The beginning of a new era!

Personally, I was never a really big fan of the old Tomb Raider games. All the more astonished me then already the first pictures of Neuumsetzung and especially the direction that smashing the developers liked tremendously well. Well, now Tomb Raider for a few days now rotates in my drive, so for a quick game to my impressions.

--- --- PRO

+ The Story makes to time to take the thing first, what really her. No lengths, no unnecessary fuss, nüscht. The storytelling is excited, enthralling and waiting next to interesting characters, especially coming back to with hefty tension moments and mysterious events. TR is also consistently motivating because the tension curve rises continuously.

+ The staging mostly like a blockbuster production. Whether wild glissades through narrow caves, crisp escape sequences or deep falls from a great height with QuickTime deposits. In the area of ​​production is quite clearly padded and not spilled and also with well-made camera angles stingy not the developers. Nevertheless, the whole drifts never and always remains an exciting-gripping-clean-portioned adventure trip, which also always shines through a grandiose atmosphere.

+ The gameplay can probably best be compared with Uncharted and comes loose flaky in flesh and blood. In the best 3rd person style you stroll with Lara through the area and climbs, jumps and shoots with gun etc. by the most diverse, sometimes expansive, sometimes also schlauchigen areas. It's also great that Lara as autonomously ducks and so goes behind objects for cover, it should require the situation (if nearby enemies are). They also dominated evasive maneuver to deviate by enemy attacks and to counter this and also the silent killing they learned in the course of the season.

+ Tomb Raider has quite many intermediate sequences which are well done and the game breathe much life.

+ What about since Uncharted always really good also like the latest when the game character adapts not only its movements to the situation (eg limp when one is hurt or touch the wall when these clips), but when the actor or in this case, the protagonist, sometimes speaks or manifests itself acoustically to the situation and not just silently moves through the area. Lara convinced me here very positive, because they like to quasselt in thought with themselves, also remembers times of their past training and events and highlights throughout the trip next to the magnificent scenery and the whole TamTam by great atmosphere and authenticity.

+ Graphically, Tomb Raider just fantastic, and in all areas. The game world is visually incredibly consistent and is always accompanied by intense light, particles and shadow effects. And most importantly, fire or rain very realistic animated. And the facial expressions to be proud of - emotions are brought across well.

+ What is no longer a must for a shooter these days, and at least since Far Cry 3 and Crysis 3 yes, is a bow as a weapon. The course also know the makers of TR and spendieren good Lara as the first primary weapon ... yes are allowed three times their rates. But no matter how ludicrous I the phenomenon "Bow" now also think it makes me, at least in TR again and again a lot of fun, with that very ancient hunting tool to roam the game world, not only to go on animal catcher, because in Tomb Raider the bow is a not to be sneezed at, silently-lethal weapon against the enemy.

+ What course should not be missing in TR, are animals that now seem to be in addition to the shooters bow also all the rage. And nice is if you which one encounters the animals in the wild, not just stare at, but also can kill. And even more beautiful is when the killing of the four-legged friend also has a benefit, and that is the case here. So can you as deer or rabbit hunting, to gain experience points and level up so the good Lara. But beware, not every animal is immediately a sacrifice.

+ The element of fire plays in Tomb Raider a not insignificant role, which I like. Here Lara always has for example a torch, which her to fireplaces (or even later) can ignite to you to orient among others in the dark to perform actions or approached Collectable to come. Nett: By walking through a waterfall, the flame goes out - nice that we have thought of such a thing. And otherwise, the physical game with the burning element ne good additional idea.

+ The level up like me also super good in TR. Here you get Experience or the one. Skill points, which will be invested in three distinct categories (survivor, fighter, fighters) and reflect Lara's skill, such as pain tolerance, survival skills or looting. There really many ways and one is quite a while busy. On the other hand, there are also materials by looting containers etc, with which, in turn, weapons and tools can be improved, for example, a major magazine for gun or the like.

+ The game world respectively island is a huge adventure playground in my eyes, as it has long ceased gave him. The scenes are eerily Multi-faceted and at times quite spread out, offering architecturally orderly variety, also always waiting back on with wow moments and are always full of atmosphere with light, shadows, murals, candles, rain or even heavy storms (which I personally never looked so good have seen in a game) underlaid. From the wilderness up to the sonnenerstrahlten bloody, dark cave is almost everything Registered. There is really a lot of stuff in the world to discover and collect, such as boxes, chests, diaries, notes, artifacts and even graves, which applies to explore it. Here the creators have done a pretty good job in every case and ensured orderly long-term fun and motivation.

+ What I also the next topic would be the Time. Meanwhile, you can unfortunately no longer be sure of what you still get to play time for your money in such a game. Especially not when the game also includes a multiplayer mode. In Tomb Raider My conclusion is in this regard, however, consistently positive. For the first round I have about 12 hours are required, look at the world, explore some corners here and there, hunt animals, etc. pp. And this does not even everything discovered.

+ No HUD, ie no permanent display on the screen, like a map, ammunition etc. Like much!

+ The soundscape is very powerful and provides (such as during storms and rain) is always a strong thick of feeling and also the soundtrack is not to be despised. Very atmospheric and well placed.

+ Synchronization has become good in my eyes and spokeswoman Nora Tschirner (known from Keinohrhasen) makes nen clean job. She seems quite credible, authentic and fits Vocally great for young Lara.

+ Speaking of young Lara: The fetzt in my eyes. Not only is she finally normal shape when you know you mean, no, it is also finally normal in dealing with the situation they lived through. In short, it is very human in their behavior. She pushes or injured, and often cries while even she is dirty and bleeding which was implemented very horny, she apologizes to the first animal they kill out of necessity, and so on and so on. All this does just super personable and makes the new Lara Croft a young, modern, approachable video game character I personally like to lead respectively accompany by his adventure.

+ Throughout the game world so-called camp (campfire) are distributed on which you rest and can level up his equipment or his skills. In addition, the camp as fast travel points are used which can be selected on the big map to explore already Visited again.

+ All documents or artifacts found are reproduced next to a superimposed text also via voice output. A really cool idea of ​​the creators, because I personally, for example, absolutely no fan of ellen long texts in Video Games.

+ The AI ​​is, especially from a distance with all the Mollis and bombs they throw quite demanding. In close combat, they are weak, although every now and then, but that's to get over in my eyes.

+ Lara ruled an instinctive function, which enables the game world in black and white is dipped and important objects like Collectable or objects that perform actions in gold, and enemies are highlighted in red. A nice help when times not know what to do or simply want to track objects only.

--- NEUTRAL ---

: The physical puzzles that appear in the game are indeed mostly well done, but also quite rare to be found, and that's too bad.

--- --- CONTRA

- The only thing is I really do not like about Tomb Raider some Quicktime events, which often result in one-time failure to immediate death. This can sometimes nerves correctly because you just have a chance to master the situation. But for the memory points are nevertheless set fair.

--- Other ---

- No splitscreen
- Stylish Menu
- The island is named after the playthrough still passable
- 3 difficulty levels (which can also be changed during the game)

CONCLUSION:
In my eyes this is a reboot as it may turn out no better could. Modern, young, fresh, entertaining as a good movie and garnished with lots of play time. On top of it there ne great look, great characters with depth (especially Lara himself), which also applies to the dialogue, a lot a lot of tension, a fantastic game world with some very dark scenes and a dynamism in the scenery, play and narrative as rarely at the extent succeeds. Here fits with one exception for my taste everything and Tomb Raider is for me personally the first big surprise hit in this young year and paved the way for a promising new game series is paved in any case, therefore well deserved 5 stars.