Impressions: Tomb Raider

It's Labor day (yay), but I don't have any themed content (boo), so here's Tomb Raider instead (yay).




Some of the content that follows may be graphic, and thus not appropriate for children.

Spoilers ahoy!

• Lara's character arc and development, while not totally believable, is very relatable, and awesome to see. We see moments where she refuses to be the victim, as well as things that will scar her. Before I played this, I was unsure of my feelings on female game protagonists. Now I can say that I definitely want to see more.
• Every weapon is useful, every tool has a purpose. Every time something started to be less useful, it got an upgrade that made it viable again.
• I feel like there's too much gore. I understand that the point is to horrify you, but it feels out of place. The stormguard already felt otherworldly. Why did they need to add all the gore? Weren't the dead bodies enough?
• Stealth feels very believable, unlike some other games. Enemies are not the hyper-aware super-guards you find in some games, but neither are they the oblivious/insane idiot guards in others. They react believably (with some exceptions) to almost everything you do. It's relatively easy to avoid detection, but once you've been spotted, it's very hard to get away again. The seamless transition into combat feels very natural.
• Speaking of combat, Lara is something of a glass cannon. She vulnerable, but very powerful at the same time. Anything that would take an enemy down will also kill you, and vice versa.
• I felt nothing for the other survivors. Lara was the only one I really cared about until right near the end. I did feel some low-key loathing towards Dr. Whitman, but even that was not until later.
• One of my favorite things is how the supernatural drives plot from the background. Everything that happens is because of Himiko and the stormguard, but they do not become the focus until the final act. Even then though, it's father Mathias who serves as the main antagonist and final boss.
• Collectibles and puzzles were very closely tied to the world, with only a handful being out of place. I took the time to finish everything but a few challenges, and even then I might go back to do those.

What did you think of this reboot?




 Well after a rough couple days, I'm feeling good. My depressive states never last for long.

 I'm going to be getting a car very soon. My great-grandfather got a new car, and I'm going to buy his old one.

 I've also decided which laptop I want to get, so the quality and quantity of my writing might go up, starting in a few weeks. We'll see.

 I'm waiting until at least November to buy an Xbox One. If anyone knows of a good trade-in deal for a 360, let me know.

 Maybe most importantly, my parents may have found a house in Reno that they want to buy. They're going to take a trip up there next month for their anniversary, so we'll see how that pans out.

 Finally, my birthday is in about a month! I don't have anything planned, but if anyone want to help me celebrate, I'm sure we can figure something out.


 God bless.