Tomb Raider (PC) Second Opinion Review

A team of people has set sail for a mysterious island, but their ship crashed there due to some extreme weather conditions, and it's up to the protagonist to save everybody - but only after unveiling the mysteries of this place, and showing off some insane acrobatic, shooting, and puzzle-solving skills. No, this isn't Nathan Drake's latest adventure, although it could very well be one. Tomb Raider, the franchise the Uncharted series was inspired from, has actually become so heavily influenced by the latter, that this could be named Uncharted 5: The Adventures of Lara Croft.

It's a recipe made from heaven! For those who will profit from it, that is. Like it or not, that's nothing more than a money-making tactic—but, hey! Can you blame Crystal Dynamics? That's how business is done in the "modern" gaming era. The majority wants to be handheld, guided through a linear path, and exposed to a story instead of "living" it. Ravings of a nostalgia-blinded nerd? Maybe… Enough digression, though - on with the review. It's not Nathan Drake, then, but Lara Croft, although something feels different - and, no, this doesn't concern her disappeared, gravity-defying, assets.

This is the most realistic take on the famous adventurer yet. Besides her non-comic book-like appearance (don't worry, she remains extraordinarily beautiful), Lara doesn't behave like a cyborg anymore. She falls down, gets hurt, bleeds, cries, and, most of all, is so afraid that this almost feels like a survival horror title at times. Obviously, Tomb Raider is not just a reboot of the franchise, but also a reboot of its main face, and it's a fascinating change. The first time she'll have to enter a dark cave, jump over a chasm, or shoot a man will actually leave her trembling from the shock.

The first example is when she decides that she must hunt a deer in order to not starve. She will be hesitant, but she will also force her hand to be stable in order to do what must be done. This makes the player identify and care for her, because this is handled quite well… initially, since, although her face remains in "scared" mode throughout her journey, that "realism" bit will lose its charm once she starts shooting mercenaries by the dozen, and performing some superhuman feats of strength and agility, which would leave the old Lara with her mouth open.

Furthermore, this is a walk in the park, something that, similar to the Uncharted series, has a lot to do with how these games work - the notorious "Press X to Win" problem. Example: Lara will have to climb up a very high beacon tower. It's a tense scene that will make the player grip on the gamepad, but, immersion aside, this just requires pressing forward and, occasionally the A button - and this is what happens during the majority of the time that has to be spent here. Chaos all around? No biggie! Just follow the only path available, and push the buttons that are flashing on-screen.

Engrossing? Sure! When challenge gets thrown out of the window, however, that won't be for long. It's a shame, really, because, audio-visually, this is simply fantastic. The darkness of the jungle and the howling wolves, the roaring thunders and the way rain splashes on the screen, the fires, the explosions, and the smoke - everything is simply stunning, with the only thing better than those being Lara herself, who demonstrates one of the finest examples of video game animation in the history of the media. Yeah, it's that good!

Despite all the criticism, this is actually a great experience. The acrobatics, while easy, are exciting; the plot, while full of forgettable NPCs, is a generally good archaeology thriller; the protagonist is simply great; the survival horror aspect, while only strong in the very beginning, is indeed well-implemented; and finally, the gunfights, arguably the weakest part of all Tomb Raider instalments, are actually fantastic here - although they do overstay their welcome after the middle of this odyssey. Even better, fellow OCDs who love collect-a-thons will have a blast with the tons of things that can be found, which range from simple trinkets to pieces of lore, like lost diaries.

In conclusion, while somewhat flawed, this is a piece of software that is quite entertaining. There's a major flaw, though, and that is that Tomb Raider has simply lost its "heart" and soul. It's a little bit of Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil 4, and a lot of Uncharted, but it has way too little Tomb Raider in it. Why? Too plot-heavy and cinematic, with a severe lack of puzzles, and, most importantly, a profound shortage of tombs - which, by the way, are nothing more than five-minute-long mini-dungeons. The end result is a very good action title with some minor RPG elements, like EXP gains and crafting, but a pretty weak action-adventure.