Never before has the march through hell realistic ...

Were the last incarnations of the militant British woman, from Angelina Jolie to Tomb Raider: Underworld thanks pseudo cool sayings and attached depression less an action heroine, but rather the parody of an action heroine, this tears surprisingly hard around TombRaider the control. Because here show the developer a whole world of Gamer großbrüstiger fight Amazons, has to look like a real action hero in 2013.
Yes, the new Lara is different. It's still tough, confident and blessed with indomitable willpower. But it is also emotional, inexperienced, naive, shy a little. But above all, it is realistic, mature and grown up. It is not perfect, may fail, afraid to writhe in pain and even cry. You wades through waist-deep puddle of blood and fecal matter, when jumping from great heights it crashes. When she throws herself from adrenaline contrary gepeitsch their enemies, she roars like a beast and she cries all the pain of the world out of itself when she treats her injuries himself makeshift.
There is no room for irony, jokes or forced cool quotes. TombRaider is finally a game that takes itself completely seriously. But it must also, otherwise the scenario would not work. From virtual sex appeal of previous Lara Croft is little get under thick layers of blood and dirt. For this comes the new much more self-critical, but without falling into depressive self-pity. This Lara has clearly afraid of their psyche, the fall killing so easily. But they also know that it is precisely this part, it needs if it is to survive their adventure.

And that leads this time to Yamatai, a Japanese island where strange is going on. Stranded and left on their own, Lara Croft appears here almost like the object under observation of a psychological study: How much pressure is needed to make a dreamy, 21-year-old student an unscrupulous killing machine?
In the answer to this question people were at Crystal Dynamics anything but sensitive and let her protagonist go relentlessly through hell on earth. the age rating from 18 appear from this point certainly adequate. What Lara must endure on Yamatai, is not for unstable personalities. If there were an award for the video game hero who gets the most for your tongue, this would be unrivaled in the final analysis of Lara.
And I am not referring to the obligatory balls and arrows that you fly around the ears in order to send the player to the game over screen. I am referring to the many physical and psychological wounds that Lara inevitably retains from cutscenes and apprehended again in the game. So Lara pulls for example at the beginning of the game a serious injury to that accompanies it throughout the game. Such as when you pressed after every fall from great heights hand on his still aching wound.
Although Gore and splatter effects play nowhere in the same league as some other 18+ titles, but this is the representation of the suffering through which the young, innocent Lara at all is only to the fighting machine later known, uncompromising realistic.

Playful, the latest offshoot TombRaider somewhere between TombRaider: be settled Underworld and Uncharted, without, however completely the one or the other to be.
The main plot of the game is relatively straightforward and is based on the currently prevailing trend for cinematic staging, as it is found in about Mass Effect or Uncharted. This means that many dramatic scripted action events and numerous cutscenes. However TombRaider tops the aforementioned games by far and refers Nathan Drake and Co. skillfully on the bench. What is here burned between collapsing caves and climbing on burning house walls in terms of action fireworks and distributed to adrenaline, surpasses many a blockbuster movie.
However, once you leave the narrow paths of the main plot and the story can rest for a few moments, immediately raises the classic search-and-Discover Feeling the old Tomb Raider games again. The vast areas of the (almost) completely open-world load consistently to explore, rock climbing and a marvel - and are crammed to the brim with secrets but reveal themselves only to those who really turns every stone.
Here Lara help numerous tools, as can be to build bridges with the rope arrow, or fire, ignited by torches and objects can be burned. But Lara's most important tool in the game are your survival instincts. By pressing a button the game is switched to a slow-motion mode and important objects highlighted. As these instincts function in combat, the game can thus greatly simplify by just any time switches to slow motion and defused the sometimes chaotic shoot-so.
Also great: If Lara's instincts enabled, all background sound effects NPC sounds are automatically muted, but strengthened. So you can use the instinct mode prima for listening, a very big plus for the game atmosphere!

The great firefights in the game are similar to numerous as in TombRaider Legend, however, a lot crisper. Although these shares from Lara neat, but it is also very fragile. Unlike in many other shooters Overlap the known pattern works cower behind a cover and enemies umnieten not here. At the latest when the first shells fly, they say: to the next meeting and merely offer the enemy no target. If you flanked by his enemies in battle or surrounded, it has actually been lost. In a pinch, Mrs Croft can indeed still use their Kletteraxt as makeshift melee weapon, but even that is risky.
Fortunately TombRaider offers a new and very intuitive cover system. It is no longer necessary to look for a button cover. Near enemies Lara automatically takes a crouch. It is located behind a cover this object, it detects when you create the weapon independently, whether they have to shoot over the obstacle, or past it. Thus, the player can better keep moving without themselves nailed to its coverage.
The fights are therefore very fast and dynamic, automatic aiming support, there are only the easiest difficulty. Shooter beginners might be so overwhelmed to normal. There are also many stealth deposits, where Lara should proceed quietly as possible in order not to attract undue attention. Bow and arrow and ax allow her enemies even turn silent and to avoid unnecessary fights. Often these stealth deposits are just pretty tricky ... but whether it is pure coincidence that the young Lara with a bow and arrow at times looks more than a little to Katniss from Panem, we will never know;)

Correct puzzles there are in the game like a lot, like in Tomb Raider Underworld so definitely more than in Uncharted. However, many of these are optional and only need to be resolved if the players really want to finish the game with 100%. The puzzles are not really hard, but entertaining and often require exploiting the physics engine of the game. The for the older Tomb Raider games so typical search the switch / key tasks were left completely covered. The infamous back flip somersault jump sideways roll rotation in the air somersault jump sideways deposits of old parts, there is no longer fortunately.
In fact, many of the known moves were from the older titles deleted entirely as the various somersaults. Can also swim and dive Lara no longer, only to shoulder deep to wade through water through. Ducking, crawl and torches ignite or delete does Lara now also automatically when the game situation makes it necessary. The game has this purifying surprisingly but done really well. With less ballast on the gamepad plays TombRaider liquid and more precisely than ever before.

Incidentally, there are still a few RPG elements to discover. So Lara collects experience points with which they can improve their skills, and salvage and special parts can be used to to beef and for example to improve the range of the shotgun or the accuracy of the assault rifle their weapons.

The art of the game is beyond any doubt. Despite sometimes enormous foresight, the graphic quality is considerable. Grade natural scenarios such as forests and mountains are beautiful to look at. The characters in the game, in contrast, although fitted away from photorealism, but represented tremendously alive and with a great expression.
The sound reinforces the atmosphere of the game very well and mainly consists of natural sounds, the times quiet and relaxing in front of him splashing, sometimes drawing or intimidate the player with thunderstorm and storm effects a diffuse picture of risk. In the action sequences a successful orchestral bombast soundtrack switches to the drives the adrenalin even higher.

Although TombRaider the throne for the game this generation behind GTA5 missed narrowly, it is for me but definitely the action experience this generation become. If I had, until late unfortunately - placed purchase this game yet without hesitation Uncharted 2 and 3 there is there now TombRaider unchallenged.
And my decision to get me the PS4 is finally precipitated the latest when the TombRaider successor appears there.