A Survivor Reborn - Review: Tomb Raider (2013)

There's no need to draw any extra attention to this fact. Reboots are abound. Whether it's a TV show, a movie franchise, a video game – even entire comic book brands – if it's been made in the last two years chances are it was a remake. Or a reboot. Or a re-imagining. Or a “spiritual companion.” It's not a new trend. Most thematic elements are borrowed from another source, but even then people tend to catch on to when it becomes egregious. Myself? I prefer when people can come up with something fresh so I am selective about which reboots I decide to invest in. There were two in particular that had me excited in the year of 2012. The first being the TV return of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The second being the subject of this piece. The re-imagining and rebirth of the Tomb Raider herself – Lara Croft.

I missed the boat on the original Tomb Raider. I can't exactly say it was before my time as many of the Tomb Raider games came out around or after the time that I started playing video games. I was a bit young to fully grasp what the game was all about – the treasure hunting, puzzle solving, and ancient curses – so I didn't experience it first-hand. Instead, I watched for hours as my uncle made his way through level after level of platforms and frustration and dinosaurs. There are no dinosaurs in this version, but there is plenty of the other stuff.

After a certain number of years, it became clear that perhaps Lady Croft was starting to lose her luster. There had been about four games and two movies by this point: not counting the Anniversary remake and subsequent trilogy. The franchise was 25 years old and more importantly, video games were changing. They were becoming more character-driven, story-intensive experiences. Fully interactive and engaging. In a world where Nathan Drake and GLADOS exist, there is no room for Lara as we knew her. Let Phase 2 begin.

This is a reboot. That means a complete franchise overhaul. New story; new characters; new Lara. This was perhaps the most radical change of all. What we have here is an origin story. Lara doesn't start off as a gun-toting, globetrotting woman of power. Having just graduated university, she is a young, fresh-faced rookie of archaeology who, following in her late father's footsteps, is embarking on her first adventure as she calls it. She is innocent in the beginning. And as a child of wealth and privilege she seeks to separate herself from her typecast and prove her worth and find out just what kind of Croft she is.

The game opens up on board the trading ship Endurance. Lara is on her way towards the perilous Dragon's Triangle to help investigate tale of an ancient civilization, long since gone missing off the mainland of Japan. It is unclear whether they will find anything of substance on this journey until a terrible storm upends them, splitting the ship in two and leaving the ship's crew stranded on the uncharted island of Yamatai. You must now explore the island and uncover its secrets if you are ever to see civilization again. The main objective: simply survive.

This is an M-Rated game. And that's a significant note because as far as gritty reboots go, this is certainly one of the more severe. The engine gives you button-prompts to master, jumps to clear, puzzles to solve and more often than not the price for silly mistakes is hefty. This grittiness is effective, but can also be a hindrance. On one hand, it gives Lara character. That is, in addition to the new character design she also has motivation that makes her more believable as a heroine. On the other hand, there is a certain disconnect that comes with such ruggedness. The jump from innocent Lara

to “Survivor” Lara 

will seem very quick for some. The bumps and bruises seem to escalate in an exponential fashion. This has a lot to do with the medium. Video games by trade are less intensive on such logistics because the gameplay takes priority. As the series progresses, it will be interesting to see how that grit is handled once Lara does less surviving and more exploring.

There is a new combat system as well. Upgradable and customizable: you can create new weapons with the salvage you find on the island. The new melee attack system lets you deal with enemies in close-quarters and avoid danger by scrambling on the ground. This along with the climbing mechanics are perhaps the best part of the update and are both key to making it through in one piece.

And what of Lara? As referenced, it was a complete facelift. This was no half-hearted reboot. Lara's face, her demeanor, even her voice has changed completely. Her body's proportions are no longer as extreme. You can still tell she's a woman; can still tell she's strong, but there's no better way to make your leading lady relatable than to make her look human. It's really an incredible design. Too many developers go into an update not wanting to do any updating. They want to create their own vision, but they want to coast on the former version's glory. In most cases you can't have both. Going the route of making your own way is much braver and as history has shown us much more successful in the long run.

For example:

I'm actually really excited for the future in this case. There is so much potential in this new world. So many places Lara could go. This is a great origin story because of that. As a player, I find myself looking forward eagerly to the next game. And it's been a very long time since I've felt that way. I want to see where Lara's adventures take her next and more importantly I'm eager to follow the growth of her character. I missed the wagon of the original Tomb Raider and this is a Lara Croft I can get behind.

If there are any problems I had it'd have to go back to the grittiness. It works against the game sometimes. For the second game, I think I might scale back a bit. Take Assassin's Creed. An M-rated game, very bloody and extremely violent but not in a way that could suspend too much disbelief. And speaking of which, despite the numerous innovations, Crystal Dynamics didn't exactly reinvent the wheel in every way. The game follows a tried and true coming-of-age arc complete with a group of stock friends

But I like this game more than I don't. And the upsides are just so numerous; replayability being an example. It's doubtful you'll be able to explore every nook of Yamatai in one go. It's a big island and there are many cliffs to climb, secrets to find and yes, tombs to raid. That alone is worth a closer look for any fan, old or new.

4 Stars out of 5