7. Lara Croft Is Vulnerable...And A Merciless Killer - Tomb Raider
This year's Tomb Raider reboot is, for my money, easily the best game in the franchise, taking the rather clunky controls and innate sexism of the original series and turning it contemporary; now Lara moves slickly (in a manner clearly inspired by the success of the Uncharted franchise), and her anatomical proportions are far more...realistic. While the game doesn't boast the most nuanced story, it works efficiently enough, and though it does a generally fine job of re-fashioning Lara as an up to date character, there are a few dubious moments that pretty much make it hard to take her totally seriously. Lara is first presented to us as a vulnerable woman who, while strong and resourceful, is dealing with foes far more savage and imposing than herself, and when she kills a man, she is clearly utterly distraught at the thought of it. The problem is that within moments, Lara transforms into someone who no longer really has a problem with murder; the transformation is too fast, and if you're really going to tackle characterisation like this, it really needs to be well thought-out. Instead, the game's tone becomes a little confused, and amazing fun though it is, Crystal Dynamics need to be a little more careful with Lara next time.