Tomb RaiderOh my god! If there was ever a game series that put me constantly on the edge (no literally, I was constantly on the edge), this would have to be it. The famous Lara Croft starting out her adventures in this beginning game of the entire Tomb Raider franchise.
Now, I don't know about the rest of you gamers; and I am sure many of you really enjoy your FPS (first person shooters), but being the way that this game is... it is a MUST HAVE! I mean, come on; this is freaking LARA CROFT, why wouldn't you want her?!?!
Okay, okay; I'm getting a little bit too excited here, but seriously... just thinking about this game is enough to make my blood boil and my body tingle. So, before I spasm and fall out of my seat; let me give you some reasons why you should jump out of your seat and buy this game RIGHT NOW!
Graphics - 8/10
Yes, I know; the graphics of this game are "blocky", kind of like playing an older version of Minecraft... isn't it? Well, there's a huge difference between Minecraft and Tomb Raider; this legendary game and game character has lasted throughout the ages, and has made its debut in many systems, even for Gamecube and GameBoy Color. A game like this has graphics that just scream "original", and makes you feel like you are really in the land of the lost, the land of the dead, or even underwater with the fish. With semi-realistic animation and personalities to each character, this game brings you one of the most exciting storylines and landscapes to ever be found.
Sound - 8/10
Ah, just think about this is making my body shiver. Now, when I was playing this game about five years ago; I couldn't help but be almost paranoid while playing it. With the endless sounds of nature and with the spine-tingling soundtrack that makes you want to run out of your room and away from the TV; you might just end up looking over your shoulder to see if there is a bear right behind you. With the sounds of nature being established into this game, you will hear things like; bears growling, bats flying, rocks breaking, glass shattering, wood snapping, and even wolves howling. Although many of the sounds are HIGHLY off from the real thing, they will still give you enough of a scare that you might just close your eyes as you hear the sound of the trap door opening and then suddenly the scream of Lara Croft as she dies upon impact.
Addictiveness - 10/10
The level of paranoia this game can give you will cause you to come back to it, again and again. It took me nearly a year to beat this game, and it wasn't because the game was difficult (and believe me, it was a real challenge; unlike playing Gears of War or some other modern game), but this game really drove me into almost falling off of my bed and slamming my face into the corner of my cabinet. There have been days when I couldn't sleep, cause I couldn't help but feel like something or someone was going to attack me; I couldn't help but feel like a giant boulder was going to fall through my roof and kill me. This game will literally put you on the edge of your seat, and then again; you may just fall out of your seat from screaming in fear as you get chased down by a pack of wolves, or run from a giant boulder... or even much worse at the end of the game.
Story - 7/10
The story takes place behind Lara Croft going on a little adventure to uncover the hidden secrets of some kind of temple located way up in the mountains. From there, she will then travel across the globe as she follows the clues and tales about this strange artifact. You will wind up in some of the coldest places in the world, such as the Himalayan mountains or even the hottest places such as the Pyramids of Egypt. Every area and aspect of this game will make you scream for more, as you uncover the truth and disasters of each artifact.
Depth - 6/10
Although this game only allows you to play as Lara Croft, it does allow you to do many things with her; such as: Swim in a pond or lake, Dive into a pool, kill some bears and wolves, kill people, kill weird skeleton creatures, kill the might T-Rex, and much more. With heart-pounding events and blood boiling deaths, you will be driven to beat this game at any cost (even if it means borrowing a Gameshark to get INFINITE ammo).
Difficulty - 9/10
Like every single Lara Croft game (of the older generation), this game is the start of the series; meaning nobody had a clue what to expect. We didn't realize that spikes could fall from the ceiling and kill us in one hit, we didn't realize that there were literally traps around every corner, we didn't realize that animals would attack us for no reason at all... and now, it's time for you to realize this. All you can do in this game is try to survive as you avoid traps, avoid violent bears, avoid evil poachers, and much more... heck, you'll even try to avoid being eaten alive by a T-Rex! This game requires you to be fast on your feet, but also fast in reactions; one false move, and Lara Croft dies.
Graphics
8 Sound
8 Addictive
10 Depth
6 Story
7 Difficulty
9