Re-inventing A Series

Have you ever tried to re-invent yourself? Maybe you recently became single and decided you wanted to be a bit cooler or edgier. Perhaps you had a make-over or new hairstyle?

The point is, it's not easy to re-invent yourself, after all, you have been you for so long people just get used to it. Game developers sometime try to re-invent their titles to help drive sales or re-ignite a stale franchise. This is also not easy to do. Sometimes I think game developers play it safe too often and even though they deliver a solid title, you can't help but feel like you want something more.

Why am I talking about re-invention? Two words... Tomb Raider.

So back in the days of Windows 95 and Playstation 1, Tomb Raider released to critical acclaim. It featured a kick-ass heroine who would shoot and somersault her way out of any problem. It was brilliant. Then came along Tomb Raider 2, then 3, then Revelations, and so on and so forth. The game started to lose its shine and with the dawning of some new kids on the block such as Uncharted and Prince of Persia reboots, Tomb Raider sales dwindled.

So how did they combat these new AAA titles? They re-invented Lara Croft.

I picked up the latest title simply to review it for my site and see what the fuss was about. Within 5 minutes of playing the game I was caught hook, line and sinker. You see instead of trying to change the premise of the franchise, they took the kick-ass heroine and made her... human.

Tomb Raider doesn't feel like an action game. It''s more of a battle of survival. Every moment I found myself clutching the controller, desperately trying to fight off the islanders inhabitants. Although the controls are slick and the gun play spot on, I found myself missing shots due to panic, firing off more rounds than necessary  Only by about the half way point was I confident engaging foes in a firefight.

The main mechanic at play is vulnerability and this makes the game oh so rewarding. Every fight was a struggle, I had to remind myself to breath in the stealth sections. The vulnerability of Lara Croft transferred to me and I felt I was trying to survive.

What did you think of the new Tomb Raider? And what game would you like to see re-invented? Share your thoughts on our Facebook Page. (http://www.facebook.com/SOGwhatsitlike)

-Sarge