Tomb Raider is a mature experience featuring a young, strong woman who - armed with grit, determination, and intelligence - rescues not only her friends but herself as well. Surely there’s a lesson in that for the rest of us.

Rebooting Tomb Raider is the best thing that could have happened to the series. The game is full of story-wise emotions and superbly directed action scenes, and it still has a very strong human factor. I'm rarely this positive about a game. Crystal Dynamics took a risk that won't appeal to some orthodox fans, but all in all the developers have succeeded. The most important thing to know is this: the new Tomb Raider is one of the best action-adventure games I have ever played.

The new incarnation of the iconic Lara Craft might very well be one of the best games out there right now. [April 2013]

Lara’s origin story is a terrific, action-packed experience with stunning visuals that sadly has not much to do with her previous adventures. Yet the puzzle physics are cool, the exploration of the island is rewarding and the much-improved combat is easily one of the biggest steps forward for the series – too bad there is sometimes too much of it.

But with its excellent controls, engaging heroine, thrilling combat, and fascinating setting, it doesn't need to. Lara may be covering some previously charted territory here, but Tomb Raider is so well-crafted, you won't mind at all.

While not every promising idea Tomb Raider has is pulled off successfully, it nevertheless turns in a tense and memorable ride that combines modern game design with its forebears’ adventurous spirit in some exciting ways. Some of its missteps may well come at the cost of your enjoyment, but most can’t hope to hurt the adventure in the long run. Although it never fully finds its identity, this is a game and a story worth seeing through.

A bottomless chasm separating the story and the gameplay is the biggest problem of this Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics rebooted the series with an origin story. The developers wanted to show us how Lara learns to kill – first animals, then humans – in order to survive, how the hardships of the Yamatai island will make her into the tomb raider well know and love. But in reality, you can’t suspend your disbelief even for a minute. Though Lara sighs and whines a lot, her superhuman vitality would make Wolverine green with envy.