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Tomb Raider Anniversary; Was it worth the time?
Topic Started: Jan 18 2008, 02:07 PM (266 Views)
eomund

Well, in a search for new and exciting games for my Wii I decided to pick up an old favorite from my youth, revitalized for the PS2 and then the Wii. I'm not going to deal with the story aspect being as everyone probably knows is and knows it's not about that, but for the enviroments and the game play.
Yes, I'm going to review a game on game play, no I will not reconsiter.

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Well to start off, the game has a series of new features over the old one. In example you get a grappling hook that allows you not only to use to get to otherwise innaccessible areas, but also allows you to manipulate objects like never before. You can use it to open certain gates or even pull junk off the wall.
Other than that, the main thing that's advanced is Lara's abilities. It made me realise that all these games like Drakes Fortune, or Assassins Creed were far from new. Climbing accross cliffs and making leaps of faith were all being done long before these two would be heroes would even be concieved. And it's only been improved upon. You now have the abilities to bounce across poles and use gymnastic like manuvers on hanging bars. Ya these might have been available features in later Tomb Raider games, but I never played those so I don't care it's new to me.
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The Grappling Hook is one of many new features.

I guess next I'll waist time talking about graphics. Okay I'm gonna say this right off, they're not perfect. The graphics are obviously dated. Now this is not to say they're not pretty, but it's an obvious fact that graphically it's just a glitzed up old PS2 game. Now the reason why I said this was a waste of time is because we don't play games like this because of the graphics. Ya, sure the whole 'It's so pretty' is neat for the first hour or so, but you can't build a game around it (unless you're the freaks who made Crysis).
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Not the best visuals, but they get the job done.

Now onto the sound. Now let it be known that I'm not using some gimpy TV speakers but an actual stereo system so it might be different for many of you. The music tries to act as a pace setter, but honestly you don't even notice it 70% of the time. About the only time you will pay attention to it is when you run accross an item or something you can manupulate, and then it uses a flurish as an over obvious hint that say "LOOK AT MEE, I'M OVER HERE". In the original game they expected you, the gamer, to try and figure most of this on your own, you know the whole idea of exploring your enviroment thing. I guess the game designers at edios thought the original was too hard, or maybe they just thought gamers are more stupid than they used to be, I don't know, you choose.
Now the voice acting is a big steaming pile of mediocrity as well. Now they're not as bad as watching those old Charlie Brown cartoons, but they could have been much better. At the very least, the game didn't have the wordy 9 hour convosations that Assassins Creed had. If they did that, chances on me throwning the disk out the window would have been much much higher.
The sound effects are where this game makes up for it though. The environment always sounds right. If it's the wind blowing through the grass, the crumblining of rocks, or the firing of a shotgun while being chased by a wild cat, it all works and works well.

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The scenery and the sounds fit together perfectly.

Now on to the controls. It goes both ways, so bare with me on this. In many ways, they did a great job translating the controlls for the Wii. It not only doesn't feel like just another port with clunky controls, but they went the extra mile and integrated many of the Wii's unique features into the game, something Nintendo itself has barely gone through the trouble of doing. They did a relitively good job of it too.
Now that's the end of the praise, 'cause where they did good in the game there's some serious fault too. First and formost is the bloody freaking camera. Ya you have the ability to move it around with the c-button, but often this feels clunky and awkward and spends half it's time trying to look down Lara's shirt, which is about it's only redeeming feature. Oh and you can use sit the camera to chase mode, but this only seems to make you feel like your watching a poorly filmed cam-corder movie like the Blair Witch or that new Cloverfield.
Now remember when I said they decided to utilise some of the Wii's capabilities in the game play. Well this seemed to be a double edged sword 'cause where it makes 85% of the game more fun, it seems to make the other 15% there just to irritete you and generally (with a lack of a better word to use) piss you off. For an example, when you're swimming through one of many underwater caves, you're on a very strict time limit untill you drown. Well in the middle of this cave there will be a lever or something that you have to pull. Not only do you have to engage it with the action command, but then you have to pull up on the remote, i guess to simulate pulling a lever, to get into the next area. All this seems to be there just to frustrate you and take up time 'cause half the time you end up right at the limit before you get out of the water. Ya sure it's there to be a challenge, but if I wanted a racing game I'd be playing Mario Kart or something.
Another severe irritation is the jumping and clinging mechaninc. Now I'm going to state right off, that this does work most of the time. But when it doesn't work it feels like I'm playing Assassins Creed where I'm haning on the wall and for no apparent reason I let go and fall to my death 'cause I'm just a great big stupid. Or when you spend 5 minutes lining yourself, the camera, and an object you're jumping to for 5 minutes and when you go for it, for some reason Lara will turn at the very last second 'causing you turn and either fall to your death, or just falling at the bottom and having to do the whole 20 minute puzzle to get back up there again. Tell you the truth I'd rather watch her fall to her death, for 1 you don't have to do a long puzzle 15 times in a row, and 2, it feels like a slight bit of retribution for being such an idiot. The gun controls were something I found having the most left to be desired though. The whole Idea of aiming with the Remote isn't new, and was even quite successful in Metroid Prime 3 and Metal of Honor Heroes 2. But for some reason, maybe because this one is played in 3rd person, but you spend half the time shooting at something in the foreground instead of what your actually aiming at. The lock on feature is supposed to help this, but for some reason, if there are multiple enimies it seems like it wants to switch back and forth between them causing half of your shots miss anyways. The only gun that this control scheme seems to really work with is the shotgun where you only need to aim in the general direction.
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Shooting at multiple enemies can seem awkward


In the end though, I still found myself having fun. Solving puzzles and getting to hard to reach areas is what this franchise was built on and it does a great job at it. And where the game fails in a lot of the other areas it more than makes up for it here, because that's why you bought the game for in the first place. Now a few of the aspects like the bad camera, and the jump to your death syndrom are somewhat unforgiveable; They don't ruin the game, the just make certain areas frustrating, and it's really not all that way, just some of the areas stand out.

If you're into the whole adventure treasure hunting game and you just want something different on your Wii, I do recommend this game. It's not the most polished game in the world but it is fun. And if your just there to watch Lara Croft do interesting poses, just lock the door behind you.

Scores:
Graphics: B - Not perfect, but adequate
Sound: B+ - What the game loses in the dialog and music it more than makes up for in the environment.
Controls: C+/B- - They get the job done, but sometimes make for a trying couple of hours.
Gameplay: A- - A solid series of unique puzzles keep the game interesting and fun.
Replayability: B- - Finding all the trinkets and different outfits might bring you back for some more, but it's not guaranteed.

Overall Score:
B
This game gets a solid B. It's noth the best game in the world, but you could do much much worse.
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Warts8882
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I keep forgetting to pick this up for 360..
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Im not Emo! Im Ome, the new fashion statement!
CLICK THE PLUSHIES TO FEED THEM! Click once a day, please.
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Dude2000
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Good review. Try to seperate the wall o' texts next time though. :lol:

Surprised it got a relatively good review though.



To be, or not to be: that is the question. To die, to sleep; no more; and by a sleep to say we end. To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub. For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause. That makes calamity of so long life, for who would bear the whips and scorns of time when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death, the undiscover'd country from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all...
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eomund

Dude2000
Jan 18 2008, 04:29 PM
Good review. Try to seperate the wall o' texts next time though. :lol:

Surprised it got a relatively good review though.

Haha, ya I have a tendicy to ramble a bit. Don't worry I talk the same way too.

But ya it's actually a decent game. I actually picked it up just 'cause I wanted to try something a little different to the shooters and classic platformers I've been playing lately. I was pleasently suprised though.
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