There's a moment about midway through the new Tomb Raider where heroine Lara Croft lands in the clutches of a gaggle of male heavies - gross, grimy, near-feral Scavengers who want nothing more than to exact revenge for her killing their brethren.

+ Incredibly polished production values and super-responsive controls make playing a treat; + Great; well-paced progression and character development make Lara believable

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When adventurer extraordinaire Lara Croft raided her first tomb back in 1996, she brought with her an exhilarating feeling of isolation and discovery. Over the years, Lara has continued to venture into parts unknown, taking dark turns and frequently tangling with the supernatural as the series...

Story believably builds Lara up from unsure academic to confident adventurer; Fascinating setting with a rich sense of history; Intense combat that offers a good deal of flexibility; Controls make physically overcoming the island's terrain a pleasure; Good assortment of tombs to raid; relics to...

Forgettable multiplayer component; Outside of Lara's character arc; story is predictable

Tomb Raider has, by the very premise of its name, always roused the excited kid in us. And we don't mean because of the game's female protagonist, Lara Croft. Well, not entirely. No, there's something very Indiana Jones about adventure, treasure hunting and, er, booby traps.

Immersive story; looks gorgeous; additional tombs/tasks outside of linear story line; generally well acted; bold when it comes to the 'gritty' content; best action-adventure game of recent times

Can feel repetitive in some places; occasionally over-worked acting can be a little grating; frame rate dip during cinematic cut scenes and some button-clicking sections lack response in PS3 version we tested

Violent, scary, ambitious, inventive: a lack of tombs and unconvincing characters can't mar a blockbuster return to form for Tomb Raider.

The island is the star of the show; Lara's world feels brutal; dangerous and frightening; Smooth combat married to DIY gadgets; Inventive tombs that recall the original game..

..; it's just a shame there's not enough of them, The occasional unwelcome QTE, Clichéd characters, flat dialogue

A great cinematic action adventure, with one of gaming's great lead performances, although its Tomb Raider DNA seems fragmented and even degenerative in parts.

Fantastic production values with great graphics, excellent combat, and a large and interesting game world; A genuinely sympathetic protagonist

The focus on combat and uncomplicated platforming and puzzles may frustrate franchise fans; Mediocre script and facial animation

Welcome back, Lara; the survivalist hero we always wanted you to be. Tomb Raider is a resounding success and one of the best reboots this generation. It starts off slow, but once it hits its stride, Tomb Raider evolves into an emotionally rich adrenaline-fuelled quest for survival.

+ Great origins story; + Lara is a strong protagonist; + Engaging combat; + Plenty of tombs to raid

- Supporting characters are bland; - Slow start with too many quicktime events; - Enemies are way too good at tossing dynamite behind cover

In 1998, my mother and I went to Cash Converters to look for PlayStation games my father might like for his birthday. She was ultimately convinced by a man with a disturbing glint in his eye that my Dad would appreciate the platformer stylings of the original Tomb Raider.

There is a platform here for Crystal Dynamics to take Lara's shenanigans to a new level, but a reliance on fairly bog standard shooter mechanics just doesn't do the franchise any justice and as a result, means Tomb Raider falls short of being a truly great game.

Watch out world - Lara's back, and looking better than ever, in the all-new, all-different Tomb Raider . Her first game was released back in 1996 and since then the series has gone from strength to strength, firmly establishing Ms. Croft as gaming's most iconic heroine.

Great new direction; Action-packed; Stunning to look at

Gore can get a bit much; Not many original ideas; Might be too different for veterans

Adventurer Lara Croft has encountered and defeated a variety of foes in her two decades of tomb raiding, but her biggest challenge yet is the dreaded reboot. Simultaneously hated and loved, reboots give developers a chance to take familiar characters in new directions, but at the risk of alienating...

Impressive graphics and game world; A far more human Lara Croft; Incredibly cinematic action sequences; Quality voice acting

Forgettable secondary characters; Occasionally weak dialogue; Upgrade menu may prove confusing to some