Published by: Eidos Interactive
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Formats: X360, PS3, PC, Wii Format Played: X360
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Formats: X360, PS3, PC, Wii Format Played: X360
Picking up from Legend this continues after. I feel like this game and Legend have now become Tomb Raider 2 and 3 because from Anniversary (TR1) Underworld continues the story from Legend but all the other TR games each have separate storylines.First off the graphics are stunning and Lara’s looks and moves are impressive to say the least. You will see Lara look where she is placing her hands when she is climbing and when she is running down stairs she will do it properly to balance herself but occasionally she will also lose her balance and stumble forward which she will also sometimes do when she doesn’t quite make a jump and only manages to grab hold with one hand.
As with previous TR games the glitches are back but it’s not all through the game and only pops up here and there. Some of these glitches have been I managed to fall through a part of the land and sometimes a jump you know you can make she sometimes will not reach out to grab it and you end up falling to your death. These are only little things and they didn’t really distract me from playing through the game. I did have one major glitch in a room with blades and spikes and they froze but when I died they were still frozen so I could not move forward! Luckily the game auto saves so I had to go back and start that part of the level again.
The above and the fact the game is quite short are my only downfalls I am a huge Tomb Raider fan so it’s hard to me to criticize bits which have been in every TR game so far but in the end I think the fans have come to accept this as part of the game. Some reviews of this game have been average as they have said there is nothing ground breaking with this game………………………..so what? Look what they did to TR2 by taking it away from tombs! I would rather they stay true to the first tomb raider and have Lara searching through tombs and finding secrets! Also puzzles, we like puzzles and even though there are some in Underworld they are no trouble whatsoever and you will not spend too long before you move on.Secrets are now in Pots which are dotted around everywhere and quite easy to see but there are so many of them that finding all nearly 200 in the game could be tricky! There is also a Relic in most of the levels and these are a little more difficult to find but I wish there were more then just 6 as I found 4 in my first play through.
I have to say that I was a little upset when I finished the game, the story got better towards the end and I knew it was coming but there was one thing I hoped to expect but it never came but the ending was left open for another game which is great news.
Lara has some new moves as well as some old ones returning. You can still swan dive, the grabble is back although you can now use the grapple to abseil down high cliffs and area’s, also her pointless flips are back but slightly changed and although pointless they look so good! The way she flips up when climbing rocks now comes randomly and quicker. Lara’s headshots can now only be pulled off when your adrenaline is full which will fill up by shooting enemies and once full you can now click action when the enemy is attacking, this will slow down the screen for a short period of time and once this happens you have to move the curser to the head of your enemy before the time runs out, this will kill them with one single shot. Lara also has sticky bombs which can be used to take out a load of enemies at a time and also great fun!
Every so often the screen will fill with small spiders and Bats which can be annoying, they only take 1 shot to kill but so many come out at time your auto focus goes mental! But if you don’t want to shoot them just kick them out the way!
The levels are open plan and you can pretty much go everywhere which sometimes makes you lose your way slightly but that’s the fun with Tomb Raider games, its trial and error!Like I said the story is good, the game play is fantastic (apart from a few glitches), the fighting is fun but the puzzles are easy and the game is shorter then I would have liked but what the hell you can always play it again on Hard!
On first play through I have managed to get all but 4 achievements and they have go rid of the time trials……………..why would they do such a thing?
8/10
As well as the collectables you can also find Bottles the Mole who will teach you new moves in most worlds. You have to find a certain number of Jiggy’s to open the new worlds and a certain amount of notes to open doors to progress.
I managed to find all 900 song notes, all 100 Jiggys, all Hollow Honeycombs, all Stop N Swop and all the Jinjo’s!
The game is relatively easy, I still have to play through on insane mode but everything I have come across in Hardcore has been pretty easy going.
Online is fun but feels like any other FPS multiplayer but with chainsaws! The maps are well laid out and easy to work around but the best extra of them all is a multiplayer mode called Horde. In horde you have 5 of you in one map then they release wave after wave of enemies at you each wave getting stronger. I played 3 times and its not much fun when no one speaks to you but one of the games I played with all American’s was so much fun and they really got into it.
Back to the Solo mode and it’s just as good looking as the original. Instead of gears to find there are collectables, 41 to be exact and they all tell a story as well as gain you achievements. The boss fights so far have been fairly easy but Gears of War 2 is just a fun mindless game to play whether it be on your own or with a friend. Hail to chainsaws!
As the sponsor goes so does the world map meaning you have to play the tournaments as they are given to you and as you progress through the game you have to play one each month and each tournament has 5 stages meaning they could last up to an hour to two hours depending on how well you do.
Also you lost your trainer which I used to find was a nice touch and what they have replaced all this with is to make the game more real! Why? It was fun as it was now you want to make it more lifelike? I don’t like lifelike if I did I would buy a racket and go play for real! What I want is fun and they are zapping everything I liked.
That’s not tennis that’s just stupid! And when it’s my serve I beat him 40-0 but all my points are done after a rally which I worked for. I have only gotten 1 ace in the whole game so I have lost hope of getting the achievement for 100! The other 2 games I mastered but this game is ridicules.
Looks like Top Spin2 but clearly missing all the good bits.
The first level see’s you playing as Vader who is powerful but annoyingly slow, but who cares as you are clearing wookies out left right and centre!
I would have liked to give this game an 8 but due to the glitches I am forced to lower it one.
As well as the main story quest you can do and go pretty much anywhere. You will start off with little money and to gain more you would take up jobs which are jotted around the world. These involve working behind a bar, chopping wood and making weapons as a blacksmith.
The other important thing I forgot to mention about this game is your partner who happens to be a dog. You find it very strange at first but it wasn’t long until I became attached to mine and treat him well he will learn tricks, find treasure and also attack enemies during a fight but if he gets injured just remember to heal him and give him treats for a job well done.
Pie’s, veg and potions can regenerate health while in the field but each has it’s own plus’s and negatives. You can buy these from stores and wondering traders but that’s not all, there is also a book store, tattooist, tailor and stylist to be able to learn new expressions or change you look.
I love how everyone acts around you and there is so much vocal contact in this game it hardly ever repeats. Finding keys and gargoyles can also be fun and the graphics look very nice indeed. There are some small glitches and loading times are poor but the game itself is brilliant.
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