Crystal Dynamics' gritty reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise will be unleashed upon the excited gaming world in just a few short days, and having been lucky enough to give it a whirl already, we can confirm what the first reviews are saying, that the latest Tomb Raider game is indeed not only a return to form, but arguably the most streamlined and considered of the entire franchise. Despite a few hiccups - some tonal inconsistencies and pointless multiplayer you needn't even bother trying - Crystal Dynamics have taken a firm lead from Naughty Dog's Uncharted series, managing to craft a similarly seamless, cinematic experience that offers the best action, exploration and character development in the entirety of the series. If the few minor missteps can be fixed for Tomb Raider 2, then the next game just might be the masterpiece that the series is capable of. Hang up your jaded feelings about Tomb Raider and get ready to immerse yourself in a thrilling adventure game experience. Here are 10 reasons Tomb Raider is awesome...
10. It's The Gritty Reboot The Series Needs
Ever since Christopher Nolan brought the Caped Crusader surging back to life his with dark, gritty reboot of the Batman franchise, the "dark, gritty reboot" has been a fashionable term to throw around whenever a given franchise begins running out of steam and seems to risk becoming stagnant. To say that the Tomb Raider franchise has been run into the ground is an understatement; the series' fourth game delivered apparent closure by seemingly killing Lara off, though of course, she soon enough re-appeared albeit with increasingly diminishing returns. Though recent entries did introduce more refined controls and exploratory elements, 2013's Tomb Raider is certainly a much-needed injection of adrenline and ingenuity for the series. Taking us back to Lara's early days as an explorer, we meet her as she becomes ship-wrecked on an island and must use her innate resourcefulness to survive. It's a refreshingly minimalist concept that isn't mired in the convolution of later Tomb Raider games, and though it would be hard to call this game "back to basics", it is a reboot for the best, tearing away the cobwebs of old but introducing some sparkling, fresh gameplay dynamics at the same time.