Tomb Raider (2013 Video Game) User Reviews

Lara at her best and beyond

[851222 · 10/10 · 18 March 2013]

Greetings from Lithuania.

Now i wasn't a fan of previous games, although i liked them, and beat couple of first ones on PS. But this game got me on hook from the first amazing trailer i saw. Gritty, realistic with some wonderful cinematic trick's - i was waiting for it. And it didn't disappointed me to say at least. What a fantastic game this is. I have walked about 30% or so but i can honestly say - this is an amazing and exciting gaming experience. Lara was never more sexy and vulnerable and interesting before. Evereyting works in this game. From awesome graphics to wonderful game play, from hidden tombs to gory and brutal fights - it's just awesome. Play this game, this is probably the best game you'l play this year, and if you do, this is going to be one exceptional year in VG world.

A Survivor has been born.

[kuusela96 · 10/10 · 8 April 2013]

Tomb Raider was never really my cup of tea. Back in the old days of the older Tomb Raider games, I was never really interested in even trying to play the games. Seeing the character then, I got a bad image of Lara Croft. To me, and please don't judge me for saying this, she seemed like another big bosom bimbo with high powered pistols, blasting away the poor creatures of the wilds and the underbelly of the society. This preconception was why I never played the old Tomb Raider games and after a few years, they made a movie about it. After seeing the movie, my preconception of the character, Lara Croft, was sadly confirmed. I didn't like the way they showed Lara Croft as. Sure she was tough and all, perhaps a little too tough, I really couldn't imagine Lara Croft as a realistic person.

Searching in the internet, I ended up in watching trailers for various upcoming games, I noticed a trailer for this reboot for Tomb Raider. The word "reboot" caught my eye and I watched the trailer. Immediately after seeing the fantastic trailer of the game, I knew I had to try this game out. I played the entire game through and my earlier vision of Lara Croft died and was replaced by the far better one I got from this game. The fact that this game is the origin story of how Lara Croft became who she is now, appealed to me the most.

Starting out as the 21-year old Lara Croft, fresh out college, wanting to make her mark in the world by searching for the mythical land of Yamatai near Japan. After being caught in a massive storm and shipwrecking on a mysterious island, she is forced to survive with the remaining survivors of the horrible shipwreck. Inexperienced and afraid, she is determined to get off the island alive. To survive on the terrifying island of Yamatai, Lara has to transform from the innocent and scared girl to the beautiful and strong girl she becomes in the end.

The game was an amazing experience. The creators took the difficult task of recreating an iconic and legendary character, to make Lara Croft into an entirely new person. And the creators sure did manage to do that, far better than I could have ever imagined. The creators and Camilla Luddington, who is the actress for Lara Croft, managed to bring out entirely new emotions to the character. The situations like for example Lara's first kill in the game, was an extremely emotional scene. The feelings she expressed in the game were extremely realistic, emotions that a normal person would have in a situations like that. Those were the things that made the game so good. The emotions it brought and the realistic aspect of them all. The graphics of the game were astonishing. The scenery the creators made blew my mind away even more. The movements and the details the creators created for the game made the experience even more realistic and wonderful. Definitely worthy of a sequel or a few.

The sound department succeeded in so many ways. Again, the little details of the sounds and the excellent soundtracks made the game feel so realistic. The mind-blowing soundtrack composed by Jason Graves perfected the game. Like in most reboots, the composer sticks to the original soundtrack, but the fact that an entirely new theme created from scratch, fitted best for the game. Since they were recreating the entire character, recreating the theme for her seemed to me like the best idea. The intense sound effects and the soundtracks made the game worthwhile and exciting

To name a downside in the game, I would say it was the way, if you fail to press a specific button during a struggle or otherwise get killed in the game, the way they show Lara die was a big turn off. The, in my opinion, unnecessarily, extremely brutal ways she dies, really make me feel a little sick, because the creators made the game so realistic, the fact when you see the poor girl, scared and alone, get killed in a most horrible way imaginable, made me very uncomfortable. You can see the sadness and the pain in her eyes alone and that is also why the death scenes are horrible to watch. If Lara dies in the game and after seeing the way she dies, makes me sad. I hate to see an innocent, scared girl die, who just wants to save her friends and leave the accursed island. If it was up to me, I wouldn't have made the death scenes so horrible. Nobody wants to see their hero die like that.

This new Tomb Raider takes the player into an entirely new world and introduces the recreated character for the iconic Lara Croft. After playing the game through, the new Lara Croft definitely deserves a place in my all time favorite characters. The game is a powerful emotional and physical adventure and a new, far better and far more realistic Lara Croft has been created and hopefully is now the absolute true and incontrovertible Tomb Raider and remains that way from now on.

A gritty reboot of the classic franchise that will delight both new fans and old

[rebecky14 · 10/10 · 7 March 2013]

Console: Xbox 360

Estimated gameplay time (main story): 12-15 hours

When the news came out that the classic Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series was being completely rebooted, I was a little nervous about how they were going to pull it off. As a die-hard fan of the series and an avid collector of everything Lara Croft, I was hoping against hope that this game would be awesome. Turns out, all my worries have been completely put to rest by this amazing new game.

Tomb Raider is, essentially, the origins story of Lara Croft and the story is this: she's on an expedition looking for the lost kingdom of Queen Himiko and the Yamatai when the ship she's on is wrecked on a mysterious island in the Dragon's Triangle (pretty much the Japanese version of the Bermuda Triangle). So begins an epic struggle to escape the island's mysterious inhabitants, rescue her separated crew and get off the island.

Tomb Raider is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played and arguably the best game in the Tomb Raider franchise. It's the first Tomb Raider to be rated 17+ (MA15+ in Australia) and it certainly shows. There are BIG amounts of blood and gore in this game, and some parts will make you cringe like nothing else (people who've played the game already will know what I'm talking about).

The visuals are utterly gorgeous, pushing the Xbox's capabilities to the limit. There is a simply stunning amount of detail as well, from the dirt and blood that coats Lara at times to the sheer scale of the environments.

Character development is top-notch, especially for Lara, showcasing her dramatic journey from frightened young woman to hardened survivor. She's also far more realistic than she was in previous games, with more believable proportions and skills. Her movements are much more realistic as well, and for the first time she really shows emotion, not just in cut scenes. Voice acting is pretty good across the board, with Camilla Luddington in particular doing some great work for Lara. She really suits the character.

Combat is, frankly, awesome. To start off with you only have a bow and arrow, but even this is a lot of fun. Later on, a pistol, rifle and shotgun are also added to the weapons list. Unfortunately, no unlimited ammo this time around, but that only makes the game even more realistic.

The game is pretty evenly spaced between exploring and combat. And relax, there ARE tombs to explore in this game, but they're not a big part of the main story. A good feature of the game is you can go back to past locations and explore tombs or the general area for more rewards, which unlock weapons and skills.

Overall, Tomb Raider is an amazing, well-written, exciting, realistic and gritty reboot of the classic game franchise. Die-hard fans and new fans alike will love this great game, which is easily one of the best games of 2013 so far.

10/10

Tomb Raider ROCKS

[triforcecm · 10/10 · 25 March 2014]

Graphics: The graphics are beautiful, especially on the PS4 and Xbox One. Sometimes, you will just stop and look around.

Story: The story is somewhat cliché, but the way it is told is so confident and emotional, you won't even notice.

Gameplay: The game-play, from climbing and exploring, to intense combat, is all very solid. The excellent cover system works perfectly, with a nice "leaning" feature that lets you peak out and fire with any weapon, and then quickly take cover again.

Weapon upgrades: Did you just die for the tenth time at the same place? Just go back to a base camp and increase your rifle damage. They'll never know what hit them. The Weapon upgrades are very well done. There's about ten to fifteen for each weapon.

Skill points: When you gain enough experience points, you'll get a skill point. There's three skill branches, and many skills to make the game-play easier and more interesting.

Quick time events: normally, I like quick time events, but there's a point where it becomes ridiculous. Tomb Raider just needs to dial it back a little.

Verdict: Tomb Raider is a fantastic game, one of the best ever made.

I want to wipe my memory.....................so I can do it again.

[jedi422 · 10/10 · 15 January 2014]

Oh. My. God.

This game.........is..........amazing.

I've been saying that since I beat it. It was truly one of the greatest games I have ever played, and deserves, in my opinion, perfect 10s across the board.

But what makes this game stand out from the rest? Let's take a look.

First up, story. This game is another reboot of the "Tomb Raider" franchise, once again changing the back story of the main character, Lara Croft. But this time, you get to actually experience the journey that morphs Lara from the nerdy brains girl into the nerdy brains+hardened warrior that the rest of the series builds on. Lara is on an expedition to the Dragon's Triangle when a storm destroys the boat and she is stranded on an island with the rest of the crew. She must survive against rabid animals, insane and violent natives, and the supernatural. I won't spoil everything, but I will say that the game makes you care about every character (with the exception of Reyes) and you somewhat understand where the villains are coming from (doesn't make you feel sorry for killing them, thought).

Next, sound. The music sounds like it was scored by John Williams. Every song feels like danger and suspense, or survival and hope. Each song also fits the situation it's in. For example, Lara finds herself trapped in a burning palace, and has to escape. The music is fast paced, and speeds up whenever Lara encounters a savage. The sound effects also sound real, like the weapons firing, explosions, or structures falling.

Up next, graphics. This game looks completely realistic, and more importantly, Lara looks like a real person instead of her Barbie-doll figure. The fire looks like real fire, the rusted buildings look like real rusted buildings, the blood looks like real blood, and the list goes on and on.

Finally, game play. I haven't played "Uncharted", so I don't know too much about that game, but a lot of people I know have compared this to game to "Uncharted". However, since I haven't played "Uncharted" I will not be comparing to that game. But, regardless, the game play has a very cinematic feel to it. Almost no HUD icons appear, and when they do, it's something you need, like an ammo counter. The puzzles were fairly challenging to me, and I needed my brother's help to solve a few. Combat feels flawless, as the controls allow for smooth aiming and precision head shots. There were a few firefights that felt like they were never going to end, but they are far and few between. The controls respond 100% of the time, so if you die, it's your fault.

The only real cautionary thing about this game is the rating. This is the first "Tomb Raider" game rated M for Mature, and it deserves it. There is violent combat, as every single gunshot causes blood spray, and the Solarii (the natives) groan (sometimes scream) in pain as they die. Lara can die by implosion, gunfire, being crushed, falling, any real violent way to die is included in this game. Probably the most memorable moment of gore in this game is a little more than halfway through, where Lara knocks out two guards, takes her bow back (all her weapons were taken), and she jumps off the rock bridge into the chasm below. She lands in a river of blood, surrounded by skulls and and tied-up corpses. As someone who can handle "Left 4 Dead"-level gore, that caused me to jerk my head back in shock. I still remember that few minutes more than any other part of the game. If bloody violence bothers you or unsettles you, be wary when you pick this game up.

To sum it all up, the story is great, the sound is fitting, the graphics are realistic, and the game play is near perfect. Just make sure you can handle the gore. I need to have my mind wiped, just so I can play it again, and feel it again.

You're still here? Why? Go get it!

great game

[alex-poulter · 6 March 2013]

I started playing tomb raider this afternoon and boy was I surprised the gameplay is amazing the story line is great it just goes to show how far the tomb raider series has gone. this game shows how lara croft started her claim to fame throughout the years as a young girl thrusted into a hunt for all of her friends on an island with new puzzles and mysteries. in my mind the creators have gone really far with the game play and the high end graphics it has become one of the greatest achievements eidos has ever come up with and to have another talented British actress to play lara croft is another touch of class.

to summarize this game is great 10/10

Reboot Successful

[SylvesterFox007 · 10/10 · 19 March 2013]

"Dark and gritty reboot" is a hot buzz term right now. When it works, you end up with something like Daniel Craig as James Bond or Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. When it doesn't, you get lackluster remakes of better classics. The new "Tomb Raider" is the video game equivalent of one of the former. This applies to more than just character and story. In the same way you think James Bond will never quip again at the start of "Casino Royale" or it takes Bruce Wayne an hour to dawn the batsuit in "Batman Begins", this reboot is almost unrecognizable as a Tomb Raider game at first, but eventually turns out to be exactly what the franchise needed to feel contemporary and relevant.

Reintroduced as human rather than iconic, clad in a practical pair of cargo pants instead of short shorts, Lara is a meek research assistant for a conceited reality TV archaeologist. Part of a crew including her mentor Captain Roth and her best friend Samantha, Lara barely gets up the nerve to offer her opinion on how to find a mythical island. Her advice leaves her team shipwrecked on the island they were searching for.

Tomb Raider games have usually consisted mainly of elaborate jumping puzzles and platforming sequences. While Lara's still able to jump and climb better than most to traverse the island, with platforming becoming more prevalent in the later stages of the game, gameplay places more emphasis on exploration and combat. While many will find parallels with the Uncharted games, which owe much of their inspiration to the Tomb Raider series, I found a lot in common with the Batman Arkham games. While not truly open world, with transitions between areas being accessed and blocked off through cut scenes, the island consists of several large hub areas, connected by fast travel camps that allow Lara to teleport from one campfire to another. While the plot itself is pretty linear, there are several side missions available in each area, including collecting relics (which Lara can examine L.A. Noire style) and GPS caches, hunting game for XP, and exploring various tombs. Some areas are blocked off while Lara collects and upgrades gear.

Lara's methods are far more lethal than Batman's. While the game has been advertised as turning Lara into a survivor, keeping her sheltered from the elements and hunting to keep from starving only play a role in the earliest missions. Soon, it turns from Lara surviving the elements to a more combat based type of survival. An army formed from other shipwreck victims controls the island. Lara starts with a torch and a bow and arrow, but can eventually collect and upgrade other weapons. Her arsenal's small but effective: one pistol, one shotgun, and one machine gun. While I never found much motivation to switch from the default weapon in previous games in the series, each of these has its advantages at different ranges, though the bow remains Lara's most reliable weapon, allowing Lara to pick off enemies with headshots, silently and from a distance. Lara also has access to a climbing axe, allowing her to pull off close-range stealth kills and melee attacks.

The most engaging part of this reboot is Lara Croft's character arc, taking Lara from trembling in terror and crying at each kill to the point she is hyper-confident and enemies are terrified of her. Reading about the transition from shipwreck victim to tomb raider is one thing. Experiencing it is another. This is partially thanks to a great voice acting/motion capture performance from Camilla Luddington (if you don't like her voice for Lara at first, wait until you hear her analysis of a tomb or an artifact), and partially to the gameplay itself. As more XP and salvage (in-game currency) is collected and Lara's skills and equipment are upgraded, the player feels more confident navigating the environment and battling heavily-armed foes. While failure can result in some pretty brutal death scenes for Lara, she can gain the ability to pull off some satisfyingly brutal finishes herself. Supporting characters are also well done, with back stories and motivations explored through both cut scenes and documents scattered throughout the island, rather than caricatures or plot devices as in previous games.

The highlights of the game, for me, were the optional side quests in which Lara gets to actually do some tomb raiding. The player makes their way to the center of a tomb, solves a puzzle, collects the treasure, and gets out. These are the moments that feel the most like classic Tomb Raider games.

With heavier emphasis placed on combat than platforming, the multiplayer component seems more appropriate now. Players chose an avatar for each faction, Lara's friends and the island's crueler inhabitants, and alternate sides between rounds of shooting. Refreshingly, players can do almost anything they can in single player in multiplayer, include climbing and jumping across the maps, detonating explosives, avoiding traps, and making stealth kills with the climbing axe. While not as good as many other multiplayer modes out there, it's a decent chunk of extra content.

With excellent graphics and some great set pieces that feel lifted right out of a modern action movie, complete with explosions and flying debris, this reboot is a totally new Tomb Raider with a great new direction for the series. I can't recommend it enough. Long time Lara Croft fans will find new things to love about the character, and newcomers have a perfect jumping-on point here.

Another terrific game to add to the franchise

[allthemoviefights · 10/10 · 10 April 2013]

I was looking forward to this game since i saw its very first advertisement on the web. As much as i couldn't wait a minute for the games' release, i also began wondering whether the game will be a success or a failure. And, as i had hoped, the game was a huge success.

Lara's skills and knowledge of survival are put to the test when a devastating storm hits the ship on which she is travelling to South East of Japan in order to locate the long forgotten 'Dragon's Triangle'. The fierce storm leaves her stranded and also separated from the rest of her group on a coastal island inhabited by villains attempting to stop Lara from reaching the lost shrine of Queen Himiko.

The graphics are outstanding and the character movements are great. The way Lara's hair moves to the direction of the wind, or the way Lara looks around at her surroundings as you are jogging around the environment. The villains in the game looked and also sounded great, yelling out at her or screaming for Mersey as they burn to death. The sudden cut scenes that force you to act quickly add much intensity. Also the quick action sequences such as sliding down a huge hill in attempt to evade the tumbling debris from a fallen plane, or quickly escaping a burning building. Salvage can be collected throughout the environment which can be used to purchase weapon upgrades at camps spread throughout the island. I Personally had much fun using Lara's long bow, this was easy to use and also blends well with the games environment.

In summary i have rated this game a perfect 10/10 and feel Crystal Dynamics could not have done a better job in creating the next game in such a successful game franchise.

This is a masterpiece

[petros-ant · 10/10 · 23 December 2017]

Storywise it's an exciting journey that takes you from innocent little Lara to Bad-ass Lara in a natural way. Cliches and scripted scenes are abundant, but the production value is through the roof and doesn't hurt the experience imho.

Gameplaywise the pacing (action - exploring) is excellent and the new abilities and weapon upgrades keep the game interesting throughout. Tombs offer some excellent puzzles and the randomly scattered and fully voiced diary entries add to the experience.

I've finished the game twice already.

I feel ashamed that i got this on a sale for only 5 bucks...

Lara Croft presents - Optional Tomb Raiding

[krimsoncrusade-450-809704 · 8/10 · 9 February 2014]

Lara Croft - Optional Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider is an interesting little gem. You see, like most people around the PS1 era, I grew up with Tomb Raider. I loved those games, with their interesting stories about Mythological Artifacts and Raptors, their fun, fluid combat system. And I also loved the character of Lara Croft who was a wise-cracking English treasure hunter with (in the original PS1 game) triangular breasts. This new instalment in the Tomb Raider franchise is a far cry from what the original games were and is almost in no way connected apart from by it's name. And whilst I have my problems with that and other issues, I generally think this is a solid game.

First of all, this is a Prequel to the original Tomb Raider and shows her origins of how she 'because a treasure hunter'. However, it doesn't really feel like that. Because of the very strong willed but generally well humoured Lara Croft I grew up with all the gritty stabbing, shooting by tough grizzly men and the stabbing and shooting from Mother Nature who is your worst enemy in this game, it really makes this game feel incredibly out of place in the rest of the franchise. And yes, whilst I realise this is a REBOOT, it still should have some feel of the originals. The puzzles are gone, and the platforming is really stripped down to scaling pre determined walls and traversing via rope one anchor point to another. And before I move on I must go back to Mother Nature. In this game, the entire freaking island is trying to kill you, whether it be from conveniently placed sticks and spikes or the ground beneath you collapsing, Mother Nature is out to get you. And never in any video game ever I seen the main character been abused as much as in this game. Whether it be from being stabbed through the side with a stake, stabbing yourself with a burning arrow, being crushed by a rock or getting a wooden spike driven through your neck, you are going to have a lot of moments in this game where you cringe from the sheer brutality.

And with all that it makes the game seem rather realistic, however this vision of Realism is shattered by two major things. Firstly you have the RIDICULOUS amount of people that Lara kills during this game. She has slaughtered THOUSANDS of people by the end of the game and she crys about killing a deer and goes "Oh God" when she shoots another human being and that is about it. At least in Far Cry 3 at the end Jason Brody acknowledges the copious amount of blood he has spilt and has vowed to never do it again. In her she says nothing and continues on with her life, leading me to believe that she is a Psychopath and a Masochist. And the second thing that breaks the tone of realism is the fact that they decide to KEEP the mythological side of the Tomb Raider series and add in the Island from Lost and ghostly Samurai, because why not?

However, as much as I've been complaining about this game it is genuinely a fantastic experience. The combat is fun and satisfying and following the current trend of Bow and Arrow wielding heroes you get to use one. Several in fact, and they are very satisfying and later have multiple uses. The story is interesting and really puts you in the shoes of Lara and makes you care for her. You feel every blow she takes, every hit she deals and it is rather exciting. It's interesting to see her struggle play out and to help her through these horrendous situations. The sound design is brilliant, whether it is the whistle of the wind or the loud bang of firing a shotgun. The visuals are stunning and has many varied areas to explore, including the Tombs. And here is the thing about this game. It is CALLED Tomb Raider. You'd expect to raid some tombs in it. And you can, and they are all rather unique and contain interesting puzzles. But they are ALL optional. They should have just called this game "Lara Croft presents - Optional Tomb Raiding".

There is also a Multiplayer mode which is interesting at first glance, with it's Versatile maps with Ziplines and Climbing points, but when you get down to it, it is rather generic and won't keep you playing for very much longer. It feels very tagged on and would have been better left out entirely.

In all seriousness however, this game is fantastic. Yes, it has it's problems, some can be overlooked, others cannot, like it's disgusting use of QTE's, but it is a very unique journey with an unfortunately lack lustre and sequel bait ending. However, this is one of those games that really shouldn't be overlooked.

Lara Begins

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 12 December 2015]

I'm a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise but like most video game franchises as time when on, it has lost it's footing which also made the franchise lost in the darkness of the amazon. Most reboots/remakes are always a hit or miss affair to me because most of the time they fail to stand on their own, this game withstood.

Going the reboot route was a wise move because it not just breathed new life into the old franchise but also made it even better than before and personally I felt completely surpassed it's predecessor because this was exactly what it was working toward.

The story I think it great, I really like the plot line it sort of reminds me of the 1980's film "The Island". The plot line to this game is uncannily similar as it's about Lara and her crew crashing onto an island with some ancient evil cult. I really like that this game utilizes Asian mythology and spirituality which I though was really cool. I also like how both the plot and the characters develop which made both counts intriguing. But most of all I really like how dark and moody this game truly is, this isn't your typical pulp adventure your use to with the old franchise. It in a way reminds me a bit of John Carpenter's films like "Escape from New York" or "Assult on Precent 13" as you have sort of that unsettling feeling of isolation and constant danger throughout the game. Music is also The graphics are just fantastic, I really love the amount of detail to the jungle from the darkness to the grit, as well as some of those ancient ruins and temples. Really adds to the unsettling feeling that there could be danger hidden in the next shadow you come to or even pass by the corner of your eye. But also a great sense of intrigue as the jungle and ruins provide mystery, as you constantly are wondering what more is there to the ancient ruins and the history behind them or what more are we going to discover? But I really love the characters models where they don't look too much like supermodels but regular human beings as you can see the dirt and certain imperfections in physical features which really gave the game a more grounded sensibility as if Lara and the rest could exist in the real world. Speaking of Lara, her character model is excellent as usual she's fraking hot and with the persona to boot. Despite how dirty and how many scrapes she gets she still looks great, she is just one of those beauties you just can't ruin.

The voice acting is excellent, I really like the actress Camilla Luddington whose voice just fit like a glove for the role of Lara, the character model is based physically on the actress herself and she was a perfect choice on that count, she was literally born to play this role.

I really like how this version of Lara is handled it's kinda the same approach like with Bruce/Batman in Geff Johns "Batman Earth One" graphic novel mini series; Lara is not the fully confident version we know and love but is a rookie adventurer whom despite intensive training and education is inexperienced, a bit insecure and ill confidant. But despite those things she is fully determined and is willing to lay herself down the line for her friends, and most importantly the will power to survive and desire for adventure. I really like those things because it made Lara a more three dimensional character and surprisingly human. As you progress you really see her develop in character more and start to become the Lara we know her to be.

And most importantly the game play which is excellent. It does take a bit of a cue or two from the "Uncharted" games but the execution is excellent and it is multifaceted so things are never dull. I really love the shootouts, there are balanced well and there are a wide range of things you can do to win them. The platforming action is great there is the typical get from point A to B, but there are a few spots of trial and error and there are even some of those "Dragon's Lair" like moments where a situation immediately occurs and you have to react fast. There is even RPG element of upgrading your health, weapons or buying certain items and upgrades you need. They even have some stealth action which I thought was really suspenseful and cool, where you really have to take your time to figure out how to get from point A and B quietly and smoothly but also the use of your bow and arrow aiming carefully to take the opposition out, which was cool sort of like Rambo in the second film.

Only problem I have with the game is that it was kinda short, I was able to beat the game within three days. But that could just be me since I played the game for an amount of hours on each day, and same could be said for certain other games out there ride may be short but a sweet ride. Hopefully the next game will have an even longer and vast campaign.

Overall, this is a great game that any veteran fan of the franchise even rookie should play. Lara Craft is back and better than ever.

Rating: 4 stars

A refreshing take on a classic.

[doesitactuallymatter · 8/10 · 7 March 2013]

Showcasing a young and inexperienced Lara Croft, Square Enix' Tomb Raider puts you in the shoes of the sexy archaeologist amidst the cluster of islands known as Dragon's Triangle. A shipwreck, a colorful crew, the previous inhabitants of the remote paradise and the remnants of an ancient Japanese civilization are some of the main ingredients in this cocktail.

Every big budget title in the last few years has had a couple of moments that really stand out. Sometimes it's the prologue, some other times it's a specific mission or sidequest. Some sequence that is just memorable when contrasted with the rest of the experience. In Tomb Raider, the whole thing is like that. Be it a bridge falling down, Hollywood-style explosions or some other thrilling, close call scenario, it's hard to go more than a few minutes without some over-the-top sequence that makes you go "wawaweewa!". Fear not: there are also moments where you'll just walk around trying to solve a puzzle, exploring or staring at the protagonist's buttocks, but the feeling of unpredictability is constant and a good way of keeping you at the edge of your seat.

Visually, everything is top-notch. The level of detail is pretty amazing when you max out the settings and the few glitches (mostly related to physics) that might seldom occur are forgivable. The surprising action events plus how good landscapes and textures look make for an intense cinematic experience. The dynamic camera work is the best I've seen in many years and it definitely adds a different feel to how things play out. Sprinkle with a gritty and dark vibe, very respectable acting and sound effects and you end up with a darn good framework to tell a story.

Gameplay doesn't fall too far behind everything else that Tomb Raider does right. As usual, you have your main questline and your secondary objectives. Sadly, you don't get total sandbox freedom to roam the island, alla Far Cry 3, but rather each main stage has campfires that act as checkpoint, level up screen, workbench to upgrade your gear and fast travel node, all at once. Almost all screens have collectibles, wildlife to hunt and some of them even have tombs for young Lara to explore. The leveling and upgrading system isn't incredibly deep by any stretch, but it's done well enough that feels like a nice touch. As your rank goes up, you will also unlock fancy new moves and abilities. As for the actual playing of the game, there's a lot of platforming, climbing, acrobatics, puzzle-solving, shootouts, stealth kills and all that good stuff. Movement and combat are extremely polished and fluid. Hell, even the user interface and controls are great for the usual console-porting disaster that PC gamers have experienced lately.

To keep it zen, I'd like to comment on a couple of weak points that lurk throughout the game.

First off, there are times when it's hard not to feel like the game is capitalizing on the success of other popular names. Regardless of being awesome, there's a sense of familiarity when thinking of Uncharted, Resident Evil, Prince of Persia and some other platinum franchises. At the same time, when you tally everything up, it's an extremely high quality product and it doesn't feel like a ripoff so I can't really scream outrage at the lack of originality, but if you want to get nitpicky, there aren't a lot of incredibly innovative and unique mechanics happening here.

The second aspect that falls somewhat short are the collectibles. Tombs aside (which are very brief), there are audio recordings, logs and other objects to be found throughout the different areas of the island. The problem is that they're just lying there. Some might be harder to find than others, but you just pick them up and that's it. Granted, some people get off on finding that kind of stuff anyway and the lore tidbits they unlock are nice, but it would've been much more rewarding to have more elaborated optional content or a more involved system to make collectible-hunting interesting instead of just being OCD bait.

In closing, Tomb Raider is an outstanding revival of a franchise that was somewhat forgotten but it stands on its own as a triple A game. It's not a never-seen-before breakthrough, but every aspect of it is so flawlessly executed that your knees won't stop clapping.

A Very Good Video Game, But ...

[waelkatkhuda · 7/10 · 5 December 2016]

I Finally had the chance to play this game (due to my busy time) and i really was amazed by it's design, details and story(especially with the definition edition on the PS4). So all the time while you playing it makes you feel as if you were watching a movie. It really is a superb one, and if you are looking for a great video game for this generation i really recommend this game for you. But there is still somehow some disappointments for this game as a Tomb Raider fan: 1- I still missing a lot the old Lara, this Lara is more beautiful but in many times you feel that you are playing a different game,with different character, even you can't play with her guns only at the last on the final fight scene! 2-The problem here is Lara is so fragile not like the strong Lara that we really used to know, which made you in many time feels annoyed with here sobbing and caring in many scenes that were unnecessary. 3- finally the puzzles are good, but not like the classic tomb raider versions on the PS1. But again it is a terrific video game and deserve to be at your games collection if you were or weren't a tomb raider lover.

A Start of a New Era of Tomb Raider

[newmoon96 · 3/10 · 8 March 2013]

I don't know if my review will contain big spoilers or not, but to be safe, that is why this review is marked 'spoiler'. Now, let's get on to the review.

I now hold this game in my hands, after a four year wait. Tomb Raider they call it, but what exactly is the purpose of naming it after the VERY first game?

Well, I'll tell you. This game, is a reboot of the franchise, upon heading into this game, it's kind of mandatory that you go in with a clear head, expect the expected, and the unexpected. Don't let the word 'reboot' fool you though, this Lara, is every bit of the Lara I grew up with, and even more so than she ever was.

So, we start fresh on a vessel called the 'Endurance' which is home to Lara, her friends, and crew members, as they head out to find the 'Dragons Triangle' a semi-quasi counterpart to the 'Bermuda Triangle'. It's Lara's idea to head east, directly into the triangle, and this is where, the game starts. A massive storm hits the ship, causing it to snap in two, sending Lara and her friends in different directions. Lara awakes on the beach, her friends Reyes, Jonah, Alex, and Dr. Whitman arms length away. It's here you think, 'oh her friends will find her, and she will be okay' nope, Lara gets knocked out, and a few seconds later, a cutscene plays, of someone getting drug into an upside down position. It's here, Lara comes too, and you find out, it's Lara hung upside down. After setting herself on fire, landing on a spike, finding a dead friend, and escaping caverns, the game truly starts, and you begin to feel more and more, with every step she takes.

Pros:

Relics, collectibles, challenges, and documents, are all things you can find, collect, and do throughout the island's many structures and lands. And even better, you don't need to kick over any pots to find them!

12-15 hour gameplay means a pretty lengthy game, and it could take you up to 20-25 hours just to find everything. Though finding things aren't that hard, especially when you come across treasure maps, there is some scouting involved.

Survival Instinct is a clever feature, that acts like an aid throughout the game, if you get stuck, that is. They also introduced a way point system, which can be used to set a beacon of light onto collectible locations, which will help you find said collectible.

Beautifully rendered gameplay, and graphics, I found myself just stopping here and there to enjoy them. Action sequences aren't forced upon you, but they are there, and happen frequently, traversal has returned as well, as is more human like than ever. Lara can no longer stay positioned on vertical poles, and will instantly swing off of them when jumped too. Traversal has been lowered down to seem more realistic, and Lara now wields a climbing ax, to reach higher up locations.

Lara is beautiful, and more realistic than ever, from breast size, to attire, she feels like a person now, more than ever. You will feel for Lara more than ever now. Lara will also talk to herself from time to time, which I thought was a beautifully added feature, it makes her more human.

A Mature rating fits more than what I thought it would. Grizzly deaths have returned, meaning that there is no longer refberiating off of cliffs when you die, when you die in this game, Lara stays in one place, or ends up in pieces, depending on the death. I have experienced multiple deaths in my playthrough, such as a pole through the neck, getting crushed by boulders, and more.

Lara is more human, which means she will act human to wounds, gunshots, and more. If you fall off a high cliff, but one that is not high enough to die, Lara will bounce on impact, and flail in the air in till she hits something else, this can take loads of damage, so be careful. Lara will now slip down waterfalls, wet landscapes, and more. She will moan with pain, and sometimes fall over if you take a nasty fall, etc.

A wide range of weapons are included in the game, such as a bow and arrow, a pistol, assault rifle, a shotgun, and a grenade launcher, as well as a surprise weapon at the end of the game. All weapons, excluding the weapon at the end, have ammo limits, which makes them more realistic.

Lara's friends, and fellow crew members, are experiencing pain, anger, and all the other emotions Lara is feeling, which makes you feel for them, as much as her.

A touch of sadness in the game makes it more realistic.

Easter eggs littered throughout the game, hint at a sequel.

I encountered not one glitch throughout my playthrough.

Fast travel in base camps, allow you to return to previous areas.

Puzzles, boss fights, and tombs return, and are FANTASTIC.

Cons:

Gameplay is still short, but I am happy it's as long as it is.

The multiplayer is plain aggravating, I cannot do anything within the multiplayer without dying almost instantly. The single campaign is what you are after.

Trophy support is back, but sadly, to get the platinum trophy, you must complete things in multiplayer, which suck.

Swimming wasn't included, it's sad to see it wasn't, but the game does do fine without it.

Tomb-Raider-y Goodness

[fawn_jane · 13 August 2013]

When I had read about the character development for Lara Croft before playing this game, I was concerned that they used this reboot/prequel as an excuse to turn Lara Croft into some cliché damsel-in-distress in a horror-survival situation. It is technically like that, but it feels more gritty and raw and violent, and Croft kicks way too much ass to be that cliché. It draws you into her role, and makes you think: "if I were in that situation, what would I do? How would I cope?" The director of the game successfully creates an experience where you go from normal relatable everyday life to living in a Jerry Bruckheimer-action movie, (and at some points a horror movie). The game successfully conveys Lara Croft as a normal young person who triumphs through adversity to be strong, brave, even a bit ruthless.

In recent popular culture, the bow-and-arrow seems to have become a symbol of the strong independent woman in a fantasy setting. Perhaps they are channeling the ol' goddess archetypes like Artemis, the Greek, bow- wielding moon goddess. But often these depictions fall flat because the writer/director doesn't know how/is afraid to really run with it, and the bow-and-arrow just becomes a prop or a fashion accessory. (The movie "Brave" comes to mind.) But Lara Croft is different: she has a bow and arrow, and she actually USES it. To KILL people (and animals).

Speaking of violence, this game has just the right amount. The temples full of bloody bodies is a bit unrealistic, I mean, how could they have that many bodies on a little island that are so fresh and bloody? But the action sequences are gritty and real and drawn out, and they draw you in in that way a movie can't. To get through the game you have have shoot and stab and blow people up and that's that. It is what it is.

The plot is nothing original but it is enjoyable and suspenseful. I am halfway through the game and there are still big mysteries about what is going on. The overarching plot reminds me of the show "Lost" (except it makes sense and isn't full of random crap that goes nowhere). When the player gets into the action it reminds me of action movies from 10 or 15 years ago, especially with some of the background music they chose. The dialogue of the various enemies and henchmen wandering around can be pretty amusing too.

The gameplay is good ol' Tomb-Raidery goodness with some modern touches thrown in. There's the classic climbing and 3D-platform jumping that Tomb Raider games invented, plus elements reminiscent of newer series' like Assassins Creed, Prince of Persia, or God of War such as elements of stealth, first-person-shooter, scripted action sequences that require the player to press the right buttons, or mash the buttons quickly. At some points the game seems too easy though, and it holds the player's hand too much. It gives you too many hints without the option to turn it off. Often in the beginning of a puzzle Croft thinks something out loud, or an NPC makes some comment that steals the opportunity for the player to figure it out by themself. But I like it better than how impossible the old original games were, where the reading walkthroughs was pretty much a requirement. (Everyone I know always got stuck because they didn't notice that one tiny ledge of in a corner they're supposed to jump to, etc.) The combat sequences in the game has adjustable difficulty though.

The gameplay has elements of collecting random things. Usually that turns me off but in this game it's done right. Croft finds many artifacts throughout the game but they are realistic and rendered and described in detail. She finds old writing and journals that game reads aloud to you. Unlike many video games, the voice acting is good, and it is engaging enough that I want to read them, unlike most games where I don't even bother.

Overall this is a very well-done, professional, polished game, where the game designers did their homework in including time-tested fun and balanced game elements. A couple of times I did come across bugs though: At one point I was trapped because a cutscene wouldn't trigger when it was supposed to. I reloaded from the last save point and it worked OK after that though. Also there was a curious door that swung open. The door opened fine, but the graphic for the bullet-hole in the window of the door remained in the doorway floating in mid-air.

My only complaint is the over-done menu system. Every time you go a submenu or do something there has to be swooshing sound effects and text flying around and turning upside-down and exploding. (I'm exaggerating, but not *that* much.) It's just a minor quibble, it doesn't truly detract from the game, but I would have preferred a more clean and simple menu system.

immensely enjoyable journey

[tarekali-19909 · 10/10 · 3 January 2022]

It is quite rare that I replay a game end to end, and still derive a tremendous level of enjoyment and satisfaction. Tomb Raider 2013 is exactly that level of the game.

The creation of a survivor, the journey of Lara, forged from the fire into a determined adventurer more than capable of defending herself - is an immensely enjoyable journey.

The tomb puzzles make full use of the environment and intuition, powered by the evolving capabilities of Lara herself.

For a now 9-year-old game the graphics really hold up, and the vistas all over the cursed island of Queen Himiko are breathtaking in their beauty and danger.

Some of the timed escape and ascent sequences are really nerve-wracking, making full use of split-second reflexes. The boss combats likewise demand precision in reactions and responses.

Thanks to the generosity of Epic this 2021 Christmas, I was able to get the entire trilogy for free, and can't wait to play the other 2 installments.

Tomb Raider Review (2013 Reboot)

[thescholar22 · 9/10 · 12 June 2015]

Playing this game was amazing and I only have one word for it, intense. There's also a lot of context sensitive moments and if you mess up you can restart the scene. You also find artifacts and search some of them for other information about them. There's even these optional tombs you can look around at and when your done with it you'll unlock all the hidden stuff. You also can search stuff and animals for salvage to modify your weapons. There's even these camps where you can fast travel and add a skill for three of these skill trees to help you. The multi-player in this I heard is a joke and like it's slapped on at the last minute. Play it when you have the chance, it's a classic.

Tomb Raider (PS3 version)

[Just-Being-Me · 10/10 · 3 March 2014]

I have always been a Tomb raider fan all the way from being a kid, i loved the ones for PlayStation 1. When i got a PS3 i gave the Tomb raiders before this one a try and ended up trading it in within a day or two, i did not like them one bit.

BUT then i saw this one and thought i would give it a try and i am glad i did, this by far is the best Tomb raider ever, it is very good graphic, realistic and just enjoyable to play. It reminds me of an "uncharted" (another brilliant PS3 game)style game, so if you are a fan of Uncharted then you will LOVE this game.

This game isn't just my best Tomb raider game but it is one of my best overall games and i just hope the next Tomb raider that comes out is in this style.

This game gets a 10 / 10 from me.

Lara Croft as character, not just boobs

[Mr-Fusion · 8/10 · 18 October 2015]

Two things stuck with me while playing the "Tomb Raider" reboot:

1. The creators heaped a staggering amount of punishment on Lara. I mean, it is ridiculous that this woman can fall from such heights, be thrown all over the place, and survive impalement only to continue kicking ass. It's brutal!

2. I can't help but think this game is a gritty answer to the Uncharted series, from the "adventuring, shooting bad guys, repeat" gameplay to the quick-time action scenes.

Regardless, neither one of those is a deal-breaker. The intent here clearly was to take Lara on a harrowing journey from doe-eyed researcher to hard-bitten survivor. And it worked like gangbusters. This is a woman who must decide who she is in the face of death, and it's a riveting quest from start to finish. The gameplay mechanics are smooth, the environments are pretty to look at, and the whole package is captivating.

Yeah, it's an origins story, but it is a whole lotta fun!

8/10

Lara Is Back!!!!!!!!!!

[JensenAckles27 · 10/10 · 6 May 2016]

This is the best tomb raider game i've ever played and i love it. Lara is back and better then ever and she is a bad ass. Rise of the tomb raider has amazing graphics on Xbox 360 and Xbox one. I have been waiting to get this game ever since it came out. You can do a lot of cool stuff to Lara like swing rope, climb on walls with the rope, change her weapons and crafting them. Lara is very pretty in the game too and i also love all her cool outfits but the only thing i can't wear while playing it is the desert tank top and she can also swim underwater with a breather. My opinion on the game is 10 stars(Excellent). If you love tomb raider games you will love this one!

She's back

[Badr90s · 9/10 · 6 October 2021]

What a reboot, not played the classic ones but this one was enough to make me consider it, more crying lara less badass it's sadly true but still an adventure that is great mostly by the gameplay and small details but surley not the story nor the characters, Tomb Raider overall is a must play but still deserved better to clash the 10/10 masterpieces and it has the potential.

Lara at her best.....

[Farjad-0223 · 10/10 · 29 February 2016]

Played on PC

Lets start with the story.

The game begins with Lara setting out on her first expedition aboard the ship Endurance, with the intention of finding the lost kingdom of Yamatai. By her suggestion and against Whitman's advice, the expedition ventures into the Dragon's Triangle, east of Japan. The ship is struck by a violent storm and shipwrecked, leaving the survivors stranded on an isolated island. Lara is separated from the others and captured by a strange, savage man. She manages to escape while her captor is killed as the cave collapses due to her actions.

As Lara tries to locate the other survivors, she finds more evidence that the island is inhabited, such as strange carvings, dead bodies, and animal sacrifices. She eventually finds her friend Sam and a man called Mathias, who claims to be a teacher who was shipwrecked on the island. As Sam tells Mathias the legends of Himiko, Lara passes out; when she wakes, Mathias and Sam are nowhere in sight.

About game:

Lara is not fully power packed but she has guns & other things to survive.She was the only one in the island & trying her best to survive.The game was extremely fun to play & a good third person adventure game.

Pros:

Exploring the island,Reading books,Discovering Secrets.

Cons:

The story is a bit slow.

Killing the big monsters.

Overall this game was beyond expectations.I was thinking another game with poor story but I was totally wrong.

My rating 10/10

So if you are looking to spend your money for a good third person adventure game, this game is for you.

A really decent effort. Not what I was expecting.

[Rob_Taylor · 8/10 · 26 May 2013]

First off, I haven't really played any of the preceding Tomb Raider franchise games. However, I had formed the opinion that they were mostly puzzle-solving games.

So when I started playing this version I was surprised to find it featuring a mostly combat-oriented game. At first, I was a little disappointed. I didn't really want to play Call of Duty: The Lara Croft Years. However, I stuck with it and you know what? I came to like it! The focus is on Lara's story and her progression from frightened girl to tough warrior and explorer. TR does that very well. Of course, it does feature a ridiculous body-count in the hundreds but, surprisingly, it isn't a mindless gun battle-fest like Call of (advance-or-they'll-endlessly-respawn) Duty.

The enemies do tend to be a little more intelligent than usual in TPS games, but the locations are some of the nicest I've ever seen and the level design is excellent. You can forgive the excessive combat because it is just so nice doing battle on open levels that have a 3D element to them.

Visually, the game is gorgeous. My PC is no longer top of the line but the graphics are very well done indeed for the most part. Also, for such complex levels, I rarely found locations where I could jump out of the game. But then again, they are so complex that I never saw every inch of each level.

The puzzles center mostly around how to allow Lara to continue with her explorations. A nice touch is that, first time around, Lara won't have all the equipment she needs to reach some areas of the maps. However she can go back via a fast travel mechanic at any base camp to complete unexplored sections.

Where the puzzle solving doesn't do so well is in the tombs. I kind of got the idea that the tomb-raiding portion was something of an afterthought. Each tomb that Lara visits has a single puzzle to complete, and they aren't that difficult. I was expecting much more fiendish and convoluted traps and the like, but it isn't so.

Another disappointment is in the balance between combat and puzzle-solving. It isn't bad, but I always felt I was playing a shooter with puzzle elements and not the other way around.

Another fun mechanic is the gear upgrade and skill paths. As Lara learns more skills and gathers salvage she gets to upgrade her equipment to better versions. Sometimes this is because she gains a better version of the same weapon and transfers her improvements to it. However, there do seem to be moments where her gun seems to undergo a metamorphosis almost magical in nature. Despite this, the mechanic works well and will have you scouring each level to find every last bit of scrap you can find.

The one thing which really let the game down is the reliance on quick-time events for boss-battles and the odd environmental navigation scenes. I think I'd rather developers let me duke it out with the bosses rather than give me a magical sequence of button presses that save the day. Let me fight the boss how I want to and, if they really want to go the cinematic route, have the odd cut-scene at various points in the fight to enhance that aspect. Not "Mash E" then "Hit F" and time everything to perfection. Rinse and repeat. Some of these scenes come at you without warning, so prepare to die a lot in order to learn the sequence of button pounding required.

TR is not perfect. It has it's faults, as I mentioned. However, on the whole, TR is fun and, at times, frenetic in a way that COD will never be. Whether it is true to the franchise or not, I don't know. I guess that is down to better people than me to decide, especially as I haven't played the preceding incarnations. It is very enjoyable, though.

SUMMARY: A cross between COD and Assassin's Creed but more fun than either of those franchises. A little heavy on the combat, but I enjoyed it. Well worth a look.

The Renaissance of Lara Croft and thats very good

[AvionPrince16 · 7/10 · 18 August 2021]

The main strenght of this game is the exploration side and the story of Lara Croft of course. This game make some puzzles and some challenges to make the game replayable. Thats a good point. I really enjoyed the game it remind me uncharted of course. Its normal because uncharted copied lara croft so thats just normal to lara croft to copy uncharted gemeplay. I recommend the game.

Action gameplay was amazing, as for the the rest of the game...

[conradthekiller · 1/10 · 25 September 2015]

I must say first off that this game has made an amazing attempt at creating an exciting, fast paced gameplay style which exceeds the quality of the original game. However after playing the game once and thinking i would give it a 9/10, a few months later i have decided to play it again. The action is still great, however the rest of the game is quite flawed.

Lets start with the storyline. My god. It is riddled with deus ex machina, clichés, and terrible dialogue which makes a film student like me cringe to the very core. This is also joined by the lack of logic the game withholds in contrast between gameplay and cut scenes. As you play the game you can kick ass with your weapons with ease, however once Lara is in a cut scene she is next to useless in fighting the enemy. After the second play-though of this game i have witnessed Lara watch two people die without even trying to save them with her weapons, literally standing there and doing absolutely nothing. (SPOILER UPCOOMING) These deaths are of course the one of the pilots that crash landed on the island, and Grim. Lara also lacks the capability to kill her enemy to ensure the safety of herself and Sam twice in the same mission. This is of course when Lara "tries" to save Sam from being sacrificed and assumes that simply disregarding the existence of the other enemies while she blatantly shoots arrows at the enemy's leader will save Sam, leading to the certain capture of Lara. Once they are escaping in the building, instead of killing the leader and a fellow enemy, she shoots the rafters to create a barrier between them. SHE SHOOTS THE GODDAMN RAFTERS. I had to question whether Lara would actually survive in one of these situations had it been real life. YOU'VE BEEN KILLING PEOPLE THIS WHOLE GAME YET YOU'RE RELUCTANT TO KILL THE ENEMY'S LEADER, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU LARA.

Overall i would rate this game 6/10. If the action gameplay wasn't so amazing, unfortunately i would have no other choice than to rate it 4/10 due to its horrible storyline and overall logic. If you skip all the cut scenes and mute the volume then i would recommend you play this game as it's gameplay is the only good thing about the game. However, if you can't play a game while being blind to the story line, then it not worth it.