Are subtlety and grit Lara's friend in this reboot?
The game prides itself on giving the player a much more mature look at Lara's origin and how she came to be the hardened Angelina Jolie looking, raider of tombs. After the opening scenes leave Lara struggling to find the rest of her shipwrecked team, overcoming things like hunting for food to survive and ultimately taking human life into her own hands. The game goes to great lengths to ensure Lara's first kill is a heavy affair, though it does feel that subsequent executions are let happen a little too lightly, as Lara shifts from pacifist to Carrie as the gameplay picks up. Happily though, this is only in gameplay, while the story continues the slow burn that one would expect and want from an origin story.
The game leaves you stranded on an island populated with puzzles, treasures, and collectables. The scenery is as brilliant as it is varied, with sights such as gushing waterfalls, war relics, dense dangerous forestland, shores awash with rusty salt ruined barges, freezing peaks and ancient ruins permeating every inch of your fight to find your crew. Wildlife for the most part is cannon fodder, although the occasional encounter with a wolf will keep you from ever properly relaxing.
Once Lara is equipped with her Bow and (soon to be) iconic Axe it's time for her to start going toe to toe with some of the horrible human inhabitants of the island.
Conclusion:
Tomb Raider is an exceptional game. Break-neck set pieces and quality combat help make the action exceedingly enjoyable, even if it does stray from the themes of the narrative at times. Impressive visuals and a lively environment brimming with distractions will encourage you to explore, while a solid if unspectacular multiplayer component provides some replayability. Nathan Drake may want to watch his back, because the queen of adventure's gunning for his crown.