[size=16pt]Tomb Raider Anniversary Developer: Crystal Dynamics Publisher: Eidos Interactive Release Date: 5 June 2007 Genre: Adventure; Action ESRB Rating: T Platforms: PC, PS2, PSP, Wii. XBOX 360; MOBILE Platform reviewed on: PC Reviewers Note: I have implemented a new method for this review by placing screenshots at the end of the review to keep it more organised and neat. Please comment on whether this is better than my previous style of inserting screenshots in random locations. I believe this will make it easier to read. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gaming, with each passing day, has and still is becoming increasingly popular. Films based on more esteemed video games are constantly being produced and released, most unsuccessfully. With films such as God of War, Castlevania and BioShock in production, it is evident that gaming is gathering more and more attention than it ever has. Gaming characters are becoming easier to recognise. None such character is more recognisable however than Lara Croft. Perhaps gaming’s first sex symbol; Miss Croft’s reputation has been escalating with each year, largely thanks to Angelina Jolie’s portrayal as the heroine in two largely unsuccessful movies. On the other hand however, the video games have seen somewhat of a decline. The original three Tomb Raider games were highly successful and extremely fun to play. However, with each subsequent release, Eidos struggled to keep the series fresh and exciting and eventually hit an all time with Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness, the last Tomb Raider game by the company. Eager to make an impression, Crystal Dynamics (best known for their Legacy of Kain series) undertook the task of developing a new Tomb Raider game. Tomb Raider Legend was released shortly thereafter, and the company was seen by many people as the saviours of the series. Legend was by no means a perfect game, but it allowed for a fresh start by a team that has proven their ability to produce a quality gaming experience. It recaptured those magic moments that the original was able to install in the player, even if it was for a short time. However one negative was the fact that the game had a little too much action which is not really customary for a Tomb Raider title. Either way fans were pleased and could not wait for the next release but few were expecting to hear about Tomb Raider Anniversary. Crystal Dynamics announced that they were to remake the original Tomb Raider. Fans were excited to hear about this and were eager to see whether or not the company could deliver. In essence, this title would make or break the revival of Tomb Raider. With a brand new Tomb Raider on the way in a couple of months, this is a perfect time to recap on the last edition in the franchise. As mentioned previously, Tomb Raider Anniversary is a remake of Tomb Raider 1. Because the original is held in such high repute by fans, Crystal Dynamics would find themselves under pressure to recreate the game in such a way as to keep older fans happy, yet introducing new elements to an already jaded formula. Anniversary begins with Lara being introduced to another lady by the name of Jacqueline Natla. Natla is aware of Lara’s skills as a tomb raider, and persuades her to go in search of the artefact known as Scion, located somewhere in Peru. Eager to discover the mystery herself, Lara ventures into the snowy mountains in the isolated South American country. Not to give too much away, the story is pretty interesting. Lara later discovers that there is some link between the Scion and the lost city of Atlantis. The plot unfolds freely and does not contain any unnecessary story fragments. For those familiar with the original games plot, will be happy to see that the developers have stuck strictly with the presentation, adding wonderfully remastered and reworked in-game movies. After each level, you are presented with another development in the storyline and each one is exciting and interesting to watch. Overall it is a gripping and solid plot, ready to capture the imagination of new gamers and reawaken happy memories of the older generation. The game itself is pretty easy to play. Many people that have not played Tomb Raider games have this impression that it would be really difficult to control the character due to the number of moves Lara has. I know I used to be guilty of this myself. However, once you have actually played the game, does the realisation set in that this is not so difficult after all. The controls scheme is designed in such a way as to make it extra convenient for users with only a keyboard at their disposal. Making Lara jump, dive, spin, flip and swim is relatively easy thanks to the fantastic key set up, which can of course be changed should it not suit your preferences. The inclusion of little helpful tips in the first few parts of the first level helps you get acquainted with this scheme and you will find yourself swiftly executing complicated manoeuvres and jumps. This mini-tutorial blends in really nicely with the game and the player does not even feel the transition into the main game. The ease with which you learn how to effectively control your character is really impressive due to the fact that there is so much you can do therein. In fact, the controls never seem over complicated and you never find yourself wondering or trying to remember how to do a particular move. The gameplay in itself is truly remarkable. It not only brings the joyful memories of the first game back to life, but introduces a brand new element of exploration to the table. Many will remember the blocky graphics of the original (which were good for its time) but with the recreated areas and caverns, this game just truly comes to life. You get the opportunity to interact with your surroundings so much more. Each level is beautifully designed and looks amazing. One particular moment that captures attention and deserves mention can be found in the first few levels when Lara ventures into the caverns of the Peruvian mountains. Inside she finds this large water wheel which she must climb, solving its puzzles and mysteries during this ascend. Fans of the original will remember this section of the game well and will simply love the new recreated version. This is just one example of many aspects that are really enjoyable to play through. All in all, throughout your adventure you will be faced with many obstacles and puzzles to negotiate through, fighting the odd enemies in between. The general level plays out something like this: you find yourself in a large area with a massive puzzle, splitting off into various smaller linear areas that require you to collect a piece of the said puzzle in order to solve it, and proceed through this central main area. It is with the enemies that the game can be faulted a little bit. You are generally faced with wild animals in the form of bats, bears, wolves, tigers etc; however, it is harsh to judge the game negatively on this as it is a remake of an older game and the review should only be critical of the way the enemies have been re-enacted. Crystal Dynamics have done a good job in this regard but it does feel like fighting each enemy is the same exercise as the previous battle. Simply jumping around and shooting the wild beast will soon topple them down. The boss fights are where the battle system really shines. These are fun and unique in every sense, with each boss requiring a special way to be defeated. You will find yourself dying a few times before eventually discovering the boss’ weakness. Pick-ups are generally common and you never find yourself short on ammo or health packs, which makes the game a little easier but not the point of being uncomfortable. The game boasts a number of locations, with Peru being one of them. Within each location there are about four or five levels of varying length and difficulty. Each new level feels fun and exciting to play. Each level also has checkpoints in between, which makes dying (something that will happen often) not a tedious process as you can easily resume your play from a nearby location to the place you met your doom. Each level also has hidden relics and artefacts for you to find, which unlock secrets such as new costumes for Lara, and sketches and art from the game. One particularly great unlockable is a “before-after†style art sketch set. It shows particular sections in the game as they were in the original Tomb Raider and what they look like in the new version. It is great to see the differences and what an improvement this game has made. Older fans will not believe the difference. Another bonus is the return of the Croft Manor. In previous games it was more focused on acting as a tutorial free-roaming level, but has now become one huge puzzle in itself, adding to the length of the game. There actually is an end to this level and also has secret relics to be found. Another useful addition is the inclusion of time trials. After you complete a set of levels, you can attempt to replay a certain level and try beat it in a certain time limit. These are rather challenging and add to the gameplay experience. As mentioned previously, the graphics are really great. This game looks fantastic and you actually feel like you are in a cave or tomb yourself. At no point do you feel that you absolutely have no idea where to go due to bad level design or graphical inaccuracies which was common in some of the older Tomb Raider games developed by Eidos. The water effects are great and swimming covers your screen with an aqua coloured screen making it difficult to see as is expected in an underwater scenario. The lighting is great and the game never feels too dark or too bright. The design of the various puzzles is great and the physics of enemies and various obstacles are generally top notch, making it easy and enjoyable to traverse through the game. The game does not boast a soundtrack of sorts, and you usually find the atmosphere being set by impressive ambient sounds during your exploration. The voice acting is impressive and captures your attention superbly. You find yourself immersed in the plot whilst listening to the characters interact. The various sound effects made by shooting your weapons or jumping and swimming sound realistic and add to the atmosphere of the exploring. The echoes of shooting in a cave are impressive too. Running around and hearing the growls of an emerging enemy will make you nervous and, if you have a good sound set up, will make you jump as enemies tend to surprise you at times. The game is of relatively acceptable length, however, you get so immersed in the adventure, that by the end you find yourself sad that it is all over as you would love to play through a few more levels. If this is anything to go by, Tomb Raider Underworld should be truly an amazing gaming experience. In conclusion, this is a really fantastic game, worthy of anyone’s collection. If you are a fan of the series, this is a must have, or if you have never played Tomb Raider then I cannot think of a better title in the series to get you on your way to adventuring bliss. Hell, even if you hate the series, this may well change your perspective altogether. There is just so much enjoyment to be gained from this amazing title. Crystal Dynamics have yet again shown their ability to make a fantastic game and I personally am looking forward to the next instalment of the series, and the next Crystal Dynamics hit. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story: 8/10 Interesting and gripping storyline, flowing nicely through the various levels in the game. Gameplay: 9/10 Grand puzzles and adventuring make this extremely enjoyable. The fact that there are numerous secrets to find and the ability to replay levels and attempt the time trials is a huge bonus. Graphics: 9/10 Beautiful graphics for a 2007 PC game. Sound: 9/10 Great sound and fantastic ambiance. Replayability: 7/10 Although this is a fantastic game, you will likely not be too interested in going through it again straight away, however, there is every possibility you may pick this game up again a few months down the line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total: 42/50 A great game for fans of Tomb Raider old and new. There is much to find for every gamer here. A must have for any collection, especially one that includes Tomb Raider titles. Bring on Underworld. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Screenshots: Swinging from objects can help you reach areas where an ordinary jump will not suffice. More swinging action. This shot emphasizes the beauty of the scenery and environments. One wrong move and Lara will plummet to her death. A shot of Lara running in some ancient ruins. This is taken from the opening of the game and the start of the first level. The Egyptian levels contain many beautiful wall paintings...and some rather nasty falls if you are not careful. Climbing up a cracked pillar. These strange mummified guardians are some of the few non-animal enemies you shall face. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you Grimsim
I like this review grim. Unfortunately, I didnt see when you debuted it. However, don't like the screens at the end, gave me a headache reading all the text. Did you change your name from grimsim1 to grimsim? (my question)
Ok cool, thanks for the comments dmac, will put the screens in the next for the future. Just wanted to experiment to see if this would be better. But thanks for commenting, the review was up for a few weeks and no one was reading it :'( I was sad. Heh heh, yes I did indeed. Loonylion was kind enough to help me out with that. I'm now just grimsim (without the stupid 1). ;D
You know what I noticed about the game? Its just like all its ports, for example, I played the psp and pc version and they are both the same. Which is cool and well balanced as opposed to other games
That's true. But I love the style of this game. It's proper exploring and puzzles just like Tomb Raider should be, and not like Tomb Raider Legend which was too focussed on the shooting. I really hope Tomb Raider Underworld follows this style too.
Legend wasn't that focused on the shooting, in fact the shooting system was terrible. One thing about Legend which makes it bad is the difficulty, it's way too easy.
