Gaming Contest Alert 🚨🎮

It’s that time again my friends, @hivegc is running another contest for gamers. This time it involves taking advantage of your favorite games’ photo modes. To participate all you have to do is check out this official post by the Hive Gaming Community. Be sure to read the rules carefully so that you will qualify for curation rewards.

My entry to the contest 🤳🏻

I have chosen to share some photos that I captured as Lara Croft while playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This is the game I have been playing for the last week and I was able to get it for free with my PlayStation Plus membership. It’s free until February as well as a couple of other games, more details on that here.

So far I am loving this game, I’m quite surprised by it. This is the first Tomb Raider game that I have actually played for more than an hour. I first played a Tomb Raider game back on PSone in the late 90s, it was a demo for the game and I couldn’t even make it past the first part because it used to scare me so much. I can remember starting out in the sewers with dual pistols and being chased by multiple Doberman, I was so young that I couldn’t beat the dogs due to fear and lack of skill.

Fast forward about 20 years and here I am now playing the latest Tomb Raider game which released back in 2018. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a fantastic game, I plan on taking the time to beat it completely. After I do that who knows, maybe I will play the other Tomb Raider games that I have in my PlayStation library.

Back when PS4 first launched, there were not that many games. In March of 2013, I purchased Tomb Raider Definitive Edition the day that it came out because I was bored. I couldn’t get into it at the time so it just sat in my digital library ever since then. A few years later Rise of the Tomb Raider was free to PS Plus subscribers and I was able to claim that one as well. I never played it at all, although it was the 20th year celebration of Tomb Raider. Again I continued to sleep on Tomb Raider. Thank goodness I have finally awoken to the fact that Tomb Raider is an incredible franchise.

The Island of Swallows 🏝

I started off Shadow of the Tomb Raider in Cozumel, Mexico during Día de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. Right from the start I was given a choice between playing in 1080p/60fps or 4K/30fps. I began with 60fps, but after a few hours with the game switched over to 4K. I noticed that this game involved much more exploration and puzzle solving than it did combat. This is what pushed me to go for better graphics rather than better performance.

The Lost City of Gold ⚱️

After spending some time in Mexico it was off to Peru. Venturing through the lush jungles eventually led me to discover a lost city hidden deep within the Amazon rainforest called Paititi. This place was populated by a tribe who was totally disconnected from the outside world. It was pretty crazy talking to the locals and being given hints about secrets that were begging to be uncovered in the area. I found myself being more interested in beating the difficult tomb puzzles and finding all of the collectibles rather than staying focused on only the story and side missions.

Explore some more 🗺

I am currently about 30-40% of the way through this game. Some of the other locations that have or will present themselves to me are Kuwaq Yaku and San Juan, which are both in Peru. There are also a few flashbacks which give you control of a child version of Lara Croft and the opportunity to explore the Croft Manor in Surrey, England.

One thing that you must not forget is that you are not alone in the jungle. There are dangerous predators such as the mighty Jaguar that will stalk and eventually attack you. It’s best to be prepared to use either your bow, pistol, rifle, or whatever weapon you prefer. All of which can be upgraded at the many campfires throughout the game. Along with weapon and armor upgrades is a bountiful skill tree.

Predatory fashion sense 🐆

Sure you could choose to dress in a simple tank top and short shorts that Lara Croft is best known for, but if you’re like me and have the definitive edition you can swap between a ton of different outfits right from the get go. Here are a few of my favorite outfits that I have worn so far.

All of the photos in this blog were captured by me on PS5.