Okay, if you say so.

This argument only works if Tomb Raider doesn’t exist in a heightened reality, but it clearly does. And I don't think Lara goes directly to being a stone-cold killer. Her arc may be accelerated to keep up with the gameplay, but at least it's an arc, and that makes her a more interesting character.

Okay.

Crying about it being offensive doesn’t invalidate it as art.

I have played approximately 3 hours of the game according to Steam.

No. My issue isn’t with the subject matter. It's with the complete lack of nuance or subtlety they employ when hitting those subjects with what amounts to a right-wing sledgehammer. It's lazy and ignorant at best, and offensive at worst.

All interesting points. I appreciate you keeping it civil. Not everyone seems to be able to do so.

Uh huh. And all people who carry a gun have to agree not to use it responsibly, but the world is still full of irresponsible gun owners. Your movement is starting from a ridiculous premise, and so any logical progression you make from that premise will wind up in a ridiculous conclusion. Garbage in, garbage out.

What? Of course I haven’t played it. I have seen things like the video above, which is what my comment was about. I still haven’t seen anything from UC4 that makes me think it’s significantly better than TR. You claim UC4 has better graphics, though, so....have you played it? What exactly are you getting at here?

I didn’t say it’s what the game is “about,” in terms of narrative. I said that’s what it is, in execution. You can do whatever you want. I’m not telling you what to play or not play. I'm just giving my opinion about a product.

I don’t recall saying anything about the garbage men.

What is his diagnosis? What mental disorder does he have?

Yes, but only for a few hours. The mechanics are mostly solid, but I couldn't get into the story, largely for the reasons I've described.

At least Lara has an arc. And yes, I think the graphics are better for Tomb Raider, but I'm likely biased since I play on PC, and there's no PC version of Uncharted to compare to.

If we want to call video games art, then they need to be just as open to this type of criticism as books or movies. I won't apologize for having opinions, whether you agree with them or not.

And I'm not saying that isn't a relevant point or that it's off limits, I'm just saying that the game handles it with the subtlety and nuance of a right-wing sledgehammer.

Yes and no, in terms of solving the problem. You can change your headcanon, but the game still tries to convince you that what you're doing is for the best. There's no one to balance out the viewpoints; The Division is just assumed to be in the right (at least in the few hours I've played with the game).

Ah, the "no true Scotsman" defense. Sorry if I'm not swayed.

The writing is not bad, and it actually fits the narrative. Lara actually reacts to killing, and has opportunities to sneak by without doing so, whereas Nathan just mows enemies down, then cracks wise in the ensuing cutscene, so I'm not sure Uncharted's writing is all that great either, but for different reasons.

No, the game has decided to tackle ideas it didn't have the chops to do so, and instead just gave Clancy a platform for more of his jingoism. You're still completely missing the point.