Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider is a game of trail and error. The game features unique puzzles and traps.There are even some traps the cannot be foreseen in which the player will need to player need to replay the area again.  The PC version allow players to save at anytime while the Playstation version used fixated save point. This can really hinder the player experience has they may have replay the certain part over again. Thankfully, save points are plentiful until the last two stages of the game so players can use strategy to their game play experience. 

There is an  issue with the hit detection. At first the hit detection may seem up to snuff, but there have been point where the hit detection was questionable. For example, there was one point where a boulder somehow hit me result death despite I escaped onto a platform. I assume I was still to close to the boulder due to poor hit detection. There was also section in which I dodged a flow of lava but I still somehow hit it probably because the hit box was wider than it should be. Tomb Raider other many weird detection such as grabbing onto a Sphinx face though I know I was obviously not suppose to but I was just messing around at that time. These are the kind of glitches I appreciate due to their humorous nature but I do not really care glitches when I am just playing through the game casually.

The controls for what they were at the time are responsive for most part. There does seem to be a delay with the jumping command especially when sliding down slopes. While combat controls feels ages, they work, however, the games design works against the combat. The combat controls work better in large open areas for player to jump and move around such the Lost Valley with dinosaurs but late in the game, there are many small areas such as corridors and platform in which the controls clearly does not work with. You might find yourself stuck between a wall and an enemy thus the player will have to take a moment to turn Lara in the right direction.  Enemies on small platform could easily knock Croft off thus forcing players to climb up again. Sure, players could shoot enemies at a far distance where enemies have no means of defense but there no fun in that.  It is not so much the controls have aged, but rather that the level design worked against the control. Don't get me wrong, when it comes puzzles and traps, the level design is brilliant but not so much for the combat.

While I have harshly criticized Tomb Raider thus far, the choice of enemies is excellent. The enemies selected for this game definitely represent what an adventure game should fell like. From wolves to lion and dinosaurs to demons, I do feel that I am experiencing an adventure, not just some shoot'em up action title like Tomb Raider: Legend was. Unfortunately, there are still some issue...some the enemies feel like clones of another, specifically the lion which act like they were just meant to replace the wolves  just for the sake of the setting.  Another issue is that sometimes you can find enemies that you are not suppose to encounter until a certain event so as a result, they just stand there locked in place waiting to be trigger. That really takes out the surprise of the game as I know where going to be coming from. Though, on the other hand, it create tension depending on the difficulty of enemies. Personally, I rather not be shown what is to come. 

Lara Croft Battles A T-Rex

Tomb Raider very pix-elated to the point that certainly objects should be better rounded but they come pointy. This is very noticeable with certain body parts of Croft...you know which ones. Some the graphics have issues blending into one another, specifically with their colors. You could miss out on a medipack or mistake a background element as a landing platform because they are camouflaged in the environment. Future games from Crystal Dynamics fixed this issue using a blinking element in which an item would have a blinking shine. Graphically, Tomb Raider has not aged well.

At all ends, Tomb Raider was a very ambitious attempt at game creation but fails to delivers in combat and expectations. It does average job graphically, but it aged really poorly. It does however succeed at what Tomb Raider should be, an immersive adventure which most adventure games; even future installments of Tomb Raider, fail to do.  If you are looking for a solid adventure...well, to be honest; there is no reason to play Tomb Raider except for the puzzles and deathtraps. I suggest picking Tomb Raider Anniversary. It does everything right of what the original Tomb Raider did not, though with one exception.....quick-time event, but I am getting ahead of myself. Anniversary is for another review.