She is back…. after so many years and boy oh boy did our dear Lara get a makeover. You are in for one thrilling survival origin story. Lara Croft has never looked better than she does now.
Some key points that this game offers:
- Origin Story: Experience Lara’s transformation from a young woman to the Legend we all know her to be.
- Survival, Scavenge, hunt and loot to survive.
- Breath-taking visuals.
- Multiplayer.
Gameplay & Controls:
The game handles super well, on keyboard and controller. It comes down to your preference on which you enjoy to play more, console owners are limited to controllers only but on the PC, you have a choice.
Lara’s movement in the game is stunningly done; she handles well, moves smoothly and just looks stunning. Whether you are up high or crouching down for stealth attacks, the game handles everything beautifully and you can get into it swiftly. To better explain this would be to say, the moment you spot enemies and approach a wall or other object that you can prone against Lara will automatically prone to hide for said enemies.
We also have the means to aim both left handed and right-handed, thus giving us a tactical advantage when shooting from cover.
We have a mostly open world environment that we get to explore as we unlock the means to do so; the said means would be the equipment and gear you obtain on the island as you progress in the story. The world is full of wood crates that can be broken to obtain salvage, salvage being the currency on this island that you use to upgrade your gear.
You have several unique weapons that start out looking old and very broken down, but as you scavenge parts for them you upgrade them with a variety of options such as less recoil and being able to do more damage. The further along these upgrades get the better and more modern they start looking.
The game features a form of levelling as you gain XP; once you fill up the XP bar you are rewarded with a skill point that can be invested into one of three categories to unlock new abilities like finisher moves or passives that allow you to carry more ammo. Animals can be hunted for XP and each area has a challenge that can be completed for XP and you can forage certain plants for additional XP.
You get the full spelunking experience along with so much more. Tomb Raider’s Reboot truly offers a new and much warranted outlook. Lara is downright better than ever before.
Graphics:
Saying that the visuals are breath-taking does not do them justice. This game is jaw droppingly gorgeous. Every aspect of this game has been carefully created to deliver a visual masterpiece. Everything looks so real, so lifelike, from the climbable terrains such as the mountains and buildings throughout the islands to the scenic paths; they all look so beautiful.
The way the sun hits the mountains when it rises or sets, it truly makes everything so much better.
Character details are of the same quality, there are a variety of enemy types, all looking absolutely stunning. The facial features are so beautifully done that it gives these characters a new realistic look. The way the graphics engine generates and creates the shadows fall and rise is impeccable.
The game has all of this and so much more; it truly is a visual masterpiece.
Under the hood there is a great variety of settings to fully customize how the game runs on your machine.
Sounds:
Just as beautiful… The in game sounds bring life to the island in a new thrilling and very surreal way. You can hear the wind howl, and the way the game generates it, it almost feels like you yourself can feel it. This is just one of many minor elements that comes together to create this masterful game.
As you journey through the island regions the entire atmosphere changes, the sounds, the music, it all changes and that real lifelike quality stays in place. The game has a marvelous soundtrack that sets the tone for the game. It adds to the thrill and mystery of the island.
Character voice acting has been done brilliantly. The voice acting in itself adds the last extra bit to truly making everything you feel, see and experience on this island so much more lifelike. The drama through conversations builds and adds the atmosphere and mystery immensely and the climax is well worth it in every way whatsoever.
Replayability:
The game has various regions you travel through as you progress in the story, some new and some previous areas that you could not reach yet. The Island is scattered with a variety of collectible items you can collect, along with numerous challenges that can be completed. This and the pure beauty of the game will keep you busy for hours, then there are the achievements/ trophies that have somewhat of a grind to obtain.
Once you are fully done with Single Player you can take things online with some mates and others in a game of Multiplayer, furthering your Tomb Raider experience.
MGR Gaming’s Conclusions:
Spoilers Ahead:
When it comes down to it all, this game is absolutely marvelous. They have done this reboot amazingly.
The story of how Lara has to fight and kill to survive, how she is forced to see the supernatural play out in front of her eyes, which goes against her very beliefs. You see and experience how a young woman is thrust into an unexplainable situation, forced to do things she never even considered just to survive.
She is forced to fight and kill the crazed islanders in a desperate attempt to stay alive whilst trying to reunite with her friends. Everything is against her, even the island itself.
You get to experience first-hand just how Lara Croft became the Legend we all grew up admiring and cherishing. She is one of the oldest gaming icons and seeing her reboot, paving the way forward for new and old gamers is a wonderful experience.
A must have for every Tomb Raider fan, and that is not all if you try this game you will love it.
Additional Info:
Platforms: PC: Mac: Linux: Xbox 360: PlayStation 3: Xbox One: PlayStation 4: Stadia: Shield TV
Genre: Adventure: Action
Censor Rating: Mature
Age Rating: 16
Developer: Crystal Dynamics: Eidos-Montréal: Feral Interactive (Mac): Feral Interactive (Linux)
Publisher: Square Enix: Feral Interactive (Mac): Feral Interactive (Linux)
Release Date: 5 March 2013
MGR Gaming Steam Curator:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32364038/
