Tomb Raider
Rating:  -
'TR' was one of the best vacations I've ever taken---and I never had to leave home to do it! It's been over 11 years since I first played it, yet I still have fond memories of being scared, tentative, and then confident in my abilities to see this adventure to the end. I also highly recommend not using the help guides if you prefer to keep your experience 'pure' to discovering the tougher challenges on your own.
Give it time...and you WILL become Lara Croft.
Rating: -
Pros: Loads of fun, great puzzles to solve, expansive level design, and a great storyline.
Cons: The camera angles can get out of whack in a combat situation.
The Bottom Line: A classic.
Every year, there comes a time for Tomb Raiding season. I feel compelled to get out the game once more and re-live TR: complete with all its action and puzzle solving. Yes, I cannot count how many times I have beaten Tomb Raider; but the game never gets old. It's an exciting, fun, and thrilling adventure that I never tire of. I must say, there are not many games that fall into this category for me. So, this is just one of the many reasons why I consider Tomb Raider a classic.
Tomb Raider was released in 1996. Luckily, I discovered the game by accident that same year. I've been playing the series ever since. So, what makes this game so great, you ask?
Let me begin with atmosphere. Tomb Raider manages to create this brilliantly. You might have a key moment where the character (Lara) steps into an unknown room and there is just - silence. The silence, it turns out, is a key element. It creates a sense of tension on its own. You do not know what is behind a corner, a ledge, where a trap is, etc. You are constantly feeling a sense of anticipation. The silence also adds to the isolated feel of the game. You are alone. It makes one feel vulnerable; but also draws one into Lara's world because of that. You will feel attached to what is going on and begin to enjoy solving the puzzles and the mystery of the story by yourself. Atmostphere is a key element in the game.
Atmosphere would not work well without a stunning soundtrack either. Silence preceeds some pieces of music that can make one gaze in awe as he/she steps into a new room. Or, it can give a sense of danger, when enemies or traps are triggered. In some cases, the music gives off a false sense of danger, keeping one on his/her toes the entire time. The music is emotional, most particularly the Tomb Raider theme by Nathan McCree. It's probably one of the most powerful pieces of music in all of TR. The music can stand alone (even apart from the game) as beautiful compositions. They carry the impact of a scene, place, or emotion and work wonderfully together.
The story itself is actually quite good, especially since it is from an older era in gaming. You start off as Lara Croft, the daughter of wealthy aristocrats, who has been disowned due to her love for adventure. After surviving a nearly fatal plane crash in the Himalayas, coupled with the equally painful experience of having to survive alone in the snow capped mountains for two weeks, Lara returned to England changed. She decided to set out across the world to uncover the secrets of civilizations and made a name for herself. The game starts off with Lara receiving a job offer from Jaqueline Natla, the head of Natla Technologies, to receive an ancient artifact called the Scion. The trek takes you across the globe attempting to unravel its secrets.
The story is interesting in itself. It has its own twists and turns; but it also focuses on the characters, the mystery of the Scion, and the history behind it. Now today, one might find the story a little too short, with not much information. But, this was very well done, especially for the time it was made in. You actually care about the characters and what would happen in the story.
Now, aside from having a great story, I must mention my favourite aspect of the game. That is the puzzles. If you love puzzles and a good challenge, this game is definately for you. Each level is centered around some sort of giant puzzle, with other smaller puzzles surrounding it, sometimes even built into the major puzzle. Yet, the puzzles never get old. There's always something new thrown into the mix which makes them all the more fun. This could be in the form of water mazes, secret rooms, hidden levers, rabid animals, and let's not forget the downright diabolical death traps that are imbedded throughout the game. (Boulder traps anyone?) Ironically, even the death traps are extremely fun to traverse. Not only do they keep you on your toes; but there's a high replayability factor. You'll want to relive the thrill of danger and adventure at the same time over again. This feeling especially, gives the game high replay value.
The controls themselves are pretty solid. They're mostly easy to learn, with the exception of the jump/grab control which can be tricky. This may frustrate some newcomers to the older games; but with a little practice even this becomes easy. The only qualm I have regarding the controls is that sometimes it can throw the camera angles out of whack. This is especially true in a battle situation. If Lara is pinned in a corner or closed doorway, the camera might shift to the side shakily so that you don't know what's happening or you might be able to see through a locked door, for instance. Generally, this is a glitch because the camera is mostly stationed in third-person view behind Lara. But it is a small glitch and does not take away from the game as a whole.
The graphics may be dated; however, remember it has been over 10 years and the graphics were revolutionary for their time. Again, despite the graphics, the game itself is still just as fun as when I first played it.
To me, this game hasn't died out over the years. So, this is what I call a definate classic.
Recommended: I'd recommend the original Tomb Raider to anyone to likes gaming.
Rating: -
I had to go back and play this game after playing (and loving) Tomb Raider Anniversary. Playing Anniversary and then going back to the original really makes you appreciate just how awesome this game was. The level design was just amazing with all the different areas you get to explore. I haven't played the original since it first came out so I didn't realize just how much Crystal Dynamics took from this game. They took a lot. Some of the level designs are almost identical. The biggest difference between the old and the new is the difficulty. Anniversary is way easier. But not because the puzzles or enemies are easier. It's because of the controls. Back in Tomb Raider 1, the controls were pretty terrible. But what do you expect from a game breaking new ground in the world of 3D? So I'll over look it and give it a 5 out of 5.
Rating: -
TOMB RAIDER is one of the best video games of all time, and after ten years is very well-known and loved. It introduced gamegoers to Lara Croft, the pistol-blasting archaeologist who in each of her adventures goes in search of rare artifacts and gets into alot of trouble.
Our heroine, Miss Croft, is hired by her boss, Natla, to find a mysterious artifact. Lara gets right on the job, unaware that Natla is also after the artifact and is bent on killing Lara if she gets in the way.
It was rare to find a 3D game back in the day, but TOMB RAIDER is a 3D game. The graphics are dated and pretty bad by todays standards. Items appear flat/squashed and even turn around if you run around them! There is little detail on the walls and floors either. However, Lara's movements are very realistic; unlike even games of today, you have to make a 90 degree turn to turn around. You don't just press the down button on your pad and you are immediately facing the other direction. Lara's speed is also very realistic.
The game is much fun with alot of action and some intriguing puzzles inbetween. Lara is able to swim, jump and hang from ledges. You can collect a number of guns throughtout the game including magnums and shotguns. Towards the end, there is even some blood and violence which may satisfy alot of people.
Another interesting thing is that your heart will be racing in certain parts of this game. When the scary music starts and when dogs and wolves jump out of nowhere, you'll be screaming. I can even remember how terrifying it was when I heard the BOOM-BOOM of the T-Rex's footsteps in Level 3.
Overrall, the original TOMB RAIDER is a classic game - action-packed, addictive, intelligent, etc. The graphics aren't very good, but it doesn't matter.
Gameplay: 5/5
Graphics: 2/5
Overrall: 5/5
A review by Dale White.
Rating:  -
This game is sooo cool! Everytime you destroy man in green suit you get bunny!
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