Tomb Raider review

The relationship between video games and films has traditionally done more to embarrass gamers than it has to provide anything we’d actually like to play; the abominations of Paul WS Anderson alone are more than enough proof that gaming should stick to the small screen.

Recently though, a new trend has emerged where games merely borrow bits of Hollywood rather than trying to completely take it over, resulting in a new (and not rubbish) type of cinematic gaming.

The Uncharted series has long been the benchmark in this sub-genre, with huge set pieces and quicktime-event-laden gameplay creating experiences that go far beyond a set of simple game mechanics. Taking cues from the best, this origin story of the young, now-rebooted Lara Croft is remarkably similar to the movielike escapades of Nathan Drake, but it surpasses the old master by striking a near perfect balance of both the gaming and cinema worlds.

Moving away from the linear progression seen in previous titles, Tomb Raider is a third-person action adventure by way of Uncharted, complete with a heavy dose of Metroidvania mechanics and a story bearing strong similarities to television’s Lost. Shipwrecked on a mysterious island with far more of a supernatural vibe than the series norm, Lara is presented to us as a complete tomb raiding newbie, a fledgling explorer who we’re given to shape and develop.

Tomb Raider 2013

As the narrative unravels, so does any semblance of the Lara we’re accustomed to: she’s scared, inexperienced, and not entirely comfortable with stabbing bad guys through the throat with arrows (just yet). But, as we’re led deeper into the island’s enigmatic history as Lara searches for other survivors and a means of escape, we’re set up for a superb and convincing character development story.

Snippets of events leading to the shipwreck combine with the shadowy affairs of the island’s cult of inhabitants, giving us a heroine we can feel like we’re genuinely developing into the Lara we’ve grown so accustomed to. The progression of her skills and upgrades, done at campfires scattered around the hub-and-spoke game world, are paced as perfectly as the slowly darkening story, and it’s an engrossing experience as Lara adjusts and grows into a confident killing machine.

Despite the similar feel to Uncharted, the combat in Tomb Raider is far more evolved and involving. Sure, there are quick-time events and some scripted sequences, but the numerous enemy encounters stand up as a solid part of the gameplay rather than a tacked-on extra. Stealthily stalking bad guys with your compound bow is as satisfying as lobbing grenades and shooting your way to victory, and strong AI marries the combat beautifully with Lara’s constant underdog struggle.

Tomb Raider 2013

While the gunplay and exploring feel like they’re balanced just right, it’s the cinematic moments that truly shine as one aspect of the game that’s not only done right, but done better than any similar game before. Movie moments from collapsing building escapes right down to ascending perilous cliffsides are indeed scripted events, but they’re so seamlessly inserted into the action that they never feel intrusive or come across as hand-holding: there’s just enough of it to feel epic while not too much that it turns into Michael Bay action schtick.

This all takes place on an island that boasts some of the best visuals seen on consoles. While some textures and outdoor areas aren’t as technically impressive as those traversed by Nathan Drake, the overall sense of scale is simply amazing. Shipwrecks along a treacherous, stormy beach invite exploration, as do the surrounding cliffs, multi-tiered enemy fortresses and secret tombs scattered across a varied and convincing game world. It’s as grand and ambitious as any Hollywood blockbuster, a world so remarkable that it’s almost a surprise to discover it to be playable.

Tomb Raider 2013

Apart from the sheer size of it all, it’s the level design and art direction that absolutely scream AAA title here, and I felt almost shameful at how eager I was to see what well-designed prettiness Tomb Raider was going to offer me next as I blazed through the gorgeous landscapes. The lighting is perfect, the views are stunning, and the level of detail that permeates every aspect of the entire package is a marvel rarely seen outside the movies.

There’s also a terrific sense of grindhouse grit, a grisly tone from malevolent cult behaviour and plenty of graphic death and failure animations, and despite some of these giving off a slight torture-porn vibe they lend an appropriate sense of edginess to the mature nature of the story.

Quite simply, there’s little doubt here that Tomb Raider is the new reigning champion of the cinematic gaming genre. No aspect of the game feels neglected in favour of another, and the only fault I could find with such a polished package was the time it took to enjoy the whole experience could’ve been a whole lot longer.

Where countless games and their movie tie-ins have failed, this is an adventure that does everything right in all the right ways, surpassing even the untouchable Uncharted series to leave each one of its inspirations stranded on a remote island somewhere awaiting rescue.

Tomb Raider 2013 PC – TressFX comparison – click to enlarge

Editorial by James:

While Dan reviewed Tomb Raider on Xbox 360, I have been playing it on PC. I agree with him on all aspects of his review, and this is so far one of my favourite games of the year.

I want to make special mention of the job done porting Tomb Raider to PC by Nixxes Software. In short, they did a sterling job.

Tomb Raider is a very good looking game and under the hood it has enough graphics settings tweaks to keep discerning PC gamers happy, including DirectX 11 features. This includes high resolution textures, tessellation (smooth geometry and detailed surfaces), SSAO, cloth physics, post-processing effects, bokeh depth of field, and of course the vaunted AMD TressFX hair physics simulation.

Tomb Raider PC graphics options

It should be noted that while TressFX is a very cool and attractive effect, will spank your GPU; patches are coming out fast to address this problem. The settings are highly customisable, and so gamers with all manner of computing power should be able to squeeze the most out of their systems.

The controls also translated well to PC, and there has not been once when I cursed the aiming as “consoletarded”.

So, top marks for the PC port as well. Welcome back, Lara.