Tomb Raider breathes new life into an old name, taking the focus away from Lara's chest and placing it where it counts.

User Rating: 9.5 | Tomb Raider (The Final Hours Edition) PS3
Tomb Raider breathes new life into an old name, taking the focus away from Lara's chest and placing it where it counts. Before she became the gun slinging heroine, Lara was plagued by the things that live in most of us. Self doubt quickly makes its way to the top of that list however as Lara's decision to take her boat through dangerous waters results in shipwreck, leaving our main character stranded on a mysterious Japanese island, alone and afraid..

The level design is truly beautiful, with rich detail, secret passageways and interactive landscapes working together to make the game feel open even though it is actually quite linear. Clever decisions such as a handy weather-altering plot device means that Lara can trek through a whole manner of detailed environments within a short period of time, keeping the game varied and entertaining. In fact, the game as a whole is extremely well paced, balancing intense action scenes with a gripping story, the most shining part being Lara's development throughout the whole experience. The only downside is that at times these scenes can feel a bit rushed and sometimes even forced, with Lara emotionally struggling with a traumatic act only to instantly repeat that action with only the smallest sign of remorse. But it is a very minor crack in a game that is so well crafted and entertaining that even the most skeptical will come to adore. A must play for any adventure loving gamer.