4. Puzzles
It would have been easy for the new Tomb Raider, with its fancy new visuals and gameplay mechanics, to completely forget about the very essence of these games, yes, that it is about
tomb raiding, rather than just stalking an island and killing big bad guys. Given that the more recent titles distanced themselves from the puzzle-based play of earlier games, it's refreshing to see Tomb Raider back in the challenging realm in 2013. Though entirely optional, the game allows you to visit a number of secret tombs hidden around the island, and after completing a puzzle to navigate the tomb, you'll receive special treasure, usually amounting to additional XP. If the puzzling elements in previous games became increasingly casual-ised and easy, there are some pretty ingenious ones here, some that'll have you smacking your head against the nearest wooden object in despair. Keeping them optional is a great way to introduce puzzles without bogging the main game down, while still pleasing the more hardcore players.