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This thread has been linked to the game 'Tomb Raider'.
To me the year of 2013 has started off with a fizzle rather than a full on bang. Amidst disappointing sequels and a real lack of anything fresh and exciting, the list of new releases so far has left me a little disappointing. Leave it to Square Enix though to revitalize a once sinking series and with it deliver an adventure full of plenty of excitement, atmosphere and genuine sense of fun. Enter Tomb Raider.
Rather than continuing where previous Tomb Raiders left off, the latest is instead a prequel of sorts showing us the origins of Lara Croft. On an expedition with a small group of colleagues, a huge storm causes their ship to wreck on a mysterious island. It isn’t long before Lara and her friends quickly realize the inhabitants are anything but friendly taking many of them hostage and attacking on sight. What then occurs is Lara’s transition from young, innocent lady to hardened survivor as she learns not only how to make the most of her constantly dwindling situation, but also the important lesson of kill or be killed.
While the story and its characters are a little generic and at times dull, it’s the rapid change in Lara herself from scared and harmless to a man killing machine that takes you out of the experience somewhat. Understandably Lara’s first “accidental” kill leaves quite an impression on her as she cries and questions her actions in the pouring rain. Five minutes later however she’s pulling off headshots and smashing heads with rocks without so much as a pause. Later in the game this isn’t so much a gripe as eventually seeing Lara transform into a more confident, vicious heroine, shouting back at enemies and almost taunting them is exhilarating to see. It’s just a shame her initial transformation feels too abrupt.
It’s easy to watch this game being played and immediately make connections to Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. After all you have plenty of gun fights, climbing, treasure collecting and of course huge set pieces now made famous by the series. However Tomb Raider manages to hold its own offering a far grittier and more open adventure.
As you begin the game, Lara will start off with next to nothing but the clothes of her back relying on her platforming ability and handling of the basic bow and arrow combination. Almost every successful action rewards Lara with experience which can be used to upgrade her hunting, combat and survival abilities along the way.
Within the first couple of hours you’ll see plenty of unreachable sections that beg for a return once the correct tool has been obtained. Much like the Metroid series, as you discover areas of the island you’ll also come into possession of handy new items and weapons like a pick axe or pulley that can be used to unlock hidden extras and collectables. It’s this sense of freedom and exploration that a game like Uncharted sorely lacks.
Shooting plays a big part in the game and thankfully this part of the game feels great. Covering is handled automatically and for the most part works very well while shooting feels both satisfying and accurate. Using the bow, a weapon that usually feels weak and pointless in most games to me instead feels like the ultimate killing tool here. A pistol, machine gun and shotgun round off your arsenal that can themselves be upgraded with salvage found scattered around the island. Enemies become tougher as you progress, meaning you’ll face guys sporting helmets, armour and more powerful weapons. A handy dodge mechanic also helps to manoeuvre out of danger should enemies get too close.
While actual tomb raiding takes a backseat to the action, there are the odd moments where the guns are set aside and your ability to manipulate and traverse the environment are put into play. Whether it’s figuring out how to crack a puzzle in one of the game’s tombs or how to reach a bunker base high above, those worried Tomb Raider has strayed too far into all-out action will be pleased to hear these sort of moments do exist. It’s maybe a shame there aren’t more of them as the tombs themselves almost feel like a tease of what could have been some truly memorable puzzle dungeons.
The island itself is beauty to behold, from your first viewing out to the ocean as the main title fades in, to the finale, you’ll explore plenty of environments. From ruins and forests to mountains and beaches each area feels different and offers fresh new challenges and obstacles to traverse. If at any point you find yourself stuck Lara’s handy Survival Instincts vision will highlight any points of interest nearby as well as enemies and collectables.
If you’re a fan of collectables then you’re in luck as Tomb Raider has literally hundreds of them. Whether it’s hidden documents, artefacts or even extra challenges there’s plenty to go back to even once the credits have rolled.
Multiplayer is a new addition to the series but hardly a surprising one considering the popularity of such a mode with the Uncharted series. Unfortunately here things aren’t quite so polished nor fun. What you have is a competent third person shooter with the standard mode types, environments that lack any real excitement and shooting that doesn’t feel as satisfying as the single player experience. However even before you consider the multiplayer in the game, Tomb Raider is a bulky single player experience. The online modes are just the icing on the cake so to speak.
With so many franchises seeing the reboot treatment lately it’s nice to see a much loved one like Tomb Raider handled as well as this new entry is. Multiplayer and dodgy story and characters aside, Tomb Raider offers a decent sized campaign full of plenty of exciting moments, enjoyable gunplay and just enough actual raiding of tombs to please fans of the genre. Maybe not up to Uncharted’s standards but still pretty damn close.
8.5/10
Rather than continuing where previous Tomb Raiders left off, the latest is instead a prequel of sorts showing us the origins of Lara Croft. On an expedition with a small group of colleagues, a huge storm causes their ship to wreck on a mysterious island. It isn’t long before Lara and her friends quickly realize the inhabitants are anything but friendly taking many of them hostage and attacking on sight. What then occurs is Lara’s transition from young, innocent lady to hardened survivor as she learns not only how to make the most of her constantly dwindling situation, but also the important lesson of kill or be killed.
While the story and its characters are a little generic and at times dull, it’s the rapid change in Lara herself from scared and harmless to a man killing machine that takes you out of the experience somewhat. Understandably Lara’s first “accidental” kill leaves quite an impression on her as she cries and questions her actions in the pouring rain. Five minutes later however she’s pulling off headshots and smashing heads with rocks without so much as a pause. Later in the game this isn’t so much a gripe as eventually seeing Lara transform into a more confident, vicious heroine, shouting back at enemies and almost taunting them is exhilarating to see. It’s just a shame her initial transformation feels too abrupt.
It’s easy to watch this game being played and immediately make connections to Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. After all you have plenty of gun fights, climbing, treasure collecting and of course huge set pieces now made famous by the series. However Tomb Raider manages to hold its own offering a far grittier and more open adventure.
As you begin the game, Lara will start off with next to nothing but the clothes of her back relying on her platforming ability and handling of the basic bow and arrow combination. Almost every successful action rewards Lara with experience which can be used to upgrade her hunting, combat and survival abilities along the way.
Within the first couple of hours you’ll see plenty of unreachable sections that beg for a return once the correct tool has been obtained. Much like the Metroid series, as you discover areas of the island you’ll also come into possession of handy new items and weapons like a pick axe or pulley that can be used to unlock hidden extras and collectables. It’s this sense of freedom and exploration that a game like Uncharted sorely lacks.
Shooting plays a big part in the game and thankfully this part of the game feels great. Covering is handled automatically and for the most part works very well while shooting feels both satisfying and accurate. Using the bow, a weapon that usually feels weak and pointless in most games to me instead feels like the ultimate killing tool here. A pistol, machine gun and shotgun round off your arsenal that can themselves be upgraded with salvage found scattered around the island. Enemies become tougher as you progress, meaning you’ll face guys sporting helmets, armour and more powerful weapons. A handy dodge mechanic also helps to manoeuvre out of danger should enemies get too close.
While actual tomb raiding takes a backseat to the action, there are the odd moments where the guns are set aside and your ability to manipulate and traverse the environment are put into play. Whether it’s figuring out how to crack a puzzle in one of the game’s tombs or how to reach a bunker base high above, those worried Tomb Raider has strayed too far into all-out action will be pleased to hear these sort of moments do exist. It’s maybe a shame there aren’t more of them as the tombs themselves almost feel like a tease of what could have been some truly memorable puzzle dungeons.
The island itself is beauty to behold, from your first viewing out to the ocean as the main title fades in, to the finale, you’ll explore plenty of environments. From ruins and forests to mountains and beaches each area feels different and offers fresh new challenges and obstacles to traverse. If at any point you find yourself stuck Lara’s handy Survival Instincts vision will highlight any points of interest nearby as well as enemies and collectables.
If you’re a fan of collectables then you’re in luck as Tomb Raider has literally hundreds of them. Whether it’s hidden documents, artefacts or even extra challenges there’s plenty to go back to even once the credits have rolled.
Multiplayer is a new addition to the series but hardly a surprising one considering the popularity of such a mode with the Uncharted series. Unfortunately here things aren’t quite so polished nor fun. What you have is a competent third person shooter with the standard mode types, environments that lack any real excitement and shooting that doesn’t feel as satisfying as the single player experience. However even before you consider the multiplayer in the game, Tomb Raider is a bulky single player experience. The online modes are just the icing on the cake so to speak.
With so many franchises seeing the reboot treatment lately it’s nice to see a much loved one like Tomb Raider handled as well as this new entry is. Multiplayer and dodgy story and characters aside, Tomb Raider offers a decent sized campaign full of plenty of exciting moments, enjoyable gunplay and just enough actual raiding of tombs to please fans of the genre. Maybe not up to Uncharted’s standards but still pretty damn close.
8.5/10
Interesting review, particularly as I'm playing through it at the moment. Strangely, i find the combat system a little cumbersome, and at times downright awkward; at least for ranged combat. The targeting system is slow, which adds unnecessary difficulty to the process.
Close combat, however, absolutely shines in this game. It's fluid, responsive and above all, entertaining to watch.
And, yes, I agree, this truly is a beautiful game to look at, particularly in HD with all the DX11 pretties switched on!
Close combat, however, absolutely shines in this game. It's fluid, responsive and above all, entertaining to watch.
And, yes, I agree, this truly is a beautiful game to look at, particularly in HD with all the DX11 pretties switched on!
To me the year of 2013 has started off with a fizzle rather than a full on bang. Amidst disappointing sequels and a real lack of anything fresh and exciting, the list of new releases so far has left me a little disappointing. Leave it to Square Enix though to revitalize a once sinking series and with it deliver an adventure full of plenty of excitement, atmosphere and genuine sense of fun. Enter Tomb Raider.
Rather than continuing where previous Tomb Raiders left off, the latest is instead a prequel of sorts showing us the origins of Lara Croft. On an expedition with a small group of colleagues, a huge storm causes their ship to wreck on a mysterious island. It isn’t long before Lara and her friends quickly realize the inhabitants are anything but friendly taking many of them hostage and attacking on sight. What then occurs is Lara’s transition from young, innocent lady to hardened survivor as she learns not only how to make the most of her constantly dwindling situation, but also the important lesson of kill or be killed.
While the story and its characters are a little generic and at times dull, it’s the rapid change in Lara herself from scared and harmless to a man killing machine that takes you out of the experience somewhat. Understandably Lara’s first “accidental” kill leaves quite an impression on her as she cries and questions her actions in the pouring rain. Five minutes later however she’s pulling off headshots and smashing heads with rocks without so much as a pause. Later in the game this isn’t so much a gripe as eventually seeing Lara transform into a more confident, vicious heroine, shouting back at enemies and almost taunting them is exhilarating to see. It’s just a shame her initial transformation feels too abrupt.
It’s easy to watch this game being played and immediately make connections to Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. After all you have plenty of gun fights, climbing, treasure collecting and of course huge set pieces now made famous by the series. However Tomb Raider manages to hold its own offering a far grittier and more open adventure.
As you begin the game, Lara will start off with next to nothing but the clothes of her back relying on her platforming ability and handling of the basic bow and arrow combination. Almost every successful action rewards Lara with experience which can be used to upgrade her hunting, combat and survival abilities along the way.
Within the first couple of hours you’ll see plenty of unreachable sections that beg for a return once the correct tool has been obtained. Much like the Metroid series, as you discover areas of the island you’ll also come into possession of handy new items and weapons like a pick axe or pulley that can be used to unlock hidden extras and collectables. It’s this sense of freedom and exploration that a game like Uncharted sorely lacks.
Shooting plays a big part in the game and thankfully this part of the game feels great. Covering is handled automatically and for the most part works very well while shooting feels both satisfying and accurate. Using the bow, a weapon that usually feels weak and pointless in most games to me instead feels like the ultimate killing tool here. A pistol, machine gun and shotgun round off your arsenal that can themselves be upgraded with salvage found scattered around the island. Enemies become tougher as you progress, meaning you’ll face guys sporting helmets, armour and more powerful weapons. A handy dodge mechanic also helps to manoeuvre out of danger should enemies get too close.
While actual tomb raiding takes a backseat to the action, there are the odd moments where the guns are set aside and your ability to manipulate and traverse the environment are put into play. Whether it’s figuring out how to crack a puzzle in one of the game’s tombs or how to reach a bunker base high above, those worried Tomb Raider has strayed too far into all-out action will be pleased to hear these sort of moments do exist. It’s maybe a shame there aren’t more of them as the tombs themselves almost feel like a tease of what could have been some truly memorable puzzle dungeons.
The island itself is beauty to behold, from your first viewing out to the ocean as the main title fades in, to the finale, you’ll explore plenty of environments. From ruins and forests to mountains and beaches each area feels different and offers fresh new challenges and obstacles to traverse. If at any point you find yourself stuck Lara’s handy Survival Instincts vision will highlight any points of interest nearby as well as enemies and collectables.
If you’re a fan of collectables then you’re in luck as Tomb Raider has literally hundreds of them. Whether it’s hidden documents, artefacts or even extra challenges there’s plenty to go back to even once the credits have rolled.
Multiplayer is a new addition to the series but hardly a surprising one considering the popularity of such a mode with the Uncharted series. Unfortunately here things aren’t quite so polished nor fun. What you have is a competent third person shooter with the standard mode types, environments that lack any real excitement and shooting that doesn’t feel as satisfying as the single player experience. However even before you consider the multiplayer in the game, Tomb Raider is a bulky single player experience. The online modes are just the icing on the cake so to speak.
With so many franchises seeing the reboot treatment lately it’s nice to see a much loved one like Tomb Raider handled as well as this new entry is. Multiplayer and dodgy story and characters aside, Tomb Raider offers a decent sized campaign full of plenty of exciting moments, enjoyable gunplay and just enough actual raiding of tombs to please fans of the genre. Maybe not up to Uncharted’s standards but still pretty damn close.
8.5/10
Rather than continuing where previous Tomb Raiders left off, the latest is instead a prequel of sorts showing us the origins of Lara Croft. On an expedition with a small group of colleagues, a huge storm causes their ship to wreck on a mysterious island. It isn’t long before Lara and her friends quickly realize the inhabitants are anything but friendly taking many of them hostage and attacking on sight. What then occurs is Lara’s transition from young, innocent lady to hardened survivor as she learns not only how to make the most of her constantly dwindling situation, but also the important lesson of kill or be killed.
While the story and its characters are a little generic and at times dull, it’s the rapid change in Lara herself from scared and harmless to a man killing machine that takes you out of the experience somewhat. Understandably Lara’s first “accidental” kill leaves quite an impression on her as she cries and questions her actions in the pouring rain. Five minutes later however she’s pulling off headshots and smashing heads with rocks without so much as a pause. Later in the game this isn’t so much a gripe as eventually seeing Lara transform into a more confident, vicious heroine, shouting back at enemies and almost taunting them is exhilarating to see. It’s just a shame her initial transformation feels too abrupt.
It’s easy to watch this game being played and immediately make connections to Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. After all you have plenty of gun fights, climbing, treasure collecting and of course huge set pieces now made famous by the series. However Tomb Raider manages to hold its own offering a far grittier and more open adventure.
As you begin the game, Lara will start off with next to nothing but the clothes of her back relying on her platforming ability and handling of the basic bow and arrow combination. Almost every successful action rewards Lara with experience which can be used to upgrade her hunting, combat and survival abilities along the way.
Within the first couple of hours you’ll see plenty of unreachable sections that beg for a return once the correct tool has been obtained. Much like the Metroid series, as you discover areas of the island you’ll also come into possession of handy new items and weapons like a pick axe or pulley that can be used to unlock hidden extras and collectables. It’s this sense of freedom and exploration that a game like Uncharted sorely lacks.
Shooting plays a big part in the game and thankfully this part of the game feels great. Covering is handled automatically and for the most part works very well while shooting feels both satisfying and accurate. Using the bow, a weapon that usually feels weak and pointless in most games to me instead feels like the ultimate killing tool here. A pistol, machine gun and shotgun round off your arsenal that can themselves be upgraded with salvage found scattered around the island. Enemies become tougher as you progress, meaning you’ll face guys sporting helmets, armour and more powerful weapons. A handy dodge mechanic also helps to manoeuvre out of danger should enemies get too close.
While actual tomb raiding takes a backseat to the action, there are the odd moments where the guns are set aside and your ability to manipulate and traverse the environment are put into play. Whether it’s figuring out how to crack a puzzle in one of the game’s tombs or how to reach a bunker base high above, those worried Tomb Raider has strayed too far into all-out action will be pleased to hear these sort of moments do exist. It’s maybe a shame there aren’t more of them as the tombs themselves almost feel like a tease of what could have been some truly memorable puzzle dungeons.
The island itself is beauty to behold, from your first viewing out to the ocean as the main title fades in, to the finale, you’ll explore plenty of environments. From ruins and forests to mountains and beaches each area feels different and offers fresh new challenges and obstacles to traverse. If at any point you find yourself stuck Lara’s handy Survival Instincts vision will highlight any points of interest nearby as well as enemies and collectables.
If you’re a fan of collectables then you’re in luck as Tomb Raider has literally hundreds of them. Whether it’s hidden documents, artefacts or even extra challenges there’s plenty to go back to even once the credits have rolled.
Multiplayer is a new addition to the series but hardly a surprising one considering the popularity of such a mode with the Uncharted series. Unfortunately here things aren’t quite so polished nor fun. What you have is a competent third person shooter with the standard mode types, environments that lack any real excitement and shooting that doesn’t feel as satisfying as the single player experience. However even before you consider the multiplayer in the game, Tomb Raider is a bulky single player experience. The online modes are just the icing on the cake so to speak.
With so many franchises seeing the reboot treatment lately it’s nice to see a much loved one like Tomb Raider handled as well as this new entry is. Multiplayer and dodgy story and characters aside, Tomb Raider offers a decent sized campaign full of plenty of exciting moments, enjoyable gunplay and just enough actual raiding of tombs to please fans of the genre. Maybe not up to Uncharted’s standards but still pretty damn close.
8.5/10