A comprehensive review of Tomb Raider: Underworld, discussing its length, camera issues, controls, rewards system, graphics, Lara's movement, and level design. Includes player experiences and opinions.
Walkthrough: This section is a review of Tomb Raider: Underworld, detailing the author's personal experience and opinions on various aspects of the game.
- Initial Impressions & Release Issues: The author expresses frustration over the delayed PS2 release and the game's availability on other platforms, contrasting graphical capabilities and release strategies.
- Acquisition and First Playthrough: After contemplating purchasing the game for PC due to console limitations and release delays, the author eventually buys a graphics card to play the PC version, experiencing a long download time.
- Criticisms:
- Game Length: The game is considered too short, with the credits rolling after only a day and a half of gameplay, despite being longer than Legend.
- Camera Issues: The camera becomes problematic during combat with multiple enemies, often obscuring the player's view and focusing on Lara's legs.
- Character Control: Lara's jumping mechanics are criticized, with her sometimes jumping in the wrong direction despite player input.
- Rewards System: Collecting treasures yields minimal rewards, primarily artwork, with a lack of unlockable outfits or other significant bonuses, unlike previous games.
- Platform Exclusivity: The author laments the lack of extra content (outfits, add-on levels) for PC players, which are available to Xbox 360 owners.
- Praises:
- Graphics: The game is described as beautiful and stunning to look at, with Lara appearing better than ever.
- Lara's Movement: Lara's animations and movement are improved, reflecting her athletic nature.
- Level Design: Despite only having 8 levels, they are large, visually impressive, and well-sectioned, offering a sense of exploration.
- Overall Summary: The author concludes that Underworld is a really good game, evoking the feeling of playing TR2. It's exciting and allows for exploration, though it could benefit from being longer and explaining the plot more clearly. The death of Alister is noted as a point of bitterness.
Tips
- Players who enjoyed Tomb Raider 2 will likely appreciate the excitement and exploration offered in Underworld.
- Be prepared for a shorter gameplay experience than some might expect.
- The camera can be a significant issue during combat; be patient and try to manage it as best as possible.
- Don't expect extensive unlockable content from the rewards system; focus on enjoying the core gameplay.
- If possible, play on a platform that offers the most content, though the core experience is still strong on PC.
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