Official TOMB RAIDER Hype Thread (8.5 @ GS, Final Hours ep.6)

A new Tomb Raider is coming, but this will be unlike any TR title before featuring one of the most (if not THE most) iconic female protagonists in gaming. Making her debut in 1996, Lara Croft was the face that defined exploration adventure. But in a bold new reboot, Crystal Dynamics decided it was time to give that face an extreme makeover.

A great deal of controversy ensued when Gameinfomer first unveiled the newly revamped Lara Croft on their cover.

The most notable difference is the radical departure from the untouchable Teflon Beauty of past games. This new Lara conveys vulnerability, and who's perilous experiences & struggles are written all over her. Truly utilizing modern technology, the new Lara is not only more realistic than she's ever been before, but possessing a truly organic quality in her character design. But when you really look at it, it's both familiar and fresh at the same time.

This new reboot takes Lara back to her roots, before becoming the seasoned archaeologist and adventurer we've come to know for nearly 17 years. Chronicling the origin story, an inexperienced 21 year old Lara Croft just graduated, embarks on her first expedition. Accompanying her mentor Conrad Roth aboard the Endurance, when her journey comes to an abrupt end being ship wrecked on an unknown island in the Dragon's Triangle, a counterpart to the Bermuda Triangle in the Japanese seas.

Stranded and separated from her companions, Lara finds herself in a strange and hostile wilderness inhabited by feral wild life and even more savage locals. Here begins her harrowing ordeal, where she must discover her true strength, and grow to become the women she's meant to be.

.

THE FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Now brandishing the M rating, the series takes a much darker and atmospheric tone
• You now develop Lara's skills in a levelling progression system
• New melee combat that is adaptable, Lara can shove enemies away, blind them with dirt, use the picke axe in stealth take downs... full combat list hasn't been revealed yet
• Pick axe also doubles as an exploration tool, allowing Lara to scale sheer surfaces
• Use of the elements is central to the puzzle solving, burning obstacles, putting out fires with water, and even wind is said to play a role
• Although health is regenerating when taking cover in combat, food, water, and shelter also plays a role in Lara's survival
• The world map consists of a hub system, each one large enough to offer non-linear exploration within each hub, and fast travel between base camps where Lara has them established in each hub. While not "open world" in the same sense of Skyrim or GTA, exploring the hubs outside the main story path will lead to discoveries of hidden caves, tombs (yes actual tombs) and treasures.
• The island can still be explored after completion of the main story to search for those hidden tombs and treasures you missed the first time while following the story (I'm guessing this will afford you the chance to complete achievements and trophies), and the island will still be inhabited by the ferocious wild life and scavengers to threaten you while you explore post-game

The Bestbuy pre-order comic book

Introducing the Limited Edition Xbox 360 controller (with trandforming D-pad)
You can even check out MOJOR NELSON's preview.

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VIDEOS

Nerd HQ series hosted by Zachari Levi (Chuck)

Adam Sessler's Preview (Rev3 games)

SCREENSHOTS

REVIEWS

Digital Spy 5/5
The Escapist 5/5
NZgamer 10
Telegraph.co.uk - 5/5
Huffington Post - 5/5
Impulse Gamer - 10/10
PC World - 4.5/5
Digital Trends - 9.5
HardGame2 - 9.5
3djuegos - 9.4
EveryEye.it 93
Gameinformer -93
Hobbyconsolas - 93
Games Village - 9.3
Gamona - 92
IGN - 9.1
Gameblog.fr - 91
CVG - 9.0
Polygon - 9
AusGamer - 9
Gamesradar - 9
Eurogamer Sweden - 9
INGAME - 9
Stevivor.com - 9/10
Jeux Video - 18/20
Meristation - 8.9
Gamesbeat - 88
PCGames.de - 88
Ch eat Code Central - 4.4/5
Gamespot - 8.5
GameTrailers - 8.5
Destructoid - 8.5
Spazio Games - 8.5
Game Pro - 85
OXM - 8.5/10
Multiplayer.it - 8.3
OXM UK - 8
OPM - 8/10
Edge - 8
Eurogamer - 8
EGM - 8/10
Metro Gamecentral - 8/10
Gamereactor Sweden - 7/10
Machinima - 6/10
Rev3Games - 3/5
Kotaku Yes
Shacknews No Score
Penny Arcade

PREVIEW ARTICLES

Gamespot
Eurogamer
1UP

PC system Requirements (as listed in Steam)

* OS: Windoes XP, Vista, 7
* Processor: 2GHz Dual Core (Intel Core 2 Duo or better, AMD Athlon X2 or better)
* Memory: 1 GB (Win XP), 2 GB (Win Vista/7)
* Video Card: nVIDIA GeForce 8800 / AMD Radeon HD 2900 or better

Also it seems that PC Gamer is offering vouchers for 35% off a few games, including Tomb Raider, valid until Dec 14.

TR Tops PC pre-orders
1. Tomb Raider
2. Company of Heroes 2
3. Aliens: Colonial Marines
4. Dead Island Riptide
5. Bioshock Infinite (excludes UK)
6. South Park: The Stick of Truth
7. Sniper Ghost Warrior 2
8. Metro: Last Light
9. Crysis 3
10. Dead Space 3

The Tomb Raider achievements have been revealed. And don't worry, the secret achievements are still hidden, so no real spoilers here.
Tomb Raider Achievements
[spoiler]
Bookworm 10
25% of all documents found

Historian 15
75% of all documents found.

Relic Hunter 10
25% of all relics collected.

Archaeologist 15
75% of all relics collected.

Looking for Trouble 10
25% of all GPS caches found.

Bag Full O' Cache 15
75% of all GPS caches found.

No Stone Left Unturned 50
All documents, relics, and GPS caches found.

Scrounger 20
5000 pieces of salvage collected.

Picky 15
200 enemies looted.

Clever Girl 25
Purchased all skills in one category.

Lethal 50
Purchased all skills in all categories.

Now We're Getting Serious 25
One weapon fully modded and completely upgraded.

The Professional 50
All weapons fully modded and completely upgraded.

Big Game Hunter 15
10 large animals killed and looted.

Tastes Like Chicken! 15
10 small animals killed and looted.

Feather Duster 15
10 flying animals killed and looted.

Sharp Shooter 15
50 headshot kills performed in the single player campaign.

Predator 10
50 enemies killed with the bow.

Equalizer 10
75 enemies killed with the rifle.

Widowmaker 10
40 enemies killed with the shotgun.

Gunslinger 10
35 enemies killed with the pistol.

Epic Fumble 15
Forced an enemy to drop dynamite that killed two people.

Get Over Here! 20
5 enemies rope pulled off edges.

Opportunist 15
25 unaware enemies killed.

Down and Dirty 15
15 finishers performed.

Deadeye 20
10 enemies shot off zip lines.

Former Adventurer 20
25 enemies incapacitated with dodge counter.

One Smart Cookie 20
One optional tomb completed.

Intellectually Superior 50
All optional tombs completed.

Unfinished Business 20
One challenge completed.

Inconceivable! 50
All challenges complete.

A Survivor Is Born 75
Game completed.

Adventurer 20
Played a match to completion in all multiplayer modes.

Artilleryman 20
20 enemy players killed with a turret in multiplayer.

Down Boy! 10
Zip-lining enemy killed in multiplayer.

Entrapment 10
Trapped an enemy in multiplayer.

Escapist 20
Survived 10 explosions in multiplayer.

Good Samaritan 10
Revived a teammate in a multiplayer match.

I'm all that! 25
Won a ranked match in every multiplayer mode.

Sole Survivor 15
Sole survivor on your multiplayer team.

Lights Out 15
10 multiplayer enemies killed with the melee attack.

Master Blaster 20
Two multiplayer enemies killed with one explosive.

Monkey Around 15
Survived 3 times in multiplayer by using the rope ascender.

Narcissistic 10
New character purchased.

On My Way Up 10
Multiplayer level 10 attained.

Shopaholic 20
Purchased all upgrades and characters in multiplayer.

True Commitment 30
Multiplayer level 60 attained.

Secret Achievements

Secret Achievement 10
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement 5
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Secret Achievement 5
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
[/spoiler]
And some of you may remember my own achievement list I made as an April Fool's prank last year :P Here it is for comparison :D
[spoiler]
10 Two of a Kind (Master the art of dual pistol wielding)
10 Axe to Grind (Defeat 10 enemies with the pick axe)
10 Arrow to the Knee (Defeat 10 enemies with the bow & arrow)
10 Never Saw It Coming (Neutralize 5 enemies with stealth tactics)
20 Beating the Odds (Survive an encounter where you are outnumbered)
20 Armed & Dangerous (Fully equip yourself with every available weapon)
50 Natural Instinct (Complete the game without the aid of helper icons)
50 The Will to Live (Complete the game on the hardest difficulty level)
10 Resourceful (Fashion a trap from your surroundings)
15 Happy Camper (Set up your first base camp)
10 What Have We here? (Discover your first artifact)
25 More Where That Came From (Collect 25 artifacts)
20 The Road Less Travelled (Find an alternate route to an objective point)
15 Where's My Camera? (View the island from the highest vantage point)
10 Medicare Doesn't Cover This (Apply field medic techniques to treat an injury)
10 Gourmet (Hunt the local wild life for food)
10 Back to Nature (Find a moment to cleanse away the stresses of your ordeal)
15 Rude Awakening (Find yourself in unexpected surroundings)
20 Out of the Depths (Escape the catacombs and reach the island surface)
25 Explorer (Discover 12 hidden caves throughout the island)
25 Sight For Sore Eyes (Reunite with your mentor)
20 Another Sunrise (Survive your first night on the island)
20 Wing and a Prayer (Master your fear and take the leap of faith)
15 Rapid Ascent (Climb the Lazarus Peak in under 3 minutes)
15 Pathfinder (Navigate the Crescent Hollows in under 4 minutes)
15 Restoration (Locate all the fragments of an Idol in under 5 minutes)
15 Silent Approach (Evade a guard patrol)
20 Wraith (Defeat the elusive predator)
25 Dethroned (Defeat the high clan leader)
20 The Enemy of My Enemy (Form a tenuous alliance against a common threat)
50 Salvage (Locate the wreckage of the Endurance)
25 Haunted Past (Discover a hidden truth about your own history)
20 Intuitive Student (Decipher the code of the Fenris Totems)
15 Bonehead (Claim the Ritual Skull)
25 Sacrilege (Defile an ancient altar)
25 Gate Crasher (Unlock the Ancestral Gate)
50 Dark Revelation (Unearth the lost secret of the island)
50 Heart of Darkness (Breach the marauders inner lair)
75 The Prodigal Daughter Returns (Escape the island)
[/spoiler]

POLL ARCHIVE

While I'm launching my hype thread quite early in advance of the game, I plan a series of polls of various discussion topics going in the beginning. The actual hype poll will begin in Feb. So for now the first poll is to see how many of you are devoted Tomb Raider fans, or maybe some who used to be in the early days but fell away from the series, where the reboot might be bringing former players back in.

oh and inb4 "poor man's uncharted" :P:P

Looks like a poor man's Uncharted without Naughty Dog's technical prowess or writing chops.

Also Womb Raider.

poor man's uncharted. No thanks.

Looks like a poor man's Uncharted without Naughty Dog's technical prowess or writing chops.

Also Womb Raider.

DarkLink77

*ahem*

did you not see the "inb4" ? :P

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"]

Looks like a poor man's Uncharted without Naughty Dog's technical prowess or writing chops.

Also Womb Raider.

AdobeArtist

*ahem*

did you not see the "inb4" ? :P

Is this a linear movie game like UC, or a more open jungle explore like FC3

Ugh...a poor man's Uncharted... no thanks.

Is this a linear movie game like UC, or a more open jungle explore like FC3

Jankarcop

The story itself is linear, and there will be objectives, but you can still veer Lara off the main path to freely explore parts of the island. There are even hidden tombs and treasures that can only be found this way.

See the IGN and CVG videos in the OP for some of the open ended exploration.

[QUOTE="Jankarcop"]

Is this a linear movie game like UC, or a more open jungle explore like FC3

AdobeArtist

The story itself is linear, and there will be objectives, but you can still veer Lara off the main path to freely explore parts of the island. There are even hidden tombs and treasures that can only be found this way.

See the IGN and CVG videos in the OP for some of the open ended exploration.

Do you mean literally veer of a linear path , or like go into jungle and stuff like in FC...can u jump? or is it just all on railsy type

I vote AAA:)

I acknowledge the possibility of this game being good.

But I have no faith in it.

Horny mans Uncharted. No thanks.

[QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

[QUOTE="Jankarcop"]

Is this a linear movie game like UC, or a more open jungle explore like FC3

Jankarcop

The story itself is linear, and there will be objectives, but you can still veer Lara off the main path to freely explore parts of the island. There are even hidden tombs and treasures that can only be found this way.

See the IGN and CVG videos in the OP for some of the open ended exploration.

Do you mean literally veer of a linear path , or like go into jungle and stuff like in FC...can u jump? or is it just all on railsy type

basically, you might be given an objective, but don't have to get to it right away. Though there might be some "forced" story objectives, in a lot of cases you can simply check your surroundings to see if there are hidden areas off the main mission waypoints. Exploration is still available.

Getting to take care of helpless little girl, nurturing her from big strong bad guys who want to touch her, moaning incessantly and getting real dirty with clothes that is sure to be disheveled, tattered and maybe even a bit revealing.

bro gamers are gonna use their head and give this a 10/10, possible orgasm of the year

Could be good? maybe.

I vote AAA:)

Cheleman

Not voting on that yet. There will be a series of topical polls rotated over the next few weeks, and the actual hype voting begins in Feb. But your confidence is appreciated :)

Nice thread, Adobe.

Can't wait for the game.

Getting to take care of helpless little girl, nurturing her from big strong bad guys who want to touch her, moaning incessantly and getting real dirty with clothes that is sure to be disheveled, tattered and maybe even a bit revealing.

bro gamers are gonna use their head and give this a 10/10, possible orgasm of the year

whiskeystrike

You want a dirty Lara? She was dirty before but we can slap some mud on her for you and put it up as pre-order DLC. Yeah, you know it's hot.

Horny mans Uncharted. No thanks.

Yangire

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

Horny mans Uncharted. No thanks.

Jankarcop

You find Rape hot? Wow.

[QUOTE="Jankarcop"]

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

Horny mans Uncharted. No thanks.

Obviously_Right

You find Rape hot? Wow.

Just to clarify, Lara does get assaulted (seen in the Crossroads trailer, it's an integral moment to her character development, in how she learns to defend herself) but it's not an actual rape. So let's steer clear of that line of thinking, m'kay ;)

[QUOTE="Obviously_Right"]

[QUOTE="Jankarcop"] I heard there is a rape sceene. IMO this tombraider is way hotter than the older one.

AdobeArtist

You find Rape hot? Wow.

Just to clarify, Lara does get assaulted (seen in the Crossroads trailer, it's an integral moment to her character development, in how she learns to defend herself) but it's not an actual rape. So let's steer clear of that line of thinking, m'kay ;)

I know, Adobe...I still think the way they handled their explanation for it was bad though.

I don't know. Seems to be a lot about set pieces where you push forward on the stick, inbetween sections where you sit behind cover and shoot dudes. Blended in with mild collectathon in the form of shooting animals in arena type levels, and probably some other things you can go grab to up your XP to unlock more ways to kill dudes and carry more stuff with which to kill dudes or whatever.

Don't see what's supposed to be thing with it I suppose. They evoke survival and all that, but it doesn't tend to amount to much of anything in these big budget games.

poor man's uncharted. No thanks.

Thefatness16

I'm bookmarking this thread, in case any sign of floppage occurs. :P

[spoiler] [/spoiler]

[QUOTE="Thefatness16"]

poor man's uncharted. No thanks.

kuraimen

Fix you sarcasm detector.

I'll definitely be getting this, I've never played the originals but from the footage I've seen of this I know I will like it. Also very beautiful thread :)

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="Thefatness16"]

poor man's uncharted. No thanks.

Thefatness16

Fix you sarcasm detector.

That's the least of things he needs to fix :P

Flop, flop, floppity, flop, flop, flop while Mr. Floppingham Floppington flops down flopper street to get to the Flopcery in Floprdia, FLOP.

[spoiler] I kid but still not sold completley on it yet, will keep my eye out and hope for the best though. [/spoiler]

start by linking to that gamespot preview that hated the game.BrunoBRS

What preview is that?

[QUOTE="BrunoBRS"]start by linking to that gamespot preview that hated the game.AdobeArtist

What preview is that?

7.5 cons: -Poor mans Uncharted -Unwanted QTE's -The need to protect her -Not tomb raidy enough -Breast size reduction Pros: Graphicscampzor

People cared about that?

[QUOTE="campzor"]7.5 cons: -Poor mans Uncharted -Unwanted QTE's -The need to protect her -Not tomb raidy enough -Breast size reduction Pros: GraphicsGoyoshi12

People cared about that?

There really isn't anything about his post that can be taken seriously.

7.5 cons: -Poor mans Uncharted -Unwanted QTE's -The need to protect her -Not tomb raidy enough -Breast size reduction Pros: Graphicscampzor

I find her more attractive with the new breast size. Too large breasts can be unnapealing (like she had before), and studies have shown this. Her new perky ones rock.

[QUOTE="Goyoshi12"]

[QUOTE="campzor"]7.5 cons: -Poor mans Uncharted -Unwanted QTE's -The need to protect her -Not tomb raidy enough -Breast size reduction Pros: GraphicsAdobeArtist

People cared about that?

There really isn't anything about his post that can be taken seriously.

Also Womb Raider.

DarkLink77

[QUOTE="Jankarcop"]

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

Horny mans Uncharted. No thanks.

Obviously_Right

You find Rape hot? Wow.

lol Femcharted :P

This game won't get AAA according to an article on GS that bashed the characterization of Lara Croft.

After that Eurogamer previewthat came out recently, my hype for this game has officially dissipated. I'd rather replay Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness than play this Tomb Raider game with zero identity. [QUOTE="DarkLink77"]

Also Womb Raider.

FrozenLiquid

Man, Jeremy Parish writes great articles.

[QUOTE="campzor"]7.5 cons: -Poor mans Uncharted -Unwanted QTE's -The need to protect her -Not tomb raidy enough -Breast size reduction Pros: GraphicsJankarcop

I find her more attractive with the new breast size. Too large breasts can be unnapealing (like she had before), and studies have shown this. Her new perky ones rock.