“There is a survivor in all of us.” At least that’s what publisher Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics would like gamers to believe as they delve back into the world Tomb Raider. “Back” being the operative word, as this takes the series not only in an entirely new direction, but brings players back to heroine Lara Croft’s not so humble beginnings. This reboot focuses heavily on surviving in the absolute worst conditions and relying solely on wits and determination to stay alive.
What does this first trailer bring to the table? A lot of action, for one, which none of the previous trailers were lacking, but this time it takes a more personal tone. Sure, all the outrageous adventure is there, but the trailer reminds players that it is happening to them. They are Lara Croft – and Lara, she’s a survivor and she’s not going to give up, she’s not going to stop, and she’s going to work harder. Gamers should expect to do the same.
To really sell the idea of becoming Lara Croft, however, the action is intercut with people telling their gaming experiences in first person, as if they were in Tomb Raider, living it. These aren’t familiar faces, presumably so they will resonate better with the common gamer. So don’t expect to recognize anyone, except for the blonde who looks oddly like Gillian Jacobs (Britta) from Community – sounds like her too. Whoever they are, they really get into the role-play. Especially the Scottish guy, who is impossibly hard to understand. He’s so intense he might actually believe he’s Lara Croft. But I digress. It’s a solid trailer that really gets why we play games, because we want to live vicariously through exceptional characters going through exceptional experiences and this adventure is shaping to be quite exceptional indeed.
The next Tomb Raider trailer is the third installment of the Survival Guide series that focuses on gameplay mechanics and preps players for what’s to come. This edition is all about survival combat. In it, gamers get a glimpse of just how far Lara will go to survive and the tools she will use to do it. Everything from bows to guns to the environment, she will do whatever she needs to take her enemies out – and when bow and guns fail, she will use those unmanicured nails to scratch the hell out of them. Seriously. Ow. And speaking of prepping players, check out all of the pre-order goodies or see Conan O’Brien’s review.
