Tomb Raider: Underworld (Classics) reviews

This game takes an extreme step up. Lara Croft in this adventure is the best Tomb Raider adventure yet. It's got all new moves which make Lara move more like a normal being. A gripping storyline, Tomb Raider Underworld is a game everyone must play.

Only about half way through the game but have seen enough to make comment. Firstly this is the most graphically superior of all the Tomb Raiders. The environments are lush and look very realistic. Lara herself looks stunning and her movement is far more natural and fluid. Just check out how she runs up and down stairs. Loads of new moves and gadgets added and the ability to choose your weapons before each level gives you a greater say in how your success might pan out. Great storyline and quality puzzles make this a top notch title. The only thing that stops this being a 5 star title is the combat which is a bit lame. If you like Tomb Raider you will love this.

Tomb Raider Underworld is a great game to play. Although the story seems to get a bit repetitive and the aim remains the same, the game play and the graphics (Which have won a Guinness world record) make it a very enjoyable game.

Wow, excellent graphics, big worlds, long storyline, obvious climbable walls.

Just as good as the original game combat system is takes some getting use to but all in all a great game look forward to the next installment.

The first lady of gaming returns in Tomb Raider – Underworld with her deepest and darkest adventure yet. Ostensibly searching for the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, the real draw of the game is exploring the underworlds of multiple different cultures. A pair of panthers make an uncomfortable safety net When you're a tomb raider, exploring ancient tombs is all in a day's work Lara's pistols are no match for the kraken The Mediterranean level includes a huge area for swimming

The basics of the game are classic Tomb Raider, as you explore the trap-filled interiors of ancient ruins using Lara's famed acrobatic skills (and dual action pistols). From an underwater temple guarded by a giant octopus-like kraken to ancient Mayan structures in the South American jungle, she makes Indiana Jones look even older. All of the levels are much larger than in previous games and far more interactive. You'll leave footprints in the sand and find all the scenery fully destructable. Every puzzle has multiple solutions, and the hand-to-hand combat system has been completely revamped. A new 3D map system also helps to ensure you never get lost so that you can concentrate on saving the world.

Key Features

* Dream vacation: Travel the world in search of ancient artefacts, from the steaming-hot jungles of Mexico to the frozen Arctic, from the coast of Thailand to the depths of the Mediterranean Sea.
* Think like Lara: An interactive, non-linear game world means anything that it looks like you should be able to pick up and use (or destroy) you can.
* Bettering Bond: An all new grappling hook, sonar map, scuba gear, a range of new weapons, and Lara's trusty motorbike make her the best equipped adventurer in gaming.
* Help on demand: Receive as much or as little help as you want, from gentle nudges in the right direction to a full explanation of what you need to do next.
* Behind the scenes: All of Lara's animations in the game have been fully motion captured from Olympic gymnast Heidi Moneymaker. Her voice is that of Spooks actress Keeley Hawes.

Product Description:

For generations, stories have been told of the fearsome weapon of the Norse god Thor. Legend holds that he who wields the hammer has the power to smash mountains into valleys and the strength to destroy even the gods. For more than a thousand years it has existed only as a myth… Until now.

Designed specifically to take advantage of the latest technologies Tomb Raider: Underworld represents a new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail resulting in breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates a truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.

Features:

* Reach new heights with the broadest range of acrobatic abilities and utilise objects within the environment to uncover new paths to explore
* Discover ancient mysteries of the underworld hidden within the coast of Thailand, frozen islands of the Arctic Sea, the jungles of Mexico, and more
* Lara's skill-set has been drastically expanded to incorporate actions you would expect of a fearless, athletic adventurer. Lara now performs 1700 moves and is a far more intuitive character to control
* Each level is an elaborate multi-stage puzzle masked within an interactive environmental playground offering more flexibility over how the area is solved
* Choose to pacify or kill, target multiple enemies at once with the new dual-target system, and shoot with one hand while suspended with the other

Lara's upgraded inventory includes:

* Sonar Map – A revolutionary new tool that emits an active sonar ping to create a 3D image of Lara's surrou­ndings, perfect for uncovering hidden items and locations
* Multi-Purpose Grapple – A claw-like device with a high-tension cable designed for climbing & grappling.

Wow, so much more visually stunning than the last game. Gameplay is top quality too, Tigers are still the bane of Lara's existence, but everything else is solid. Get this game, it will remind you why Tomb Raider was originally so awesome. It actually feels like an original rather than a copy of the early games with modern tweaks. Choice, glad I added this to my collection.

It's great to know that the classic tomb raider is still being used with new puzzles and new tricks. Great game.

Being a big fan of the original Tomb Raider I've been looking for a return to the feeling of that first game; a lot of exploration with only a little of the admittedly not-so-good combat the series has always suffered from.

“Underworld” delivers.

Whilst it does have some frustratingly repetitive combat sections in the last quarter of the game, it also features a lot of interesting, fluid exploration gameplay set in quite frankly beautiful settings.

The plot isn't anything to write home about, and whilst it tries to tie both “Legend” and “Anniversary” together, it never really works. It's just an excuse to visit various ruins around the globe, and because the jumping and climbing works, you don't really mind.

Well, not entirely. The camera is a little wonky at times and Lara will occasionally not jump in the direction you want her too, usually leading to her demise. Still, the problems are infrequent enough to make it a minor annoyance rather than a major problem.

My favourite part of the game; no more of those annoying boss fights from the last two games.

As we all know, Lara Croft made a huge splash back in the mid-90s on the original Sony Playstation. She was kick ass, explored exotic locations, and uncovered the worlds most deepest secrets. In essence, she was a playable Indiana Jones. Subsequent games have deviated from a female Indy to a warrior woman Arnie, terminating anything and everything with her trademark dual pistols. Thankfully, she's back in original form with a brand new chapter in the Tomb Raider saga.

The game picks up where Tomb Raider: Legend, left off. “Underworld” eschews most of the lore established in the other Tomb Raider sequels, however it relies on your encounter with “Legend” and the game's original story which also be found in the Tomb Raider: Anniversary remake.

If you're familiar with Tomb Raider, you know what to expect from the it game-play wise. A lot of platforming is involved: shimmying across ledges, jumping from pillar to pillar, and navigating around booby traps. There's also a fair bit of puzzle solving those pesky ancients always seem to confound our heroine with. There's also some light combat which sees you fight anything from mercenaries to Sumatran tigers.

Essentially, this is old-school Tomb Raider at its best, which will provide a change of pace from anyone overwhelmed with all the shooting games this generation. With beautiful graphics, exotic vistas, and a worldwide mystery to unfold (play this before 2012!), Tomb Raider will take you on your armchair O.E with a story even Dan Brown would find intriguing.