Tomb Raider (reboot)

Azza wrote: »

What other mechanics would be better suited to being the primary gameplay mechanic?

Personally I'd take 3rd person shooting as the primary mechanic over puzzle solving and platforming any day of the weak.

I have no objection to platforming or puzzle solving when they're cleverly implemented - we have enough games focused on pure combat that it makes the shooting mechanics in the likes of Tomb Raider or Uncharted seem bland and derivative. Other than that, I would have liked the game to be purely survival based and have combat situations if they're necessary built around tense, small-scale encounters (perhaps building on prototypess like I Am Alive). Force Lara to utilise the environment, and build the environment as both an ally and enemy. Perhaps be bolder like Silent Hill Shattered Memories and have large groups of opposing forces as an insurmountable obstacle, and emphasise escape or hiding over unconvincing one-on-twenty combat situations. Make exploration of environments vital and compelling rather than just as a hiding place for meaningless trinkets. Some of these things are supposedly in the game as is, but from what I've read - and again, I'm talking theoretically although based on emerging consensus - there are many times when they're ignored in favour of dull old cover shooting. Everything the developers claimed during this production led me to believe they'd be making a determined effort to step away from that familiar formula. Imagine, praytell, that Lara had actually gotten physically weaker through injuries and exhaustion as the game progressed and the developers had completely subverted the norm before providing the inevitable hard-won victories. As the gamecentral review argues, all that kind of stuff happens at the start, "but in truth the opening hour or so is by far the most interesting, as Lara’s character never really goes anywhere after that".

Oh, and in-depth tomb raiding mechanics would also be welcome

I don't think thats a major problem. Game sites lately keep bringing up the disconnect between gameplay and story like its a major issue on every gamers mind but for the most part, we simply don't think about it. We just accept the disconnect as one of those things about games. We for the most part judge the storyline separate to gameplay. Although I will accept in Tomb Raiders case its more of an issue because of the story set up.

As long as developers keep making it an issue, it is one I'm interested in. As long as Nathan Drake verbally expresses remorse over knocking out an innocent guard but will subsequently murder legions of enemies without a second thought it will remain an issue. Tomb Raider was heavily emphasised as a dark coming-of-age, intense survival saga that develops a once underdeveloped character - I'd find it hard to take that seriously when she stops to kill dozens of people at every other opportunity. If a game insists on including a heavy story focus, gameplay and consistent writing should never be disconnected.