E3 Disclaimer: Kombo’s E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what’s shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.
What the Game’s About
Lara Croft is back for another round of raiding the tombs. Eidos built a little underwateresque viewing theater up on the fifth floor of the convention center to show off the Microsoft Xbox 360 version of Tomb Raider: Underworld, and while there were no story details available, I did get to see Lara in action. The demo was divided into two segments. First, Lara had explore a deep sea area to find and collect three key-like objects needed to open a large door that leads to a temple-like environment. After opening the door, Lara encountered a vicious multi-tentacled kraken that dared to block her path. Only by leaping around the room from platform to platform and flipping switches was she able to pound the beast into submission and continue on her way. Basically, it’s par for the Tomb Raider course.
What’s Hot
The aspect of Underworld that immediately caught my attention was the amazing attention to detail once Lara moved into the cavernous temple. Tiny rivulets of water flow down the sides of the rock face, little bits of dirt and rock break away whenever Lara climbs a wall or sticks a landing, and that horrible kraken sports a distinctly shiny coat of slime. Lara even becomes dusty and dirty as she climbs around the room (don’t worry, she can dunk back into the water to wash off). According to Eidos, Lara’s character model is based on an actual real honest-to-goodness woman this time around, as the company hired a professional gymnast to perform various maneuvers for the sake of motion capture. And, yes, it wouldn’t be a Tomb Raider game if Lara were covered from head-to-toe. Today’s demo saw Lara attired in a skimpy diving suit that reveals her legs and just a splash of hinder as well as some generous cleavage.
Moving on from gawking to gameplay now: each major puzzle room features what Eidos refers to as “multi stage puzzles” in that there are multiple ways to manipulate the environment when passing obstacles. For example, at one point in the demo Lara needed to get from the top of a outcropping high above to the water below. Lara has a choice between rappelling down or just jumping and splashing down into the flooded room. During the more intense moments of the demo, the camera angle would shift into “adrenaline mode” in which the action slows down, the visuals blur slightly, and a slight bullet-time effect takes over. Players have only a few seconds to figure out how to save Lara from impending doom.
What’s Not
It’s not all smiles and sunshine, unfortunately. After watching the Eidos representative guide Lara through the demo, I was handed the controller for a quick chance to take Lara for a test drive. I played through the underwater swimming segment, although I had a terrible time getting Lara to do what I wanted her to do. The controls are just outright frustrating. The left analog stick moves Lara, but the actual direction in which she swims is controlled by the right analog stick. The idea is to spin and twist both sticks simultaneously in conflicting directions, meaning that poor Lara spent most of the demo either spinning in a circle or pressing her face against the ocean floor. I had to ask the representative what I was supposed to do to steer Lara properly, and even then Lara still had to deal with a face full of sand.
Outlook
Tomb Raider: Underworld is coming for almost every current console in November 2008, and while it was the Xbox 360 version that I saw today, the Sony PlayStation 3 version will be approximately comparable (with demos available shortly before release), while the Nintendo Wii version will feature additional items and maneuvers that take advantage of the Wii remote’s capabilities (but it will not use the newly announced Wii MotionPlus). Meanwhile, the Nintendo DS version of the game will be a 2D sidescroller with 3D visuals (e.g. New Super Mario Bros.). As if that isn’t enough, there will also be a PS2 version as well as a Games For Windows PC edition. Nobody at Eidos was willing to comment on the lack of a PlayStation Portable version, nor was there anything to be said right now about possible downloadable content. The game certainly looks fantastic, but I think in the end this one will come down to whether or not the controls are reasonable. Leaping around tombs and crushing krakens with large spiked platforms is fun, but spinning in underwater circles is not.
