Tomb Raider Reviews Are Upon Us (And They Are Good)

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]What the f*ck is up with these trolls lately?c_rake

I've no idea. Hate to be strict, but I'm thinking I'm gonna have to if it'll keep the trolls at bay.

This guy's been trolling is numerous boards all over the place.  I don't know what caused his sudden spasm of trollish-ness to emerge.

I posted this in a union thread after playing it yesterday:

It's hard to explain my feelings in the 3-4 hours I played. Am I enjoying it as a game? yes. I don't feel the combat, aiming or QTE's are very good but I love the atmosphere, visuals, music, and characters (love Lara's voice).

Am I enjoying it as a Tomb Raider game? Not really. I feel in their urgency to reboot the series and show Lara's origins they have forgotten what made the series so great. Tombs, exploration etc. So far I feel like I've follwed a fairly linear path with a bit of combat. I'm just not really feeling it, I just got to my first optional Tomb to explore so I'll see if that really helps things.

I played more of the online last night and began to semi enjoy it. Feels like a very poor mans Uncharted, even the lobby is near identical to Uncharted 3, the way they carry items in capture the medkit is identical etc. Feels completely unoriginal except for a few traps.

As you can see I'm really torn about the game so far :-/ both liking and disliking aspects.

You have two contradictory things in your statement. Something cannot be QTE heavy and stellar at the same time. In fact, if something has QTEs, I snap it in half and throw it in the garbage disposal. 

 

Are you not the same person who also claims DmC is a very good game? Yeah, your opinion is trash. Too bad everyone hates DmC and that game flopped so hard. Well, at least the new Tomb Raider reboot does not look nearly as horrendous as the DmC reboot, but it still looks very bad. 

 

Oh and reviews mean nothing if crappy mediocre piss poor quality games like MGS4, GoW3, or GTAiV get near perfect review scores. Plus I see that Tomb Raider is getting an 8.5 average, but EVERY SINGLE GAME THESE DAYS GETS AN 8.5 AVERAGE!!!!!!!!

soundcellx

Firstly, I would caution you to be very careful as your incompetent little fingers lack the requisite skills to edit my work. Given how poorly you write and defend your arguments, I'd suggest you spend a bit more time cleaning up your own feeble ramblings before twisting my words around.

Your distain for QTE's is noted and such derision is your prerogative. Being a connoisseur of this medium rather than a simple-minded adolescent with an operating vocabulary that could fit onto a Post-It, I tend to shy away from crass, simplistic generalizations and evaluate games on their overall quality rather than dismiss them outright because they contain elements I find offensive. I've never held any particular affinity for QTEs but I've also never seen them, when used sparingly and judiciously, ruin a game. Once again you have supplanted intelligent discussion for hyperbolic nonsense and by employing such a specious logic you will miss out considerably on new experiences.

As to DmC, clearly everybody doesn't hate it, which is why I caution people from employing broad and sweeping generalizations. I would also suggest that critiquing a game without having played it is a foolish notion, though I doubt such vapidity and illogicality is something that ever crosses your mind when writing the sewage you call prose.

You are also flatly incorrect that most games earn an aggregate score of 8.5; as a point of fact, most games struggle to reach that score, including many AAA endeavors.

Lastly, it doesn't matter if you like my opinions or not because there are two indisputable and provable facts before you:

1. I am far more knowledgeable regarding this medium than you are. And anytime you want to challenge said knowledge, let me know.

2. As much as you may loathe what I write, my arguments are predicated and supported by evidence and governed by logic.

My advice is to grow up or get out of this forum because there are many, many intelligent people here who will curb-stomp stupidity right into the ground.

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

soundcellx

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

soundcellx

Go away.

No one likes you.

[QUOTE="soundcellx"]

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

JustPlainLucas

Where is crake when you need him? :P

This is obvioisly a troll account and is probably the alt of the other guy who was here yesterday. Lets just ban him and move on with this thread. We need to revisit the rules so we ban these assh*les after the first warning.

I played a few hours at a friends house and now I am considering buying it. Its really good, especially the atmosphere. The level of cohesion is up there with the best of them. The only negative is where I left things off, the narrative is starting to fall apart under its own weight. They did a great job making Lara realistic in the intro and minutes later she takes out entire camps single handily. Where Uncharted is pulp fun, the serious undertones in the story make this a harder pill to swallow. F1Lengend

I am 6-7 hours into the game, and it hasn't bothered me one bit. The cutscenes aren't as good as Uncharted but they are still well above average. They do a good job of making Lara more than just a one dimensional character. Her first kill felt like her first kill, even if it was a bit too melodramatic. I mean i dont know how i would react after killing someone at point blank range, especially after they tried to rape me. There is a lot more conflict b/w the characters later on in the game and it's handled really well... it really feels like a movie at times. I am also impressed with Lara's voice and mocap actress. Even though she is killing dozens of dudes, her reactions are still grounded in reality.

Tomb Raider isn't supposed to be Saving Private Ryan or The King's Speech. It's still a summer blockbuster. We shouldn't be knocking it for being action heavy or trigger happy just because they have done a good job making the character relatable and real like good hollywood summer blockbusters usually do.

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

soundcellx

No.

Where is crake when you need him? :PS0lidSnake

Sorry. I was asleep. Just woke up.

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

soundcellx

You insulted yourself by writing such empty-headed, juvenile pabulum.

I merely shined a spotlight on your profound lack of edification.

I'm still waiting for you to educate me and call me out, as you've claimed you can do. I am inviting you to an open and civil debate; an opportunity to defend your assertions with something more substantive than churlish vulgarities and infantile quips.

[spoiler] So I just did my first mercy killing. [/spoiler]

The one thing I think is brilliant about this game is the optional stuff you can do. It really makes you think, "Would Lara really do that?"

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

soundcellx

[spoiler] So I just did my first mercy killing. [/spoiler]

The one thing I think is brilliant about this game is the optional stuff you can do. It really makes you think, "Would Lara really do that?"

JustPlainLucas

[spoiler] I couldn't do it. [/spoiler]

But yeah, great moment in the game.

Just want to put one thought into your heads. Try hitting a guy with an arrow while he's sliding across a rope bridge. Epic clothes-line.

After playing this game for over 4 hours I am left confused by the game being confused of what its trying to be. First and foremost, this is not a Tombraider game. Its called Tombraider but,if you are expecting the traditional mechanics of the Tombraider game you have grown accustom to then you are "S" out of luck with this game. The first two hours of the game are cutscene heavy and there is the occasional QTE. There are also several force walk/ walking cutscene moments. Luckily all of the cutscenes are skippable. The graphics range from great to good depending on the location. The core gameplay mechanic is akin to a third person shooter. You will be killing enemies for the majority of the game. It is this reason you would be left confused as to who is the game geared towards. Is it new fans or existing fans of the game? At the moment there is very little essence of Tombraider in this game. The game plays and feels like a new IP. The game is good game but a horrible Tombraider game. Again this is from what I have played so far.

After playing this game for over 4 hours I am left confused by the game being confused of what its trying to be. First and foremost, this is not a Tombraider game. Its called Tombraider but,if you are expecting the traditional mechanics of the Tombraider game you have grown accustom to then you are "S" out of luck with this game. The first two hours of the game are cutscene heavy and there is the occasional QTE. There are also several force walk/ walking cutscene moments. Luckily all of the cutscenes are skippable. The graphics range from great to good depending on the location. The core gameplay mechanic is akin to a third person shooter. You will be killing enemies for the majority of the game. It is this reason you would be left confused as to who is the game geared towards. Is it new fans or existing fans of the game? At the moment there is very little essence of Tombraider in this game. The game plays and feels like a new IP. The game is good game but a horrible Tombraider game. Again this is from what I have played so far.

Pedro

My rental copy just arrived. I'm honestly okay with reimaginings of popular franchises, so long as said reimaginings are superior to what they are replacing. I don't know how I'll feel about the game, but from what I've seen of it, it looks fantastic.

My rental copy just arrived. I'm honestly okay with reimaginings of popular franchises, so long as said reimaginings are superior to what they are replacing. I don't know how I'll feel about the game, but from what I've seen of it, it looks fantastic.

Shame-usBlackley

Feel free to share your view of the game when you get a chance. 

[QUOTE="Shame-usBlackley"]

My rental copy just arrived. I'm honestly okay with reimaginings of popular franchises, so long as said reimaginings are superior to what they are replacing. I don't know how I'll feel about the game, but from what I've seen of it, it looks fantastic.

Pedro

Feel free to share your view of the game when you get a chance. 

I definitely will. :)

After playing this game for over 4 hours I am left confused by the game being confused of what its trying to be. First and foremost, this is not a Tombraider game. Its called Tombraider but,if you are expecting the traditional mechanics of the Tombraider game you have grown accustom to then you are "S" out of luck with this game. The first two hours of the game are cutscene heavy and there is the occasional QTE. There are also several force walk/ walking cutscene moments. Luckily all of the cutscenes are skippable. The graphics range from great to good depending on the location. The core gameplay mechanic is akin to a third person shooter. You will be killing enemies for the majority of the game. It is this reason you would be left confused as to who is the game geared towards. Is it new fans or existing fans of the game? At the moment there is very little essence of Tombraider in this game. The game plays and feels like a new IP. The game is good game but a horrible Tombraider game. Again this is from what I have played so far.

Pedro

But it is un Tomb Raider like in the sense that there's a complete lack of puzzle solving, and the few puzzles that exist are far too simplistic. Also the game lacks intricate challenging platforming sections that are more involved. It doesn't have the kind of quality platforming sections that the best of something like TR Anniversary had to offer. Traversal is great from an exploration point of view and is pure Tomb Raider, but the lack of challenge is disappointing.

If this game simply had more puzzles akin to previous games and some challenging platforming sections, this game would be the perfect Tomb Raider. The controls and platforming mechanics are there. The exploration is there. And it improves the things about the series that were weak such as the action, storytelling and presentation. There's room for that in the sequel though. The groundwork has been layed and the game mechanics are all there. Hopefully they'll live up to the full potential in the sequel.

Funny, because I've spent 70% of my time exploring and climbing stuff. It's really not as action heavy as you're making it out to be. I think this game shines in the the quiet moments and with the exploration aspects. Just wandering around collecting stuff is great. Of course the game has plenty of action as well and big set pieces, but they hardly dominate the game the way you're describing. Try going off the main path a bit.

But it is un Tomb Raider like in the sense that there's a complete lack of puzzle solving, and the few puzzles that exist are far too simplistic. Also the game lacks intricate challenging platforming sections that are more involved. It doesn't have the kind of quality platforming sections that the best of something like TR Anniversary had to offer. Traversal is great from an exploration point of view and is pure Tomb Raider, but the lack of challenge is disappointing.

If this game simply had more puzzles akin to previous games and some challenging platforming sections, this game would be the perfect Tomb Raider. The controls and platforming mechanics are there. The exploration is there. And it improves the things about the series that were weak such as the action, storytelling and presentation. There's room for that in the sequel though. The groundwork has been layed and the game mechanics are all there. Hopefully they'll live up to the full potential in the sequel.

burgeg

I guess we would just have to disagree then. The exploration while there is muted especially when you compare it to the rest of the games in the series. The only thing they really "improved" on was the action. The storytelling is what we have come to expect with most recent games in that they are blockbusterish in that the actual story is bad, the dialogue is bad, over emphasis on epicness, survivability of a god and the not too great dialogue. The first section of the game which lasted an hour did a pretty decent job capture some semblance of relatability and fragility of Lara, that was all thrown out with Lara super human survival skills. Let me make this clear before there is a misunderstanding, I have no problem with games being unbelievable however its is the responsibility of the writer to insure that the rest of the game's universe coincide with the belief. In other words you can't make someone out as fragile, weak and innocent then immediately transform them to trained killer with an impervious body. lol :D. I don't know why devs don't grow the balls and simply make a new IP instead of projecting their desire of a new IP on an existing one. This game IMO is good but its being hindered by trying to be a Tombraider game at the same time trying not to be.

Opened and played the game for 3 hours straight today.  Good game so far,  with occasional flashes of brilliance.  Combat feels great to me, as does the platforming.  Just wish there were more CQC options.  Forgive me if this isn't very dudebro friendly, but I appreciate the empathy and humanity they've given Lara, it's pretty refreshing.   Only real complaint I have right now is that I haven't seen any ideas that haven't been done many times before (nods towards Uncharted, especially).   

In any case, I'm looking forward to playing more a bit later tonight. 

Well money is the main reason of course but lets say they did make this a new IP, people would still be asking for a new Tomb Raider game. So eventually Crystal Dynamics will have to make a new Tomb Raider and do you really want them to make it the same way they have been making them before this one, IMO not really. It was going to happen eventually, they had to get this IP going again and make it relevant to the masses. 

dvader654

This idea of making it relevant to the masses equates to the sameness. This game does very ltitle to pull itself for generic third person shooter. Its a good game and I am enjoy it not as a Tombraider game but as the typical third person shooter. Games that have series have core mechanics that made the game what it is or was. When these mechanics are replaced it undermines the game and isolates the original fanbase that brought the game to the level of success that it currently has. We have seen Sega's attempts of making Sonic relevant. :D

[QUOTE="soundcellx"]

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

JustPlainLucas

I posted this in another thread a few hours ago:

You guys are going to love this.  Yesterday I posted that I can't play TR for very long as I get nauseous from the camera.  Well, I just logged on a few minutes ago and found this PM in my inbox:

"Awwww, I'm sorry you're not able to play Tomb Raider because it doesn't make you feel well.  Truly, you have my condolences."

Courtesy of, can you guess it?  Good old soundcellx.    This guy's truly something else.

I know the mods are far less strict when it comes to swearing, etc, but this guy brings NOTHING to the table except negativity, baseless ignorance, and continual troll attempts.  Is there no way he can be banned?  He is universally disliked.

[QUOTE="Pedro"]

[QUOTE="dvader654"]

Well money is the main reason of course but lets say they did make this a new IP, people would still be asking for a new Tomb Raider game. So eventually Crystal Dynamics will have to make a new Tomb Raider and do you really want them to make it the same way they have been making them before this one, IMO not really. It was going to happen eventually, they had to get this IP going again and make it relevant to the masses. 

dvader654

This idea of making it relevant to the masses equates to the sameness. This game does very ltitle to pull itself for generic third person shooter. Its a good game and I am enjoy it not as a Tombraider game but as the typical third person shooter. Games that have series have core mechanics that made the game what it is or was. When these mechanics are replaced it undermines the game and isolates the original fanbase that brought the game to the level of success that it currently has. We have seen Sega's attempts of making Sonic relevant. :D

Well I love Colors and Generations so Sega has been doing well lately. :P

I understand when a company just tries to incorporate what is popular at the time and create some frankenstien game. And if that is what happened here then I can see the issues. But I like it when they try something new, unique, of course the best example of this is RE4 which to me absolutely saved the brand. These franchises can always go back to their old style two leaving the devs multiple options for further sequels.

Above all the most important thing is to make the best game possible. Keeping the elements that made that franchise what it was is important to an extent. I believe it was shameus who said it well, if the devs want to try something new you better make sure it is better than what was before. 

The problem is that you risk the wrath of the existing fans of the franchise. IMO, This tomb raider is a better game than any Tomb Raider before it, but the fact that I have raided only two small tombs in the first 6 hours shows that Tomb Raider is not the game Crystal Dynamics wanted to make. I completely understand the fans of the franchise feeling shortchanged after waiting nearly five years to play their favorite franchise. I bet GamingQueen and her tomb radier union crew are furious over the changes in this reboot.

I am loving every second of the game though. Love the action, love the shooting, love the exploration and love the graphics. They made the game for me. 

I help with Resident Evil fan sites, I know all about existing fans wrath, honestly who cares. They get over it, they still buy the games and just moan online. If the games are really better, then everyone wins. Should they ignore them, no, which is why I say going classic every once and a while is a great option. If they release a true old school RE game now everyone would go nuts, its been so long that now it would be a big event. If they released an old school RE game instead of RE4, that thing would have tanked and RE wouldnt exist as it does today. Build the brand, keep adding new ideas and balance the old. Nintendo are the masters of this and it is why their franchise are always monster sellers (no it is not brain washed fans, the games are always quality).

dvader654

Oh I completely agree. I am all for spicing things up and taking a franchise into uncharted territory. I am a MGS fan so I expect major changes from each entry in the franchise, let alone waiting for a revision after 4-5 games. 

But at the same time, didn't DMC sell poorly? Mostly because the fans rejected it? I wonder how the new Splinter Cell is going to sell after that E3 demo and Conviction. I loved Conviction so I am looking forward to it but I am not a fan of the franchise either. 

I know the mods are far less strict when it comes to swearing, etc, but this guy brings NOTHING to the table except negativity, baseless ignorance, and continual troll attempts.  Is there no way he can be banned?  He is universally disliked.

MirkoS77

At this point a ban would be doing this guy a favor because I'm at a point where I am going to pretty much attack everything he writes until he either cleans up his pathetic act or gets tired of being schooled and leaves permanently.

I've curbed-stomped everything he's written and at this point he's clearly dodging me.

I don't think I've ever seen anybody generate that much animosity so quickly. He literally has just about every regular on this board telling him to piss off, including our level-headed and judicious mods.

I've curbed-stomped everything he's written and at this point he's clearly dodging me.Grammaton-Cleric

I put him on suspension. He's been making his disdain very clear ever since.

[QUOTE="JustPlainLucas"][QUOTE="soundcellx"]

^ I will not be goaded into your trap, so I will not respond to that.

Moderator please mod him for the insults and disruptive posting. 

MirkoS77

I posted this in another thread a few hours ago:

You guys are going to love this.  Yesterday I posted that I can't play TR for very long as I get nauseous from the camera.  Well, I just logged on a few minutes ago and found this PM in my inbox:

"Awwww, I'm sorry you're not able to play Tomb Raider because it doesn't make you feel well.  Truly, you have my condolences."

Courtesy of, can you guess it?  Good old soundcellx.    This guy's truly something else.

I know the mods are far less strict when it comes to swearing, etc, but this guy brings NOTHING to the table except negativity, baseless ignorance, and continual troll attempts.  Is there no way he can be banned?  He is universally disliked.

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

[QUOTE="dvader654"]

I help with Resident Evil fan sites, I know all about existing fans wrath, honestly who cares. They get over it, they still buy the games and just moan online. If the games are really better, then everyone wins. Should they ignore them, no, which is why I say going classic every once and a while is a great option. If they release a true old school RE game now everyone would go nuts, its been so long that now it would be a big event. If they released an old school RE game instead of RE4, that thing would have tanked and RE wouldnt exist as it does today. Build the brand, keep adding new ideas and balance the old. Nintendo are the masters of this and it is why their franchise are always monster sellers (no it is not brain washed fans, the games are always quality).

dvader654

Oh I completely agree. I am all for spicing things up and taking a franchise into uncharted territory. I am a MGS fan so I expect major changes from each entry in the franchise, let alone waiting for a revision after 4-5 games.

But at the same time, didn't DMC sell poorly? Mostly because the fans rejected it? I wonder how the new Splinter Cell is going to sell after that E3 demo and Conviction. I loved Conviction so I am looking forward to it but I am not a fan of the franchise either.

Companies reap what they sow. By not doing anything new for years in the core arena, Nintendo has built itself a fanbase which has no desire for anything new in the core arena. Its not that they are brain washed, its that people who wanted anything different than Mario/Metroid/Zelda gave up on Nintendo years ago.

As for RE and Tomb Raider, their reboots were commercially successful (probably in the case of TR) because they both hit after long strings of disappointing sequels. If like DMC, there had only been one disappointing game (DMC4 sucked, but DMC3 is widely considered the best in the series) then they would have met much more hostility.

This game just keeps getting better. I just spent what has to be the most exhilirating and exhausting an hour and a half mission/level/action setpiece I've played since maybe Uncharted 2. I swear it felt like it was the game's climax, but then the game keeps going and now I'm in another hub. Pretty damn cool. I would've been satisfied if the game ended there. 

The game's definitely very action heavy. It's basically Uncharted on steroids. I did like the Shanty Town area though. Huge multi-level town to explore and find secrets. I spent well over an over just looking for collectibles and leveling up. It's fantastic level design though they dont do a good job taking advantage of all this vertical map layout during the shooting segments. It's mostly just hide behind cover and go for headshots. Lara just isnt as agile or nimble as Drake, though I am hopeful they will get this right in the sequel.

Fantastic game so far. Amazing how they sustained nearly two hours of pure action. 

This game just keeps getting better. I just spent what has to be the most exhilirating and exhausting an hour and a half mission/level/action setpiece I've played since maybe Uncharted 2. I swear it felt like it was the game's climax, but then the game keeps going and now I'm in another hub. Pretty damn cool. I would've been satisfied if the game ended there. 

The game's definitely very action heavy. It's basically Uncharted on steroids. I did like the Shanty Town area though. Huge multi-level town to explore and find secrets. I spent well over an over just looking for collectibles and leveling up. It's fantastic level design though they dont do a good job taking advantage of all this vertical map layout during the shooting segments. It's mostly just hide behind cover and go for headshots. Lara just isnt as agile or nimble as Drake, though I am hopeful they will get this right in the sequel.

Fantastic game so far. Amazing how they sustained nearly two hours of pure action. 

S0lidSnake

I just passed Shanty Town (I believe it's over, at least) and I've got to say this game is pretty impressive.   In an earlier post I complained about lack of melee options, but they eventually open up and as you gain more skills, the combat feels really good.  I love the steady dose of unlocks and new ideas that come into play as the game opens up, it's almost like they're constantly giving you cool new toys to play with.   

The hidden Tombs are fun, but very simple and over too quickly.   I do enjoy the fact that they open up the secrets on your map in the area -- it's another cool incentive for finding them.   Speaking of secrets, exploration is rewarded -- hidden weapon parts, and other resources that allow you to power up quickly.  I'm curious to see how the game wraps up, but so far it's good times for sure.

This game just keeps getting better. I just spent what has to be the most exhilirating and exhausting an hour and a half mission/level/action setpiece I've played since maybe Uncharted 2. I swear it felt like it was the game's climax, but then the game keeps going and now I'm in another hub. Pretty damn cool. I would've been satisfied if the game ended there. 

The game's definitely very action heavy. It's basically Uncharted on steroids. I did like the Shanty Town area though. Huge multi-level town to explore and find secrets. I spent well over an over just looking for collectibles and leveling up. It's fantastic level design though they dont do a good job taking advantage of all this vertical map layout during the shooting segments. It's mostly just hide behind cover and go for headshots. Lara just isnt as agile or nimble as Drake, though I am hopeful they will get this right in the sequel.

Fantastic game so far. Amazing how they sustained nearly two hours of pure action. 

S0lidSnake

This game just keeps getting better. I just spent what has to be the most exhilirating and exhausting an hour and a half mission/level/action setpiece I've played since maybe Uncharted 2. I swear it felt like it was the game's climax, but then the game keeps going and now I'm in another hub. Pretty damn cool. I would've been satisfied if the game ended there. 

The game's definitely very action heavy. It's basically Uncharted on steroids. I did like the Shanty Town area though. Huge multi-level town to explore and find secrets. I spent well over an over just looking for collectibles and leveling up. It's fantastic level design though they dont do a good job taking advantage of all this vertical map layout during the shooting segments. It's mostly just hide behind cover and go for headshots. Lara just isnt as agile or nimble as Drake, though I am hopeful they will get this right in the sequel.

Fantastic game so far. Amazing how they sustained nearly two hours of pure action. 

S0lidSnake

Wow....that was a massive screw up.

Loving the game so far, but ran into what I would consider a major glitch.  Not sure if it's happening on both platforms(have the PS3 version) but without spoiling anything, it involves a bow upgrade and something that should happen...doesn't. Because it doesn't happen you are denied access to the area.  Thankfully someone else found another glitch with that that allows you access to the area you need to go.

How such a major thing slipped by QA is beyond me. In case anyone is wondering this is the glitch.

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

This game just keeps getting better. I just spent what has to be the most exhilirating and exhausting an hour and a half mission/level/action setpiece I've played since maybe Uncharted 2. I swear it felt like it was the game's climax, but then the game keeps going and now I'm in another hub. Pretty damn cool. I would've been satisfied if the game ended there. 

The game's definitely very action heavy. It's basically Uncharted on steroids. I did like the Shanty Town area though. Huge multi-level town to explore and find secrets. I spent well over an over just looking for collectibles and leveling up. It's fantastic level design though they dont do a good job taking advantage of all this vertical map layout during the shooting segments. It's mostly just hide behind cover and go for headshots. Lara just isnt as agile or nimble as Drake, though I am hopeful they will get this right in the sequel.

Fantastic game so far. Amazing how they sustained nearly two hours of pure action. 

MonoSilver

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

This game just keeps getting better. I just spent what has to be the most exhilirating and exhausting an hour and a half mission/level/action setpiece I've played since maybe Uncharted 2. I swear it felt like it was the game's climax, but then the game keeps going and now I'm in another hub. Pretty damn cool. I would've been satisfied if the game ended there. 

The game's definitely very action heavy. It's basically Uncharted on steroids. I did like the Shanty Town area though. Huge multi-level town to explore and find secrets. I spent well over an over just looking for collectibles and leveling up. It's fantastic level design though they dont do a good job taking advantage of all this vertical map layout during the shooting segments. It's mostly just hide behind cover and go for headshots. Lara just isnt as agile or nimble as Drake, though I am hopeful they will get this right in the sequel.

Fantastic game so far. Amazing how they sustained nearly two hours of pure action. 

MonoSilver

But here's the thing: It is a Tomb Raider game.

It just happens to have altered the formula and left some longtime fans out in the proverbial cold.

The good news is that this reboot is offering up this first entry as Lara's inception and I would assume the next game would offer a more traditional experience as it pertains to her globetrotting and treasure hunting escapades.

[QUOTE="MonoSilver"][QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

This game just keeps getting better. I just spent what has to be the most exhilirating and exhausting an hour and a half mission/level/action setpiece I've played since maybe Uncharted 2. I swear it felt like it was the game's climax, but then the game keeps going and now I'm in another hub. Pretty damn cool. I would've been satisfied if the game ended there. 

The game's definitely very action heavy. It's basically Uncharted on steroids. I did like the Shanty Town area though. Huge multi-level town to explore and find secrets. I spent well over an over just looking for collectibles and leveling up. It's fantastic level design though they dont do a good job taking advantage of all this vertical map layout during the shooting segments. It's mostly just hide behind cover and go for headshots. Lara just isnt as agile or nimble as Drake, though I am hopeful they will get this right in the sequel.

Fantastic game so far. Amazing how they sustained nearly two hours of pure action. 

Grammaton-Cleric

But here's the thing: It is a Tomb Raider game.

It just happens to have altered the formula and left some longtime fans out in the proverbial cold.

The good news is that this reboot is offering up this first entry as Lara's inception and I would assume the next game would offer a more traditional experience as it pertains to her globetrotting and treasure hunting escapades.

How can it be a Tomb Raider game when by all accounts it plays nothing like the original games, apart from some exploration here and there.

MonoSilver

Because things change and franchises die and are reborn.

RE4 was drastically different than the previous games in the franchise and while some lamented that most embraced those changes. (The later games are another matter entirely however)

I've played just about every TR game out there and I like what they've done with the character and the mechanics in this reboot. It may not be the Tomb Raider you personally wanted but it is Tomb Raider.

Hopefully, what follows this entry will be more akin to what you are looking for.

[QUOTE="MonoSilver"]

How can it be a Tomb Raider game when by all accounts it plays nothing like the original games, apart from some exploration here and there.

Grammaton-Cleric

Because things change and franchises die and are reborn.

RE4 was drastically different than the previous games in the franchise and while some lamented that most embraced those changes. (The later games are another matter entirely however)

I've played just about every TR game out there and I like what they've done with the character and the mechanics in this reboot. It may not be the Tomb Raider you personally wanted but it is Tomb Raider.

Hopefully, what follows this entry will be more akin to what you are looking for.