When I had read about the character development for Lara Croft before playing this game, I was concerned that they used this reboot/prequel as an excuse to turn Lara Croft into some cliché damsel-in-distress in a horror-survival situation. It is technically like that, but it feels more gritty and raw and violent, and Croft kicks way too much ass to be that cliché. It draws you into her role, and makes you think: "if I were in that situation, what would I do? How would I cope?" The director of the game successfully creates an experience where you go from normal relatable everyday life to living in a Jerry Bruckheimer-action movie, (and at some points a horror movie). The game successfully conveys Lara Croft as a normal young person who triumphs through adversity to be strong, brave, even a bit ruthless.
In recent popular culture, the bow-and-arrow seems to have become a symbol of the strong independent woman in a fantasy setting. Perhaps they are channeling the ol' goddess archetypes like Artemis, the Greek, bow- wielding moon goddess. But often these depictions fall flat because the writer/director doesn't know how/is afraid to really run with it, and the bow-and-arrow just becomes a prop or a fashion accessory. (The movie "Brave" comes to mind.) But Lara Croft is different: she has a bow and arrow, and she actually USES it. To KILL people (and animals).
Speaking of violence, this game has just the right amount. The temples full of bloody bodies is a bit unrealistic, I mean, how could they have that many bodies on a little island that are so fresh and bloody? But the action sequences are gritty and real and drawn out, and they draw you in in that way a movie can't. To get through the game you have have shoot and stab and blow people up and that's that. It is what it is.
The plot is nothing original but it is enjoyable and suspenseful. I am halfway through the game and there are still big mysteries about what is going on. The overarching plot reminds me of the show "Lost" (except it makes sense and isn't full of random crap that goes nowhere). When the player gets into the action it reminds me of action movies from 10 or 15 years ago, especially with some of the background music they chose. The dialogue of the various enemies and henchmen wandering around can be pretty amusing too.
The gameplay is good ol' Tomb-Raidery goodness with some modern touches thrown in. There's the classic climbing and 3D-platform jumping that Tomb Raider games invented, plus elements reminiscent of newer series' like Assassins Creed, Prince of Persia, or God of War such as elements of stealth, first-person-shooter, scripted action sequences that require the player to press the right buttons, or mash the buttons quickly. At some points the game seems too easy though, and it holds the player's hand too much. It gives you too many hints without the option to turn it off. Often in the beginning of a puzzle Croft thinks something out loud, or an NPC makes some comment that steals the opportunity for the player to figure it out by themself. But I like it better than how impossible the old original games were, where the reading walkthroughs was pretty much a requirement. (Everyone I know always got stuck because they didn't notice that one tiny ledge of in a corner they're supposed to jump to, etc.) The combat sequences in the game has adjustable difficulty though.
The gameplay has elements of collecting random things. Usually that turns me off but in this game it's done right. Croft finds many artifacts throughout the game but they are realistic and rendered and described in detail. She finds old writing and journals that game reads aloud to you. Unlike many video games, the voice acting is good, and it is engaging enough that I want to read them, unlike most games where I don't even bother.
Overall this is a very well-done, professional, polished game, where the game designers did their homework in including time-tested fun and balanced game elements. A couple of times I did come across bugs though: At one point I was trapped because a cutscene wouldn't trigger when it was supposed to. I reloaded from the last save point and it worked OK after that though. Also there was a curious door that swung open. The door opened fine, but the graphic for the bullet-hole in the window of the door remained in the doorway floating in mid-air.
My only complaint is the over-done menu system. Every time you go a submenu or do something there has to be swooshing sound effects and text flying around and turning upside-down and exploding. (I'm exaggerating, but not *that* much.) It's just a minor quibble, it doesn't truly detract from the game, but I would have preferred a more clean and simple menu system.
