Reboots of anything as beloved and iconic as Tomb Raider are always going to be difficult. Lara Croft has been with us a long time, since 1996 in fact, and has been the protagonist in many great Tomb Raider games but this bold new reboot for Lara could be the beginning of a new Tomb Raider franchise for years to come.

NEW GAME, NEW LARA

Even if you don’t like Lara she is one of the most important characters to ever be in a video game. You’d have to go a long way to find someone who hasn’t heard of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. Such a well liked and established character couldn’t have been an easy act to follow for our new Lara but she seems to take it in her stride.

The evolution of Lara throughout the game is obvious to see. Comparing the character at the start of the game with the one we finish the game with is almost comparing two different characters. In the beginning Lara is a hopeful and border naive young woman embarking on an expedition with a crew of characters ticking all the usual boxes; geek, grizzly mentor, bad guy, friend etc..

The secondary characters are very well fleshed out and have genuine and believable interactions with Lara and each other. As Lara continues her journey she becomes the new dark and realistic Lara we were promised. I’m not going to give anything away because this journey really is worth taking to see why Lara is who she is, you won’t be disappointed.

LEARNING CURVE

Tomb Raider introduces new features slowly enough that you’re never left confused and frustrated trying to reach unreachable objects in the environment but fast enough that you’re always looking forward to what’s coming next.

There are challenges to be had but it isn’t because something new hasn’t been explained to you. The learning curve is perfect and really compliments the experience you have with Lara’s character development.

STORY

The first 20 minutes or so set the scene well with some astounding cut scenes that really drag you into the action. Shortly followed up with some beautifully brutal scenes and game-play sections you cannot help but get forced face first into the drama surrounding you.

The plot continues to hold up right until the credits roll and should not be missed. This is definitely where Tomb Raider excels. The drama, characterization and plot combine to make for a very well rounded experience.

There are some bold moves in the plot which are completely necessary to our new Lara, her friends and her enemies. Hopefully Crystal Dynamics can keep this up in the future, it’s nice to see a game take plot risks and create genuinely dark, almost disturbing moments that actually contribute to the plot and characters and I think they should be rewarded for their efforts.

GETTING AROUND

Climbing and traversing the environments is a breeze, in a good way. Each area keeps you on the rails just enough that you know where to go, briefly figure out how to get there and then begin your daring acrobatic feats. Having said that there is enough variation to ensure the game doesn’t get tedious.

The frustrating moments are non-existent unless your going for 100% completion at which point you will probably notice a few mechanical hiccups but nothing major. I didn’t once fall of a ledge and have replay 10 minutes of climbing.

MEETING THE LOCALS

The combat is where the challenge lies in Tomb Raider. Each combat situation is difficult and leaves you feeling genuinely vulnerable, leading to a huge sense of satisfaction when you successfully overcome your challenge.

Despite each fight being difficult they never got annoying and upon a rare death a retry or two would have the problem solved. The checkpoint system really helps with eliminating the irritation as it actually seems to be there to help you progress and enjoy a fluid, smooth play through and get back to enjoying the story.

At heart the combat is a cover shooter. You get plenty of weapons and are always provided with options on how to “tame” your enemies. The thing that impresses me is the completely dynamic cover system. There is absolutely no button for entering or exiting cover but when Lara gets into combat she draws her weapon and moves in a scuttling, head down fashion. It looks great as Lara interacts with objects and cover in her environment and didn’t let me down once. It is easily the best cover system I’ve ever seen by a mile, Crystal Dynamics completely nailed it.

WEAPONS, UPGRADES AND SKILLS

At first it appears that there isn’t much to be done at your camp with regards to weapon upgrades and skills and I was genuinely concerned for the games longevity. But as I progressed options, skills and new weapons fell before me and I was proved conclusively wrong.

There are a huge amount of weapon upgrades for the four core weapons, some of which change them completely, and they will be rewarded to you at a rate that keeps you searching for valuable salvage and raiding tombs to make the most out of your new kit.

XP and salvage are rewarded for many tasks from hunting to completing secret tombs. You will always have to explore to find what you need but at the same time it doesn’t get tedious and ruin the experience.

MULTIPLAYER

There are four multiplayer modes and a good handful of maps available. The games modes are reasonably well thought out and play well but it’s not where Tomb Raider stands above other titles.

The graphics and mechanics are good and there is absolutely tons to unlock. There is enough to add a little more gaming to your Tomb Raider experience but really the single player is the place to be.

VISUALS

It’s going to be difficult not to continuously repeat the word atmosphere in this section. The graphics themselves are solid; facial expressions, weather effects, lighting and character animations all add to the experience and really drive the plot home, sucking you into Lara’s world.

Each area has a unique style and theme creating a different atmosphere (told you) for each one. A stormy forest gives you the chills, a sun rise vista from the top of a snowy vantage point takes your breath away and the truly horrific dungeon area makes you feel whatever it is you feel when you watch a Saw film.

The graphics are extremely good, but not the best out there, however the atmosphere Tomb Raider creates is top-notch. Lara’s movements are the biggest contributor to build the atmosphere, seeing Lara’s breath when its cold or putting her hand on a wall as she walks past it contributes massively to the overall experience.

AUDIO

Weapon effects and environmental sounds are well rounded and voice acting is realistic and genuine. However the joint stars of the show for me are Lara’s voice acting (Camilla Luddington, who also did Lara’s motion capture) and the score (Jason Graves). The score is very subtle most of the time but on just a couple of occasions our heroin’s triumphant score blasts out to accompany her daring on-screen action.

CONCLUSION

Tomb Raider looks and sounds fantastic throughout, the characterization and drama draw you into the game and don’t let go. An absolute must play game and hopefully the start of a brand new Tomb Raider franchise for many years to come. Long live Lara!

Reviewed on PS3 and available on XBOX 360, PS3 and PC now.