I started playing Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015). It has aged very well, the graphics and art design still are very sharp. It still feels immersive. I was worried it would have felt a bit dated now, because many games overuse the some of the things it popularised… but it’s funny because these mechanics are very restrained, unlike other games that came after that really nagged you about using them (eg having a special instinct, highlights on climbable objects)
I feel like games of this calibre are missing now. Big budget, well-written, mostly linear, single-player games with a compelling and strong lead, and great action and gameplay. You play it, you enjoy it, and you’re finished up.
It’s a videogame that tells a story, and the medium of videogame elevas the experience as opposed to being a film or TV programme
One thing I did not expect, which I obviously never experienced on the PS4 when I played it back then, is that this game has a really, really good implementation of HDR. Like it feels like it uses the extra highlighting abilities of HDR. This is especially noticeable when you move from a dark area to a light one, like when you climb out of a cave into daylight, or even the specular highlights of ice as they catch the light
I am presuming this was because this was one of the first games updated for the Xbox One X, and so Crystal Dynamics tried very hard to make sure the HDR was implemented well, whereas more modern games with HDR don’t seem to use it all that much
