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The game is worthy of all its praises, being only hindered by its console exclusivity and ill-timed Xbox release date.
PC gamers that wanted to step in Lara Croft’s shoes once again, the new dark and gritty version from the Tomb Raider reboot, can do so pretty soon, as Rise of the Tomb Raider gets a January release on PC. This news comes from the game’s Steam store page, without the option of pre-purchasing the title.
This new installment in the rebooted Tomb Raider franchise is considered by many as the best game no one actually played in 2015. This is due to the grave mistake of releasing the game at the same time as Fallout 4. It was pretty obvious for game critics and gamers alike that no one would consider playing this game when presented with the option of roaming around the nuclear wasteland shooting everything that moves in Bethesda’s new addition to the Fallout franchise.
Another major factor that lead to no one playing the game was the fact that it was a Xbox One timed exclusive, with an early 2016 PC release added to it. Taking into account that most gamers who enjoyed the previous Tomb Raider opted to play it on PC, it is not entirely surprising that this decision hindered the game’s launch even more.
Rise of the Tomb Raider keeps its portrayal of a much more real Lara Croft, that is haunted by the experience of the previous game. She is depicted with a gray moral compass that doesn’t necessarily fit the gameplay. But the problem of ludo-narrative dissonance is seen across multiple games, not just this one.
It is kind of hard to sell characters that are scarred by their actions when, after story segments, you proceed in slaughtering everyone that might pose a threat. One of the best examples can be seen in Far Cry 3, when the protagonist still shows disgust when skinning animals for loot even after doing the same process countless times, besides killing thousands of people and animals along the way.
But Lara Croft, even though suffering some flaws, still proves to be one of the most endearing character portrayals in recent memory. And in regards to her combat skills, they have improved by a great margin. The gameplay felt much more fluid and a lot more action-packed when compared to its previous installment.
Although Rise of the Tomb Raider doesn’t bring in anything original to the 3rd action-adventure genre, its high quality and engaging storyline place it much higher when compared to the Tomb Raider reboot from 2013. Some people might even consider this the actual reboot, having more tombs to explore, better combat mechanics, and a greater narrative than it’s earlier counterpart.
Maybe after Rise of the Tomb Raider gets a January release on PC, more players will be tempted to play the game, in turn making Square Enix consider expanding the franchise. If the next games will keep the general atmosphere and keep building upon its gameplay mechanics, the next installment may very well be a strong contender for a game of the year award.
Image source:store.steampowered.com
