In 2013, a reboot to the Tomb Raider series finally arrived. The game was largely a success, garnering many new fans and receiving critical acclaim that praised an exciting and emotional story along with an in-depth characterisation of Lara Croft previously unknown to the franchise. Yet the new title did disappoint gamers in one aspect. For the first time ever in the series, which is comprised of over 10 entries, it would include a multiplayer aspect. It essentially saw two teams face off against each other in a variety of different modes, including a death match. While not entirely terrible, the online component was very basic, offering limited moments of action and requiring very little tactical thinking; it was a master class in the mundane. Despite the huge popularity of the product the servers have been largely empty since release, pointing to the obvious fact that most people didnt play the multiplayer portion. At its heart, the franchise has always been about exploring and treasure hunting. Taking on the role of Lara Croft is to go out in search of ancient artefacts through forgotten temples and dungeons, all the while avoiding traps and fleeing from deadly enemies. That type of mechanic just cant translate to anything other than single player. So its easy to see why the multiplayer was largely ignored. To fans of Tomb Raider the multiplayer modes did very little to keep them interested in the title - in fact, they were much more likely to go back and play the campaign over again than jump online to play something, that to them, felt like a largely irrelevant experience. Like this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
