Reaver
12-03-2008, 03:11 PM
This game fucking sucks.
No, I'm kidding. I liked it. Mostly.
So TR:U is the latest installment of the JigglyTech© Animation engine, with fantastic physics modelling and bezier curve smoothing. The updated shaders and light diffusion algorithms join forces to make the best looking computer tits EVAR! Plus it makes the environment look pretty sweet too.
The good: The water and environments look incredible. Some of the puzzle rooms are huge and really have an epic quality to them. Lara can do more stuff to get up and over obstacles. Little touches like Lara getting progressively dirty as she runs around or glistening with rivulets of water after she climbs out from a swim to knocking away brush as she runs through it add to the immersion factor. Some of the setpieces are stunning (My fav is the Hall of Hammers). You can spend a good amount of time looking for all the little treasures and relics to unlock extra content like artwork and storyboarding.
The not so good: This game is way less difficult than TR:A. Most of the puzzles are much less convoluted than in TR:A. There were only about 2-3 puzzles that had me stumped for more than a few minutes as to how to complete them. Usually it was easy to see what you had to do and the challenge was just getting the missing piece for the puzzle. There are only a few timing challenges (i.e. pulling a switch on one side of a room to open a door, then racing thru an obstacle course to the door as it slowly shuts again) or booby traps ala Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are no "boss" fights. There is some combat but not much. No having to dodge a charging T-Rex to impale itself on giant spikes or anything like that.
The bad: The camera is still a pos. How this has not been fixed since the very first TR just boggles the mind. It's the same problems it has always been. Goes wonky for no reason and some times its hard to see where you need to jump/climb/grapple because of it. The real problem is that it often zooms in way too close to Lara when you need a wider view to the surroundings.
The game is really short. I finished it in 3 days of playing after work. The last 2 levels seem tacked on and lacks the polish of the rest of the game. They are also pretty bland and unremarkable, lot of blue and grey and not much else. The end was a disappointment. You think you're going to be in for an epic battle and it never happens. A letdown.
Summation: If you didn't like any of the other versions of TR, this game won't change your mind. If you liked the other TR's but felt they were too hard, you'll enjoy this latest one for sure. If you like TR at all, Underworld is worth a play.
I had fun playing this game, but after it ended, I felt unsatisfied. Tougher puzzles, more traps and maybe a boss fight or two would make the next game closer to what I want. I wouldn't mind a Lara Croft Dress Up Fun!© mini game either. =)
No, I'm kidding. I liked it. Mostly.
So TR:U is the latest installment of the JigglyTech© Animation engine, with fantastic physics modelling and bezier curve smoothing. The updated shaders and light diffusion algorithms join forces to make the best looking computer tits EVAR! Plus it makes the environment look pretty sweet too.
The good: The water and environments look incredible. Some of the puzzle rooms are huge and really have an epic quality to them. Lara can do more stuff to get up and over obstacles. Little touches like Lara getting progressively dirty as she runs around or glistening with rivulets of water after she climbs out from a swim to knocking away brush as she runs through it add to the immersion factor. Some of the setpieces are stunning (My fav is the Hall of Hammers). You can spend a good amount of time looking for all the little treasures and relics to unlock extra content like artwork and storyboarding.
The not so good: This game is way less difficult than TR:A. Most of the puzzles are much less convoluted than in TR:A. There were only about 2-3 puzzles that had me stumped for more than a few minutes as to how to complete them. Usually it was easy to see what you had to do and the challenge was just getting the missing piece for the puzzle. There are only a few timing challenges (i.e. pulling a switch on one side of a room to open a door, then racing thru an obstacle course to the door as it slowly shuts again) or booby traps ala Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are no "boss" fights. There is some combat but not much. No having to dodge a charging T-Rex to impale itself on giant spikes or anything like that.
The bad: The camera is still a pos. How this has not been fixed since the very first TR just boggles the mind. It's the same problems it has always been. Goes wonky for no reason and some times its hard to see where you need to jump/climb/grapple because of it. The real problem is that it often zooms in way too close to Lara when you need a wider view to the surroundings.
The game is really short. I finished it in 3 days of playing after work. The last 2 levels seem tacked on and lacks the polish of the rest of the game. They are also pretty bland and unremarkable, lot of blue and grey and not much else. The end was a disappointment. You think you're going to be in for an epic battle and it never happens. A letdown.
Summation: If you didn't like any of the other versions of TR, this game won't change your mind. If you liked the other TR's but felt they were too hard, you'll enjoy this latest one for sure. If you like TR at all, Underworld is worth a play.
I had fun playing this game, but after it ended, I felt unsatisfied. Tougher puzzles, more traps and maybe a boss fight or two would make the next game closer to what I want. I wouldn't mind a Lara Croft Dress Up Fun!© mini game either. =)