Tomb Raider: Underworld PC - missing the forest for the trees.
Crystal Dynamics latest chapter in the Lara Croft saga debuted last Tuesday, and since that time, I have put aside my retro spin with Morrowind to give it a go, and give you good people the answers you probably don't seek.
First on the chopping block, the controls. The recommended controller is the 360 controller. Never one to follow directions, I started with the trusty keyboard and mouse. After one level of that, I decided I was due for a new controller anyway. Underworld seems to have been tailored for the 360 remote, as control with it is vastly superior. However, once one has a proper joystick, one finds that for all the improvements the latest Tomb Raider makes, character movement was not one of them. Basic movements are as good as the previous two titles i.e. not good, and yet the newer, more complex moves are polished for the most part.
In fact, some of the new moves I found no purpose for. Never did I use new adrenaline-based headshot system, and indeed, in combat, the pistols serve perfectly until Thor's hammer is obtained. Among the more useful moves are shooting multiple targets at once with dual-wield weapons, shooting while hanging from walls (long overdue), and kicking. Kicking eliminates the smaller enemies, while damaging and forcing back the larger ones.
The later levels bring gratuitous vehicle sections, which seem tacked on. There is no real sensation of speed, visually or otherwise. The comical off road bike seems to have trouble getting out of second gear on the rare stretches where such velocities might be possible. Powerslides and doughnuts are ridiculously fast and entirely unnecessary.
Graphically, it's what you'd expect of a modern big budget title. Excellent lighting, stunning water effects, and beautiful backgrounds abound. When not kicking spiders or priceless, ancient pottery (more on these later), take a moment to take it all in, then have a look at the heroine if you haven't already. While the long established Barbie look is her trademark, and likely here to stay , it seems as though at least some effort has gone into making her more human. Anyone who still complains about that would do well to remember Mario's look hasn't changed much in almost thirty years.
It's the little things that made this title. Plants move as you pass by, and occasionally Lara pushes them herself. The smaller enemies, tropical spiders found in the Thailand and Mexico levels, are a nice touch. Also nice is that most of the collectible trinkets are hidden inside pottery instead of lying in the open. Kicking the pottery into a powdery oblivion seems a tad excessive, and improper archeology protocol, but it is a step forward. Truly odd in this outing is that there are no boss fights to speak of. While there are certainly large creatures, you never fight them directly.
But for all the good the little things added, it's the biggest things that truly damned Underworld. The Croft Manor training level is gone, but then, Croft Manor is destroyed both at the very beginning of the game, and again halfway through. It's the same destruction, and that bring up another point of contention. Crystal Dynamics showed off it's American roots with the story in the first minutes. Beginning in a burning, ruined Croft Manor (ironically appropriate), this allows you to acclimate yourself with the base controls, serving as the training level, but without the freeform exploration previous titles had. The clock then rewinds one week to show how that came to be, and then the story presses forward. This "start at period of high drama, then start the story, then move forward" is the new American annoyance: interesting the first time, easily seen coming every subsequent time and less effective.
Unlockable cheats are gone, and to that end, so are the time trials. Replaying levels isn't even an option until the game has been beaten, and even then, it's under the guise of "treasure hunt." Puzzles remain solved, enemies remain dead. Aside from exploring to find the odd levels that truly contain multiple paths, treasure hunting is the only reason for replaying.
Underworld is a title for hardcore fans of the Tomb Raider series, those who need to know how the story continues. Me, I surprised even myself when Legend and Anniversary found their way into my small library of games. Although I wouldn't call myself a "hardcore fan", I'm not disappointed with my purchase, but it isn't up the standard of the last two titles. This game even finishes Lara's search for her mother (the last thing I'll say about the plot), so what motivation Eidos will use for continuing to raid tombs is anyone's guess. True, the setup for future titles is there, but without the motivation, what will the point be? I, for one, have no idea, but rest assured upon release day for the next game, I will be there.
Crystal Dynamics latest chapter in the Lara Croft saga debuted last Tuesday, and since that time, I have put aside my retro spin with Morrowind to give it a go, and give you good people the answers you probably don't seek.
First on the chopping block, the controls. The recommended controller is the 360 controller. Never one to follow directions, I started with the trusty keyboard and mouse. After one level of that, I decided I was due for a new controller anyway. Underworld seems to have been tailored for the 360 remote, as control with it is vastly superior. However, once one has a proper joystick, one finds that for all the improvements the latest Tomb Raider makes, character movement was not one of them. Basic movements are as good as the previous two titles i.e. not good, and yet the newer, more complex moves are polished for the most part.
In fact, some of the new moves I found no purpose for. Never did I use new adrenaline-based headshot system, and indeed, in combat, the pistols serve perfectly until Thor's hammer is obtained. Among the more useful moves are shooting multiple targets at once with dual-wield weapons, shooting while hanging from walls (long overdue), and kicking. Kicking eliminates the smaller enemies, while damaging and forcing back the larger ones.
The later levels bring gratuitous vehicle sections, which seem tacked on. There is no real sensation of speed, visually or otherwise. The comical off road bike seems to have trouble getting out of second gear on the rare stretches where such velocities might be possible. Powerslides and doughnuts are ridiculously fast and entirely unnecessary.
Graphically, it's what you'd expect of a modern big budget title. Excellent lighting, stunning water effects, and beautiful backgrounds abound. When not kicking spiders or priceless, ancient pottery (more on these later), take a moment to take it all in, then have a look at the heroine if you haven't already. While the long established Barbie look is her trademark, and likely here to stay , it seems as though at least some effort has gone into making her more human. Anyone who still complains about that would do well to remember Mario's look hasn't changed much in almost thirty years.
It's the little things that made this title. Plants move as you pass by, and occasionally Lara pushes them herself. The smaller enemies, tropical spiders found in the Thailand and Mexico levels, are a nice touch. Also nice is that most of the collectible trinkets are hidden inside pottery instead of lying in the open. Kicking the pottery into a powdery oblivion seems a tad excessive, and improper archeology protocol, but it is a step forward. Truly odd in this outing is that there are no boss fights to speak of. While there are certainly large creatures, you never fight them directly.
But for all the good the little things added, it's the biggest things that truly damned Underworld. The Croft Manor training level is gone, but then, Croft Manor is destroyed both at the very beginning of the game, and again halfway through. It's the same destruction, and that bring up another point of contention. Crystal Dynamics showed off it's American roots with the story in the first minutes. Beginning in a burning, ruined Croft Manor (ironically appropriate), this allows you to acclimate yourself with the base controls, serving as the training level, but without the freeform exploration previous titles had. The clock then rewinds one week to show how that came to be, and then the story presses forward. This "start at period of high drama, then start the story, then move forward" is the new American annoyance: interesting the first time, easily seen coming every subsequent time and less effective.
Unlockable cheats are gone, and to that end, so are the time trials. Replaying levels isn't even an option until the game has been beaten, and even then, it's under the guise of "treasure hunt." Puzzles remain solved, enemies remain dead. Aside from exploring to find the odd levels that truly contain multiple paths, treasure hunting is the only reason for replaying.
Underworld is a title for hardcore fans of the Tomb Raider series, those who need to know how the story continues. Me, I surprised even myself when Legend and Anniversary found their way into my small library of games. Although I wouldn't call myself a "hardcore fan", I'm not disappointed with my purchase, but it isn't up the standard of the last two titles. This game even finishes Lara's search for her mother (the last thing I'll say about the plot), so what motivation Eidos will use for continuing to raid tombs is anyone's guess. True, the setup for future titles is there, but without the motivation, what will the point be? I, for one, have no idea, but rest assured upon release day for the next game, I will be there.
