NOWHERESCAPE

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider screenshot by Dead End Thrills.

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:20:04 +0100

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider screenshot by Dead End Thrills.

I’ve been on the Xbox barricade for many years but I just might switch to Sony this time. And...

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:16:00 +0100

I’ve been on the Xbox barricade for many years but I just might switch to Sony this time. And here’s the thing. Gamers want a new console. They are the ones paying attention. People whose first priority is watching television, listen to music, Facebook and Skype, are not looking for a console. What new need is Xbox One addressing to these people? Will they even be interested in buying this new Mr. Fusion device for their living rooms?

It just feels like Microsoft is neglecting its core audience. Sony isn’t. The next months are going to be really interesting…

Gustavo Santaolalla, the famous composer behind iconic film...

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:38:35 +0100

Gustavo Santaolalla, the famous composer behind iconic film soundtracks such as The Motorcycle Diaries, Brokeback Mountain and Babel, talks about his work for The Last of Us.

The Aviatrix jacket gives Lara an authentic Indiana Jones look....

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:06:56 +0100

The Aviatrix jacket gives Lara an authentic Indiana Jones look. Now, if only we could get a whip and a hat…

Photo

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:50:20 +0100

Lara Croft wearing the new Sure-Shot outfit, Tomb Raider...

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:59:54 +0100

Lara Croft wearing the new Sure-Shot outfit, Tomb Raider screenshot by Dead End Thrills. Love the detail on the glove and boots.

Don’t look down, Tomb Raider screenshot by Fimbulvintern.

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:14:43 +0100

Don’t look down, Tomb Raider screenshot by Fimbulvintern.

Hang in there, Tomb Raider screenshot by Fimbulvintern.

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:11:00 +0100

Hang in there, Tomb Raider screenshot by Fimbulvintern.

A Call For Help, Tomb Raider (2013) Original Game Soundtrack by...

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:10:08 +0100

A Call For Help, Tomb Raider (2013) Original Game Soundtrack by Jason Graves.

#MINOR SPOILERS# Jason Graves has a long experience as a composer for video games. His work on the Dead Space series is amazing but the new Tomb Raider score is, in my humble opinion, the highlight of his career so far. It’s through his music that we connect with Lara’s most emotional moments, as in this particular theme that accompanies our beloved archeologist as she faces an enemy base camp and climbs a radio tower to send out a distress signal. Epic stuff!

Lara Croft: Survivor, Tomb Raider BJD by Deathbunnie.

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:06:10 +0100

Lara Croft: Survivor, Tomb Raider BJD by Deathbunnie.

stiqjockey: Bio-Cats Bioshock Meows, Bioshock Infinite fan...

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:14:06 +0100

stiqjockey:

Bio-Cats

Bioshock Meows, Bioshock Infinite fan art by Lemonisa.

Beyond: Two Souls, starring Ellen Page. Definitely one of the...

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:13:20 +0100

Beyond: Two Souls, starring Ellen Page. Definitely one of the most promising games of the year.

Photo

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:55:15 +0100

Tomb Raider Review: Becoming Lara Croft

Tue, 07 May 2013 22:34:00 +0100

Tomb Raider opens with a majestic view of the Endurance, the research ship captained by Conrad North, a hardened and charismatic freelance treasure hunter. His crew, which includes the young and promising archeologist Lara Croft, is headed for the Devil’s Triangle, a dangerous area of the Pacific also known as The Devil’s Sea. They hope to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai, once ruled by the mythical shaman queen Himiko, a legend in Sino-Japanese culture.

Gamers with a passion for History will recognize the Endurance as a direct reference to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914. Shackleton’s ship came across a tragic fate as it was crushed in the ice of the Antarctic, leaving a crew of 28 men stranded on the frozen landscape for nearly two years. Although the expedition failed to accomplish its objective, it is recognized as one of the most remarkable epic stories of survival in human history. Roth’s crew faces a similar misfortune. Upon entering the troubled waters of the Devil’s Sea the ship is caught in a severe storm and crashes near the shore of a mysterious island. Here begins Lara Croft’s personal journey, from a brave but fragile young woman to a strong-minded and intrepid adventurer…

There are two main reasons why I love video games. They are a powerful platform for storytelling and an unparalleled medium to experience virtual environments. In great games, story and physical setting are inseparable realities. The landscape is the fabric that brings the experience together. The original Tomb Raider was probably one of the first games to seamlessly blend narrative and conceptual design, proposing a cohesive architectural approach to game-space. It was truly original in the way it integrated aesthetic influences to convey dramatic substance to the experience. The series, however, for different reasons, eventually lost some of its relevance in the context of other rising franchises. Most of all, Lara Croft never became a real, believable person. The sketchy iconography of the character, which was acceptable in the nineties, failed to evolve and develop a more profound human texture.

The new Tomb Raider is, in that regard, an extraordinary achievement. Lara is no longer the impenetrable super-hero seen in the past and is now presented as realistic human being, vulnerable and even afraid, facing terrible circumstances. It’s quite a delight to see her respond to the adversities that stand in the path of her journey through the mysterious island of Yamatai.

As in the series greatest moments of the past, the scenery is once again a wonder to discover. The island is beautifully rendered with varied locations, complemented with dynamic weather, impressive visual details and sound effects. Although the gameplay environment is not entirely open-world it provides the right balance of progression and exploration to keep the story focused. The explorable areas are also multi-layered, becoming more accessible as Lara gets new skills and climbing abilities, which in turn makes revisiting them a refreshing experience.

On the negative side, if I may say so of a game I’m loving so dearly, is the fact that the game seems to favor urgency at the expense of a more profound presentation of the character’s background and motivations. That sense of urgency makes the game an exciting experience but it may also disappoint those who preferred the slow paced exploration seen in previous titles. Balancing this fact, the organic structure of the island allows you to go back and explore previously visited areas at your own rhythm for a more thorough examination of the surroundings.

For the most part Tomb Raider remains faithful to the nature of the original series but it also emphasizes combat to extremes. Tackling human opponents was always rare and difficult in earlier games, making such encounters significant. This time Lara is faced with a myriad of combat situations, meeting multiple enemies at once. Such confrontations are well constructed in terms of gameplay: enemies are intelligent and make a clever use of the environment. Still, while these provide an immediate thrill, the fact that halfway into the game the body count rises to Max Payne levels may trivialize the narrative significance of killing – which contradicts the powerful and emotional scenes presented in the early moments of the story.

Having said that, it should be noted that Tomb Raider is an excellent origins story, balancing fantastic playability with precise and usually short contextual cut-scenes, punctuated by ambitious climactic sequences that look nothing short of a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s in balancing those grand-scale moments with the intimate hero’s journey that the game truly shines, successfully portraying the evolution of Lara in a convincing, beautiful and memorable way. As someone who’s been following in the footsteps of Lara Croft since the first game, I confess, I can hardly wait to see where adventure will take her next time…

skyventure: That moment when you stop, forget the quest and...

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:17:22 +0100

skyventure:

That moment when you stop, forget the quest and just appreciate how beautiful Skyrim can be.

gamefreaksnz: Shadow An illustration inspired by the iconic...

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:02:20 +0100

gamefreaksnz:

Shadow

An illustration inspired by the iconic video game, Shadow of the Colossus.

Dead End Thrills presents Tomb Raider

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:57:00 +0100

Dead End Thrills presents Tomb Raider:

Duncan Harris, our favorite video game photographer on the internet, just started publishing images from Tomb Raider on his website. Visit Dead End Thrills and check his Flickr page for more pictures.

reBORN, Tomb Raider fan art by Michael K. Matsumoto.

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:36:38 +0100

reBORN, Tomb Raider fan art by Michael K. Matsumoto.

Farewell and Into the Inevitable, Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:10:39 +0100

Farewell and Into the Inevitable, Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC Original Game Soundtrack by Sam Hulick.

Let’s just take a moment of our day to stare at the...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:57:05 +0100

Let’s just take a moment of our day to stare at the greatness of this magnificent human being…