A Solid Reimagining, And Taking the Uncharted Formula Further.
I'm probably like most of y'all, who were quite skeptical with how this game will turn out based off the early previews and footage, but by the end of the ~10 hr game, I feel like I quite enjoyed it. It borrowed heavily on Uncharted style , but it smartly noted the criticisms people had with Uncharted games (way too linear, combat sections are too long, huge disconnect between cutscenes and gameplay aka mass murderer psycho Drake), and addressed them in a way that the game feels different and possibly better.
Graphics
Playing this on a half decade old pc with a just bought 7870 XT, this game is gorgeous. Sure the poly count isn't Crysis, but the artistic direction is fantastic. The environment are gorgeous. The new TressFX tech is also quite impressive, and is one of the few instances where I would sacrifice framerate for eyecandy (Never did for physx stuff in other games). Sure the tech is goofy at times, but it really does make me excited about next gen games (hopefully all space marines will have luscious hair <3). While Lara doesn't move as smoothly as Nathan Drake, her animations are mostly believable, and having full air control (kinda like mario) is a welcome addition.
Controls/Gameplay
Game plays like Uncharted, which means it plays like most 3rd person shooters, except you can jump almost like a platformer. Having no dedicated snap to cover button is odd, but it works really well, and it's way better than most 3rd person shooters where snapping to cover works about 80-90% of the time. Shooting guns are decent enough (assault rifle is not as great as I'd want, but if it was, I would only use it though), but the Bow is the star of the show. The feel is excellent, and when you get to mastering it, it feels great. A nice oomph. The game also offers some melee options which allows a counter kill, which works most of the time, but shooting is often more efficient. Killing people using skill though (counter kills, headshots etc) leads to more exp.
The exp system in this game is probably the biggest disappointment. It feels really half assed. A lot of skills are redundant and feel like padding (Why make weapon finishers separate for each type?). Every thing you collect attribute to exp, but besides the neat journal pages (kinda like the tapes on bioshock and other games) that help flesh the world, everything else is just Ubisoft style collect stuff just cause you can.
Other Stuff
Besides that though, there are a bunch of smart little things done. Love how Lara automatically draws her weapon when enemies are nearby, or that she smartly crouches near cover. Little things are what makes a game stands out these days. I think the game has multiplayer, but I suck at mp shooters now, so go look at other reviews for that. I think you probably shoot guys and level up though.
Conclusion
And thats about it. Great game. Not really a challenging hardcore game, but it's a great reboot and there is plenty of room to grow for the inevitable future sequels.
