Best Plot Winner:
I
personally felt like Bioshock Infinite’s storyline was much stronger and had
more twists to the plot that were unexpected whereas the Tomb Raider game had a
storyline that fell a little flat of expectations and didn’t keep up my
interest. Bioshock Infinite kept me guessing at what was going to happen next whereas Tomb Raider's plot seemed as predictable as previous Tomb Raider games. However, I do feel that Bioshock Infinite may have had a better plot due to postponing the release of the game to work on it more. Perhaps, if Tomb Raider had done the same, the plot could have been improved.
Best Character Development Winner:
I
feel like the character development for both games was strong. In Bioshock
Infinite, we see Elizabeth, a sheltered young girl dreaming of adventure grow
into a strong woman after witnessing what the world is like. We see her innocence become a little darker as she discovers the real world outside of her tower. We also see Booker
Dewitt’s character grow as we discover more about his mysterious past. As for
Tomb Raider, we see a young Lara Croft transform from a vulnerable yet
ambitious girl desiring adventure into a strong, powerful and confident woman,
after being thrown into a dangerous situation where she must fight in order to
survive.
Best Graphics Winner:
The
graphics for both games were equally outstanding. The graphics in Tomb Raider
and Bioshock Infinite looked very realistic and I absolutely loved the scenery
of Columbia in Bioshock Infinite, due to its time period.
Best Voice Acting Winner:
I
feel like Bioshock Infinite had much better voice acting. The voice actors made
the plot and characters more believable and helped develop both factors. With
Tomb Raider, I had expected Lara to sound more insecure and vulnerable starting
out on her first adventure but did not get that with the voice actor playing
the role of Lara, Camilla Luddington. I think that Camilla Luddington is a
talented actress and enjoyed her film, William & Kate, but with this role,
I feel like Luddington did not bring enough emotion to the role of Lara Croft.
Best Fighting Winner:
Despite
having limited weapon choices, I think the fighting aspect was more successful
in Tomb Raider than Bioshock Infinite. I loved that Lara Croft fought with a
bow and arrow. I think it was a good choice for the creators to do that,
considering how popular archery is at the moment, due to more recent films like
Disney’s Brave and The Hunger Games.
Best Acquired Weapons Winner:
I feel like Bioshock Infinite provided more when it came to
weapon options. However, it is understandable why Tomb Raider was more limited
with weapon options due to the storyline and setting of the game.
Best Soundtrack/Score Winner:
I
think that the music for both games was amazing. I loved the soundtrack for
Bioshock Infinite and how it had a variety of different music and I loved how
the intensity of the Tomb Raider soundtrack provided the sense that the player
of the game really was Lara Croft on an adventure.
Best Game Overall Winner:
Overall,
I think Bioshock Infinite was the more successful game. I honestly expected to
favor Tomb Raider more than Bioshock Infinite but Tomb Raider fell through a
little bit for me as the game didn’t live up to my expectations. Overall, I
think both games had its strengths and were both interesting but if I was to
choose the Game of the Year between these two games, Bioshock Infinite would
gain my vote.
