Tomb Raider Anniversary

[toblix]

So, having played it for just ten minutes. I'm excited (and aroused). This seems like it could me more of the excellent gameplay of, what was it, Tomb Raider Legends?

[miffy495]

It's out? I was really not paying attention to this one at all. I seem to remember hearing it would be on Steam, true or not?

[thorn]

Is this the one that's a remake of the original Tomb Raider game? In principle, that's a good thing as it's still my favourite of the series (and, admittedly, the only one I've actually finished). My one objection is the FMVs as seen on youtube - I don't know what it is about the Tomb Raider games but the animation is apalling. I've never seen characters move so unconvincingly in my life!

I mean, Lara's poses have always been ridiculous but the way she moves here makes her look like an stop motion-controlled balloon animal - there's no weight in her movements. And don't even ask me about

...

In this day and age, there's really no excuse for such shoddy animation.

[/rant]

[Aussie Ben]

I was going to get it - I was rather interested in getting it, and then I found out it wasn't coming out for the Xbox 360. So I think I'll pass. I never played the original Tomb Raider and I would have liked to play it. But not that much.

[ysbreker]

Eurogamer liked it a lot. They liked it so much they gave it a 9. I'm still on the fence if I should get it or not.

I think I'll give the demo a try before I buy the game via steam.

[andreadst]

I tried it and found it to be really excellent. Retains the original atmosphere quite well (except for that Trex bit which is crap). Best tomb raider since...the first actually.

[Kolzig]

I have a very good feeling about TR: Anniversary. Legends was awesome revival of the series and TR1 was a classic.

Reviews seem to be very positive and what I've seen with my own eyes confirm that this time the reviews are not hyping, they are telling more truth than pr talk. This one is a great game.

Kind of amazing that Lara still keeps on going, I thought at the time of the second movie and Angel of Darkness that the whole franchise was dead and not worth reviving.

[Wrestlevania]

I'll be honest; I was extremely skeptical about Anniversary when I first heard about it.

The idea of a new developer rebuilding the original game suggested that they - Crystal Dynamics - wanted to rewrite the history of the franchise and claim complete ownership of it. Which in a way I guess they have with Legends anyway.

Something else that made be doubtful is that I've not played Legends (and likely won't). But then you have to consider that Crystal Dynamics have made some superb 3D platformers in the past, particularly the Soul Reaver series.

So I guess Anniversary will likely turn out to be a fun and worthwhile reimagining of the original Tomb Raider game. I played the first TR back when it was released and had fun with it, so I may just give Anniversary a try.

I don't recall the T-Rex fight sucking though; I found that quite neat.

[toblix]

Legends was totally awesome, and you should try it. I'd maybe play it after Anniversary, though. And the T-Rex was easy (once I figured out how to kill it).

[andreadst]

I don't recall the T-Rex fight sucking though; I found that quite neat.

I was talking about the T-rex fight in Anniversary. In the original the T-rex appearing form the black valley was genuinely scary (back then at least).

They turned that into some kind of unimpressive and unavoidable cinematic boss battle.

That's my only complaint though, everything else is just perfect and the PC version is extremely polished: no bugs, alt+tab support, runs smoothly on average pc...that's small detail ok, but after a week trying to figure out how to prevent STALKER from freezing, THIS FEELS GOOD:tup:

oh, and Legend was good, but far from Anniversary.

[miffy495]

I don't know. Any game that Toblix is willing to call totally awesome has to be something special, given his documented very high gaming standards. (note: though two threads start out positive, they don't last that way for a very long time, although Minish Cap is eventually called awesome in spite of its flaws)

I'm almost willing to pick it up based solely on that. I realize that's easy to interpret as sarcasm, but I actually mean that. If toblix gives it top marks, I'm very impressed.

[toblix]

I should start my own review site! I'd call it Idle... something.

Judging from those threads I just read I should probably call it Idle Fuck. Or Idle Cunt. Man, I really go overboard with the swearing when I meet a little resistance in games.

[DanJW]

Call it Toblix Fucks Games .

I'm pretty interested in Anniversary as well. I never played more than a level or two of the first Tomb Raider game on the PS1 and didn't rate it (since I was playing Quake at the time, I was less than impressed by the tile-based engine). Never saw anything I liked in any of the sequals either and I still consider the franchise to be overrated, except maybe Legends. This remake seems like a great way to enjoy the original now that it has caught up with the rest of gaming.

[Thrik]

I've never really done much with the Tomb Raider series other than fuck around with the butler, so I might have to pick this up considering the positive opinions across the board. Is it a total remake with modern standards, like Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes? Or is it more of a reboot with the same style of gameplay that made it so loved? (I know the gameplay in later Tomb Raider games was meant to be spiralling around a vortex of shit.)

[toblix]

All the levels are redone with the quality of Legends, i.e. no tiles. As I understand it the story and general structure of the levels are the same, but they've changed some and added some to make it more interesting. I can remember the starting levels from the little I played of Tomb Raider 1, but it's nothing like it graphically, controllally or tilelly.

[JoannaDark]

i can't wait i can't wait i can't wait i can't wait! i saw it in game today, her hips definitely wiggle more. (we managed to leave with striker and - get this - all 4 police quest games for 15e - its a shame sierra put the manual for kings quest on the disc though)

[toblix]

So, has anyone played this? I'm having a load of problems with those flying, fireball shooting pieces of shit. Is there some pattern to avoiding them or are they just the world's most terrible design decision?

[JoeX111]

I've yet to play it, but I heard on one of the CheapAssGamer podcasts that a 360 version should be released in the near future, possibly coupled with Legends.

[toblix]

Okay, having just completed the game, here's my review:

This game is really cool.

It looks like Legend, in other words totally awesome. The level architecture and textures look really good. Lara finally has enough texture and polygons

to actually be hot, with her wiggling hips and her big, juicy... anyway, the game looks awesome.

And, just like in Legend, the controls are generally very responsive, and it's like the game is doing "as much as possible" to interpret your commands like you intended. If you jump up to grab something you're not directly below, Lara jumps a bit to the side and tries to grab it anyways. The new pole balancing and wall running stuff is also cool, although there's an issue with jumping from a wall run being a bit wonky. Nothing too frustrating (and you know me, I frustrate like The Hulk).

The gameplay feels a bit more "samey" than in Legend. I guess in Legend you were in an office building and in a city. In Anniversary you're just in dungeons. It may also be that Anniversary is a markably longer game. Not too long, but almost. Good thing the ending isn't horribly difficult. There's only one point in the game where I had to restart like ten times to proceed, but even there the game saves progress like a motherfucker, so it's not too bad.

And, uh, it's too bad you can't change into the unlockable outfits until I've completed the game. The Legend outfit is much hotter than the Anniversary one.

And it loads up really quickly, so it's like under one minute from double-click to double-jump, if you know what I mean (but there's no double jump ((thankfully!)). Anyway that's my review, I know you wanted one.

[miffy495]

Hmmm... I really hope it does come to 360 as DLC for Legend, as rumoured. If so, it'd not only give me a chance to play it on a console (platformers on PC just don't feel right to me) but also more of an excuse to pick up Legend. I'd been thinking about it, but have yet to be able to justify the price. If I get Legend and access to the Anniversary DLC, I'm sold.

[JoannaDark]

i bought legend yesterday in game and was told that "no tombraider game will be released on any new or old nintendo console". bear in mind that i was buying it for the gamecube. anniversary IS coming out on wii, yeah? game idiots piss me off.

[miffy495]

...and it's happened. Out in September on 360, so I'll probably pick up Legend sometime in August, play through it, and then download Anniversary as it comes out. Episodic = awesome. Cheers to Eidos and MS for making it reality.

[Wrestlevania]

Out in September on 360, so I'll probably pick up Legend sometime in August, play through it

B-b-b-but BioShock! Too Human! :\

August is already block-booked with *ahem* more important titles if you ask me...

[miffy495]

True enough, but as of Monday my spring course ends and I have a few months of not a whole lot to do until September's term. My job keeps me going, mind, but it's not something I ever need to think about when I get home. A week from now, my gaming time shoots from "a few hours a week" to "whenever the hell I feel like it" for almost three whole months.

[Wrestlevania]

...bloody students.