While this game isn't quite what I wanted it to be, it is still a worthy entry to the storied series. This island does a good job with ambience as you explore your surroundings. You will always hear rushing water from a stream ahead of you, or the sound of sea gulls as you aproach a turbulent sea side. The environment is truly astounding graphically speaking too. I can only imagine how much time and care was taken when they did the character animations, because they are some of the best I've ever seen. The graphics are nothing but eye candy on the PC version especially. Tomb Raider does a fair job of making you feel like an intrepid archaeologist as you explore derelict ruins and view wonderous vistas.

The mechanics of jumping and platforming can cause a little frustration but overall the devs did a good job on that front. Only occasionally did Lara go in another direction than what I intended, and this being a reboot for the franchise, almost all of the mechanics have been changed or tweaked. The combat in particular has been scrapped completely and rebuilt to resemble a modern, over the shoulder shooter, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on your viewpoint. I didn't mind the switch so much because the shooting is a solid experience with some stealth thrown in the mix to keep it more interesting. I do miss the days of outlandishly side flipping enemies while having pinpoint accuracy wielding dual pistols, but the new combat system is far more plausible in my opinion, and in the laws of physics.

My biggest gripe is the damnedable quicktime events. There is nothing that drags you away from the action and story more than a poorly executed QTE. Watching Lara get strangled or impaled loses impact if you watch it for the tenth time in a 4 minute period. Those QTE's were the bane of mine and Lara's existence, as they were fairly plentiful throughout the game. My other, less vexing complaint is the storyline. Lara Croft, who is someone with an intelligence level far beyond average, can be utterly obtuse and downright vacuous at times. Which is bewildering considering how often this game beats you about the head with how smart she is. It is a shame too, because this story is moderately compelling, and it is nice to see that the writers didn't shy away from supernatural elements and events that the series is known for. But it is poor storytelling when protagonists are arbitrarily obtuse to propel the story in a certain direction. The story is really predictable and languid at times, but still enjoyable.

Something else that caught my attention was a number of features that were underdeveloped or under used. Like the hunting and survival aspect for example. You are tasked with killing a deer or rabbit in order to survive for food in the opening segment, but you are never required to do so again. Like so many collectibles and destructibles, it seems like the devs had plans to flesh them out but got bogged down by deadlines. So they all end up being optional busy work, and when busy work is optional it will almost never get done. It doesn't detract from the game, but it doesn't really add any value either. Overall this is a highly polished and fun reboot of a beloved franchise. Despite my quibbles I found myself having fun, and that is the whole point of entertainment. 7.5/10

While this game isn't quite what I wanted it to be, it is still a worthy entry to the storied series. This island does a good job with ambience as you explore your surroundings. You will always hear rushing water from a stream ahead of you, or the sound of sea gulls as you aproach a turbulent sea side. The environment is truly astounding graphically speaking too. I can only imagine how much time and care was taken when they did the character animations, because they are some of the best I've ever seen. The graphics are nothing but eye candy on the PC version especially. Tomb Raider does a fair job of making you feel like an intrepid archaeologist as you explore derelict ruins and view wonderous vistas. The mechanics of jumping and platforming can cause a little frustration but overall the devs did a good job on that front. Only occasionally did Lara go in another direction than what I intended, and this being a reboot for the franchise, almost all of the mechanics have been changed or tweaked. The combat in particular has been scrapped completely and rebuilt to resemble a modern, over the shoulder shooter, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on your viewpoint. I didn't mind the switch so much because the shooting is a solid experience with some stealth thrown in the mix to keep it more interesting. I do miss the days of outlandishly side flipping enemies while having pinpoint accuracy wielding dual pistols, but the new combat system is far more plausible in my opinion, and in the laws of physics. My biggest gripe is the damnedable quicktime events. There is nothing that drags you away from the action and story more than a poorly executed QTE. Watching Lara get strangled or impaled loses impact if you watch it for the tenth time in a 4 minute period. Those QTE's were the bane of mine and Lara's existence, as they were fairly plentiful throughout the game. My other, less vexing complaint is the storyline. Lara Croft, who is someone with an intelligence level far beyond average, can be utterly obtuse and downright vacuous at times. Which is bewildering considering how often this game beats you about the head with how smart she is. It is a shame too, because this story is moderately compelling, and it is nice to see that the writers didn't shy away from supernatural elements and events that the series is known for. But it is poor storytelling when protagonists are arbitrarily obtuse to propel the story in a certain direction. The story is really predictable and languid at times, but still enjoyable. Something else that caught my attention was a number of features that were underdeveloped or under used. Like the hunting and survival aspect for example. You are tasked with killing a deer or rabbit in order to survive for food in the opening segment, but you are never required to do so again. Like so many collectibles and destructibles, it seems like the devs had plans to flesh them out but got bogged down by deadlines. So they all end up being optional busy work, and when busy work is optional it will almost never get done. It doesn't detract from the game, but it doesn't really add any value either. Overall this is a highly polished and fun reboot of a beloved franchise. Despite my quibbles I found myself having fun, and that is the whole point of entertainment. 7.5/10