Tomb Raider 2013 Review
Tomb Raider is a game about a woman who keeps standing on rotten planks of wood and falling down. It is a game about a woman who is always sliding on her bum, muddily, confidently towards her next adventure. It is a game about a woman who keeps going into rooms that are not properly affixed to the Earth, and then there is an explosion or a rumble or something, and then the room becomes unmoored and begins to lurch sideways and off the edge of a cliff or a waterfall. It is a very good game, full of exciting things to do with falling, and I like it.
In Tomb Raider you find yourself shipwrecked on a mysterious island full of mysterious tombs and mysterious cultists who’ll chase you around ancient ruins, shooting the faces off giant statues and defiling the sacred resting places of dozens of long-dead royals by chucking sticks of dynamite about. If that bit in Aladdin where the guy working on the sphinx accidentally chisels its nose off made you feel a bit sick, Tomb Raider will send you into a lurching fit of prehistorical sadness, such is the destruction wrought upon your delicate and unique surroundings. Imagine a bomb going off during a taping of Antiques Roadshow and Fiona Bruce gets blasted clear over a marquee and skewered on a branch. That is the reality of Lara Croft’s destructive archaeological efforts. That is Tomb Raider as she is played.
As well as being about wrecking tombs, Tomb Raider is also one of those games that sometimes plays itself while you sit back and watch. During certain sequences it’s not clear whether holding down the ‘go’ key is actually achieving anything, and depending on how intently the game is masturbating you can sometimes let go of the controls entirely and watch Lara automatically backflip over some lava. More often however, all of your button presses are simply interpreted as ‘go forwards’, requiring that you at least be sitting at your desk and paying attention to progress. But that’s okay.
That’s okay because during these moments Tomb Raider is a rollercoaster, a thrilling series of surprising twists and loops and tunnels and screams. Lara escapes toppling towers, scuttles through collapsing caves and across buckling bridges. Walls explode around you, Lara is thrown about as rooms twist and floors crumble away with perfect cinematic timing. The loss of control is countered by your fleeting few panicked reactions, the wheeling camera angles and rousing orchestral tharrumph-a-dumph. It looks and sounds more spectacular than it ever could have done had Crystal Dynamics allowed you, with your poor directorial abilities and penchant for running into walls, complete control over your character during these bits. So that’s okay.
It’s also okay because these cine-chunks are so carefully and sparsely set around the rest of the game, which is a game about shooting bad men, interspersed with the raiding of tombs, which arrive in the form of short, neat physics puzzles. Tomb Raider’s island is optionally open-world, a collection of wide, interconnected hub levels through which you can backtrack and fast-travel in order to collect more XP and salvage — the game’s currency for skills and weapon upgrades — or to find previously inaccessible tombs after having discovered the tools required to reach them.
The game is Zelda-like in its drip-feed of new world-traversing abilities: rope arrows allow you to create your own ziplines, a special climbing axe lets you climb up any walls that have the climbable wall texture on them. By the end of the game you’re basically a tomb raiding Batman, having collected all of these useful toys that Lara will probably accidentally drop down a hole at the beginning of her next game.
You can push forwards and ignore the option to double back and find more tombs. You can also ignore all of the Bear Grylls hunting and survival stuff that the game’s early tutorial and pre-release marketing seems to focus on, as animals are little more than roving, four-legged crates of XP and salvage, and you come across plenty of that stuff simply by carving a direct path through enemies.
Shooting men in their heads feels great too, which is worth pointing out at you do it a whole bunch. Lara’s armoury is whittled all the way down to a snappy handgun, clackety assault rifle, blammo shotgun and stealthy bow, the use of each changing the tempo of gunfights in such a way as to stir up variety as ammo expires and weapons become used out of dire necessity. They all pop satisfyingly, though, and each of the four weapons will get a decent airing around such clever enemies as: man with impenetrable riot shield, man who cannot be hurt by arrows and man who runs right up to you with a machete. The bow is used for stealth kills, allowing you to headshot bad men with arrows in such an order that nobody sees you do it. In that sense it's a bit like a puzzle. Some of the later skills you unlock allow you to trigger some brutal melee kills too.
It’s worth piling all of your skill points into melee kills, if only because it so messily highlights the wonderful character development of Lara Croft, a woman perpetually bullied by nature and haunted by gravity. She goes from vulnerable, desperate and shivering to a strutting hailstorm of vengeance-fuelled bullet rage, while never losing her defining ability to look at an urn and tell you which Chinese dynasty it’s come from. Looking at the insides of tombs and having Lara say something clever-sounding is a startling mind-snap back to the very first time you played the original Tomb Raider, that sense of visual wonder and awe in your surroundings makes a subtle but very perceptible return. I only wish there were more of it. I'd like Tomb Raider to be one long, interactive, Brian Coxesque anthropological narrative, interrupted only by ledges breaking underfoot and big slides down waterfalls. The sense of constant amazement at the scenery might be partly down to how rarely the game seems to reuse its own art assets: each long-lost burial site and overgrown, statue-studded crevasse looks and feels unique and, with few exceptions, graphically stunning.
It took me about 14 hours to finish Tomb Raider with something around a 60% completion rating, though I might've spent a load of time on the menu screen while I was in the shower or making sounds at the cat who lives outside my window. So let's say 12 hours on an average playthrough, with a few more on top if you decide to go back and find old tombs you missed, which you should. I haven't played the multiplayer because that ain't my bag, yo. It runs well enough on my mid-range PC, as long as you turn off fancy hair, but I did have some odd graphical glitching caused by post-processing being switched on, meaning I had to endure a fairly flat looking version of the game for the most part. Driver updates and patching should hopefully fix this right up.
Tomb Raider is the best videogame about shooting things and falling over I've played in quite some time, better than at least two of the Uncharted games and better than at least a dozen other Tomb Raider games. It's refreshingly well-written too, deftly rubbishing the expanding polygonal tits and arse of old Lara Croft to make way for a new character entirely, one who can innately side-step the bullshit two-dimensional machismo that plagues the form to become, by contrast of her own violently framed vulnerabilities, one of the strongest characters in games. Genuinely.
Lara Croft should be celebrated, Tomb Raider should be played and Crystal Dynamics should be rewarded.
Top 10 Ultimate Gaming Keyboards 2013
10. Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard
PROS:
Offers up to 25
programmable macros. Easy on-the-fly macro recording. Roccat Talk lets you pair
with another device for enhanced functionality.
CONS:
Integrated wrist rest makes for a giant footprint.
Key labels can be difficult to read in low light. Backlight color not
adjustable.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Roccat Isku is a solid
gaming keyboard with good overall functionality, but a few details about it
might not appeal to everyone.
The Roccat Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 list) hits the right notes on the necessities with its swappable profiles and 25 programmable macro keys, and offers additional useful features like Roccat Talk, an app that lets the keyboard work in tandem with other compatible devices (such as a mouse). Unfortunately, the Isku slips on the more intangible elements that make a good gaming keyboard, with plasticky construction, too-slick keys, and a backlight that actually reduced key visibility in some circumstances.
9. Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard RK-9000I
PROS:
Striking
black and white design. Excellent mechanical keys and solid construction.
Available with connections for both USB and PS/2.
CONS:
Lacks common features,
like media and volume controls. No advanced programmable features. Short
four-foot cable.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Rosewill RK-9000I is a very
well-made mechanical keyboard for gamers and typists alike, but the bare bones
design might be a little too basic for most.
The Rosewill RK-9000I ($99.99 direct) is the special edition of the RK-9000, a high-end mechanical keyboard. Ditching Rosewill's usual black and red color scheme for white with black keys, it's a slick looking variation on the basic keyboard, and the back to basics approach will appeal to typists and gamers who don't want to mess with extra features. With solid construction inside and out, the Rosewill RK-9000I is a good keyboard for anyone who wants smooth typing and a minimum of extras.
8. Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite
PROS:
Mechanical switches provide audio and tactile feedback. Backlit.
CONS:
Stylized font on keys is
hard to read. No backlight customization. Poor shielding for pass-thru ports.
Smudge-prone finish.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite is a solid mechanical
gaming keyboard, but it has its flaws, like a smudge prone-finish and poorly
shielded connections.
The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite ($139.99 direct) is Razer's current top-of-the-line mechanical gaming keyboard, and Razer knows the business well—its previous model, the Razer Black Widow Ultimate (2012), earned our Editors' Choice. Since then, other keyboards have come onto the market with competitive designs and a wide array of unique features, but the Razer Black Widow Ultimate 2013 Elite is still one of the better mechanical gaming keyboards available.
7. Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 Gaming Keyboard
PROS:
Super-customizable. Tons of features. Touch screen is handy.
CONS:
Extremely expensive.
Doesn't use mechanical keyswitches. Complicated to hook up.
BOTTOM LINE:
The MadCatz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is
an impressive, feature-filled gaming keyboard, but it's extremely expensive and
doesn't use mechanical switches (though its membrane switches are very
responsive).
If the Das Keyboard $125.99 at Walmart.com is the Cadillac of keyboards (and it is), the MadCatz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is the Batmobile of keyboards. I've never seen so complicated or full-featured a gaming keyboard before, and at $299.99 (list) it better be. This has everything from an LCD screen and backlit keys to a modular design and customizable macros. Its only weaknesses are its extremely high price and its membrane keyboard design.
6. Razer DeathStalker Ultimate
PROS:
Switchblade UI. Adjustable multi-color backlight. Razer Synapse
2.0. Fully programmable.
CONS:
Mediocre keys. Pricey.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Razer DeathStalker Ultimate
is the only gaming keyboard to consider, if you want to use Razer's Switchblade
UI without shelling out the price of a premium gaming laptop. For everyone
else, however, there are better (and cheaper) options out there.
Premium bells and whistles are expensive under any circumstances, but when it comes to gaming equipment, those extras are sometimes pricey enough to cost an arm and a leg even when paired with middling core features. Case in point: the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate. Headlining with the same Switchblade touch-screen interface seen on the Razer Blade (2012), the DeathStalker Ultimate is considerably more expensive than most premium gaming keyboards (at $249.99), in spite of its crummy keys.
5. Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
PROS:
Dual-zone backlight. Programmable macros with swappable
profiles. Built-in media controls and volume knob.
CONS:
Pricey. Plastic construction.
Detachable wrist rest detaches too easily.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Logitech G710+ gaming
mechanical keyboard is a solid gaming keyboard that offers some of the best
features for gaming, but cheap construction makes the price feel excessive.
Logitech has been making keyboards for years, and gaming keyboards for nearly as long, but it's been noticeably absent on the mechanical keyboard front, opting instead for the less expensive silicone dome switches. This all changes with the Logitech G710+ mechanical gaming keyboard, which utilizes Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches, and offers several functions that gamers will welcome with open arms, like dual-zone backlighting, programmable macro keys, and built-in media controls. It's a solid gaming keyboard, but you might want to pick it up on sale—the price is just a little too high.
4. Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition
PROS:
Quality construction with Cherry MX Blue mechanical switches.
10-key anti-ghosting. Detachable USB cable. Includes travel case.
CONS:
Compact design removes numeric
pad.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Razer BlackWidow Tournament
Edition mechanical keyboard is touted as being travel friendly, but the compact
build only limits the functionality.
The Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition takes the solid Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2013 Elite$142.44 at ReStockIt.com—a including the mechanical, backlit keys—and lops off the 10-key pad, making a more compact keyboard that is easier to pack up and take along for a LAN party or tournament.
3. Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard
PROS:
Ergonomic comfort and superior control. Programmable
22-button keypad with swappable maps and profiles. Onboard memory. Extra long
cable.
CONS:
Steep learning curve. Labor
intensive setup. Not Plug-and-Play. Clickable joystick is difficult to click.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Logitech G13 Advanced
Gamepad is definitely a niche product, but with a comfortable design and wide
array of features, it's a good fit for the diehard gamer.
While gamers have plenty of specialized mice and keyboards to choose from, sometimes you want a device that gives you a little more control. Sometimes, you just don't want an entire keyboard. For times like these, there is the Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard $49.99 at Amazon, a separate gaming keypad that gives you all of your WASD controls, programmable macro keys, and quick-fire commands, without the bulk of a keyboard and with the added comfort of a use-specific design. If you're looking for a way to step your gaming, this could be it.
2. Corsair Vengeance K60
PROS:
Great typing experience with springy mechanical switches.
Swappable keycaps. Built-in media controls and volume knob. USB pass-through.
Detachable palm-rest.
CONS:
Palm rest is left-hand only.
Silicone dome switches used for some keys.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Corsair Vengeance K60
keyboard is a weapon built to a gamer's specs, with a left-handed wrist rest
and 10 swappable sculpted keys.
When you hop onto the gaming grid to engage in combat, the keyboard you type on for work just won't do. You don't want a keyboard, you want a weapon, crafted for reliability and fitted to your specific needs. Corsair has delivered just that with the Vengeance K60 gaming keyboard ($109.99 direct). It's a solid gaming keyboard that offers a little something extra by way of a specially shaped and positioned wrist rest and 10 swappable keys sculpted and textured to make navigating through a digital combat zone as easy as walking in real life.
Design and Features
The K60 has a two-toned color scheme with a bare brushed aluminum deck studded with black plastic keycaps, similar to its Editors'-Choice-winning sibling, the Corsair Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars). The plastic caps are made of black plastic, and use Cherry MX Red mechanical switches—the same used on top keyboards like the Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars)—for all of the typing keys and the numeric pad, but uses cheaper silicone dome switches under the lesser-used function keys. There's also no backlight, so gaming in low light may leave you in the dark, so to speak.
The K60 has a two-toned color scheme with a bare brushed aluminum deck studded with black plastic keycaps, similar to its Editors'-Choice-winning sibling, the Corsair Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars). The plastic caps are made of black plastic, and use Cherry MX Red mechanical switches—the same used on top keyboards like the Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars)—for all of the typing keys and the numeric pad, but uses cheaper silicone dome switches under the lesser-used function keys. There's also no backlight, so gaming in low light may leave you in the dark, so to speak.
1. Corsair Vengeance K90
PROS:
Great typing experience with springy mechanical switches.
Adjustable backlight. 18 programmable macro keys. Built-in media controls and
volume knob. On board memory. USB pass through. Detachable palm-rest.
CONS:
Palm rest collects crumbs.
Silicone dome switches used for some keys.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Corsair Vengeance K90
gaming keyboard pairs a well-built gaming keyboard with a smorgasbord of
customization, media controls and ergonomic features.
Corsair has long had a finger on the pulse of PC gaming, but with its newest keyboard, the Vengeance K90 ($129.99 direct), it scores a solid victory—the K90 is among the best high-performance keyboards you can buy. Mechanical keyboards are the way to go for high-performance gamers, with top of the line offerings like the Razer Black Widow Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars) and the Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate ($129.99 direct, 4.5 stars) utilizing the springy, noisy keys for their superior performance, long-term durability, and less force needed to register keystrokes. Combine this with built-in media controls, on-board memory, and a whopping 18-keys dedicated to custom macros, and the Corsair Vengeance K90 $124.81 at Amazon is one gaming keyboard that's hard to beat.
CHECK OUT TOP 10 GAMING MOUSE 2013
Tag :
2013 ultimate,
black widow,
control.,
corsair,
FPS keyboard,
gaming,
gaming keyboards,
k60,
k90,
keyboards,
logitec,
machanical keyboard,
razer,
wireless,
Top 10 Gaming Mouse 2013
True gamers know the importance of investing in a durable mouse. These gaming mice contribute significantly to user control and accuracy during gaming sessions. Leave it as an afterthought, and expect to perform poorly.
Some gaming mice are extremely high-end while others are more simplistic in design and cost; but many behave in the same manner. So, which mouse is the best?
To find out, we have compiled a list of the top 10 gaming mice based on Amazon user ratings. The countdown begins in descending order, with #1 being the most recommended product.
This Mad Catz R.A.T. mouse is all about fast and smooth accuracy. It features a precision control button that slows down the cursor to execute sniping, as well as a speed control button. With two scroll wheels and a metal foot users can expect smooth and reliable performance for extended use. It even comes with a built in hand tool, that can widen the thumb rest, for a more personalized and comfortable experience.
This wireless, USB receiver mouse is designed for comfort for extended web browsing and gaming. It features a DPI button that offers two pointing speeds; and has 4 metallic weights allowing users to set their preferred weight for personalized speed and performance. Running on AAA batteries this mouse is also portable for on the go use.
Its comfortable design with soft rubber grips, contoured ergonomically to shape your palm, means the most comfort for extended gaming sessions. And its super-smooth feet roll across nearly every surface. Its dual lens means advanced precision for fluid use. And with 1600 dpi high-definition optical technology, that delivers 2-4 times the sensitivity of standard optical mice, means more smooth and precise tracking.
Expect reliable performance with this Corsair mouse designed for comfort and maximum gaming experience, that even comes with a dedicated sniper button. Users can instantly adjust the DPI for precise control when switching between different sensitivity settings. This mouse even had lift detection for accurate tracking and cursor placement – making this a smooth, reliable mouse experience.
This Logitech mouse puts your personalized comfort in mind with its sculpted shape and tuned buttons. It includes a 12-button thumb panel for users to navigate quickly without having to look away from the screen. This panel can also be color customized and set to personal DPI levels or button assignments. And with a G-shift ring-finger button users can double the number of actions while gaming.
Released on June 14, 2012, this PC gaming mouse is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
This Razer mouse has reliability in mind with its seven foot light-weighted, braided fiber cable, and gold-plated USB connector. It also had a scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions, and mouse buttons with anti-slip rubber coating; giving users the perfect combination of comfort and precision while gaming.
Considering this mouse was released on September 22, 2009, it is impressive that it’s still currently ranked #19 in the Gaming Mice category on Amazon.com.
Never run out of power with this USB recharging mouse that keeps your extended gaming sessions in best interest. It also has a high-precision laser tracker and on-board memory that stores up to five game profiles. And powering at 1,000 reports per second, this full speed wireless Logitech responds quickly without being tied down. Curved to fit the palm of your hand, it also had gliding feet for total control.
Released on July 6, 2010, it is ranked #2 in the Gaming Mice category on Amazon.com.
Recently released on November 21, 2012, this Anker mouse features 8000 DPI high-precision laser for better cursor control, made specifically for gaming. It stores up to two gaming profiles and has nine programmable buttons for a personalized experience. And with no-slip buttons and protective, smooth-gliding underside users can expect total control and accuracy while gaming. A six-foot braided fiber cable and gold plated USB connector also makes this mouse every reliable.
No matter what hand speed, this Logitech mouse delivers precision targeting, and pinpoint accuracy with its 3600 DPI optical engine. It also has in-game sensitivity switching, allowing users to choose between four DPI levels for either precise targeting, or extremely fast maneuvering. It also has sculpted grips, low-friction feet, and long-life buttons for marathon gaming.
This PC made mouse is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. It released on June 9, 2011.
The USB 2.0 interface Cobra E-3blue mouse functions on 3 DPI levels – 400/800/and 1600dpi, which means more user sensitivity control for an accurate gaming experience. It also has six buttons with a scroll wheel, and a frame rate of 4000 frames per second. Comfortable for all hand sizes, this light as a feather mouse is designed for durability at a great average price of $15.
Posts
