I don’t really like that much horror, thriller, or survival genre. Often, I stumbled upon them accidentally; like when my girlfriend asked me to watch one or when I found that the premise is interesting enough to follow then ended up wondering, “how do I get here?” I don’t think I need the stress because often times, all the turning point comes from the character’s bad choices. I loathe them in the real life, I loathe them in the fiction as well!

That doesn’t mean I cannot appreciate a good writing when I see one! When I find a good writing in the genre I usually don’t consume, it makes me appreciate the genre even more. Because to evoke such emotions in an art form and be done beautifully, I think it’s a feat in itself. Like many science-fiction I read, like Silence of The Lambs and On The Road, like Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider!

I have been knowing about Tomb Raider franchise since PlayStation 2 days and Angelina Jolie’s film. It’s planted in my head that Tomb Raider story is a cool exploration/adventure story with action-packed and double handgun slinging strong female lead character. With my male gaze, I saw the franchise like I saw Charlie’s Angels. Playing the 2013 game 11 years later certainly changes what I thought about Tomb Raider.

Raw desperation is what I first thought when I played Tomb Raider. There are no flashy privilege that can help you in the wilderness, except your wit. Playing this game makes me seeing the much pronounced side of what makes Lara Croft character what she is. The ingenuity of survival, with mystical story and different terrain to navigate makes the gameplay more immersive. There is no unnecessary fancy backflip and superhero landing. Only a girl trying to survive and save her friends.

The game content is rich, giving you more tombs to explore than you actually need to finish the story. Coupled with the challenging puzzle with less intuitive elements, making it difficult even in the easiest setting.

Look, I like Assassin’s Creed gameplay because they encourage me to find a way to silently kill the enemy. I really hate direct confrontation in the game unless I am overpowered enough to do so. Tomb Raider doesn’t even give you that many chance. More often than not, you have to had an open fire with hordes of enemies. And the enemy is clever, aside from resilient.

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Name	: Tomb Raider
Year	: 2013
Publisher	: Crystal Dynamics
Verdict	: If you like puzzle and survival