The theme of Tomb Raider is close to my heart. Adventure, mythology, history - what more can I ask for? And it has action. Real action, as in gunfights and actual danger. I never understood the recent games' emphasis on the bow and arrow, as if they are somehow better for being silent or not as controversial as guns. Stealth has never been a problem for firearms in video games, as silencers magically make guns sound like muffled lasers in games and movies alike. No, in this game, Lara dual wields pistols with unlimited ammo that don't even need reloading. And there's no need for stealth - these things are loud. So far, I'm only fighting feral beasts anyways, and last I checked loud noises scare them off.

I also appreciate Lara's home decor and athleticisim. I miss the days when style and fitness were virtues in society. This game is bringing me back to a time when people aspired to be better, when people strove for their goals and took risks to achieve them. The safe, narrative-driven modern games never interested so much. That trend seems to be nearly industry-wide at this point, as most AAA games I play these days are packed with more cutscenes than gameplay.

I'm only a few hours in, and I'm probably going to stick it out with Tank Controls as long as I can. I don't think they're better than Modern Controls, I just think I would miss out on some of the difficulty and charm of the original games if I avoided them.

But anyways, back to playing.