A game review from the unique perspective of a total newbie gamer whose only just started to indulge a life long love of video games, who also happens to be an adult(ish) woman.
Warning: Spoilers (duh).
Character Design
Not an awful lot has changed between Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider when it comes to character design. Lara is still much more believable as a character now, with strong arms and legs that look like she can really haul herself around in impossible terrain.
Though it hasn't changed, it's well worth mentioning. Nothing pisses me off more than badass women being drawn in such a way that defies that label; stick thin bimbos with bosoms bigger than the sun somehow managing to stay upright despite waists narrower than my forearm.
Look at her. She looks strong. That's important to me.
Here you see her in three different outfits. As part of the shift in the gaming, you can dress Lara up in different outfits throughout the game. I spent most of the game with her dressed in the Baba Yaga outfit; mostly because it looked vaguely like the Forsworn of Skyrim, and it amused me.
Look at her. She looks strong. That's important to me.
Here you see her in three different outfits. As part of the shift in the gaming, you can dress Lara up in different outfits throughout the game. I spent most of the game with her dressed in the Baba Yaga outfit; mostly because it looked vaguely like the Forsworn of Skyrim, and it amused me.
Forsworn, right?
I derived far too much amusement out of that fact.
I derived far too much amusement out of that fact.
The other characters are all similarly well created. On the side of good (for want of a better phrase):
 Jonah, making a reappearance from the first game. He's the only character from the first who does. He remains good people, and believes in Lara fully. |  Jacob, whose secret is pretty easy to guess if you're paying attention. He is the leader of the local group, sworn to protecting the item you're hunting for. Inexplicably, this taking place in Siberia, he speaks with a distinctly Western accent. |  Sofia, Jacob's daughter (I think? She may just call him 'Father' because that's the name they give their leaders). She's antagonistic to Lara, at first, but comes around. I really like her as character. Her accent is also suspect. |
On the other side:
 Ana. She and Mr. Croft (Lara's papa) were... uh... involved. Turns out, she's dying, and is trying to use Trinity to cure herself and avoid death. She's manipulative and generally awful, as desperate people tend to be. You can guess how that turns out. |  Konstantin. Ana's younger brother, who is doing what he does to try and save his sister. His motivation is actually quite sweet, even if he's deluded in believing he has God's favour (and thus justifies all the terrible things he's done and will do. Religion, man). |
Not one of these characters looks cartoonish or oddly proportioned, or overly roided-up fever dreams of masculinity. It's great. More of this, games!
Story
This story was good. It wasn't as great as in the first game. I wasn't as enthused about it, largely because it didn't have the themes I seem to gravitate towards.
The friendship element was still strong, with Jonah coming to find Lara, and Lara subsequently abandoning her quest to try and save him, but the thrust of the game was Lara's effort to prove her father correct, to reverse his academic disgrace. That's... fine, as far as stories go. I just wasn't as into it as I was the theme of the last game.
There also wasn't the emotional gut-punch that I love in stories. They attempted it, I think, with Jacob, but it wasn't the same as losing Conrad, and so the payoff of killing the bad guys didn't feel as satisfying. Perhaps that's the point though. I felt really badly for Konstantin, and not at all justified in killing him in the end. Not like Matthew in the first game, while avenging Conrad's death. Bastard. Ahem... Still salty about it.
Then ending of the game made little sense, since Lara is upset about having the destroy the Divine Source (I SWEAR Trinity is The Order, and Lara is unknowingly an Assassin), since she can no longer prove her father correct. That's bullshit. She can still redeem him, at least a little bit, by leading a proper academic excursion into the ruins of Kitezh. I mean, lots of it got destroyed during the events of the game, but the ruins are still there. Good lord, writers. They may have been going for bittersweet with that ending - at least Lara knows her father wasn't crazy, but even a little bit of thought renders that bittersweet goal into stupidity.
Seriously, though.
The friendship element was still strong, with Jonah coming to find Lara, and Lara subsequently abandoning her quest to try and save him, but the thrust of the game was Lara's effort to prove her father correct, to reverse his academic disgrace. That's... fine, as far as stories go. I just wasn't as into it as I was the theme of the last game.
There also wasn't the emotional gut-punch that I love in stories. They attempted it, I think, with Jacob, but it wasn't the same as losing Conrad, and so the payoff of killing the bad guys didn't feel as satisfying. Perhaps that's the point though. I felt really badly for Konstantin, and not at all justified in killing him in the end. Not like Matthew in the first game, while avenging Conrad's death. Bastard. Ahem... Still salty about it.
Then ending of the game made little sense, since Lara is upset about having the destroy the Divine Source (I SWEAR Trinity is The Order, and Lara is unknowingly an Assassin), since she can no longer prove her father correct. That's bullshit. She can still redeem him, at least a little bit, by leading a proper academic excursion into the ruins of Kitezh. I mean, lots of it got destroyed during the events of the game, but the ruins are still there. Good lord, writers. They may have been going for bittersweet with that ending - at least Lara knows her father wasn't crazy, but even a little bit of thought renders that bittersweet goal into stupidity.
Seriously, though.
Women
Once again, this game delivers believable women. There are three that play relatively major roles in the game: Lara, Ana, and Sofia. Each woman is their own person, each with different goals and personalities. Lara is tough and clever, determined and courageous. Sofia is much the same, but far less trusting (understandably) and open. Ana is, being the bad guy, manipulative and untrustworthy, but determined. She's a desperate woman.
All three are different, and none of them feel flat or one dimensional. Their motivations, too, feel organic. Ana is dying, and is doing whatever is in her power to stop that from happening. Lara is curious and loves her father, so of course would want to redeem him. When she learns what Trinity is after, she changes her goal, and is determined to stop them, at any price. Sofia is defending her home, and the Divine Source; sacred and dangerous.
It's all believable. As much as their physical appearance is important, their internal life is also important. A realistic-looking character whose actual character falls flat is just as bad as the weird biology-defying barbies of other games.
All three are different, and none of them feel flat or one dimensional. Their motivations, too, feel organic. Ana is dying, and is doing whatever is in her power to stop that from happening. Lara is curious and loves her father, so of course would want to redeem him. When she learns what Trinity is after, she changes her goal, and is determined to stop them, at any price. Sofia is defending her home, and the Divine Source; sacred and dangerous.
It's all believable. As much as their physical appearance is important, their internal life is also important. A realistic-looking character whose actual character falls flat is just as bad as the weird biology-defying barbies of other games.
Game Play
Perhaps I'm just getting better at this whole gaming thing (AH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH! *wheeze* AH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!), but the game play felt smoother this time around. There weren't any cases I recall when I was pressing one direction and the character goes a different one. All the times I died or failed to create a Molotov etc is literally because I am wildly incompetent.
Which, of course, made for some pretty hilarious deaths.
I really liked the game play. It was challenging enough, and the puzzles felt more practical than some games that incorporate puzzles. It was a good balance between combat and puzzle-solving. I also really appreciated the stealth kills, since stealth is kinda my thing. I love being sneaky.
I have no complaints when it comes to game play. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice still holds its place as best combat system I've played.
Which, of course, made for some pretty hilarious deaths.
I really liked the game play. It was challenging enough, and the puzzles felt more practical than some games that incorporate puzzles. It was a good balance between combat and puzzle-solving. I also really appreciated the stealth kills, since stealth is kinda my thing. I love being sneaky.
I have no complaints when it comes to game play. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice still holds its place as best combat system I've played.
Finally
I liked this game. It wasn't as great as the first, particularly when it came to the story, but it was a decent follow up.
Also, my gaming inability made for some pretty silly deaths, which was amusing.
Also, my gaming inability made for some pretty silly deaths, which was amusing.
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