14 DAY TRIAL // Unlike many other young boys from my generation, I wasn't that entranced with the Tomb Raider series and its protagonist, the lovely Lara Croft, as I judged the titles for their gameplay, not the overall attractiveness of the main heroine.
As such, I wasn't that confident in the new Tomb Raider title that appeared earlier this year on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 and that is now set to debut for PS4 and Xbox One in the form of a definitive edition.
Even if the gameplay videos and demonstrations made by developer Crystal Dynamics looked rather good, I was still afraid that the new title would fail to live up to the expectations set for the action adventure genre by other franchises like Assassin's Creed or Uncharted.
Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised with the new Tomb Raider, as Crystal Dynamics managed to deliver a great new start to the long running series and turn Lara from a sarcastic vixen into a young girl with real feelings and emotions.
Besides the great makeover given to the protagonist, the new Tomb Raider also managed to deliver a complex and comprehensive gameplay experience, letting players roam free on a big island filled with all sorts of adventures, dangers, and even side activities.
Exploration was pretty simple and you always felt that you were organically exploring a world, instead of just going through the motions on a linear path.
Sure, there were some confusing moments while trying to find your way or when you reacted to the actual story but, overall, the new title managed to deliver a pretty great blend of these two elements.
Now, it seems that Crystal Dynamics is already working on a sequel, so I'm more than looking forward to see where the new title will take Lara Croft and how it can continue to surprise both old and new fans.