Tomb Raider (2013 reboot, PS3). Even though I'm a big fan of the original formula, which I still miss, I'm loving this game to bits! I'm not even half-way, I guess, but I like it so far. I feel this is a story, and quite a good story! I like the controls, the sense of weight and being in place, and the new survival/open-world approach. I also like the mood. The woods feel alive and the overall mood can be so creepy and anguishing, sometimes!
Graphically, is astounding for a PS3 game. I already played Uncharted and Uncharted 2, and even though this game is less colorful, the textures are very detailed and the materials feel solid and real. The polygonal density is quite good, too (I love the modeling of the twigs and roots over the mossy rocks). The darkness and low contrast can help disguising lower quality assets, too, but most of the time the textures, materials, lighting and geometry are top notch for its time.
Now, onto the negative aspects... So far, the only negative aspect has been the rushed fights with the bow. When the wolves attacked me, it was very difficult for me to turn myself so that I could see where they went, if they were behind me, etc. Since this game bets for a realistic approach, I think some kind of help should have been implemented, since in real life you don't have to use an analog stick to turn yourself around to quickly look in all directions, so that you can aim, while suffering a narrow FOV. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, dunno.
Also, not a negative thing depending on how we see it, but I still miss the old formula, as I said. I miss the accurate and challenging platforming, like having a walking button to go to the very ledge, so that you can perform a clean jump or running jump, or having to keep pressed down the action button while hanging from a ledge (that created a true sense of tension while playing with the old Lara, because you had to be really careful not to release the button, to avoid a dangerous fall). I think that some of these little things can STILL have a place in modern gaming, as well as complex levels full with puzzles and with rooms and places you need to revisit because you just got a key in a remote place. Not everything needs to be changed in order to survive in the gaming industry.
And not everything needs to be realistic in order to survive in the gaming industry, as well. I mean, this game is brilliant... the same way there could be a brilliant new Mario game where the character had realistic proportions and doesn't jump thrice his height.
I also believe that there wasn't a need to create a third canon regarding the origins of the main character. We had the first one which was explained in the first game's manual (Lara survived an airplane crash and after that she discovered her adventurer side) and we also had a young Lara and the Von Croy plot in Tomb Raider IV (which also developed in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness). Maybe they could have converted some of these stories, in order to keep a consistency, even though this current story is good, IMO.
even though I know full well there is essentially 0 risk.
