Games

Reboots are all the rage in Hollywood these days. So it's hardly surprising to find one of gaming's most cinematic franchises getting in on the act – especially given how far the Tomb Raider series has fallen from grace over the past couple of console generations.

Given that just as much emphasis has been given to gunplay as to leaping across chasms, it's natural that Crystal Dynamics' reboot of the franchise has drawn comparisons with Naughty Dog's chart-topping Uncharted games. But as far as we're concerned it's also a little unfair. After all, how could anybody object to Lara Croft borrowing a few gaming tricks from Nathan Drake when his games already owe a massive debt to her earlier adventures?

What ultimately matters is that this new Tomb Raider is not simply the best game of 2013 so far – it's also the best third-person action game since Batman: Arkham City. It plays like an absolute dream (Lara's responsiveness makes her a joy to control), it looks and sounds exactly like an epic Hollywood blockbuster and it's got a story and characters that you actually care about (a big round of applause to writer Rhianna 'daughter of Terry' Pratchett). Now let's hope that the same team are all hard at work on a sequel, because we can't wait to see what the future holds for this reinvigorated Lara Croft.

Tomb Raider, Square Enix, Xbox 360/PS3/PC, £50 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 5/5