You are on a humongous ship called "The Endurance" that offered to take you to find out the mysterious island of Yamatai. Due to a terrible storm, the ship splits into two pieces. You bolt to make it to the other side of the ship (the one that’s not sinking),  you face a life or death situation when you have to leap to grasp someone's arm. You start to lose your grip and fall into the onyx water. You start to drown. You gasp for air and fear that you will never see the light of day again.  The last thing you remember before becoming unconscious is the light of the moon getting farther and farther away. You wake up, hung to the ceiling in a robe - like straight jacket by a rope. You are surrounded by dead bodies hung as well; and you are cornered by the stench. This is only the beginning of the nightmare to come.
         

"Tomb Raider" by Square Enix was not at all what I expected in this game at all. It was given to me as a Christmas present. The first 4 minutes of the game had my heart racing at an all-time high. You play as young adventurer Lara Croft in this third person adventure and learn the secrets of Himiko(the Sun Queen of Yamatai) while warding off her followers who call themselves "The Solarii Brotherhood." Help Lara embark on a mission along with the other members of the Endurance to figure out a way off the island.
     

My favorite thing about this game is the elaborate use of weapons, ammo, and tools. Examples of these are Rope, Fire, Explosive, and Armor Penetrating Arrows. You also have a Pry Ax, a WWII Submachine Gun, a Semi - Automatic Pistol, and a Trench Shotgun to blow away the baddies. An all time favorite tool that I used was the Rope Ascender, which was used to bring down big doors and zip line to and fro. Another favorite resource that I received in the game was the silencer. It made stealth missions a truckload easier.


The graphics on this game are impeccable. You can see every detail from the transistors on a radio to an F-12 Fighter Jet. Be warned however, if you use a dark screen, you won't make it very far in the game. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from someone running at you to a statue in a sprinting pose (you'd be surprised by how often this happens, to me anyway). The sounds in this game are quite fascinating as well. You can hear the crunch of each and every leaf Lara steps on, and the sound of lurking enemies nearby (Hint- they play suspenseful music).
    
This game alone has won 15 awards such as "The Most Anticipated Game Of 2013 Award, The Best Action Game Award, The Most Valuable Game Award, and The Best Overall Game.  It has also been nominated for Best Game of the Year (overall and for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC), and was nominated for nine more awards including, “Best Voice Actress (Camilla Luddington), Best Action-Adventure Game, and Best Stage Award.” Overall, I would rate this game 10 out of 10 stars. It is worth every cent you or anyone else pays for it. The amazing plot, graphics, and sound come together to make the perfect action game. Good luck on your many adventures, and remember to survive the best you can. With that, I bid you farewell.