We take a look at three of the biggest games heading your way this year.
Tomb Raider
The reboot/origin story of Lara Croft has been a bit of a hard sell so far. Considering the slow descent into mediocrity the Tomb Raider series began way back in 1999 with The Last Revelation it’s somewhat understandable. While I consider Crystal Dynamic’s Tomb Raider Underworld to be an underappreciated gem, it’s clear that the series has lost a lot of its fan fervor.
That’s something Crystal Dynamics is hoping to turn around next year with Tomb Raider. Er, just Tomb Raider, mind you. This is a reboot, after all. So far, everything I’ve seen on this title has impressed me. Even as we collectively begin to wonder what the next generation of consoles will look like, Tomb Raider is a spectacular looking game. Lara’s pivotal period of self-discovery while shipwrecked on an island full of not so nice people has a great level of grit and grime to it. Continuing what Underworld tried to convey, this version of Lara Croft needs to get her hands dirty, both literally and figuratively. The engine that CD is working with does a great job of humanizing a character that has been highly criticized in the past for being a one-dimensional sex symbol.
Humanizing Lara seems to be the focal point of this new Tomb Raider, and it’s something I’m prepared to applaud, provided that Crystal Dynamics can pull it off. It’s been a mixed message so far, though. A lot of scenes and footage depict a woman that’s unsure of herself in a highly stressful and dangerous situation. She’s a character that shows remorse for killing an animal for food, and yet later scenes show her to be the one woman wrecking crew that she’s become known for over the years. The subtleties of this progression could be the make or break part of this game, but it’s definitely going to be one to watch in March.
Those are just a few of the biggest games coming in 2013, but we’re just getting started! Check back soon for the next part of our 2013 sneak preview extravaganza, where we look at the fresh and new games coming next year.
Comments