Review: Tomb Raider Anniversary

TonyDaytona

75%

With a crappy list of new releases, we eventually settled on reviewing TRA. I never played the original TR, but like any guy born in the last three decades, I know what Lara Croft looks like. I hate action games involving puzzles, but anytime I can stare at a nice set of hooters for a few hours I’m a bit more willing to play along.
   Whenever the devs create a heroine with Double-D tits, it’s obvious they understand smut sells. Just don’t give me this bullshit about Lara being a “revolutionary heroine,” since we all know she’s just big-titted eye candy. Regardless of her chiropractor-seeking rack, Lara manages to leap, climb, and swing her way across the world’s most exotic locations.
   Lara explores the ancient ruins of Peru, Greece, and Egypt, while attempting to thwart the plans of her nemesis, Jacqueline “C-Cups” Natla. The graphics aren’t next-gen, but the environments are huge and detailed. The 3rd person interface works fairly well for the acrobatics and combat, but no amount of virtual hooters can make me enjoy puzzles.
   Overall, I appreciated the game, but I just don’t get the “T” for “Teen” rating. I was hoping the anniversary edition would take into account that any 13 year-old that played the original game (released in 1996) was now old enough for the “Adult” version. I would’ve rated the game a few points higher if Lara Croft went dominatrix on Jacqueline (I’m sure Lara has a strap-on somewhere in her travel pack…). Anyway, there’s always hope someone will write a “lezbo mod” for the PC.

EuroTrash

89%

Like most fans of Tomb Raider (TR), I can’t believe ten years have passed since Lara first started her adventures. I’ve played many editions of TR, including TR2, TR3, TRC, and TRL, but I found TRA the most rewarding. It’s rare when a remake is able to deliver anything beyond a few hollow memories. However, TRA is able to capture all of the magic of the original adventure, make it more expansive, and at the same time more accessible.
   I was concerned most of the game would be more recycled than rejuvenated, but Crystal Dynamics breathed fresh life into the game. The story recalls the original adventure of Lara to recover the Scion of Atlantis, but through larger maps, richer graphics and more detailed settings, TRA rewards both old players and new.
   TR is known more for its challenging scenarios, amazing scenery, and engaging plot. The latest edition manages to recapture the same magic and deliver a superior experience. The puzzles are unique, with brief moments of nostalgia, while the acrobatics bring added depth without feeling repetitive. Add in Lara’s new adrenalin dodge (ability to slow down combat sequences) and even the gun fights feel more exciting than the original.
   In summary, TRA is not a next-gen graphical experience, but anyone who enjoys a well produced adventure shouldn’t miss this anniversary party.

Tzo

80%

This was an interesting situation because on one extreme we had Euro (Lara’s #1 Fan) and on the other side we had TonyD (noob that loves boobs). As for me, I played the original TR and TR2, but somewhere along the way I just put the franchise behind me. The later versions appeared to only offer marginal improvements to the graphics and stale extensions of the original storyline. However, I did hear some kind words spoken about TRL and I was interested to see what TRA had to offer.
   The primary story remains unchanged, but the adventure now spans larger and more elaborate levels. The puzzles are simplistic at times and make you question if they were designed to annoy, rather than challenge. Yet, the puzzles don’t detract from the raiding.
   The graphics are hardly going to make the latest video-cards break a sweat and you won’t find yourself gasping in awe over the effects. However, exploration is still the name of the game and the extremely fluid animations help overcome the more annoying sections.
   I couldn’t believe it, but I was genuinely surprised by the overall quality of TRA. Perhaps it was the “Zero Expectations” factor, but Crystal Dynamics actually delivered a compelling game that was only limited by its short game play (12-15 hrs) and thin storyline. If TRA added a deeper plot and expanded the adventure by another 15 hours, the game could’ve been the surprise hit of the year. I hope Eidos realizes the experiment was a fair success and gives Crystal Dynamics the green-light to make another, more ambitious, TR game.