Tomb Raider : Legend (X360)

[Runnen]

So I got Tomb Raider : Legend yesterday and pretty much played it non-stop since it's a really, very good game. The graphics on the X360 are not the best we have seen so far (compared to Dead or Alive 4 for instance) but there are still some very pretty effects and good graphics all around, though there are a few minor disappointments, for instance you can't break / damage enough things with your guns and no splashes when you shoot in water.

As was said in the demo thread, the game is relatively short, though not any shorter than say, Prince of Persia : Two Thrones.. In fact, the two games have many things in common. Lara Croft now has a LOT more moves, some of which are similar to the Prince's and feels almost (but not quite) as fluid and intuitive as the moves of the Prince. Gunfights are based on a lock-on system and thanks to the many dodges available, it's really easy to fight off most enemies if you're careful about grenades.

An innovation in the franchise is the implementation of quick-button sequences during in-game cinematics that require good reflexes, similar to that of Resident Evil 4 or God of War. In case you're worried about your own reflexes, the sequences ARE less difficult that of Resident Evil 4 since they are not random, and so you'll usually be able to press the button the next time after you fail, since it never changes.

Difficulty wise, I played the game on Normal and only died a handful of times, usually because of a bad jump or simply not knowing what to do against a boss in the first few moments.. There is a collection system in the game that encourages exploration as each level contains gold, silver and bronze treasures that must be found to unlock achievements (online), but also cheat codes, new outfits, enhancements to weapons, and other types of bonus content such as biographies of the characters, 3D model galleries, etc..

The story was good in my humble opinion, though it's similar to some other games out there, especially the Broken Sword series. I expect the ending will annoy some and please some others; personnally I was surprised at first and disappointed it was already over, but after a few minutes you realize the ending is fitting and that it will allow the company to develop more content for the sequel rather than making rushed last levels.

If you're a collection freak and want to finish the game 100% then it will probably take you quite a long time unless you use walkthroughs or spoilers, but if you're only interested in playing the game to see the story then move on, then I recommend renting over buying as the game can be finished in about a day of gaming (approximatively 6 or maybe 7 hours, if you take your time).

All around, a very good game, which seems to finally redeem the dying Tomb Raider franchise and gives hope about the future games of the series. Definately worth checking out if you're into this kind of games.

[Szlia]

The real question is whether or not Karima Adebibe is better looking than Jill de Jong as Lara Croft.

More seriously it would be interesting to make a genealogic tree of the moves in platformers to see who are the spiritual fathers of todays Tomb Raider. The original Prince of Persia, Mario 64, Tomb Raider, ICO, Prince of Persia Sands of Time... Shenmue for the QTE...

[nosf]

Before there was Prince of Persia, there was Karateka, bitches! I especially loved hearing about people who got to the end and didn't bow. Man, people would go apeshit over that nowadays.

Game was ok, far too short. Having only played a little bit of Prince of Persia, I'd say she has far less moves than the prince - notably, wall walking. That said, what there was in the game was pretty good but I don't recall it being any better than Angel of Darkness, which I didn't mind. Not sure why people didn't like Angel to be honest - guess I should go back and play it again. Still, with a cliffhanger ending, the next game better come out in 8 months or so.

[Tuco]

nude patch pics plz.

[Szlia]

There is no platformer element in Karateka. I can't think of a game prior to Prince of Persia where you could grab the edge of platforms and climb up.

[Lenthan]

Karateka was the shit man.

[Utnayan]

This game is 7 hours long.

At $59.99, fuck that noise.

Rental.

[Runnen]

Originally Posted by Utnayan

This game is 7 hours long.

At $59.99, fuck that noise.

Rental.

That is exactly what I said in my review.

[Utnayan]

Originally Posted by Runnen

That is exactly what I said in my review.

Yeah, I just wanted to emphasize it

It is amazing to me that this game is only 6-7 hours long. And you know what will happen? (As so far I have only played the demo, but can tell I will like the game) Is most people will rent it, (hopefully... Because a 7 hour game for $59.99 needs to show the publisher a thing or two about selling a little quantity with a game as well) and no matter how good this game is, it will bomb more than likely because of a high price point with one of the shortest games to hit the market.

Sometimes these companies behind the money decisions have so little common sense it is utterly amazing. All it would have taken was about 6 more months and 5 more levels to make it a 12-15 hour game, which would have been perfect. Instead, no one in their right mind will pay $59.99 for 7 hours, and publishers will think the game sucked, when in fact, they didn't give devs enough time to actually add some content before it shipped.

[Vorph]

It took me more like 10-12 hours because I actually got most of the gold/silver/bronze shit the first time through. If you blaze through the game ignoring all the secret stuff, I'm sure you could finish in 6 hours, but that isn't really the game's fault.

I agree the game is too short, but I've seen worse console ports, games where you finish every last bit of the game in 6-ish hours, etc. My biggest complaint is there was too much gunfight stuff and not enough actual tomb raiding. They tried too hard to make the game similar to the movies, rather than similar to the early games.

[Runnen]

Originally Posted by Vorph

I agree the game is too short, but I've seen worse console ports, games where you finish every last bit of the game in 6-ish hours, etc. My biggest complaint is there was too much gunfight stuff and not enough actual tomb raiding. They tried too hard to make the game similar to the movies, rather than similar to the early games.

The game is short, that's a fact. But to name it one of the shortest games ever is really unfair, as I remember going through Prince of Persia 3 or Republic Commando and many more games in about the same kind of time. Many games can be finished very fast if you bypass the hidden content, which is an integral part of the game whether you agree or not.

I also felt all along that the game was largely inspired from the two movies, and I liked some of the elements picked from that (such as the two sidekicks off-screen) and disliked some others (too many gunfights, too much of the game taking place in civilized areas). That said, it still remains one of the best Tomb Raider games in a long time, and that gives hope for the future of the franchise.

[Sealody]

Originally Posted by nosf

I especially loved hearing about people who got to the end and didn't bow. Man, people would go apeshit over that nowadays.

BOW?!?! Well, god damn! Haha... I never did figure out what to do after that last gate/door no matter how many times I played that. What ya expect, this was pre-internet, pre-gamefaqs, whine on forums for help nowadays if you're stuck crap. Damn I feel xtra stupid for that. Hahaha

[Zuuljin]

Originally Posted by Utnayan

This game is 7 hours long.

At $59.99, fuck that noise.

Rental.

SMB3 can be finished in 11 minutes. I cant believe I actually bought that one back in the day!

[Mixtilplix]

Finally shelled out the 40 bucks for the pc game and really liked it. I echo the sentiments of the others, the civilization levels dragged on for too long. One thing about the original Tomb Raider that made it cool was that the entire game took place in one location so you got the feeling that you were really spelunking, slowly making your way deeper inside ancient ruins. It was a cool immersive feeling that the other games forgot and havn't been able to replicate.

The camera was fine when Lara was on her feet but once on a vehicle it became so unbearable I wanted to chuck my keyboard at the monitor. Also don't like how it ended so abrubtly, it seemed like Crystal Dynamic ran out development time. I was left saying a big "what?!?" when i got the game complete screen and had no closure. I still recomend it to fans of the series, nicely updated graphics and great atmosphere.