Analog Analysis: ‘Tomb Raider’ Part 3

Tomb Raider has undoubtedly been one of the greatest games 2013 has presented thus far. It mixes excellent exploration, together with some addictive combat and beautiful environments to boot. Our Editor-in-Chief Jamie Briggs, gave Tomb Raider a 9.0 stating, “Exploring the island is not only heaps of fun, but addictive, when you can reap weaponry upgrades as the reward.” But what did the rest of the Analog Addiction staff think of the game?

In this 3 part series of ‘Analog Analysis’ we hear thoughts from George Sinclair, Vlad Pintea, Rob Gisbey and the games original reviewer, Jamie Briggs as they analyse every aspect of the game.

In part 1 we discussed the origin story of Lara Croft, the games use of exploration, if set pieces hurt the game experience and our favourite part of the Tomb Raider overall. Then in part 2 we discussed the games flaws, the multiplayer mode that has left many wanting and Tomb Raider‘s comparisons to the Uncharted series. But now, in the final part of the series we talk about Tomb Raider’s relevance in gaming, our overall opinions on Lara Croft’s latest journey and our thoughts on the future of the series.

Has Tomb Raider reasserted it’s relevance or is this a one-off?

Vlad Pintea: I strongly believe Crystal Dynamics has done an incredible job in order to make Lara Croft once again relevant to the gaming industry. The fact that the game also sold more than a million copies in the first 48 hours isn’t too shabby at all. I’m sure that this is but the first adventure in Lara’s newest reboot series.

George Sinclair: I hope that Tomb Raider has reasserted its relevance for now but I think this question will really be answered with how they do the next one.

Rob Gisbey: For me I don’t think Tomb Raider ever lost its relevance but that’s probably because I grew up playing it and even enjoyed the last few games (Legend, Anniversary & Underworld) quite a bit. What I would say is that Crystal Dynamics definitely rebooted the series at the right time and I certainly applaud the direction they’ve taken it in. I think a lot of new fans are going to be introduced to the world of Tomb Raider and with any luck it will take its rightful place back amongst the biggest AAA releases. At this point I’m nothing but optimistic about the future of the franchise!

Jamie Briggs: I think it definitely has, though Tomb Raider might have been gone, I don’t think it was forgotten. With Lara’s appearance performing at such a high quality, I think many have taken notice, even younger gamers who may be experiencing her escapades for the first time. It was able to assertively alter itself for modern gaming, but not to the point where it took over and removed what made the series so loveable in the past. I can only see the characters popularity growing as a strong figure in gaming, but the series itself becoming a major player in the gaming industry once again.

Overall, did Tomb Raider live up to your expectations?

Vlad Pintea: No, it surpassed every last one of them.

George Sinclair: Tomb Raider far surpassed my expectations which I must admit weren’t all that great. I’m not a big Tomb Raider fan historically but I had a blast with this.

Rob Gisbey: This reboot most definitely blew me away and surpassed my expectations with aplomb! I feel like there was a lot of negativity directed towards the game before launch, especially when the multiplayer was announced, which did seem to put a bit of a dampener on the whole affair. However once the reviews started rolling in I felt a lot more enthusiastic and knew I needed to place my order right away, (which is all too rare for me these days). It really is an excellent game. If you haven’t managed to get your hands on a copy yet do so immediately!

Jamie Briggs: It overly exceeded them, my expectation for Tomb Raider were never sky-high, it seemed like it would be a linear experience that continued to underwhelm in previews. However when I reviewed Tomb Raider, I had an amazingly fun experience, one that impressed me on almost all accounts. Crystal Dynamics have brought back Lara Croft in one of the very best ways possible, one that would excite die-hard Croft fans and new fans alike. This experience has made me excited for Lara’s future and I know any titles in this franchises futures, are definitely day-one purchases, Tomb Raider was that good.

Where could you see ‘Tomb Raider’ going in the future?

Vlad Pintea: With this new entry in the series, Tomb Raider‘s future is brighter than ever. Where would I see it go? Well, in the ending of the game, after hearing Lara say: “I’m not going home,” I think it’s safe to say that Lara is now more fascinated than ever with her father’s studies, so she might start a new adventure in search of something Mr Croft thought to be worth looking into. While in this entry it made sense to use the island as a semi-open world, I also think it’s safe to assume that the next entry will be more linear, like past iterations in the series. Lara might also not be as vulnerable as she was in this game, but I think she’ll remain just as charming and believable, complemented of course, by Camilla Luddington’s talent (which, by the way, should represent Lara Croft in the next movie).

George Sinclair: I’d like to see Tomb Raider carry on with this origin series like Crystal Dynamics said they’d like to pursue. I think the key is to keep it grounded, keep it believable and keep it like the 2013 Tomb Raider.

Rob Gisbey: Due to the reboots success there’s no doubt in my mind that there will one or two sequels in the years to come. However, to me I don’t think their possible locations are as interesting as whether or not they will remain open-world. The first title’s island setting obviously made for an excellent, self-contained area to explore but chances are that, like the Uncharted series, the sequels will grow in scale including multiple locations spanning the globe. Perhaps instead of one large open-world, we will instead be presented with several smaller ones to scour? I’m certainly intrigued as to how Crystal Dynamics will handle this issue in the future.

Jamie Briggs: I can definitely see there being more Tomb Raider in the future, but there are so many choices that could be interesting. Searching Arctic ruins for a lost civilisation, looking for a rare species thought to be extinct hundreds of years ago in the Amazon Rainforest or even maybe searching for some sort of Mayan ruins, the choices really are endless. The writers did a great job on Tomb Raider, so I can see them doing an excellent job when considering future ideas for the series. History is their playground and their imaginations could concoct some interesting and memorable tales.

We hope you have enjoyed this ‘Analog Analysis’ series, stay tuned to Analog Addiction for all things Tomb Raider. With many more ‘Analog Analysis’ series’ coming in the future.

Vlad Pintea, George Sinclair, Rob Gisbey and Jamie Briggs write at Analog Addiction and you can like them on Facebook.

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