TLDR at the end.
A lot of the things I’m going to be talking about - from platforming to combat, from tone to character design - are aspects that seem to have changed somewhat significantly between the original Tomb Raider series and the new reboot. Even though I’m in no way very experienced with the earlier games, I seem to recall gameplay being more challenging, which would lead me to believe the new games were toned down to better accommodate the new vision. I also know some of the changes, especially when it comes to Lara's character, were quite controversial to some fans. But in a way, Tomb Raider gave me the exact action-adventure experience I had hoped it would.
The game boasts an immersive cinematic presentation, anchored in impressive action sequences from start to finish that may feel a bit much on a couple moments, but are nonetheless awesome to experience for the most part. I'm still surprised by how well they were able to make use of lighting and smoke effects to add that extra layer of atmosphere. Additionally, the minimalistic UI is something I haven't seen mentioned much when talking about this game, but it really serves as a fantastic complement to sell the immersion - you barely have anything on screen at any given time, and most indicators are done in a non-intrusive, effective way (except perhaps when it comes to damage direction).
Exploration is another thing Tomb Raider does remarkably well. The maps are actually less linear than I had initially thought, which works in the sense that this encourages players to see what else is out there. And tombs, of course, play a big part in it. I had a great time going through every tomb I could find, because even though they all share the same formula blueprint and ultimate outcome, they are all different enough to make exploring them enjoyable, both in terms of layout and puzzles (some of which feature a competent use of wind and physics in a fairly creative way). It also helps that this isn’t something you do ad nauseam, since there are only 7 of them in the game.
Another one of Tomb Raider’s accomplishments is its great mechanical execution. Running and especially turning aren’t up to the same standard, but the jumping, rock climbing, rope and general platforming mechanics all feel great to use, even more so because levels incorporate verticality in a really well designed way. I never grew tired of traversing the maps via climbing or ropes, and to me that’s when the game was at its best. Combat, too, feels pretty good as a whole. Meele is powerful - if sparsely utilised -, gunplay is good enough and the environmental destruction that can be caused by fire or explosions is well done, but above all I loved the arcadey feel of the bow shooting mechanics. The bow in Tomb Raider serves different purposes and it was always a joy to use, almost immediately becoming my weapon of choice.
Everything I mentioned above was what I was somewhat hoping to find on my playthrough, so although I really liked the execution, I wasn’t necessarily surprised by it. What I didn’t expect was the more dramatic, darker, grittier tone they brought to the Tomb Raider universe with this title, something I also truly appreciated. This tone was set very early on and it lingered pretty much throughout the entire game, though I’m of the mind that this was done way more effectively in the first half. Evil cults, blood rituals, human sacrifices, hellish figures, personal demons, they all come together and blend in perfectly with the gritty island setting and the depiction of Lara’s fragility in an otherwise brutal world, perfectly captured in the incredibly gruesome deaths she can either cause or endure. This, however, creates an unfortunate dichotomy between her character arc and narrative execution. I actually liked the story’s more mature layers, as non-sensical as its content could sometimes come across, but from the get-go Lara is depicted as this aspiring archeologist with no military training and great resistance to violence. The game, however, quickly encourages you to abandon all this in favour of an aggressive approach, punctuated by visceral and stylish kills that reward you with XP. It’s not much of a turnoff because of how enjoyable these engagements feel, but it can still occasionally break immersion.
A couple more aspects worth bringing up under a positive light are the streamlined way progression is handled via a very simple, very basic RPGesque system, and the way some collectibles are used in world building. The documents and relics in this regard are particularly important, and inform the player of events and motivations to such an extent that the game becomes much richer when experienced this way - on the other hand, collectibles like the GPS caches or the ones specific to each map are absolutely useless and nothing more than filler.
This is all mostly high (and in my opinion well deserved) praise, but the game also has a couple of flaws that I didn’t particularly like and brought my experience down a notch. For starters, Tomb Raider begins by luring you into this notion that you’re about to enter a survival experience, which is actually quite misleading, since all you forage is either for XP or salvage and has nothing to do with survival. Secondly, the stealth mechanics are, at best, half-baked into the game, with little autonomy or impact to speak of. I find this was a particularly missed opportunity. Lara’s personality was carved in such a way that it would be much more conducive to a stealthier, shadow-focused type of playstyle, which at best the game encourages only on a surface level. For the most part, you’re jumping through hoops in a balls-to-the-wall style with a visually ridiculous amount of physical challenges thrown your way, even for a video game. Another thing I disliked was the the existence of a couple of annoying instadeath segments, though here I have to admit the QTEs were less frequent and intrusive than I thought they were going to be. Finally, with the exceptions of maybe Lara, Roth and Jonah, most of the characters are, at best, forgettable. The way they were written, Hollywoodishly voiced and facially animated makes them too artificial and unrelatable, therefore removing any emotional investment in their outcomes. Tomb Raider isn't exactly a game one plays for its moving story and character depth, but in a title that shows such level of quality in most other areas, this kind of stands out like a sore thumb.
All in all, Tomb Raider is a game that can be very easily recommended for anyone looking to quench a particular Indiana Jones/Uncharted-type of thirst. I personally didn’t have an issue with the changes from past entries, and its specific problems never detract from the experience in any significant way, which ultimately results in a very satisfying adventurer-explorer title packed to the brim with exciting segments. It is a highly competent reimagining of the Tomb Raider universe, one I have a feeling will be hard to top by its subsequent titles, which I’ll be playing next. 8/10
