How many times have you died? In your gaming life, how many times did you count? We're undoubtedly talking about massive numbers, of a magnitude that ultimately erodes disappearing into a forgettable, rote experience. Certain genres play into this and give more meaning to these murders (looking at you roguelikes), but for action adventure games, routine cancellation is normal. So how can we make countless disappearances more memorable? If you're working with a gaming icon, you make it as horrible as possible.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition releases on Xbox Game Pass on May 2, and with that comes the chance to experience (or revisit) one of the most intense and brutal action-adventure games of any generation. A bold retelling of Lara Croft's origin story, Crystal Dynamics ditched the triangular ta-tas in favor of a gritty, gritty reboot.
Lara Croft is a household name for a reason. Yes, her stunning proportions were a focal point of the male gaze-dominated gaming culture of the '90s, but she always proved to be more than skin deep. The original tomb Raider games included revolutionary 3D platforms as the industry moved to more powerful home consoles. Crystal Dynamics understood the need for legitimate gameplay alongside a modern sensibility when it comes to reimagining a femme fatale. And one of the best ways to humanize Lara Croft was to put her through hell.
The new origin story at the heart of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition sees Lara embark on her first adventure, only to see her plane crash on an island that is as deadly as it is mysterious. There are a large cast of characters made up of Lara's old friends and new enemies, with a complex story of betrayal, fate, and revenge to unravel. Aesthetically, Lara's journey is covered in mud and blood. His initial escape from his captors and introduction to the dangers of the island (and the game's mechanics) sets a brutal, intense tone punctuated by some of the most grisly animation a main character has ever had to experience.
The effect is deep and lasting. There is a plot of ways for Lara to get knocked out and you don't particularly want to witness it. However, it’s not all sticks and carrots. Lara can give it her all and combat is built around providing you with a constant stream of ways to become deadlier and more effective. The skill tree is divided into three parts: hunter skills, brawler skills, and survivor skills. Hunter and Brawler are what you would expect. Hunter is focused on stealth and ranged attacks, Brawler is focused on close combat and strong defense. The Survivor branch deals with crafting and collecting, which you can expect to do a lot of in Tomb Raider.
Although it was released at the height of the grind-n-craft obsession in 2010, tomb Raider manages to find a workable balance between what you find and what you need. Exploration has always been at the heart of the series, and you'll find plenty of secrets, puzzles, and collectibles this time around. The nice thing is how organic everything happens. It's rare to feel distracted, but the game is constantly rolling out experience points, salvage (currency), and materials by placing them absolutely everywhere. Intuitive level design piques your curiosity as you navigate dangerous caves and industrial ruins rather than signposting every possible path.
Lara can also use her “survival instinct” to help him. This is your standard detective feature that temporarily slows down time and highlights objects of interest in the environment. It also marks enemies to help you sneak up, especially early in the game, when Lara brings a bow made of tree branches to every shootout. While this makes things easier, it's entirely optional, so if you're looking for a more hardcore experience you can increase the difficulty and turn it off.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition does the series justice. He ushered in the new era of tomb Raiderwhich spawned multiple sequels after that game's launch in 2013, and ultimately gave the Xbox platform access to something equal to Sony's blockbuster Unexplored series. Sometimes all you need to do to breathe new life into a character is bring them down over and over again.