily succumb to even the most simple of situations, such as being mauled by a wolf or getting impaled by a group of branches. The team did a superb job pacing out the gameplay so that it feels just right, between the gunplay, the awesome dodge mechanic, the ever-present (yet solid) quick-time events and the occasional puzzle-solving. It all blends together into an experience that surpasses Croft’s prior duds, “Underworld” included. (Sorry, it just came up short in a number of areas when it should’ve pushed forward, like this game does.)
Lara expands her skill set as the game goes on, eventually getting introduced to an ax that helps her climb walls, new firearms that make it easier to face off against well-armed enemies, and even vicious melee combat that could leave her foe wrecked. There are some sensational chase sequences as well, including a parachute dive with plenty of unpredictability. (You’ve probably seen bits and pieces of it by now — it lives up to the hype.)
There are some small segments of the story that are weak, like the secondary characters (especially villains) not living up to Lara’s stature and some twists that were a little too easy to spot. But still, this is her show, and she lives up to it every step of the way. It’s worth seeing through all the way to the end, and then re-experiencing again to find all the hidden documents and goods throughout.
For this reboot of the series, Crystal Dynamics has done an unbelievable job with the graphics. Though there are very slight frame rate stutters, the animation is impeccable, especially with melee kills, and the level design is tight, though still leaving a little room for exploration. The lighting effects also deserve notation, especially in the beginning of the game, where Lara relies on a torch to see where she needs to go next, with the flickering of it shining off the walls. It’s truly something else.
Likewise, the sound comes through too. Jason Graves did a splendid job with the game’s soundtrack, keeping the intensity just right throughout; and Camilla Luddington is an ideal choice as Lara, demonstrating that certain sense of fear while also retaining what makes her such a great character to begin with.
If “Tomb Raider” does have any sort of weak element, it has to be the multiplayer. We’re not sure what compelled Square Enix to add it to the project — especially without the presence of Lara herself — but there it is. It’s a mix-up of matches between scavengers and survivors, trying to get to their certain levels on each stage. There are a variety of characters available, and if you get enough players together, there can be fun had with a few matches. But it lacks the long-term appeal of the main game — it’s like the secondary corn dish when all you want to do is eat chicken.
But I digress. The main portion of “Tomb Raider” is what’ll draw you in here, and how. Crystal Dynamics have reimagined this game with style and grace, and it’ll hook you from the very beginning all the way to its wild conclusion, and then invite you to come back for more — which you definitely should. This is easily the best game in the series since Crystal Dynamics picked up the helm for Legend. The more we see of this side of Lara, the better.
TOMB RAIDER
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre: Action-adventure, platform
Publisher: Square Enix
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
