Here we go into my marathon of the second "Tomb Raider" reboot trilogy, often known as the "Survivor Trilogy." I couldn't tell you what exactly compelled me to want to try this trilogy out, as I didn't really grow up with the series or have much of a pre-established connection to Lara Croft, but a part of it may have had to do with my brother playing the games and absolutely loving them. So, that curiosity, combined with the general popularity of the franchise, made me want to check this out. Thankfully, I can say I enjoyed my time with it.
"Tomb Raider" dominates in a lot of different areas. The visual design is excellent, and the game succeeds in offering an amazing cinematic presentation. There's also some great development of Lara as a character, and Camilla Ludington absolutely nails it in her performance as Lara. Yamatai is also a wonderful setting with rich attention to detail, and the overall level design is strong as well. The controls are smooth, which is a huge blessing with how much there is to learn, and the combat is exciting and addictive. The upgrade system is also accessible and interesting, and there is plenty of content to find, explore, and unlock.
There were, of course, some issues I had with the game. As many have already said, the story can feel pretty cliché. This term has been brought up a lot with "Tomb Raider," but I'll say it again: the ludonarrative dissonance is in full effect with this game. I also felt that many of the death sequences were a bit over the top and that some of the Quick-Time Events took me out of the action a small bit.
Overall, "Tomb Raider" is a very enjoyable game that excellently translates the series to a modern style. As someone who hadn't previously played a "Tomb Raider" game before this, I think it serves as a very good entry point for new fans while offering just enough for older players to get excited about. I definitely recommend giving it a try, especially if you have the chance to pick up the "Definitive Edition" on a next-gen console.
Final rating: 8 out of 10 "Great"