I recently returned from the Shadow of the Tomb Raider Reveal Event held at The Mayan in Los Angeles, California and.... all I can say is WOW! The entire experience was absolutely phenomenal! Square Enix sponsored my travel and accommodations for this event. I am very grateful and I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity. A big shout out to Crystal Dynamics for making this dream a reality.
I met other long-time Tomb Raider fans and cos-players from around the world for the very first time after following them for years online! It was very humbling and everyone welcomed me in as if I were family. I was able to chat with some of the developers and get some more insight on the new game. I even met Earl Baylon! The voice and motion capture actor for Jonah! He is a very cool, down-to-earth guy and I had a great time chatting with him.
Now let's talk about the game! Upon first walking into The Mayan I came to the pre-order display showcasing all the editions of the game! There's quite a few different editions including regular, digital, Croft, and ultimate. I will delve deeper into the editions in a later post.
Now, the demo....OMG the demo! I played a segment from the beginning of the game that was about an hour in length. I was awe-struck! I won't go into too many details because I want you all to be as mesmerized as I was.
I will say that the game looks beautiful. It has quite a darker tone than "Rise" and that's a good thing! Lara is a lot stronger and you can tell just by looking at her! The muscle definition is off the chain! The acting feels so much more organic in this entry as well. The location, tombs, and puzzles feel a lot more involved and dangerous and Lara will have to face the repercussions of her actions.
I can't wait for you all to see what I've seen! You'll be blown away!
They could not have picked a better venue for this event! The whole place looked like a Maya temple and it felt like you were dropped right into the game! The bar served themed cocktails and delicious Mexican food. There was an awesome photo wall with stellar props too!
All in all, the night was a complete blast! I made so many new friends that all share a common passion and I can't wait to see what's in store for the future! It's an amazing time to be a Tomb Raider fan!
