By Ben Mapp
Yesterday, the internet went a bit mad, or at least the gaming side of it did. Square Enix made a surprise move that Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next-gen sequel to last year’s stunning reboot, will be a Microsoft exclusive. The tears of PlayStation 4 owners have created rogue waves in the ocean of consoles and, whilst the reasoning behind the decision might be somewhat vague – All anyone can do at this point is rage against the announcement, and rightly so. However, Sony will be getting their own exclusive in the form of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (presumably around the same time as Rise of the Tomb Raider), and so we’re using this as an excuse to dive a little deeper into the similarities between last year’s Tomb Raider, and 2007’s Uncharted.
Yesterday, the internet went a bit mad, or at least the gaming side of it did. Square Enix made a surprise move that Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next-gen sequel to last year’s stunning reboot, will be a Microsoft exclusive. The tears of PlayStation 4 owners have created rogue waves in the ocean of consoles and, whilst the reasoning behind the decision might be somewhat vague – All anyone can do at this point is rage against the announcement, and rightly so. However, Sony will be getting their own exclusive in the form of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (presumably around the same time as Rise of the Tomb Raider), and so we’re using this as an excuse to dive a little deeper into the similarities between last year’s Tomb Raider, and 2007’s Uncharted.
It seems that ever since Uncharted was first unveiled back in 2006, gamers have been drawing comparisons between it and the long-standing Tomb Raider franchise. It was only until I played through the most recent Tomb Raider myself, which is a reboot authored by Square Enix and developed by Crystal Dynamics, that I realised just how alike both games were. The similarities are a bit astounding when you stop to think about them. Both games include a frequent amount of dicey shoot-outs with strictly male enemies, as well as some intense platforming sequences when scaling the setting’s more precarious monuments and a whole lot of damn nice looking scenery. Whilst it would certainly be more than a little unfair to compare the gameplay quality since Uncharted is seven years old now and Tomb Raider was only just released at the very beginning of 2013, we can take a look at their individual plotlines and concepts without feeling too critical. Gameplay is something which is relentlessly changing and evolving but stories have always been remained constant. I mean it’s not like we’re comparing The Last of Us to Pong or anything…
Uncharted (2007) follows adventurer/historian Nathan Drake in his attempt to uncover the truth behind the legend of El Dorado which his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake, left clues about before faking his death and disappearing several centuries beforehand. Nathan’s investigation leads him, along with sassy journalist Elena Fisher and wise-cracking mentor Victor Sullivan, to a secluded island somewhere out in the Pacific. On the island Nathan must do battle with a deadly and reckless group of mercenaries (who are being helped by a treacherous old friend), along with a whole nest of hostile, supernatural monsters who inhabit the island’s ancient ruins. Some of these ruins date back to Sir Francis Drake’s time and before, where a whole society had once endured for several years, although the more recent ruins date back to World War Two when the Nazis had visited the island in the hope of making full use of the powerful relic said to be hidden there. The Nazis had resided on the island for several years. However, all previous colonies and expeditions to the island had been wiped out by the strange monsters. Nathan eventually discovers that El Dorado is in fact a large statue with mystical properties which can infect humans with a dangerous mutation, immediately transforming them into the monsters that have come to inhabit the island’s ruins. Nathan works together with his colleagues in order to stop the mercenary group from moving the statue away from the island in order to prevent its power from infecting the world, and succeeds by wrestling with the leader of the mercenaries on a cargo ship and dropping the statue into the Pacific.
Now breathe and try to absorb all of that, or at least the important bits, because this is where things get just a little bit trippy.
Tomb Raider (2013) follows post-graduate historian Lara Croft in her attempt to uncover the truth behind Yamatai, a mysterious island somewhere out in the Pacific (more particularly in the ‘Dragon’s Triangle’ section). Lara is left shipwrecked on Yamatai along with a small group of survivors following a freak storm. After escaping the lair of a psychotic cult (which is also a bit of a boys club I might add), Lara explores the island and discovers that there was once a thriving community there based around a so-called ‘Sun Queen’ called Himiko. But quite a while ago the community dissolved as Himiko’s power and influence dwindled, leaving only ruins. The cult now inhabiting the island is made up of various groups of survivors, all of whom arrived at the island in search of a fortune and now all united under Himiko’s banner. Whilst trying to reunite with her friends, Lara ventures into a series of abandoned military compounds where she uncovers that, during World War Two, the Japanese had come to the island in search of ancient relic with mystical properties in a last-ditch effort to win the war. Lara’s investigation leads her to find out that these soldiers were settled on the island for several years before eventually being rounded up and slaughtered by a group of supernatural creatures, known simply as the ‘Oni.’ These samurai-like warriors are dedicated to protecting the corpse of Himiko, the Sun Queen herself, who is trapped at the tip of an ancient monastery, enforcing her dominance over the island through creating impossible storms. In order to escape her centuries of confinement, the Sun Queen must be offered a new body, which she is in the form of Lara’s best Asian buddy, Sam. Lara however prevents the transaction from taking place, destroying the Sun Queen and her entire cult in the process (as well as the Oni). Lara and the remaining survivors manage to finally escape the island, regrouping on a cargo ship offshore, where Lara embraces her experiences on the island and dutifully decides to pursue her father’s legacy.
Tomb Raider (2013) follows post-graduate historian Lara Croft in her attempt to uncover the truth behind Yamatai, a mysterious island somewhere out in the Pacific (more particularly in the ‘Dragon’s Triangle’ section). Lara is left shipwrecked on Yamatai along with a small group of survivors following a freak storm. After escaping the lair of a psychotic cult (which is also a bit of a boys club I might add), Lara explores the island and discovers that there was once a thriving community there based around a so-called ‘Sun Queen’ called Himiko. But quite a while ago the community dissolved as Himiko’s power and influence dwindled, leaving only ruins. The cult now inhabiting the island is made up of various groups of survivors, all of whom arrived at the island in search of a fortune and now all united under Himiko’s banner. Whilst trying to reunite with her friends, Lara ventures into a series of abandoned military compounds where she uncovers that, during World War Two, the Japanese had come to the island in search of ancient relic with mystical properties in a last-ditch effort to win the war. Lara’s investigation leads her to find out that these soldiers were settled on the island for several years before eventually being rounded up and slaughtered by a group of supernatural creatures, known simply as the ‘Oni.’ These samurai-like warriors are dedicated to protecting the corpse of Himiko, the Sun Queen herself, who is trapped at the tip of an ancient monastery, enforcing her dominance over the island through creating impossible storms. In order to escape her centuries of confinement, the Sun Queen must be offered a new body, which she is in the form of Lara’s best Asian buddy, Sam. Lara however prevents the transaction from taking place, destroying the Sun Queen and her entire cult in the process (as well as the Oni). Lara and the remaining survivors manage to finally escape the island, regrouping on a cargo ship offshore, where Lara embraces her experiences on the island and dutifully decides to pursue her father’s legacy.
Breathe! It’s okay. That’s the brunt of it.
So basically; budding archaeologist and friends visit mysterious island, battle mercenaries, uncover the leftovers of a fallen society, navigate ancient ruins, explore World War Two compounds, fend off scary monsters, and escape to the safety of a cargo ship once it’s all over. Both also feature some superb voice acting, although Uncharted features some more authentic character dynamics and Tomb Raider is – over all – a much more immersive experience because of its more advanced gameplay style. When stripped down to basics, the plots of these games are, pretty much, near identical.
Now, whilst it’s certainly understandable to be upset with Square Enix for ‘betraying’ their fans on PlayStation by not delivering Rise of the Tomb Raider on the PS4 (or – at least – not for the moment), gamers with a PS4 can rest solemnly in the knowledge that Xbox One owners will never play Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End or a potential sequel to The Last of Us unless they commit to buying a PS4 instead of an Xbox One. Each console has their exclusives. Hell, Nintendo even managed to snag Beyonetta II as an exclusive for the Wii U (a game which was originally available on multiple platforms) and there wasn’t as much of an uproar. In all likelihood the plots and concepts of Rise of the Tomb Raider and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will not be nearly as similar, but the gaming experience of each one is now something special and unique to its home console.
It’s annoying, but it’s not the end of the world. Microsoft have since gone on record to say that the next Tomb Raider game will be exclusive to Xbox One, but for a 'duration', meaning that Square Enix will most likely bring it out on PlayStation 4 the following year.
If you can't wait that long to jump into Lara's latest traumatic adventure, I guess it all just comes down to a difficult choice for Holiday 2015.
So basically; budding archaeologist and friends visit mysterious island, battle mercenaries, uncover the leftovers of a fallen society, navigate ancient ruins, explore World War Two compounds, fend off scary monsters, and escape to the safety of a cargo ship once it’s all over. Both also feature some superb voice acting, although Uncharted features some more authentic character dynamics and Tomb Raider is – over all – a much more immersive experience because of its more advanced gameplay style. When stripped down to basics, the plots of these games are, pretty much, near identical.
Now, whilst it’s certainly understandable to be upset with Square Enix for ‘betraying’ their fans on PlayStation by not delivering Rise of the Tomb Raider on the PS4 (or – at least – not for the moment), gamers with a PS4 can rest solemnly in the knowledge that Xbox One owners will never play Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End or a potential sequel to The Last of Us unless they commit to buying a PS4 instead of an Xbox One. Each console has their exclusives. Hell, Nintendo even managed to snag Beyonetta II as an exclusive for the Wii U (a game which was originally available on multiple platforms) and there wasn’t as much of an uproar. In all likelihood the plots and concepts of Rise of the Tomb Raider and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will not be nearly as similar, but the gaming experience of each one is now something special and unique to its home console.
It’s annoying, but it’s not the end of the world. Microsoft have since gone on record to say that the next Tomb Raider game will be exclusive to Xbox One, but for a 'duration', meaning that Square Enix will most likely bring it out on PlayStation 4 the following year.
If you can't wait that long to jump into Lara's latest traumatic adventure, I guess it all just comes down to a difficult choice for Holiday 2015.
PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?
So, do you want to play Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, or do you want to play Rise of the Tomb Raider? The battle lines have finally been drawn and, although Sony may be slaughtering Microsoft in terms of sales thus far, things might be about to take a drastic turn when Holiday 2015 arrives.
Are you angry at Square Enix's decision? Let us know in the comments below or come find us on Twitter or Facebook. We'd love to hear from you!
Are you angry at Square Enix's decision? Let us know in the comments below or come find us on Twitter or Facebook. We'd love to hear from you!
RSS Feed
