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Tomb Raider 2013 Reboot Graphic

Change is change. It is a different game from previous titles in the series. Yes, we call this a 'reboot'. Perhaps it's my personality but I choose to go into a game hoping to enjoy it. I'm not looking for dropped frames or minor glitches that don't taint the the game's performance. I'm also accepting of when a game is sent out to consumers with so much less than was expected or deserved.

When it comes to the newest Tomb Raider, I feel that the developers deserve an appreciative handshake and a pat on the back for their effort. I like the change but also am incredibly pleased with the fact they captured what I feel is the general vibe of the franchise. It's not flawless or everything I expected, but it's an enjoyable effort nonetheless.

Nothing is going to compare or live up to the fun experience I had booting up any of the previous titles. The major message I want to convey is that I don't want more of the old. If I want the original Tomb Raider experience of desperately trying to take down dinosaurs with only pistols, I will play that game. I don't want to see carbon copies of what I've already played so many times over.

Lara Croft Before and After

My point is that video games are an artform. They can be incredibly bad, unimmersive and uniteresting to some players, but they are still a creative medium. Being an artist means pushing what you can do and trying something different. Frédéric Chopin didn't write a piece in D-major then simply change to E-minor because it seemed like the next 'logical' step. He went on to write pieces that were completely unique and different from one another.

On the same note, Vincent van Gogh did not put down his paints and decide to take up violin, for example. My point with this is van Gogh is a brilliant painter, but if he was to take up a violin for the first time it would not sound good. Some studios choose to be ambitious and tackle something that's way outside of their comfort zone. Sometimes the results are a fantastic new series or IP. A lot of the time, it falls short of expectations. Either way, I give a thumbs up to those studios. You tried. You took a risk out there and whether or not it panned out well, you deserve something on the spectrum between a weak thumbs up and a bear hug.

Things change. They have to. They NEED to. Looking too far into the past or holding onto ridiculously high expectations only keeps your views fixed in one place. Take the next step, try something a little different.

You might like it.

Comments

  • Per Morten Avatar
    Per Morten
    11 years ago

    It's nice to read a different opinion on this matter, but as for me, I like it when it takes new chances etc. But; even though I am often very sceptical before hand, I always sit down with an open mind when consuming a medium, and I feel like that is the best way to do it.

    I critized Tomb Raider and Dead Space 3 hardcore before they came out, but I bought them both day one, as I knew they would be good, but maybe not in the way I wanted. As a result, I like Tomb Raider a lot, and found Dead Space 3 to be okay. The worst in the series, but the worst in terms of Dead Space 1 and 2 is still better then alot of other games.

    I write and host a podcast for a norwegian website, and there was some doubt if I was the right on to review Tomb Raider, seeing as I'd writen alot of "negative" artilces about it the months before release. But I got to review it, and I felt that I still could review it without biased opinions. I think that is important.

  • Avatar
    WubWub
    11 years ago

    I agree that changes are good. This new tomb raider is a fantastic change. But if you make a change so drastic that it doesn't represent any of the previous works in the series then change the name. They did it with guardian of light to show its a spin off series so they could of done it with this game. They did it with call of duty to split the originals from the modern warfare series. Its just nice to know what sort of game you are getting just from the title. Also if you do reboot a series you shouldn't call the new one the exact same name as another game in the series. That is like trying to erase history.

  • Revrevs Avatar
    Revrevs
    11 years ago

    Change is okay. Change for the sake of drawing in a specific audience is rather dubious. New games seem to do a great job at doing this and Tomb Raider is no exception.

  • Princessvannah Avatar
    Princessvannah
    11 years ago

    I cannot express how much I love this! So many people look at this reboot negatively, but it really is not a bad game. Of course, it's unlike any of the previous Tomb Raider titles, but like you said, we can go back and play those! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We need more positiviity here!

  • theottomatic91 Avatar
    theottomatic91
    11 years ago

    I am enjoying this Reboot a lot though I would like to see a developer (indie or otherwise) take what made old school TR great and release a title with better controls (No Anniversary does not count though it is enjoyable).

  • TurnedtoGold Avatar
    TurnedtoGold
    11 years ago

    Miss Elizabeth, I love you. This is so completely perfect. It's what I've been saying since I saw the game on the feed. I picked it up last night, and I'm relatively happy. Sure, I wish there were more tombs and puzzles, but this game is not about tombs. It's about her growth into the character we know her as. Tomb Raider was one of the first games I ever played. Ever. It has a place in my heart that no other game can ever take. That being said, I'm still willing to embrace this game for what it is. Change can be a good thing. I, for one, love Lara's character and watching her whiny evolution.

  • Victus Unus Avatar
    Victus Unus
    11 years ago

    First off, I still look forward to playing this game.

    My issue is I feel like there is a bit of dissonance between how Lara acts in a cutscene and how she acts in gameplay. The feeling terrible about killing someone,but and then proceeding to kill every guy she runs across feels strange to me.

  • Emulatedhype Avatar
    Emulatedhype
    11 years ago

    I'll be honest, I would have been much more forgiving of this title had it been a new IP. As it stands, change isn't -always- as necessary as you were prescribing in the last paragraph.

    If the end product is so fundamentally different in nature from it's predecessor(s), then perhaps it should have been a new IP or spiritual successor rather than a reboot. There are so many great examples of this happening in the industry that it's kind of sad to think of how big of a missed opportunity this was. Just look at how Devil May Cry branched off of Resident Evil 4, and from it, Bayonetta.

    My point is when a franchise needs a dramatic formula change to keep it relevant then perhaps its time to shelve the series and birth something new into the industry. Crystal Dynamics has been working on Tomb Raider since 2005, they haven't worked on a new IP in nearly a decade.