Consolation Prize

Going back a few years to 1996 I remember thoroughly enjoying Tomb Raider on the PlayStation. It was an amazing game to play at the time; full of exploration with intricate platforming levels, featured some truly stunning and varied locations, and was steeped in mythology which enhanced the story. Both gamers and the media alike took to the new English upper class gun-toting-ass-kicking heroine, Lara Croft, like ducks to water. And for a while everything was hunky-dory.

However, after so many sequels it got to the point where the game had moved far away from the roots of its success and had become just another run of the mill action game, albeit with a female protagonist. Thankfully the series was given a much needed reboot by Crystal Dynamics with the release of Tomb Raider: Legend – an enjoyable romp based on the Arthurian legend. And now we’re on the verge of finding out whether the series is going to continue it’s upward ascent, or is about to plummet back down to earth like a fallen angel (of darkness) with the release of Tomb Raider: Underworld

The recently released demo at least gives us an inkling of how the finished game is going to fare, and on the whole I’m pretty happy with what I’ve seen so far. Although there are still some issues that could do with being ironed out.

Starting aboard a boat anchored offshore an unknown Thai island, my first impulse is to check out the new Lara – after all, it would be rude not to. Simply put, Lara looks very attractive and there’s enough detail here to stand up to some close scrutiny if that’s your desire. What I did think was really nice touch however, was the fact that the her skin glistens when wet, and even starts to look a bit grubby as she progresses through the level. It doesn’t really add much to the game per-se, but it certainly shows that Crystal Dynamics are paying attention to detail.

Once you’ve swam across the shark infested waters and climbed ashore it’s not long before you’re knee deep in foliage, climbing rock faces, balancing on beams, perching atop columns, and putting a halt to conservation by capping a few tigers. The level design of the demo is, for me, a return to form. A vast majority of the time is spent exploring your surroundings and figuring out the best path to take. It feels like Miss Croft is finally back where she belongs - exploring ancient and long lost civilisations in search of ancient artefacts, rather than being the urban socialite of some of her earlier adventures.

Combat is straightforward and, as far as I can tell, hasn’t changed much as Lara will automatically lock onto enemies with the left trigger, fire with the right trigger, and can easily vault out of the way of incoming attacks. In addition there now seems to be an adrenalin meter which gradually fills which when full allows you to perform a special head-shot action.

The game isn’t without its problems though. The controls are a little bit sloppy at times, and in some instances it feels as if you’re fighting against, rather than working with them. Similarly the camera is also a bit awkward, and even though it’s completely under the player’s control on occasion it can be quite difficult to get the camera angle you need to gauge a jump, or scan the environment. These aspects just don’t quite feel polished enough yet.

Tomb Raider: Underworld looks to be shaping up to be a great return to the crypt defiling form of old, especially if the issues with the camera and the controls can be resolved. It’s certainly a game I’ll be checking out further when it’s released next month.