Triple-A Game: The Game
HIGH Coming across an ingenious puzzle…
LOW …and then hearing Lara blurt out the solution.
WTF Buying timed exclusivity and then releasing it the same day as Fallout 4.
Tag: Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Review
Not new, but improved.
HIGH Incredible vistas around every corner.
LOW The whole experience feels a little too automated.
WTF The preposterous voice acting of Mathias, the Solarii leader.
GameCritics.com Podcast Episode 90: The Raiding of (non-existent) Tombs
It's a Tomb Raider extravaganza! We dish on the latest incarnation of Lara Croft, female protagonists in general, and the state of the "Cinematic Action" genre, a term which I claim full credit for coining. With Richard Naik, Brad Gallaway, Ashley King, Sara Rich, and (later on) Tim "Skype Connection Dropped" Spaeth.
Also, check out this article by our good friend Rhea Monique if you have time. Well worth a read.
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Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.
Tomb Raider Review
Missing Treasure
HIGH Climbing the Queen's sanctum as it shatters in a storm.
LOW Spending 20 minutes trying to glitch my way past a showstopping bug.
WTF "I hate tombs."
Cosplay: Going to extremes to be Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft
This is Jenn AKA XtremeJenn, AKA Lara Croft. She is what one might call an extreme cosplayer. Jenn is known in the cosplay community for going a little out of her way to get the best shots when dressed as Tomb Raider's Lara Croft. Case in point, this particular image has her hanging off a 165-foot waterfall in Victoria, Australia. Most of her photo shoots strike that perfect balance of peril and authenticity that in her words "capture the spirit of Lara Croft" so be sure to check them out.
GameCritics.com Podcast Episode 39: The State of Multiplayer
With great passion comes great verbosity. We're splitting this week's jumbo show in half, which means our long awaited Too Human / Dynasty Warriors showdown won't occur until next week. This week, though, we step WAY outside our comfort zone and delve into some multiplayer-only experiences, like Monday Night Combat, Castlevania: Destiny of Harmonicas, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, and more. We think we have a pretty good grasp on where multiplayer needs to go from here. Plus! Our Quote of the Week! Tim Sings! Richard Calculates! Oh. the party doesn't stop! Featuring Chi Kong Lui, Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Richard Naik, and Tim "Yes, I Said He Sings" Spaeth.
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Read: Transcript
Topics discussed:
- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
- Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
- Monday Night Combat
- Lineage II
Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Review
Raiding Tombs in an All-new Way
HIGH Some of the best cooperative action I've ever experienced.
LOW Not being able to instantly retry failed challenges.
WTF Why was online co-op not ready to go at launch?
Tomb Raider Underworld: Lara’s Shadow Review
Even better than the real thing
HIGH Evil Lara is the best thing to happen to Tomb Raider since Legend.
LOW The content ends far too soon.
WTF Ten dollars for an hour and a half? Seriously?
Tomb Raider: Underworld Review
Lara Croft's big adventure
HIGH Reaching the top of a particularly troublesome climb.
LOW Dying repeatedly because of the awful camera.
WTF Lara's outfit choices for an arctic expedition: wetsuit or skimpy wetsuit. Apparently no one has ever heard of exposure to the elements. Neither outfit has shoes…
Lara rising from Beneath the Ashes?
The new Tomb Raider: Underworld DLC came out today. Titled Beneath the Ashes, this new add-on level starts off with Lara Croft in her father's study, hidden underneath the burned wreckage of Croft manor. For those who haven't played Underworld yet, the story basically veers off towards Norse mythology elements, and Ashes has our heroine going deeper underground into a new secret area that was underneath the first secret area. Allegedly there's an artifact down there that can create and control the undead thralls that populated the latter stages of Underworld proper, and Lara's not one to leave vital artifacts unmolested, natch.
I watched a "developer's diary" video on Ashes a few weeks ago, and one of the folks putting it together spent some time saying that the Tomb Raider team really worked hard on the puzzles and were able to dig in and give it their best. I appreciate that they probably put a lot of effort into it, but frankly, I don't see it. Although it's shorter and more focused than any of the levels in the retail release, it still suffers from a heavy feeling of blah, not being very visually interesting and lacking any real personality. There were also a few spots where I was stuck—not because I couldn't figure out what to do, but because the areas still have a vaguely too-open feeling to them which was often complicated by Lara not jumping where I wanted her to. The two things combined led me to believe that I wasn't performing the correct action, resulting in some minor frustration and wasted effort.
I still call myself a Tomb Raider fan, but out of the three titles that Crystal Dynamics has had a hand in, I would rank Underworld dead last behind Anniversary and the stellar Legend. This DLC does nothing to change that, and continues the mediocrity that was present in its parent title. Additionally, this new level is overpriced at 800 points ($10) since most players will be able to get through it in less than two hours. Unless you’re an absolute Tomb Raider fanatic, I'd say that it's not worth the download.
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