These days, writing about games, TV, and movies usually means we’re working with purely digital media. Games are distributed by code, and so many of the movies and shows we’re watching start life on streaming services like Netflix. Once in a while, though, one of those ends up accompanied by a physical goodie that we didn’t plan on. Earlier this year, Microsoft sent us a PlayerUnknown’s...
Archaeologists are some of our favorite characters in popular culture. Academics who explore places hidden from our everyday, venturing far out of our comfort zones. The original Tomb Raider games took the Indiana Jones template and rewrote it, combining the explorative nature of that film series with the sexy quippiness of James Bond – in an ultra-sexy hotpants-wearing package. 2013's...
Since being rebooted in 2013, Tomb Raider has become one of gaming’s most exciting franchises, both from a narrative and gameplay standpoint. In fact, I’d argue the current iteration of Tomb Raider is on a par with Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series; I actually prefer the darker and more realistic tone in comparison. Now, Lara is ready to complete her trilogy when she returns in Shadow of...
After over two decades in the video game limelight, Lara is one of the oldest and most storied characters to date. She’s been through more design evolutions than Nintendo’s entire cast of characters. Now, she has one of her most difficult adventures ahead of her: improving on a great formula and making it feel fresh. When Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix put out the first of Lara’s new...
An extended trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider was released on Friday, and while it doesn’t include actual gameplay, it does tease some of the new title’s big themes, including how Lara will deal with the aftermath of Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Clearly, Lara has been deeply affected by her previous adventures, evolving from timid survivor to skilled killer. The trailer...