Lara Croft Rises From Her "Tomb"
Lara Croft is a legend in the gaming world, influencing many developers and gamers alike. A strong independent woman, she gave female players a reason to believe that they can kick as much ass as their male counterparts. After a plethora of Tomb Raider games (and two Angelina Jolie-starring movies), Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have decided to press the reboot button, giving our heroine an origin story unlike anything we've ever seen in the series.
At just age 21, Ms. Croft is out on her first adventure as she and her crew search for the lost Japanese kingdom of Yamatai. A ferocious storm leaves her and the crew shipwrecked on an island, and they are unfortunately not alone. There the crew is captured by an evil cult called the Solarii, who wishes to bring back the spirit of Himeko the Sun Queen. With her best friend Sam being chosen as the nest vessel of Himeko it is up to the young explorer to rescue her and the others, and get back on the island.
As this is an origin story, the Lara Croft we play is one that is filled with fear and doubt. She's vulnerable, doesn't know how to truly fend for herself, and hasn't really used a weapon against an animal, let alone a person. That all changes when she is backed into a corner, and when there is no choice in the matter Lara strikes her first enemy with a gunshot to his head. It's a feeling that Lara hates, and almost looks like she is about to faint from illness after doing the deed. However with that first kill, her true survival instincts kick in, and that's when we start seeing Lara Croft slowly transform into the heroine we all have gotten familiar with.
A lot of bad stuff keeps happening to Lara, a real understatement about this game, no doubt. She's tied up, beaten, shot at, harassed, nearly drowns, plummets down long falls, impales herself, almost gets crushed by rocks, and winds up setting herself and her surroundings on fire. And that's in the first 30 MINUTES OF GAMEPLAY! However behind this never-ending action is a tale that spins a most wondrous web of character development and deep emotion.
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