Video Games : Tomb Raider: Underworld

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from: Eidos Interactive

: Tomb Raider: Underworld
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Amazon Maximum Age: 20 years
Amazon Minimum Age: 144 months
Binding: Video Game
Brand: Eidos
EAN: 0788687200585
ESRB Age Rating: Teen
Label: Eidos Interactive
Manufacturer: Eidos Interactive
Model: 1000044578
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Release Date: November 18, 2008
Sales Rank: 361
Studio: Eidos Interactive

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Amazon.com Product Description:
Tomb Raider: Underworld for Xbox 360 by Eidos resumes where Tomb Raider: Legend left off. This installment introduces a new, interactive playing environment that gives players a chance to immerse themselves more fully into the game. Players once again take the role of Lara Croft as she explores such wide-ranging places as the Arctic, Mexico, and beneath the Mediterranean Sea.



Lara's environment is now much more realistic and interactive. View larger.


And now she can hold onto a ledge with one hand and fire a gun with the other. View larger.
Interactive Worlds Introduces Realistic gameplay
Unlike the previous games in the series, Lara's environment is now much more realistic and interactive. Footprints will be left in mud, for example, but only until it rains and then they will wash away. Lara's shirt will also get wet, and she's more likely to lose her grip if she is standing on a slippery, rain-soaked ledge. When the sun comes out, her shirt will dry and the slippery surfaces regain their friction.

In Underworld, Lara also has a lot more flexibility in how she makes her way through a level, as there is often more than one way to get from here to there. She can now climb walls with texture and rocky outcroppings to reach areas she previously wouldn't have been able to access.

All of these additions have been made to give the game a non-linear, open feel. Players can interactive with the environment by doing things they find to be intuitive, and the game will respond in an appropriate way. When Lara interacts with trees, for example, she will push aside leaves using either one or two hands depending on whether or not she's holding something. These details give a lifelike, immersive sensation to the game.

New Melee Combat System
Underworld introduces a new melee combat system that requires players to strategically strike with offensive, defensive, and evasive maneuvers. Lara can now attack enemies with different punches, kicks, knees, and other acrobatic onslaughts. Items lying on the ground, such as poles that were previously walked on, can be picked up and swung at enemies. Players can also perform a greater variety of actions with weapons; for example, Lara can now hold onto a ledge with one hand and fire a gun with the other.

Realistic Enemy and Animal AI
The AI in Tomb Raider: Underworld has also taken a big step forward--both enemies and animals now make independent decisions based on their surroundings, employ ambush and squad tactics when fighting, and will retreat if deemed necessary.

With updated graphics and a more immersive and realistic gameplay, Tomb Raider: Underworld will have both fans and newcomers excited about the newest installment in this popular video game-pinup franchise.




Tomb Raider: Underworld is loaded with a new melee combat system, various weapons, and smarter AI for both enemies and animals.





Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - Looks good and is fun, but is entirely too short
Tomb Raider: Underworld is another decent -- if not outstanding -- installment of the Lara Croft series. The game picks up sometime after the events of Legend, and makes an attempt to tie-up the story. The developers have made an attempt to make this the first Tomb Raider game for the current generation of consoles, and for the most part, they have delivered.

As a Tomb Raider experience, this showing is similar to past games. All of Lara's classic moves are in the game, and the controls are relatively familiar. There are some new moves, such as the adrenaline headshot, which requires you to build-up adrenaline through combat before executing the move. It is effective against humans and animals, but not so much against other enemies you encounter later in the game. There is also a new "adrenaline moment" move, in which the on-screen action slows and you must decide how you want to handle the situation -- there's no sequence of buttons to press, and no right or wrong way of doing things. However, I found that these moves were scattered widely throughout the game, and weren't as plentiful or as exciting as the developers had hyped them. The wall climb is another new move, which is well designed and makes you think a little more about how to get to higher ground -- you don't necessarily need to look for ledges. In fact, Lara can now climb rock faces as well, so this game tends to mix-it-up for long-time fans. Additionally, in order to find treasures, Lara must break open clay jars -- which is somewhat new but also counter-intuitive if Lara values artifacts. Lara's movements are a little more acrobatic, and sometimes her stance just doesn't seem right.

The camera remains the biggest problem in this game, as it had been in both Legend and Anniversary. You simply learn to cope with it, and fortunately it is never a game-breaker. There are "invisible walls", which are areas of a map that Lara can't pass. There are moments when Lara can get stuck in a corner, or simply stuck in the scenery -- I encountered several issues where her feet were apparently caught on a rock or a plant. By contrast, although enemies are persistent in this game when you kill them (bodies don't disappear), Lara's feet pass right through them -- as if they're vapor. Enemies have no physics at all once they are dead. From an A.I. perspective, the enemies are fairly non-responsive and very easy to defeat.

The game shines in level design. Each level is huge. There are no annoying loading screens or loading delays -- everything is loaded in the background, so play is non-stop. The game offers a sonar map on Lara's PDA, which I found totally useless since it did not provide points of interest or way-points. There are many puzzles -- sometimes you'll be faced with 2 or 3 puzzles within a level. Puzzles are well-designed but not incredibly difficult. There are no bosses in this game, which is odd and disappointing, considering the number of bosses that appeared in Legend. In a way, however, the puzzles have become bosses because of the skill associated with them (Southern Mexico, as an example).

In addition to the graphics, the sound is superb. The musical score is present at the right moments, but can get extremely repetitive sometimes if you're stuck in a sequence trying to figure something out. CGI animations are smooth, with excellent voice-acting.

The game is fun to play, and the story is tightly-woven and entertaining. If you've played Legend, you'll be satisfied with the one or two twists thrown your way to close that storyline. However, if you didn't play Legend or Anniversary, you might not understand this story at all. I don't think the developers did a good job at making this a stand-alone game. The ending seems very final -- there's nothing left to anticipate. I also thought that the game was entirely too short -- much shorter than Legend while also much easier to complete. The only replay value is in the "achievements", many of which will be unlocked in the first play-through. It's a good game and worthy of play by fans, but certainly does not trump the previous games.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - A Great Tomb Raider Game!
This is a great Tomb Raider game. I've played it to completion and feel that the game needs a defense against some of the remarks thrown at it in reviews. The story line follows from Legend and Anniversary and gameplay is very much the same. The camera is NOT as bad as everyone is making out. Yes, there are a few times where it is difficult to get a look at where Lara needs to jump. There are two methods in the game to get around this. First, if Lara looks in the same direction in which you lean the left stick, she can make the jump. Otherwise, Lara will shake her head, letting the player know that she can't. The second method is useful for finding a path to your goal and involves using the binoculars. Lara can look in every direction using the binoculars. This makes finding your way (and those next places to jump) and solving puzzles easier.

There's been a lot of criticism about the combat. Keep in mind that combat has never really been a top feature of any Tomb Raider game. Exploration, puzzle-solving, and platforming have always been the flavor of Tomb Raider.

First of all, if it takes ten shots or so to put down a target, consider the weapon being used, how much Lara is moving and jumping while she's shooting, and the target (also, watch the tracers of the shots). Most of the human enemies are armed. It seems reasonable that they are wearing some body armor - you can see this in the bulkiness of the human enemy's clothing. Remember that a .45 round (Lara always sports two Colt .45s) is a low velocity round that is most effective at short range. It is not effective against body armor or 700 pound tigers (or 400 pound spiders as one may guess). Changing the weapons that Lara uses for different types of enemies, and limiting her movement while firing will prove to be more effective at taking down baddies than constantly running and jumping around.

Like I said, this is a great game that is loads of fun. The exploration is challenging - never boring. I highly recommend it.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Fun Game Continues TR Legend
The sequel to the 2006 Tomb Raider: Legend, TR Underworld is an interesting and fun game. The heroine Lara Croft is as realistic as she ever has been and the environments she traverses are like nothing you've ever seen. They are gigantic and diverse covering locations like Thailand, the Mediterranean, and Southern Mexico. Game play revolves mostly around puzzle solving and while these puzzles involve some thought they never become ridiculously frustrating.

New Things:

Although not a main feature of the game, the simple combat system has been slightly revised and Lara can now kick her enemies and choose from a variety of other guns aside from her signature dual pistols.

Lara has a few new acrobatic moves allowing her to stand on poles and chimney jump up narrow gaps.

Underwater environments have grown and you will always use scuba equipment when in water so you don't have to worry about running out of air while you explore the immense underwater worlds.

Tomb Raider Underworld's biggest problem is that it's too short it will most likely only take you 8-10 hours to finish the entire game. The good thing about the Xbox 360 version of the game is that there will be downloadable content in the future which may lead to more levels.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Tomb Raider Underworld
(Okay, so I'm giving this four stars to bring up the curve. And because I really liked it, darn it.) Tomb Raider Underworld, Lara Croft's latest outing, is being trashed by critics and consumers alike. Heck, the reviews here on Amazon bear me out--there's a one star review for a glitch I didn't experience (on either platform) and there's a review trashing the camera. Many professional reviewers are slamming the voice acting. Voice acting by the same people they praised in Tomb Raider Legend. WHAT ABOUT THE GAME, PEOPLE? HOW IS THE GAME?

(Possible spoilers ahead!)

I just finished the game Saturday, after a playthrough of approximately 10-11 hours, so it's of average length. Here is the plot, currently being derided as "stupid" and "cliche." In Tomb Raider Legend, we learned that Lara's mother was seemingly sucked into a type of portal, and apparently sent to Avalon. Tomb Raider Anniversary showed that Jacqueline Natla was involved. In this game, Natla and Amanda (the goth twit from Legend) have unwillingly joined forces. Natla, the Queen of Atlantis (go ahead and snigger), plans to activate Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent, in order to destroy the world. However, neither she nor Amanda is capable of the tomb raiding (!) necessary so Lara, who is desperate to find out what happened to her mother, is used as a pawn.

It's the player's job to take Lara through various mythological underworlds in order to retrieve Thor's gauntlets, his belt Megingjord, and of course Mjolnir, his hammer. She journeys through places like Niflheim and Xibalba (the Mayan Underworld) to collect and wield the artifacts and ensure that Natla fails in her plan to destroy the world.

Not surprisingly, the game controls like Tomb Raider. That is to say, damned frustrating. The camera is, in all honesty, GODAWFUL and you'll frequently end up with a lovely view of just Lara's hands, or the back of her head, or sometimes you won't even see her at all. Frequently you'll have to send poor Lara flying backwards towards what you hope is a ledge. Sometimes it is, and sometimes you get that lovely ragdoll animation where she splats on the ground. But let's face it--Tomb Raider is trial and error. It always has been. I think we all expected that, but on Lara's next outing (if there is one) they could tweak it a bit. I did have a few instances where the camera just twirled around her in rapid circles. THAT can go.

Lara does have some new moves here, namely the chimney jump (or wall jump), stomping enemies and rappeling with the grapple. The stomp is required to finish off Thralls, the main enemy in the game, and it's a satisfying leaping thud that smashes them to pieces. The grapple is a life saver in many instances, as it can prevent Lara's demise in many situations. She will also leap over small obstacles without any controller input, which makes for a more streamlined experience. Many moves can be performed with a sort of flair--why dodge when you can somersault, and there are lots of spiffy things Lara is able to do while balancing or swinging on poles. She also has her motorcycle--I don't know why the developers keep harping on the All Terrain aspect, because it's only used in two places but what the heck. The bike can naturally be used to get from point A to point B, but it's also useful in combat. Peeling out and smashing a giant spider to bits is quite entertaining.

The puzzles are massive, and that's a double edged sword here. Frequently you'll see areas that look almost reachable from your current location and you'll spend AGES trying to get there, only to find that they're the next part of the level and you can't possibly reach them yet. Or that they're just there to look nice and you can't get there at all. Still, you will feel a sense of accomplishment when you go through three separate ruins and the entrance to Xibalba opens, or you finally figure out just what exactly you're supposed to be doing while Natla pummels you with fireballs.

Most of the voice acting is fine, with Keeley Hawes handling the vast majority of the dialogue as Lara Croft and also featuring the legendary (if she isn't then she should be) Grey Delisle as Natla. Her lines are delivered in a rather overblown way, but how else would the deposed Queen of Atlantis speak? The other minor characters, such as Amanda, Zip and Alister are just as whiny and irritating as they were in previous games so just try to ignore them.

As far as the graphics go...this game looks utterly fantastic. I've played the PS3 version in it's entirety and most of the 360 version. They both look magnificent, with the 360 version being MUCH darker with a little more contrast. Really, the graphics have to be seen to be believed. You'll be amazed at the Mediterranean Sea while Lara swims around dodging sharks and picking up artifacts, but when she anchors her yacht off the coast of Thailand you'll darn near fall out of your chair. The water looks stunning, and the ruins there are almost photographic in their detail. You can't discuss graphics in Tomb Raider without a mention of Lara's physique, so I will say that she looks and moves remarkably well and is still busty as always. She looks very similar to the Lara in Legend, with the same hairstyle and practically the same face. I'm not sure why they keep redoing her face but I guess they have their reasons.

If I had to level any complaints as this game, it would be regarding the extras. I don't care about concept art. I don't care to see pencil sketches of the fantastic environments. I appreciate that someone did them, and that it led to the finished product, but all in all I couldn't care less. Furthermore, there is an ad in the instruction manual about a book featuring all the art of Tomb Raider. You mean that art I just unlocked? Thanks a lot. There is only one unlockable outfit, and as I understand it can only be used in the first level. There is no option to watch the cutscenes, and I did miss that. Also, it goes without saying that you won't be casually strolling through Croft Manor and swimming in the pool--the trailer for the game makes it painfully obvious that the manor doesn't make it to the credits. I miss the place already.

All in all, this game is incredibly fun, intensely frustrating, and a blast to play. Tomb Raider fans should love it, but it isn't going to make any new ones.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - No glitches, nothing missing. GREAT game!
Great game! The second axel IS there, it's not missing, nor is it a glitch. The camera has always been a little weird in all Tomb Raider games, we who love the series have learned to live with it. This game looks amazing and plays amazing. The environments are crazy good. The puzzles are just tough enough. I love it. It's my favorite game so far this year for my xbox 360.

(STOP YELLING AT EVERYONE, just because you couldn't find the axel!) Trust me, this game is AWESOME! Especially if you are an Action/Adventure fan.

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