Tomb Raider (2013)

🎮 Steam ⏳ 35 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Grounded Lara Origin #

This Tomb Raider reboot is a gritty reboot of the classic franchise that successfully reimagines Lara Croft’s origin story. The game blends cinematic storytelling with solid third-person action, puzzle-solving, and exploration. So pretty much nothing new to the formula of these kinds of games, or for the franchise in general, though it really shines when it comes to it’s execution. Lara’s transformation from a vulnerable survivor to a hardened adventurer feels believable and emotionally engaging.

Modern Cinematic Adventure #

This gives a more mature and realistic tone to the series, compared to the more quirky and “action-hero”-like tone of the previous games. The island setting is atmospheric and beautifully realized, while the combat and traversal mechanics are tight and satisfying. Though it leans heavily into action, sometimes at the expense of classic tomb-raiding, it delivers a thrilling, modern adventure that revitalized the series. This title also implements stealth, a first for the series and a trend at the time, not much to comment on this, but it is a decent enough stealth system that serves the plot more than the gameplay.