by Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider reboot (newly ported to Mac by Feral Interactive) is a game about searching: for ancient relics, forgotten tombs, and undisturbed grottoes, yes, but also for the self-assurance necessary to transform from a shy archaeologist into a brutal killing machine. Lara Croft’s baptism in blood — her own and, often, her enemies’ — takes place on a fictionalized Yamatai, a hidden Japanese island full of pristine forests, snowy mountain ranges, and a sect of violent cultists who worship the shaman-queen Himiko.
The first several hours on Yamatai are tense and painful: shipwrecked, alone, and impaled by a piece of stray rebar (the first of many graphic injuries she’ll sustain during her sojourn), Lara searches for food and shelter before taking her first human life defending herself from a disturbingly touchy-feely scavenger.
