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This thread has been linked to the game 'Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light'.
The female who likes to raid tombs is back but this time she’s left behind the Tomb Raider title. Fear not Tomb Raider fans, Lara certainly hasn’t called it a day on her favourite hobby.
Lara’s latest outing is downloadable only title available on Xbox Live Arcade and coming to Playstation Network and Steam later this month but this is anything but a stripped down, lesser game than the any of the full priced Tomb Raider games.
The story is typical Tomb Raider and Lara clearly hasn’t learned a thing from past mistakes. Through her meddling with cursed treasures, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle as always and has released a demon of the friendly variety. Fortunately she has also released Totec, the Guardian of Light, and together they set off to save the world.
The first thing you will notice is the comic book style intro sequence rather than a fancy CG movie to watch. It’s different to what we are used to with Tomb Raider but this isn’t Tomb Raider by title and it’s also the only time the game will show you a glimpse of it being a downloadable title. The 2nd thing you will notice is that the camera is no longer behind Lara, something that’s bound to disappoint a lot of teenage boys. No longer will you be able to position the camera to gaze upon Lara’s digital assets, this game uses an isometric viewpoint and at times the camera is quite high making for a mini Lara.
It won’t take you long to realise that the gameplay is very much geared towards all out action which very much takes centre-stage over the story. Crystal Dynamics have upped the pace, upped the gun play and as a result upped the enjoyment factor. That’s not to say there is no climbing and puzzle solving involved, the classic Tomb Raider elements are there but this time they take a back seat to the action.
The Tomb Raiders games have always had some weapons to play with but the gun action was never great. In Guardian on Light, the use of weapons is a big focus and using the right analogue stick for aiming, you will be taking down enemy after enemy with a barrage of gun fire. The weapon action plays very much like Smash TV, you can move and shoot in different directions and throw in a dodge for a much needed bit of defence. The enemy count is much higher than in any of the Tomb Raider games, overwhelming at times and you’re certainly not going to be standing still for long. They enemies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the small ones can be very mobile, the large ones slow and cumbersome but can take a lot of hits to defeat. Lara also has bombs at her disposal and these can be readily used for blowing up scenery to make a path, removing the classic arrow dispensing booby traps or used as a trap for the enemies. You’ll be seeing a whole new side to this explorer.
Lara starts off with a spear and the classic dual pistols. Both of these weapons are unlimited and the spear also doubles as a platform when thrown against a wall, enabling Lara to reach higher levels. Other weapons are picked up along the way and up to 4 can be carried at any time. Not surprisingly, the other weapons on offer are more effective but work off an ammo meter. The weapons are quickly selected by the d-pad and bombs are quickly dropped with the press of a button making for some quick and easy combinations.
The settings you find yourself traversing are classic Tomb Raider but the detail, size and variety is very impressive for a downloadable title. The levels also benefit from losing the ‘where do I go next?’ element which helps maintain the pace of the game. There is a mix of corridor action and open levels but you’ll never be left scratching your head. The levels may lack the size of a full priced retail version but they are surprising large at times. You’ll find the familiar elements of spiked floors, large balls to roll onto weighted squares in order to open a door and levers to pull. The controls have been tightened up which help some of elements which could be fiddly, like the ball rolling. Hold down B and Lara grabs the large balls, the weight of them plays no part and you are able to roll the balls about easily without the need for positional change. It allows the game to keep its focus on action and makes for a better game. Climbing and jumping are present, Lara is too athletic not to be doing any of that. She has also brought along her grappling hook for hard to reach areas. These parts are only brought into play when necessary rather than making for an impressive but awkward way to reach necessary areas. It’s clearly not the priority aspect of the game but they work well when they come into play.
Each level has challenge rooms to venture into at your leisure. You can choose to ignore these and you will be able to complete the level by doing so but you will also be missing out on a reward, whether weapon based or attribute based. The challenge rooms vary in difficulty, some are straight forward, others seem rather impossible at first but you would be missing out not to pop in for a look. The attribute changing elements come in the shape of artefacts. Each artefact comes with an attribute benefit but also a disadvantage to counter it. For instance, you will find a speed increase is offset by a bomb damage reduction. It’s not RPG levels of tailoring but it adds a little something to think about.
The puzzle elements all work well and fit in nicely with the pace of the action. None of them are going to prevent progress for long, many will have a familiar feel to them if you have played any of the Tomb Raider games but there is still a good bit of imagination in them and they aren’t of the frustrating variety.
You might just spot some references to some classic Tomb Raider moments. The most obvious of which is the T-Rex alike set piece. I’m glad to see it’s not just used for the sake of it, dispatching the hungry beast isn’t going to be as obvious as you first expected.
There are 14 levels in total but the game doesn’t finish when you reach the end. Each level has a variety of different challenges to complete. 3 levels of score challenge are present in each level and collecting gems hidden in the levels and from fallen enemies boosts the score. Joining the gems are the red skulls, a set number have to be found in each level and some are not always easy to reach. Outside of these, each level presents its own set of challenges unique to that particular level. The fact that we have some time based elements shows that the temp has been increased. You have your work cut out if you want to obtain 100% for each level but it makes for an excellent value for money package.
And that’s just the single player component. The game is also completely playable in 2 played co-op mode with the 2nd player controlling Totec. I’m not a Gold subscriber so I’ve been unable to try this but the 2 player mode sounds like a brilliant addition and not just an after-thought. The levels have been reworked to require the involvement from both players. The puzzles will require team work, there will be no sitting back and watching as your partner does all the tricky stuff. It seems that some of the set plays have been reworked for 2 players as well which sounds like it almost makes for a new game. It’s great to see a developer offer 2 different experiences for single player and co-op rather than one of the modes being compromised.
This is the best Tomb Raider game there has ever been and up there with the best downloadable games. It freshens he tired Tomb Raider and it’s going to be hard to go back to the slower pace if there is another traditional Tomb Raider game released. The focus on action certainly makes this worth a try for those that never like Tomb Raider. It’s Tomb Raider, but not as you know it.
9
EDIT: it seems like the co-op mode isn't available yet and will be a future download.
Lara’s latest outing is downloadable only title available on Xbox Live Arcade and coming to Playstation Network and Steam later this month but this is anything but a stripped down, lesser game than the any of the full priced Tomb Raider games.
The story is typical Tomb Raider and Lara clearly hasn’t learned a thing from past mistakes. Through her meddling with cursed treasures, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle as always and has released a demon of the friendly variety. Fortunately she has also released Totec, the Guardian of Light, and together they set off to save the world.
The first thing you will notice is the comic book style intro sequence rather than a fancy CG movie to watch. It’s different to what we are used to with Tomb Raider but this isn’t Tomb Raider by title and it’s also the only time the game will show you a glimpse of it being a downloadable title. The 2nd thing you will notice is that the camera is no longer behind Lara, something that’s bound to disappoint a lot of teenage boys. No longer will you be able to position the camera to gaze upon Lara’s digital assets, this game uses an isometric viewpoint and at times the camera is quite high making for a mini Lara.
It won’t take you long to realise that the gameplay is very much geared towards all out action which very much takes centre-stage over the story. Crystal Dynamics have upped the pace, upped the gun play and as a result upped the enjoyment factor. That’s not to say there is no climbing and puzzle solving involved, the classic Tomb Raider elements are there but this time they take a back seat to the action.
The Tomb Raiders games have always had some weapons to play with but the gun action was never great. In Guardian on Light, the use of weapons is a big focus and using the right analogue stick for aiming, you will be taking down enemy after enemy with a barrage of gun fire. The weapon action plays very much like Smash TV, you can move and shoot in different directions and throw in a dodge for a much needed bit of defence. The enemy count is much higher than in any of the Tomb Raider games, overwhelming at times and you’re certainly not going to be standing still for long. They enemies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the small ones can be very mobile, the large ones slow and cumbersome but can take a lot of hits to defeat. Lara also has bombs at her disposal and these can be readily used for blowing up scenery to make a path, removing the classic arrow dispensing booby traps or used as a trap for the enemies. You’ll be seeing a whole new side to this explorer.
Lara starts off with a spear and the classic dual pistols. Both of these weapons are unlimited and the spear also doubles as a platform when thrown against a wall, enabling Lara to reach higher levels. Other weapons are picked up along the way and up to 4 can be carried at any time. Not surprisingly, the other weapons on offer are more effective but work off an ammo meter. The weapons are quickly selected by the d-pad and bombs are quickly dropped with the press of a button making for some quick and easy combinations.
The settings you find yourself traversing are classic Tomb Raider but the detail, size and variety is very impressive for a downloadable title. The levels also benefit from losing the ‘where do I go next?’ element which helps maintain the pace of the game. There is a mix of corridor action and open levels but you’ll never be left scratching your head. The levels may lack the size of a full priced retail version but they are surprising large at times. You’ll find the familiar elements of spiked floors, large balls to roll onto weighted squares in order to open a door and levers to pull. The controls have been tightened up which help some of elements which could be fiddly, like the ball rolling. Hold down B and Lara grabs the large balls, the weight of them plays no part and you are able to roll the balls about easily without the need for positional change. It allows the game to keep its focus on action and makes for a better game. Climbing and jumping are present, Lara is too athletic not to be doing any of that. She has also brought along her grappling hook for hard to reach areas. These parts are only brought into play when necessary rather than making for an impressive but awkward way to reach necessary areas. It’s clearly not the priority aspect of the game but they work well when they come into play.
Each level has challenge rooms to venture into at your leisure. You can choose to ignore these and you will be able to complete the level by doing so but you will also be missing out on a reward, whether weapon based or attribute based. The challenge rooms vary in difficulty, some are straight forward, others seem rather impossible at first but you would be missing out not to pop in for a look. The attribute changing elements come in the shape of artefacts. Each artefact comes with an attribute benefit but also a disadvantage to counter it. For instance, you will find a speed increase is offset by a bomb damage reduction. It’s not RPG levels of tailoring but it adds a little something to think about.
The puzzle elements all work well and fit in nicely with the pace of the action. None of them are going to prevent progress for long, many will have a familiar feel to them if you have played any of the Tomb Raider games but there is still a good bit of imagination in them and they aren’t of the frustrating variety.
You might just spot some references to some classic Tomb Raider moments. The most obvious of which is the T-Rex alike set piece. I’m glad to see it’s not just used for the sake of it, dispatching the hungry beast isn’t going to be as obvious as you first expected.
There are 14 levels in total but the game doesn’t finish when you reach the end. Each level has a variety of different challenges to complete. 3 levels of score challenge are present in each level and collecting gems hidden in the levels and from fallen enemies boosts the score. Joining the gems are the red skulls, a set number have to be found in each level and some are not always easy to reach. Outside of these, each level presents its own set of challenges unique to that particular level. The fact that we have some time based elements shows that the temp has been increased. You have your work cut out if you want to obtain 100% for each level but it makes for an excellent value for money package.
And that’s just the single player component. The game is also completely playable in 2 played co-op mode with the 2nd player controlling Totec. I’m not a Gold subscriber so I’ve been unable to try this but the 2 player mode sounds like a brilliant addition and not just an after-thought. The levels have been reworked to require the involvement from both players. The puzzles will require team work, there will be no sitting back and watching as your partner does all the tricky stuff. It seems that some of the set plays have been reworked for 2 players as well which sounds like it almost makes for a new game. It’s great to see a developer offer 2 different experiences for single player and co-op rather than one of the modes being compromised.
This is the best Tomb Raider game there has ever been and up there with the best downloadable games. It freshens he tired Tomb Raider and it’s going to be hard to go back to the slower pace if there is another traditional Tomb Raider game released. The focus on action certainly makes this worth a try for those that never like Tomb Raider. It’s Tomb Raider, but not as you know it.
9
EDIT: it seems like the co-op mode isn't available yet and will be a future download.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
The female who likes to raid tombs is back but this time she’s left behind the Tomb Raider title. Fear not Tomb Raider fans, Lara certainly hasn’t called it a day on her favourite hobby.
Lara’s latest outing is downloadable only title available on Xbox Live Arcade and coming to Playstation Network and Steam later this month but this is anything but a stripped down, lesser game than the any of the full priced Tomb Raider games.
The story is typical Tomb Raider and Lara clearly hasn’t learned a thing from past mistakes. Through her meddling with cursed treasures, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle as always and has released a demon of the friendly variety. Fortunately she has also released Totec, the Guardian of Light, and together they set off to save the world.
The first thing you will notice is the comic book style intro sequence rather than a fancy CG movie to watch. It’s different to what we are used to with Tomb Raider but this isn’t Tomb Raider by title and it’s also the only time the game will show you a glimpse of it being a downloadable title. The 2nd thing you will notice is that the camera is no longer behind Lara, something that’s bound to disappoint a lot of teenage boys. No longer will you be able to position the camera to gaze upon Lara’s digital assets, this game uses an isometric viewpoint and at times the camera is quite high making for a mini Lara.
It won’t take you long to realise that the gameplay is very much geared towards all out action which very much takes centre-stage over the story. Crystal Dynamics have upped the pace, upped the gun play and as a result upped the enjoyment factor. That’s not to say there is no climbing and puzzle solving involved, the classic Tomb Raider elements are there but this time they take a back seat to the action.
The Tomb Raiders games have always had some weapons to play with but the gun action was never great. In Guardian on Light, the use of weapons is a big focus and using the right analogue stick for aiming, you will be taking down enemy after enemy with a barrage of gun fire. The weapon action plays very much like Smash TV, you can move and shoot in different directions and throw in a dodge for a much needed bit of defence. The enemy count is much higher than in any of the Tomb Raider games, overwhelming at times and you’re certainly not going to be standing still for long. They enemies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the small ones can be very mobile, the large ones slow and cumbersome but can take a lot of hits to defeat. Lara also has bombs at her disposal and these can be readily used for blowing up scenery to make a path, removing the classic arrow dispensing booby traps or used as a trap for the enemies. You’ll be seeing a whole new side to this explorer.
Lara starts off with a spear and the classic dual pistols. Both of these weapons are unlimited and the spear also doubles as a platform when thrown against a wall, enabling Lara to reach higher levels. Other weapons are picked up along the way and up to 4 can be carried at any time. Not surprisingly, the other weapons on offer are more effective but work off an ammo meter. The weapons are quickly selected by the d-pad and bombs are quickly dropped with the press of a button making for some quick and easy combinations.
The settings you find yourself traversing are classic Tomb Raider but the detail, size and variety is very impressive for a downloadable title. The levels also benefit from losing the ‘where do I go next?’ element which helps maintain the pace of the game. There is a mix of corridor action and open levels but you’ll never be left scratching your head. The levels may lack the size of a full priced retail version but they are surprising large at times. You’ll find the familiar elements of spiked floors, large balls to roll onto weighted squares in order to open a door and levers to pull. The controls have been tightened up which help some of elements which could be fiddly, like the ball rolling. Hold down B and Lara grabs the large balls, the weight of them plays no part and you are able to roll the balls about easily without the need for positional change. It allows the game to keep its focus on action and makes for a better game. Climbing and jumping are present, Lara is too athletic not to be doing any of that. She has also brought along her grappling hook for hard to reach areas. These parts are only brought into play when necessary rather than making for an impressive but awkward way to reach necessary areas. It’s clearly not the priority aspect of the game but they work well when they come into play.
Each level has challenge rooms to venture into at your leisure. You can choose to ignore these and you will be able to complete the level by doing so but you will also be missing out on a reward, whether weapon based or attribute based. The challenge rooms vary in difficulty, some are straight forward, others seem rather impossible at first but you would be missing out not to pop in for a look. The attribute changing elements come in the shape of artefacts. Each artefact comes with an attribute benefit but also a disadvantage to counter it. For instance, you will find a speed increase is offset by a bomb damage reduction. It’s not RPG levels of tailoring but it adds a little something to think about.
The puzzle elements all work well and fit in nicely with the pace of the action. None of them are going to prevent progress for long, many will have a familiar feel to them if you have played any of the Tomb Raider games but there is still a good bit of imagination in them and they aren’t of the frustrating variety.
You might just spot some references to some classic Tomb Raider moments. The most obvious of which is the T-Rex alike set piece. I’m glad to see it’s not just used for the sake of it, dispatching the hungry beast isn’t going to be as obvious as you first expected.
There are 14 levels in total but the game doesn’t finish when you reach the end. Each level has a variety of different challenges to complete. 3 levels of score challenge are present in each level and collecting gems hidden in the levels and from fallen enemies boosts the score. Joining the gems are the red skulls, a set number have to be found in each level and some are not always easy to reach. Outside of these, each level presents its own set of challenges unique to that particular level. The fact that we have some time based elements shows that the temp has been increased. You have your work cut out if you want to obtain 100% for each level but it makes for an excellent value for money package.
And that’s just the single player component. The game is also completely playable in 2 played co-op mode with the 2nd player controlling Totec. I’m not a Gold subscriber so I’ve been unable to try this but the 2 player mode sounds like a brilliant addition and not just an after-thought. The levels have been reworked to require the involvement from both players. The puzzles will require team work, there will be no sitting back and watching as your partner does all the tricky stuff. It seems that some of the set plays have been reworked for 2 players as well which sounds like it almost makes for a new game. It’s great to see a developer offer 2 different experiences for single player and co-op rather than one of the modes being compromised.
This is the best Tomb Raider game there has ever been and up there with the best downloadable games. It freshens he tired Tomb Raider and it’s going to be hard to go back to the slower pace if there is another traditional Tomb Raider game released. The focus on action certainly makes this worth a try for those that never like Tomb Raider. It’s Tomb Raider, but not as you know it.
9
EDIT: it seems like the co-op mode isn't available yet and will be a future download.
Lara’s latest outing is downloadable only title available on Xbox Live Arcade and coming to Playstation Network and Steam later this month but this is anything but a stripped down, lesser game than the any of the full priced Tomb Raider games.
The story is typical Tomb Raider and Lara clearly hasn’t learned a thing from past mistakes. Through her meddling with cursed treasures, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle as always and has released a demon of the friendly variety. Fortunately she has also released Totec, the Guardian of Light, and together they set off to save the world.
The first thing you will notice is the comic book style intro sequence rather than a fancy CG movie to watch. It’s different to what we are used to with Tomb Raider but this isn’t Tomb Raider by title and it’s also the only time the game will show you a glimpse of it being a downloadable title. The 2nd thing you will notice is that the camera is no longer behind Lara, something that’s bound to disappoint a lot of teenage boys. No longer will you be able to position the camera to gaze upon Lara’s digital assets, this game uses an isometric viewpoint and at times the camera is quite high making for a mini Lara.
It won’t take you long to realise that the gameplay is very much geared towards all out action which very much takes centre-stage over the story. Crystal Dynamics have upped the pace, upped the gun play and as a result upped the enjoyment factor. That’s not to say there is no climbing and puzzle solving involved, the classic Tomb Raider elements are there but this time they take a back seat to the action.
The Tomb Raiders games have always had some weapons to play with but the gun action was never great. In Guardian on Light, the use of weapons is a big focus and using the right analogue stick for aiming, you will be taking down enemy after enemy with a barrage of gun fire. The weapon action plays very much like Smash TV, you can move and shoot in different directions and throw in a dodge for a much needed bit of defence. The enemy count is much higher than in any of the Tomb Raider games, overwhelming at times and you’re certainly not going to be standing still for long. They enemies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the small ones can be very mobile, the large ones slow and cumbersome but can take a lot of hits to defeat. Lara also has bombs at her disposal and these can be readily used for blowing up scenery to make a path, removing the classic arrow dispensing booby traps or used as a trap for the enemies. You’ll be seeing a whole new side to this explorer.
Lara starts off with a spear and the classic dual pistols. Both of these weapons are unlimited and the spear also doubles as a platform when thrown against a wall, enabling Lara to reach higher levels. Other weapons are picked up along the way and up to 4 can be carried at any time. Not surprisingly, the other weapons on offer are more effective but work off an ammo meter. The weapons are quickly selected by the d-pad and bombs are quickly dropped with the press of a button making for some quick and easy combinations.
The settings you find yourself traversing are classic Tomb Raider but the detail, size and variety is very impressive for a downloadable title. The levels also benefit from losing the ‘where do I go next?’ element which helps maintain the pace of the game. There is a mix of corridor action and open levels but you’ll never be left scratching your head. The levels may lack the size of a full priced retail version but they are surprising large at times. You’ll find the familiar elements of spiked floors, large balls to roll onto weighted squares in order to open a door and levers to pull. The controls have been tightened up which help some of elements which could be fiddly, like the ball rolling. Hold down B and Lara grabs the large balls, the weight of them plays no part and you are able to roll the balls about easily without the need for positional change. It allows the game to keep its focus on action and makes for a better game. Climbing and jumping are present, Lara is too athletic not to be doing any of that. She has also brought along her grappling hook for hard to reach areas. These parts are only brought into play when necessary rather than making for an impressive but awkward way to reach necessary areas. It’s clearly not the priority aspect of the game but they work well when they come into play.
Each level has challenge rooms to venture into at your leisure. You can choose to ignore these and you will be able to complete the level by doing so but you will also be missing out on a reward, whether weapon based or attribute based. The challenge rooms vary in difficulty, some are straight forward, others seem rather impossible at first but you would be missing out not to pop in for a look. The attribute changing elements come in the shape of artefacts. Each artefact comes with an attribute benefit but also a disadvantage to counter it. For instance, you will find a speed increase is offset by a bomb damage reduction. It’s not RPG levels of tailoring but it adds a little something to think about.
The puzzle elements all work well and fit in nicely with the pace of the action. None of them are going to prevent progress for long, many will have a familiar feel to them if you have played any of the Tomb Raider games but there is still a good bit of imagination in them and they aren’t of the frustrating variety.
You might just spot some references to some classic Tomb Raider moments. The most obvious of which is the T-Rex alike set piece. I’m glad to see it’s not just used for the sake of it, dispatching the hungry beast isn’t going to be as obvious as you first expected.
There are 14 levels in total but the game doesn’t finish when you reach the end. Each level has a variety of different challenges to complete. 3 levels of score challenge are present in each level and collecting gems hidden in the levels and from fallen enemies boosts the score. Joining the gems are the red skulls, a set number have to be found in each level and some are not always easy to reach. Outside of these, each level presents its own set of challenges unique to that particular level. The fact that we have some time based elements shows that the temp has been increased. You have your work cut out if you want to obtain 100% for each level but it makes for an excellent value for money package.
And that’s just the single player component. The game is also completely playable in 2 played co-op mode with the 2nd player controlling Totec. I’m not a Gold subscriber so I’ve been unable to try this but the 2 player mode sounds like a brilliant addition and not just an after-thought. The levels have been reworked to require the involvement from both players. The puzzles will require team work, there will be no sitting back and watching as your partner does all the tricky stuff. It seems that some of the set plays have been reworked for 2 players as well which sounds like it almost makes for a new game. It’s great to see a developer offer 2 different experiences for single player and co-op rather than one of the modes being compromised.
This is the best Tomb Raider game there has ever been and up there with the best downloadable games. It freshens he tired Tomb Raider and it’s going to be hard to go back to the slower pace if there is another traditional Tomb Raider game released. The focus on action certainly makes this worth a try for those that never like Tomb Raider. It’s Tomb Raider, but not as you know it.
9
EDIT: it seems like the co-op mode isn't available yet and will be a future download.