Joystiq impressions: Tomb Raider Underworld

Inspiration seems to be cyclical in the games industry. Well, at least in the case of Tomb Raider Underworld. Many of the improvements we saw in the latest preview of the upcoming Lara Croft adventure seem to come directly from last year's Tomb Raider-inspired Uncharted. Considering the wide accolades Naughty Dog's title received, that's certainly not a bad thing.

There are a lot of elements which make us think back to Nathan Drake's quest for treasure. Perhaps it's the environment: the lush jungles of Thailand, with their deserted, decaying ruins reminding us of that other lush, ruin-filled jungle. But there are other similarities to note here, as well. Crystal Dynamics' creative director, Eric Lindstrom, told us that the team was trying to make Lara more human in regards to her abilities. She'll interact with the environment, by pushing foliage out of the way. She'll stumble when she makes large jumps. For the first time, Crystal Dynamics is working with motion capture, to make sure Lara feels a bit more believable.

We've heard this pitch before, no? Lara will be holding off ledges, and she'll look towards the direction of a place she can grab on to. We saw Lara jump from one pillar to another, but before jumping, she reached out her arm towards the next pillar to indicate the potential action. Then we saw her approach a narrow walkway, cautiously, lifting her arms for balance as she crossed. We watched her stumble a bit too, struggling to make her next jump.
%Gallery-32983%

While the new computer-controlled dramatic camera is also taking a page from Uncharted, there are still things that make this game unquestionably Tomb Raider. Lara may be more "human" than before, but she's still a very agile, nimble hero. And while Nathan gets wet, Lara gets dirty. As she runs around the environment, dirt begins to collect on her body. We saw her very-exposed thighs become coated with grime as she explored the jungle. Get her in water, though, and she'll stay dry.

One thing Tomb Raider has always been known for is its puzzle solving. Once again, Crystal Dynamics is crafting some large puzzles that force players to explore the large, non-linear environments for clues. There are multiple routes through levels, encouraging players to feel like true explorers. However, there are a number of tools to use to assist beginner tomb-raiders. The new Sonar map is very cool. By activating it, it emits a pulse that creates a 3D image around Lara's surroundings. With this tool, players can see what's coming up ahead, and they can mark down where they've been. But the range isn't far, meaning players will have to use the device frequently if they want to become perfect cartographers.

There's also two hint systems in place for those that want to take advantage of it. By pausing the game, players can opt for a vague clue that gives a direction players should search for: "I should probably explore the caves around here." If that isn't enough, players can request a more explicit tip: "I need to go to the cave with the bright light, pick up the crank, and put it in the wall." This will let players choose their own paces for the adventure -- those that are in a hurry can simply call up the answer, while others will ignore the system altogether.

Players can also change the overall gameplay experience, thanks to a number of customizable difficulty options. Instead of pre-set difficulties, Tomb Raider Underworld offers adjustable difficulty settings for the game's many facets. For example, players can lower the recovery time in platforming, forcing players to be much more precise in the precarious platforming sections of the game. Or, players can increase the HP of enemies, making them more difficult to take down.

The reception to the gunplay in Tomb Raider has always been mixed, and we don't see that changing in Underworld. It looks and plays like previous Crystal Dynamics-developed iterations of the franchise. Lara runs around, pistols in her hands, and she locks on to enemies. She can fight, John Woo style, as she targets multiple enemies at once. Also taking a page from Uncharted, she can shoot enemies while hanging from a ledge (possible Trophy?). Fans will be glad to hear that Lara still has her "rage" moments, which allow her to pull off a fancy, instant-kill shot. Her acrobatic style of combat is very Hollywood.

It's clear that Crystal Dynamics is hiding a lot of details about Underworld before the game's release. We still don't know much about the story, and we haven't seen much of the game's other promised environments. We do know that she'll be visiting Mexico and the Arctic Sea -- but where else? We're expecting some pretty big surprises when Tomb Raider Underworld ships in November.