Tomb Raider

The end credit started with,
"We hope you enjoyed playing Tomb Raider. We have worked our hardest to bring you the best game we could possibly make. Thank you for taking time to complete our game."
This is exactly what is missing from most of the modern game dev companies. They have no passion for their games and the game companies don't even care about creating "the best game they can possibly make". They are just busy forcing crappy propagandas and microtransactions with their games.
This is one of the best adventure games I have ever experienced. Crystal Dynamics really poured their heart and soul to create a masterpiece. I can't believe this is an 11 years old game, this still feels better than most of the modern AAA games.

It’s been years since I first played Tomb Raider, but somehow, I still find myself thinking about that island.

I remember launching it on a quiet evening, not expecting much — just another reboot, I thought. But from the first shipwreck to the moment Lara picks up the bow for the first time, I knew this game was going to stick with me.

This wasn’t the pixelated Lara I grew up hearing about. This was a younger, more vulnerable version of her — one who had to earn her survival, not just inherit it. Watching her transform from terrified student to relentless survivor was… strangely emotional. She wasn't a superhero. She was human. And she endured.

The island itself felt alive — every creaking rope bridge, crumbling shrine, and storm-drenched cave etched into my memory. I remember getting lost in those hidden tombs, not for loot, but for the atmosphere — the flicker of torchlight on ancient walls, the sound of water dripping through stone. Those moments felt like a quiet kind of magic.

It’s funny — I’ve played bigger, flashier games since, but Tomb Raider hit differently. It made me feel something. It reminded me of what video games can do when they’re crafted with care: tell a story, build a world, and let you lose yourself in it.

If you’ve never played it, play it. If you have, maybe it’s time to go back.

Everything has already been said about Tomb Raider so let's look at it from a different angle :
► Best Action Game
► Coolest Character Reinvention
► Best Trailer
► Most Valuable Game Award
► Most Anticipated Game of 2013
These are awards the game won. Do I really need to say more ?
One of the best games of 2013 & an awesome reboot.
96/100

This game grabs you by the feels and doesn’t let go. The story is solid, the characters are likable, and Lara? She’s an absolute sweetheart you just want to protect at all costs. Watching her suffer is borderline heartbreaking, but it makes her journey all the more rewarding.
Exploring the semi-open world is a blast, whether you’re raiding tombs, hunting for treasure, or just taking in the gorgeous scenery (before something inevitably tries to kill you). A great mix of action, adventure, and emotional storytelling. Lara Croft’s pain is our gain, though we’d prefer a little less of it for her.

This is one of the best adventure games I’ve played in a while. If you enjoy adventure games with strong storytelling, exploration, and puzzle-solving, I would highly recommend this one. I’ve played some of the older Tomb Raider games, but this one’s easily the most epic, thrilling, and fun.
10/10

The only complaint I have with this game design is that some things are way too complicated. They need to realize that not every detail is necessary, and it even may create confusion. For example, it will be much easier if you remove Laura's clothes.

There are few games that can offer players a truly unique experience—the sense of inhabiting a body. Perhaps the second The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, and Tomb Raider stand out in this regard.

Medieval historians like Jacques Le Goff and Alain Corbin have long examined the body from various perspectives: the body and religion, society, sexuality, medicine, play, power. Similarly, in the recent Tomb Raider games, Lara Croft’s body tells its own story, not through overt sexualization, but through something far more intimate. The trembling of her hands as she shakes off water, the mud clinging to her skin, the way she hugs a wounded stomach, shivering from cold rain, and warming herself by the fire—all this transforms her body into a powerful cultural symbol, a means of communication. The camera no longer lingers on her hips or accentuates her chest as it did in earlier iterations. Instead, in cutscenes, there is a subtle focus on her neckline, suggesting an awareness of her femininity that refuses to diminish her strength. In moments when a hostile enemy pins her to the wall, scrutinizing her vulnerable figure with predatory intent, the game communicates a striking modern message: the confrontation between masculine and feminine is played out, and the latter is revealed not as fragile but as strong, whole, and determined.

Lara's body now possesses a social power reminiscent of Michel Foucault’s ideas on the body as a site of struggle. What once was an object—a body alienated from its owner—has now become a symbol of autonomy and resilience. There is a visible symbiosis between spirit and physical strength. In earlier games, Lara’s body did not entirely belong to her; it was subjected to the disciplinary gaze, manipulated by a series of power structures. The revival of her physicality, the integrity of the individual, is possible now because of a shift—an application of what Foucault might call a technology of self-care.

In terms of stealth and combat, Tomb Raider has achieved a new level of realism. Enemies now behave with a tactical awareness, ducking behind cover, firing in short, precise bursts, and sending arrows with deadly accuracy. The game doesn’t just immerse you in a world; it brings you into the flesh, the sweat, the sensation of being truly alive amidst danger, heat, and cold.

This evolution in Tomb Raider isn't just about survival; it's about reclaiming identity through action and consequence. Lara’s journey is a testament to resilience—a physical and emotional transformation that mirrors the changes in the player’s own experience. Every bruise and scar, every desperate climb and frantic scramble for cover, becomes a narrative of endurance. The landscapes she traverses, whether dense jungles or icy peaks, are not just backdrops but adversaries themselves—testing her limits and demanding a raw physicality. The game’s world feels alive with tension, challenging the player to read environments, anticipate threats, and make split-second decisions. In a sense, Tomb Raider becomes a dialogue between the character and the landscape, between the past and the present, between who Lara was and who she is becoming. The intimacy with her body—its exhaustion, pain, and strength—turns every leap into a statement of defiance, a declaration that she is not only surviving but mastering a world that sought to overwhelm her.