nicked on 18/3/2013 at 07:59
From what I've seen so far, watching my friend play it, it looks like Uncharted with a hefty injection of Batman: Arkham Asylum. Which means fun and polished but probably short and forgettable too. And nothing like old Tomb Raider. I wish someone would wake up and realise that Tomb Raider is always at it's strongest when there are no enemies whatsoever - it's just you, some gigantic platforming puzzles and a sense of isolation and exploration.
Angel Dust on 18/3/2013 at 09:07
The thing is that Crystal Dynamics already knew this; the amount of moody exploration of enormous puzzle filled tombs increased as their trilogy progressed with Underworld being the peak. That game also did away with the QTE and boss battles that plagued the rest of their TR games and despite the absolutely naff story, it remains my favourite of the entire franchise.
henke on 18/3/2013 at 09:45
Yeah Underworld was great. My second fave TR game after LC&TGOL.
Quote Posted by nicked
it's just you, some gigantic platforming puzzles and a sense of isolation and exploration.
Have you played Tiny & Big? It's cartoony as hell but otherwise fits that description quite well. It's a good one, and pretty cheap!
gunsmoke on 18/3/2013 at 13:40
Man, Tomb Raider is pretty. I am playing on a 4 foot 1080p Samsung with mah PS3 (I think the game is outputting it at 720p, though), I can only imagine what a PC on Ultra with a huge monitor would look like!
I am getting really good at the combat. Even with a controller, I am dialing in headshots left and right. You know what this game reminds me of? Resident Evil 4. In just about every way imaginable. Even the residents (lol) of the island look like ganatos. And the hooded guys in RE4 are even represented. The combat, the exploration, the weapon mods and treasure littering the island... the only noticeable differences are RE4 didn't have recharging health, and there's no inventory Tetris. Fans of RE4 NEED this game.
Having fun 'playing' this, as little as it is allowed to be played. It comes to be that the game that I (and apparently a bunch of others) wanted IS still here, but it is in the form of post-game exploration. You are free to fast-travel anywhere in the game and explore for 100% without the tethers of QTEs, huge firefights, and them taking control from you. This is where this game just shines.
I suppose I am going to go a solid 8/10 on this one. I am on the last level and haven't played MP yet, I feel the game has showed me enough to rate it. Like I said, RE4 fans will love this.
Oh, thanks you 2 ^^^^ guys for talking up Underworld. I have been on the fence with that one for a while now. I played the demo back when I had a 360 and liked it. Underworld will come home with me soon enough now.
Briareos H on 18/3/2013 at 13:57
Quote Posted by gunsmoke
the game that I (and apparently a bunch of others) wanted IS still here, but it is in the form of post-game exploration
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed to see that the reviews and people who had said the very same thing were either misinformed or lying. There is a grab-the-collectible game in the form of post-game exploration sure, but there is nothing Tomb Raider to be found. No complicated puzzles, sprawling tombs, perfect jumps or traps after traps.
What's open for exploration exactly is, either single rooms (the tombs) with a single, piss-easy puzzle and one generic treasure to find, or the large open levels that you've been through already during the story, with all the generic loot that you didn't have the time / desire to grab earlier.
BTW, speaking of earlier TR games, I have a copy of Tomb Raider Legend I grabbed a while ago when it was offered for free by a French online store. Is it worth playing? Does it come any close to the first two games?
gunsmoke on 18/3/2013 at 18:24
I think so. I bought it on console and PC both, and enjoyed the hell out of it and Anniversary.
Renault on 2/5/2013 at 20:51
On sale on Steam for $25 through the weekend.
Briareos H on 2/5/2013 at 23:17
TR: Legend was a bit buggy and dodgy but enjoyable. Story and voiceovers are quite amusing although predictable, gameplay is very nice. The same goes for TR: Underworld, with the advantage of being more polished, prettier and compatible with the XBox 360 gamepad.
Tomb Raider Anniversary is just perfect. An excellent remake of the original game and IMO the best TR game around.
BTW, don't ever buy the new Tomb Raider game. It is weak! I was surprised to see how little Crystal Dynamics added to their previous titles (besides gritty and realistic graphics and piercing wound simulation).
bob_doe_nz on 3/5/2013 at 07:32
Quote Posted by Brethren
On sale on Steam for $25 through the weekend.
Really!!!???
It's $35 USD here! Anyone wanna gift it to me? I'll paypal the money to you?
