I have never been a die-hard Tomb Raider fan. I recall attempting to play Tomb Raider in secondary school only to wind up in frustration over where to go, how to get from point A to B, and not having enough action to kill baddies on screen. Needless to say, apart from Lara’s stunning “bazookas”, Tomb Raider was nothing but a fleeting aldolescent memory. It was the wrong game for me at a wrong time.

Fast forward years later, Crystal Dynamics revamped Tomb Raider and give everything a different polish to it. Gone is Lara’s unbelievable giant boobs and hot pants. The unlimited ammo for the twin pistols were gone. The difficult puzzles that could let one get stuck and the sporadic wolves as enemies that come along are gone. Everything you thought you knew about Tomb Raider has been tweaked by Crystal’s touch.

And that is a good thing. Tomb Raider has been around since the 1990s, and the series have shown really quality elements that gave its fair share of hardcore fans. However, despite all of the games being perfectly playable, Tomb Raider as a series feels tired out. Lara Croft as a character was losing its freshness too. With the new spin to it, Lara Croft morphs into a badass male fantasy to a more realistic character that one can actually emotionally connect to.

The game starts off with Lara and her crew starting on a voyage to learn more about the Yamatai tribe, a lost tribe from Japan where the queen apparently is said to have mysterious powers. Somehow, along the way, she and her crew got stranded in an island. Lara is a fresh, out-of-college girl with little combat experience. Her emotional and physical vulnerability from the start gives a very credible feel to the character. Lara actually cries when she first killed someone. The obvious trembling in her voice, the panic in her combat actions are all examples of top-notch acting and details that gives her a solid framework to begin with. As Lara gains experience, one can watch her grow from the initial clumsiness of her combat to the fluid killing moves she displays as a hardened warrior. Her voice slowly gains confidence as she navigate her way around the island to rescue her friends and to get them off the island.

Graphics-wise, Tomb Raider is stunning. The environment is crisp and detailed, and every leaf, stalk, grass and waterfall is nicely placed and designed. Lara gets grime, dirt and blood as she rolls and tumbles into places, and gets cleaner when she passes through waterfalls or slides along sloping rivers. Her previous battle wounds become visible scars. Her lovely ponytail flutters in the wind and falls nicely depending on gravity (and not like a stiff, waxed ponytail in earlier games).

The combat and level design for Tomb Raider is what truly shines for this game in the series. Tomb Raider flows seamlessly between puzzle, exploration, hunting to open, full pow-wow action. Each of Lara’s weapons are useful in their way, and like in Legends of Zelda, certain upgrades or equipment are needed to explore previously-locked areas. Lara begins with a makeshift bow and arrow, and she gains the ability to upgrade it (and other weapons as well) using salvage as currency in the game. The bow always gives me a satisfying feel of giving headshots to enemies as the game rewards precision over the crude blasting. The cover system is absolutely intuitive, allowing Lara to automatically go into combat without having to press any additional buttons or to lean out of cover. The puzzles are very well-balanced and evenly spread. Zealous puzzle solvers could satisfy their cravings in optional tombs, where a puzzle usually stands in the way of a much greater reward. Lastly, the set pieces are spectacular. For example, Lara has to scamper through a burning fortress and that is easily one of the most heart-thumping moments in the game.

All these points out to how Crystal managed to take Uncharted and further refine the elements in it to make Tomb Raider a good solid game. When Uncharted was out, Naughty Dog was primed to take most of the thunder from the Tomb Raider series. But now, it seems like Tomb Raider has caught up, and gave much more to the formula that worked. Its storytelling, gameplay and graphics could give Uncharted much to chew about.

As I sat through the credits watching Lara giving up her previous casual civilian life to a life of adventure, I saw a note from Crystal Dynamics saying, basically, “Thank you for playing, we tried our hardest to make the best game we could possibly make.”

Well-done. Definitely well-done. This game deserves a 9.5/10 from me.

(P.S. I have completed all the optional tombs. Let me know if you guys run into any difficulties)