Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - Xbox One

** Plot Summary: You play as a young (early to mid twenties) Lara Croft, a novice archaeologist only just starting out in her grave-exploring career and not yet the hardened femme fatale of previous games. You are part of a diverse archaeological crew of young researchers led by an arrogant and prissy college professor.You begin your journey aboard the Endurance, a salvage ship captained by Roth, a tough ex-military man turned freelance treasure hunter who took you under his wing after your parents' disappearance, teaching you many crucial survival skills along the way. While searching for a lost Japanese civilization, the Endurance is buffeted by a deadly storm which leaves you shipwrecked in a mysterious island -- one filled with cryptic tombs, hostile cults, and dangerous wildlife. It is here where you begin an exciting tale of survival and intrigue, as you struggle to not only rescue your separated crew, but also unlock the secrets of the Island, and the ancient peoples that once inhabited it -- and It is through this trial by fire, that young Lara is forged into the deadly and legendary Tomb Raider we all know and love. **This is, without a doubt, one of the best video game reboots ever made, and any Xbox gamer who is still depressed over the fact that we didn't get any Uncharted games would do well to pick this baby up.Anyone familiar with the Tomb Raider series already knows the basic structure of this game -- it is a third person, action/adventure/shooter with puzzle elements. The difference is that this Tomb Raider game gives us a very different protagonist than the one we are used to.Now, first of all, it must be said that the graphics in this game are beautiful (Be aware that this is technically an Xbox 360 game, so the graphics are not technically next gen, but they are still damn good). The detail in the scenery and in the facial features of the characters is impressive to say the least.As far as gameplay, the platforming aspects of the game are great -- the controls are tight, and level design is quite varied. The set pieces are well though out, and combat never feels clunky or unreponsive -- the shooting is precise, and once you get used to it, you will be wasting dudes left and right with your bow and arrow alone. There are a few instances where it feels like a shooting gallery and you just have to fight off swarms of enemies, but these aren't too bad, and they are spaced out enough so that you don't get tired of them.There are some puzzle elements in the game, nothing too complicated.One thing the game definitely does perfectly is setting up the mood and ambiance -- you really feel like you're in a mysterious and remote island, Lara is constantly covered in dirt, mud, or blood, giving a really visceral feeling to the whole experience. The voice acting is superb, and Lara truly sounds like she is vulnerable and afraid and only just learning the ropes when it comes to killing people and surviving in a hostile environment.What's more, cutscenes are all done with the in-game engine, and they flow smoothly from the gameplay (a la Uncharted) so that the entire game feels like a fluid cinematic experience.Overall, this game is a damn fine reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, and it is definitely a must buy for any fans or for anyone that likes action/adventure games or Indiana Jones-esque adventures.

I'm not the typical gamer and as a guy that recently turned 58, my tastes aren't the same as the teenage and 20ish crowd. I tend to like role playing games where I can explore and where I can build my character's abilities and arsenals. Games that I enjoyed include Skyrim, Far Cry 3, Bioshock Infinite, Resident Evil 4 (and, to a lesser extent, 5), and a few others. I had some trepidation when I ordered Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition but was pleasantly surprised. The graphics are nothing short of stunning, the story line is engaging, and there are just enough options for exploration to make this a truly enjoyable game and experience. FWIW, I haven't gotten into any of the mufti-player games as yet; normally, those aren't a big attraction for me but the one time I did try to get in, TR wasn't able to locate any games for me to join.PROS- As noted, the graphics are really something to behold.-The story line is fun and engages you from the beginning- The controls are well laid out and easy to master- The weapons while limited are fun to customize as you stumble across components and earn credits- During the game play, there are side quests for most areas of the island on which you find yourself stranded to include optional tombs to explore each with its own puzzle to figure out.- As you progress, you will encounter "camps" where you can rest up from the battles and from which you can freely travel back and forth between areas that you have already explored. This allows you to go back and work some more on the side quests (finding artifacts, area specific challenges, and so on), do some game hunting, or just explore. (At the end of the game, you can also go back to the island to freely explore and work on the puzzles as well.)- The battles are mostly fun though see my Cons for a couple of annoyances. Aiming is easy and intuitive and selecting weapons is mostly logical and easy.- Some of the battles are tough to get through but TR does a number of automatic saves so that if you get killed (and you will), you don't have to go back to the very beginning of each encounter.CONS- My biggest gripe was that some of the challenges are solved by split-second timing of pressing this button followed by that button trying to match on-screen prompts. Fortunately, the buttons that you have to press are always the same allowing you to memorize the sequence as you invariably get killed if you aren't quick enough to respond to the on screen prompt. HINT: pressing the button just a little before the on screen prompt is okay and helps during the melees later in the game.- While mufti-player action usually isn't a big draw for me, I did try to get into the multi-player area once and kept getting messages that Tomb Raider was unable to find a game. I don't know if that was a temporary server issue or if that reflects not a lot of players available.- I think most of the replay value of the game is likely to be in the multi-player area along with going back to the island to locate as yet unfound artifacts and solve unsolved puzzles. I have no desire (for now) to play the game over from the beginning.