Tomb Raider XBOX 360

I have been a fan of Tomb Raider games a long time, I have got fond memories of sitting around the computer with my brother and sister, trying to work out the puzzles, and getting the hell scared out of us by very pixelated dinosaurs! Since then I have played every game in the series, it may well be (except Zelda!) the game I’ve been following longest.

I have to admit the previous game 'Underworld' left me very underwhelmed, something just wasn't right about it, it had lost that special something the earlier games had. I am quite relived to say though, the newest instalment did not disappoint. I love how the game is a prequel, showing what lead to Lara being such a strong survivor. I love games with a strong female protagonist, and this game is back on focus with Lara being a fully fleshed out character, rather than just a hot chick with guns! When I’m gaming there are four main things I look for; Story, Game-play, Graphics and it taking longer than a few hours to complete! I have got so fed up spending top price on a game release day, and finishing it in one sitting, makes me feel so ripped off. Luckily with the main story, and just wandering about exploring, it gives you plenty of content.

One thing that did make me laugh, is Lara seems to have some issues with her Pyromania! A lot of the solutions to puzzles seemed to be 'ah I must burn things! Burn Everything!' Even to just accessing supply crates, there was always burning! Then once I got my fire arrows, even more burning! I must say the bow was my favourite weapon in the game, I used it over all the other weapons as much as possible!

Overall it was a very enjoyable adventure with Lara, for me it had the right balance of combat, story and puzzle solving it. I will give it another play though, and I highly recommend it! It gets an 9/10 from me.

normally i stay away from the reboot section, but when i first witnessed a trailer for this game just over a year ago, i was blown away and could not contain my excitement for it, with its original release date October 2012 i was devastated it was put back until march, but was it worth the wait? HELL YEAH IT WAS!

basically started from when Lara croft finishes her studies and goes on her first journey with her crew to “the dragons triangle” where it is safe to say things don’t go as planned.

ending up being shipwrecked on an island is not the idea of a fun expedition, the island it dangerous, filled with people who have obviously ended up their previously. As this is Lara’s first time in the field she clearly has no experience, no skills and as you find out has never killed before but you will learn all this as you play i don’t want to divulge to much information to people who are planning on getting this and if your not planning on buying this, it is you loss because it truly deserves all the credit it is receiving and for me is the game of 2013 so far.

The main weapon you are gifted with in this game and by far my favorite weapon is the bow and arrow, all weapons your acquire in the game can be upgraded using salvage you pick up through out the game which is a reason why it is definitely worth looking around, because the more upgrades and skills you learn the more of a killing machine Lara becomes. Blessed with acrobatic ability and a useful little climbing axe Lara can easily climb many obstacles and she certainly has no fear of heights!

the story itself will have you wanting to know what happens next from start to finish and in all honesty its a game im planning on playing through again i enjoyed it that much, i never had a boring moment throughout the game and i know its not the longest of games but it is a reboot you can tell they are just testing the water with this one because square enix and crystal dynamics have done a brilliant job and its no surprise that a movie reboot is now in the works too and i can only hope tomb raider 2 is also in the pipeline, so overall i will have to give the game the following ratings:

Story – 10/10.

Gameplay – 10/10.

Presentation – 10/10.

Pros:

Fantastic game overall amazing visually.
Great story that has you wanting to not stop playing.
Amazing graphics.
Could easily do more than one play through.
Cons:

Wish it was longer but only because how good the game is.
Got me wishing number 2 was out sooner rather than later

As a keen player of the Tomb Raider series since I was 11 years old when the first game come out in 1996, I was quite dubious about the remake of the series. Even though the series had stagnated quite a bit with the poor Underworld, and average Legend; Anniversary showed how it should be done and was a fantastic game.

I only completed that game again the other week on the HD collection, and it was a thrill from beginning to end. Now the remake is out, I wanted to do something different and compare the two. Several areas need to be looked at when comparing these games, and several shouldn't be compared.

Graphics is one, seeing as Anniversary was a PS2 game it wouldn't be fair. However comparing Tomb Raider and another PS3 game, lets say for example Resident Evil 6, Tomb Raider looks like a different more superior generation anyway!

The game play is more fluid with this new generation Tomb Raider too and jumps feel a bit more real and less frustrating. New tools allow for the exploration to be a bit more varied than just jumping from one ledge to another like the older games. Maybe this wasn't the older games fault seeing as they are now very much a distant memory, but it shows how much thought has been put into this game.

The atmosphere is also electric. I have never played a game since Silent Hill and felt so on edge about whats going to happen next. In fact it is fair to say that Tomb Raider has now moved from the platforming adventure tag and moved to a more sinister Action Survival Horror. Its what Resident Evil should have been after Resident Evil 3 Nemesis. One of the areas, which was built during World War 2 according to Lara, took me right back to the days of Resident Evil 2. Crikey walking into the police station for the first time, put me in the mood for the rest of the game. And the game did the same here too.

There is so much love and attention put into this game its easy to see. There are still puzzles here, as it wouldn't be Tomb Raider without them, but now its a lot more than find cog, put cog in right place. They are probably simpler, but keep the game flowing and some provide enough challenge to keep it fresh. They use common sense, what would you do in a real-life location?

The game is also oozing with extras. I enjoy the hunt for some neolithic mask that is sat somewhere in a chest on the top of a rock. I understand (I haven't fully completed the game), that it opens up once the story line is done. And that's good. I don't think I have scratched the surface.

One bugbear I have with this sort of game however is "fast travel". I don't understand why a game thats all about exploration needs it, and its designed brightly enough that if you didn't want to select it, you don't have to. If you did that across Skyrim, you would miss half the extras out. And the same for this game. Tomb Raider is a great game you don't need it as its not a chore running back through some wolf infested ruins.

The sound of this game is also fantastic and adds to everything. If I was asked before playing this game, does Tomb Raider need a reboot, I would of said "No"... but in fact, I was wrong. This is why Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are such good companies. This is one of the best games of all time, and if anyone is thinking of skipping this title, they are missing out on something not just big but something exciting too!

I would suggest pressing "Buy" entering in your card number and playing The Best Game of 2013!

Well what more can I say is that this game is amazing

A superb game. Great origins story.
Gameplay is wonderful (although a few too many quicktime events for my liking). Controls are smooth with a great combat system. But this game doesn't keep blasting you with balls to the wall combat but enough to keep you on your toes.
The environment is beautiful with detailed surroundings and more than one path of taking on these interactive jungles and ruins to reach where you need to be.
There are only two things I see to make this game imperfect.
1. The fact that it's Tomb Raider, and the tombs to raid are optional. You can actually go through the game without raiding any tombs at all.
2. The MP is not needed. It's quite fun for about two hours, then get's frustrating. But with such a great single player campaign they didn't need to add this MP that isn't what you'd call groundbreaking.

Overall, a great game and well worth a look.