DS #2980: Tomb Raider Underworld (USA)

[T-hug]

^^ndsrelease-4033^^

 

[shakirmoledina]

haha is this good or some simple badly emulated game... i hope the former

 

[Metal Overlord]

Is this game any good? If not then I'm going to continue playing Chrono Trigger.

 

[Covarr]

I can't find any videos of the DS version, but it appears to be in sidescrolling 2D. I imagine it's a crappy platformer.

edit: I'll acquire it and tell you guys what I think.

 

[GeekyGuy]

So far, this is a much, much better game than the last DS Tomb Raider. I actually got some enjoyment from the last game, but it had so many issues; many were collision issues, which is especially bad when the mechanics rely so heavily on collision detection. This feels more like a Tomb Raider game. They trimmed the fat, and I'm really diggin' it.

But man, a nice handful of promising games just dumped. Next summer we'll all be moaning and groaning about a drought, but right now it's an all-you-can-eat buffet.

 

[silent sniper]

Hmm..... I may try out

 

[Fusion]

Screenshots?

Thanks goes out to 411mania.com for the screenies

 

[Covarr]

Lots of climbing and swinging. It's kind of like the original Prince of Persia, except with imprecise controls, lousy gunplay, broken combat, and really slow pacing.

I almost would have recommended it until I got to the combat portion. It really ruins the game it's so bad.

 

[lilkerv90210]

overall is this worth it

 

[Austinz]

I reccomend this game for sure, really good, ive only beat the first 2 levels but its been pretty good, 8.5 out of 10 at the moment, and i didnt think id like a side scrolling tomb raider game

 

[joghuj]

Just a few observations from this thread. I'm having a bad day and feeling a bit grumpy so need to vent my frustration somewhere.

Quote "haha is this good or some simple badly emulated game... i hope the former"

Not sure why that would be funny, and not sure how that helps me form any opinion?


Quote "Is this game any good? If not then I'm going to continue playing Chrono Trigger."

Err, thanks for that. Nice to know you'll be happy.


Quote "Hmm..... I may try out :-)"

Yep, that is really informative. Glad to know you may try it out.


Quote "overall is this worth it"

Do you mean worth buying or downloading? Slightly different answer depending on what you mean.

Is it just me or has the world gone illiterate? I think the theory of evolution is reversing sometimes...
At least 'irpacynot' managed to string a useful post together that's worth reading.

 

[Porkdish]

They got her gams, belly and tits in frame on the box art but not her head? Just the important bits eidos?

 

[dib]

I think they did a pretty good job with this game. It's a step up from the last one, and the closest we've seen to porting the gameplay of the greater console+PC games.

The production values are pretty spot on. If you've played Legend or any of the follow ups, then this is very familiar. All her moves down to the one-handed ledge saves and hand stands are present.

The physics are also very reminiscent of Legend, so at least despite its flaws it does _feel_ much like Tomb Raider in that respect.

But it's still confined to platformer esque two dimensions, so will never capture the sense of adventure present in the proper game. And while combat is functional and not nearly as broken as claimed, shooting just doesn't work in 2D. It's like trying to put that fanboy Halo Zero next to the Bungie series from which it was derived. Therefore, despite all their best efforts these handheld games will _always_ be perceived as lesser knockoffs, and rightly so.

The camera can sometimes feel too confined, which is a problem that the 3D games suffered as well. Sometimes you'll find a certain ledge where you're not quite certain if you're supposed to go up or left or drop, even after panning, which results in a leap of faith and probably a subsequent do over. But also like the 3D games, checkpoints are generous so you won't have to traverse too much of the familiar.

There's also the token touch screen treatment that we've come to expect in nearly every game of every genre on the DS, to the point where it becomes mildly insulting. When you have the pedestrian task of moving around these three disks to unlock a door, you're likely to wonder to yourself if they fancy you a second grader.

The other thing that jumped to mind is just how short are the levels. So perhaps they hold the distinction of actually understanding that they were developing for a handheld, which is nice to see when some games don't even offer quick saves. But on the other hand, it makes me wary of how long this game can really be, and what we're probably missing compared to the proper game. If played out to end, I'm wondering if I will feel like I just played a sampler rather than a stand alone title warranting a standard price tag.

So overall, I would rate this high for succeeding in production and gameplay within itself, but lower for the fact that they're still not offering us a handheld version of the actual Tomb Raider experience with the fully featured adventure and level designs. I would much rather see them ditch the textures, complex lighting, etc. and just scale down the same game that Xbox and Playstation owners get to enjoy, than continuing the tradition of handheld games which are similar in name only and inferior in all other qualities.

 

[GeekyGuy]

Lots of climbing and swinging. It's kind of like the original Prince of Persia, except with imprecise controls, lousy gunplay, broken combat, and really slow pacing.

I almost would have recommended it until I got to the combat portion. It really ruins the game it's so bad.

Not for me, and I don't think it's bad. It is what it is. Tomb Raider is more about the PoP-like acrobatic puzzles than combat, but they did a pretty good job I think. It's neat to be able to shoot whilst doing one of those back flips she does when evading enemies. The lock-on feature works, and hit detection seems fine.

Anyway, it's a pretty damn solid game so far. They definitely did a much better job with the game's presentation this time around. I'd rather see some beautiful but canned CGI that fits alongside the gameplay than buggy, in-game cutscenes like the last game. The story still doesn't make any sense to me, but it's sure easy on the eyes.

They made her movement more fluid this time around, but it's still not perfect. That's one of the few things, so far, I'm noticing I hope is improved next time around.

 

[concealed identi]

Wow, I am surprised at how good this game is. With the exception of the first DS game (for about 5 minutes), I haven't played a Tomb Raider game since Tomb Raider 2, but I'm loving this (even though I don't have a damn clue what's going on with the plot).

I have a feeling this game is really short. I'm sure it'll get harder, but I'm 18% through the game after playing for an hour...that worries me a little.

 

[megabug7]

Levels are pretty short.
Lots of instant deaths, due to not being able to see much around Lara.
No boss fights yet - I've reached the forest.

I don't like the combat either.

You cannot jump over low creatures - only back flip. The auto targetting leaves a lot to be desired.
Levels take two stages to load - first load is for the mission objective - second is for the level.

CGI cutscenes are blocky and the sound is terrible.
I'm getting the console version tomorrow - which will hopefully be ALOT better than this.

Score: Passes the time.

 

[ZiZoOo#DS-man]

NON!!!!!!!
I prefer it in the console
like WII