Tomb Raider Gameplay Review

Run Lara Run!  The reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise is here and it brings us a brand-new and better version of Lara Croft.  I never play the previous versions of Tomb Raider before, and I'm glad that's the case.  Otherwise, my first experience of the franchise would never be this top-notch game, but some soon forgotten history.  

The game begins with Lara and her team shipwrecked to an island, and they soon realized that they're not the only ones on the island.  The original island inhabits are a strange cult that believes in an ancient religion, and no one can leave the island because there's a bizarre force preventing them. Wait a minute... isn't that LOST?  What the heck, people?  The plot for the game is just a page out of LOST's book!  The game even comes equipped with strange bunkers (hatch) all over the island!  But regardless, the story is still compelling. I really grow to like Lara and her friends.  Every time when a character died, or about to die, I feel the pain and I really wish they survived.  Lara and friends fighting the bad guys, trying to figure out the secret of the island and trying to find a way out might be simple, but it sure gets to the point for an epic adventure game.

The gameplay is never-wrecking!  It's one of those game that scary things only pops out when you least expected.  I haven't been soaked in cold sweat because of a game since I played BioShock series- which is coming out at the end of the month, by the way.  Anyway, the gameplay cut nicely between cut scene and actual gameplay that there's isn't a dull moment in the game at all.  The cut scene are very cinematic pleasure that for moments I forgot I was playing a game (true story).  The developers really know how to use cut scenes to hook players to stay focus with the game.  For being an adventure game, the controls are surprisingly simple enough.  One problem I always have with this kind of game is control.  Sometime when I stop playing a game for a while and return to it, I forgot how to control works.  But for this game, I'm pretty sure I won't forget the control because it's just that simple.  It doesn't mean that the control is boring.  It just mean that the control is simple and easy to get used to.  

The big part of the game is Lara's gadgets and gears.  Through the game, Lara will acquire some awesome gears such as climbing axe, pistol, rifle...etc.  The amount of gadgets she acquires will put Batman to shame.

whoa, that's a handy picture

All these gadgets come to Lara naturally, and players will grow to love and care for the weapons.  I remember there's a moment in the game where the bad guys got all of her guns, and I feel really sad and naked because of that.  I also remembers there's a moment when ground collapses, and I thought I saw Lara drops her climbing axe.  I was so scared for her for a second.  Turns out it's just my eyes playing tricks on me.

However, I do have some problem with the game though.  For a game the wants you to be creative when killing your enemies, there sure aren't a lot of thing you can do.  After playing both Batman Arkham series and Skyrim, I learn that I like to sneak up to my enemies and kill them silently.  This game gives you the option of doing so as well.  However, it will soon give your position away and it will then turn into a bloody gun fight.  You can argue and say that I just wasn't being careful enough, but believe me, I was being very careful and I was very hidden.  The game just doesn't have a good stealth system while promoting to have one.  Another thing bugs me is the repeat gameplay.  The game requires players to kill the same annoying enemies over and over.  Like I say, since it's difficult to use sneak without being spotted, the killings just turn into mindless gun battles.  I also run into glitch once too, stupid PS 3.  But the glitch was resolve quickly by leaving the area via fast travel and return to the area later.  It turns out just a bad loading of the map, but hey, it cleared the enemies for me cause they enemies failed to load as well.

I haven't play the mutliplayer mode yet.  I figure it's something I should do after I finish the game first.  Beside, I heard bad news about it so I'm not the most looking forward to it.  Overall, the game has a great story, and easy, but remarkable gameplay.  It's the best game I played so far this year, and I highly recommend it.

Score: 9/10