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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%
Tomb Raider: Underworld heads underwater (underneath this headline)
Despite having her franchise rebooted a la Batman Begins, it saddens us to see acrobatic archeologist Lara Croft give in to her old, animal-killing habits. Sure, there's a modicum of guilty pleasure to be derived from watching her kick tigers in the face, but the above shark-slaying video simply lacks ... finesse. If watching the lithe leading lady go all Richard Dreyfuss on the wonders of the deep is something you find upsetting, we'd advise you to skip to the video after the break, where she runs around Mexico sticking poles in holes.Oh, don't even start. Tomb Raider: Underworld is out on November 18th.
New Tomb Raider: Underworld vids reveal new moves for Lara
A pair of new Tomb Raider: Underworld trailers have been released, and we'd like to direct your attention to the one above in particular. There are a number of new gameplay elements seen here. For instance, Lara picks up a bar and inserts it into the wall where she can then swing on top of it to reach new heights. Others skills featured in the video include wall jumping, balance beam walking and, our personal favorite, wall climbing a la Assassin's Creed. We'd like to point out that all of these moves are superbly animated.The second video, embedded after the break, features Lara's new and improved swimming abilities. It also features her blowing up a shark with a sticky bomb, a practice we're not sure we wholly endorse. Doesn't she have any Shark Repellent Bat Spray or something?
Tomb Raider devs talk story, locales
While most of the in-game footage of environments from Tomb Raider: Underworld that is shown in the video above was taken from the other, non-Wii systems, it's still a great look at how the developers recreated the wonderful real-world locations we'll no doubt be traversing when the game releases, as well as Underworld's story. When Tomb Raider: Legend released, it brought an actual half-decent story to the franchise and ever since we've finished that game, we've been waiting to see how all of this pans out. Apparently, Underworld will involve a god and Thor's hammer.Check it out above, as it shows all of the hard work developer Crystal Dynamics has put into the game. Excited? We are.
Myth understood: Tomb Raider devs on Underworld's story
Ever since Tomb Raider: Legend plumped up the character of Lara Croft -- narratively speaking -- and sent her gallivanting across the globe in a quest for vengeance and maternal closure, we've been dying to see what lies on the other side of the cliff the franchise reboot left us hanging from. According to a new behind-the-scenes video for Tomb Raider: Underworld, we can expect to encounter a god in need of a good pounding from Thor's hammer. Though brief, the clip delves into the franchise's ever-sprawling mythology, as well as the research trips developer Crystal Dynamics underwent to capture the look and feel of Cambodia and Mexico. The informative voices you'll hear belong to creative director Eric Lindstrom and cinematics director Toby Gard -- the latter of which shouldn't be confused with the cinematic director, who barks orders through a megaphone whilst leaping from exploding helicopters.%Gallery-15158%
Video: the story behind Tomb Raider: Underworld
So, we've all seen Lara Croft running and jumping and kicking her way through Thailand (and swimming in the deep blue sea) in her latest adventure, Tomb Raider: Underworld, but why? What is she searching for? It turns out that she's looking for Thor's hammer. In the video above, creative director Eric Lindstrom explains that Norse mythology is the underlying thread of the game. Exactly how Norse mythology applies to Lara's journey into Thailand and South America, Crystal Dynamics isn't saying, but it certainly sounds intriguing. It doesn't hurt that it looks great either. Here's hoping it all comes together.
Tomb Raider: Underworld lets you kick tigers right in the face
The renowned adventurer and acrobatic grave robber, Lara Croft, finds her lithe self on the wrong side of a PETA protest yet again in November's Tomb Raider: Underworld. Though her abhorrent antics, which include mowing down exotic panthers and posing akimbo on the perforated corpses of fuzzy bears, have been widely witnessed before, these latest anti-animal maneuvers still leave our jaws agape. Or dislocated, if you're a marauding tiger who's just been introduced to the leg-end of Lara Croft.
Video: Lara Croft kicks tiger in face, lives
Well good lord. Tomb Raider: Underworld is looking better and better all the time. In this latest video, we see Lara doing her usual acrobatic thing -- check out her spinning on top of a pole and then leaping off: epic -- when suddenly ... OMG TIGER ATTACK! It's no trouble for Lara though as she proceeds to kick the tigers -- in the face -- multiple times. Honestly, there's nothing else we can say about this video. We tried coming up with something, but words fail us. She kicks ... a tiger ... in the face. Seriously, eeny, meeny, miny moe, kick a tiger in the face. Watch it.
New Tomb Raider: Underworld footage is Thai-tastic
We're so jealous of Lara Croft. Not for her frequent adventures, or her physical fitness, or her swanky pad, or even her loyal manservant -- with the lifestyle and wages of a professional video game blogger, all of those things become readily available. There's one aspect of her life we still manage to covet, however -- her international travels. Sure, we occasionally get to head to the west coast, or Germany, but in her latest title, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Ms. Croft manages to hit up Mexico, the Arctic Sea, and in the above video, the lush jungles of Thailand.The sneak preview features some excellent shots of the second level of Underworld, not to mention a fantastic look at Lara's beautiful ... platforming animation. Considering the unlikelihood of the Thailand Video Game Expo ever existing, we regret to admit that it's probably the closest we'll ever come to The Land of Smiles.
Video: Lara Croft leaps and swings through Thailand
Tomb Raider: Underworld just keeps getting better every time we see it. The latest video of Lara Croft's latest adventure is all about her acrobatic skills. Let's say they look pretty damned nice. From climbing to shimmying to swinging, everything looks nice and smooth. At one point it looks like Lara even swings over a pole and proceeds to perch herself on top of it. We have to add that it's all super speedy too. That's a good thing because no one likes to watch their character spend 30 seconds climbing a 10-foot rope. Also worth noting is the lush greenery, so lush in fact that Lara has to brush it away from her face as she runs through it. Why are you still reading this? Watch the video!
Tomb Raider: Underworld vs. Legend
Click for more comparison shots Lara Croft's latest handheld adventure looks, well, dark. Not necessarily in tone, but in color. As in, it's sometimes difficult to make out just what the hell is going on. If it's brown, does that make it next-gen? What's it mean if it's blurry?Does Tomb Raider: Underworld look better than the DS's last tomb raiding experience? The backgrounds have a little more definition, but that leads to the murky quality in the screens. In our gallery below, not only do we have screenshots from the new game, we've also put together a few comparison pieces for your perusal. Which one looks better? Of course, as long as Tomb Raider: Underworld is playable, it will probably trump the DS version of Legend.%Gallery-30018%
Lara tackles Thailand in new Tomb Raider: Underworld trailer
The new flesh-and-blood Lara? Pretty. Cool. But it's the texture-and-polygon one in Tomb Raider: Underworld – the proper, next-gen sequel to the series-reviving Tomb Raider: Legend – that we're really excited about. This first full gameplay trailer for Underworld is a jaw-dropper, showcasing ruins in a new locale (Thailand) and offering quick glimpses of action in other parts of the world (and underworld). We're pretty sure we see the first location from the game to be revealed – rain-drenched Mayan ruins – and a tease at a return of the nefarious bad-girl, Natla, from Tomb Raider: Anniversary in there. Also: giant spiders, giant octopus, and giant statues of Norse Gods, the mythology of which (Thor's hammer, in particular) factors heavily in the game's plot as Lara continues her quest to find Avalon.To coincide with the video reveal of Tomb Raider: Underworld's Thai locale, Eidos has released a new batch of screens showcasing the level's sheer jungle-y, ruin-y, tiger-y splendor. Check them out in our updated gallery below.%Gallery-15158%
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Tomb Raider: Underworld
click to embiggen The room is stuffed with a handful of game journalists. It's dark. Drifting from the (very nice) speaker system are the sounds of ocean waves lapping against a boat. On screen, Lara Croft stands on the wooden deck wearing scuba gear. Thrifty girl that she is, it looks like Lara didn't want to spring for a wetsuit with legs in it. Apparently not worried by the deep cold of the ocean, she dives into the water. It's time for me to play Tomb Raider Underworld. %Gallery-28391%
Tomb Raider: Underworld E3 trailer blows our minds in reverse
Based off of our explorations of the Croft manor in previous Tomb Raider installments, we can say with absolute certainty that Lara Croft has a pretty sweet pad. Or, rather, had a sweet pad -- in the latest E3 trailer for Eidos and Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider: Underworld, the titular adventurer, now sans hot pants, apparently lays waste to her extravagant dwelling. The two-minute, gameplay-less trailer is visually impressive, though our minds are racing with questions surrounding the top-heavy historian's act of residential sabotage. Is she trying to collect on her homeowner's insurance? Is she attempting to quash a rather formidable termite infestation? Perhaps she's trying to earn a visit from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? We'll be finding out when Underworld explodes onto store shelves November 18.
Lara Croft to visit the Norse underworld this November
With Tomb Raider: Underworld set to be among the quartet of titles to be shown by Eidos during next month's E3, the publisher has launched the game's official website, simultaneously slapping a November release date on Lara Croft's latest trip underground for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PS2 and PC. In addition to offering a narrowed release window, Eidos also shed a few details on the busty heroine's "exploration-based" escapade, revealing in a statement that the game will see Ms. Croft seeking "the secrets of the Norse underworld and a forgotten power." This immediatly makes us think that she'll be hunting down Thor's hammer, because really, who needs guns when you're packing Mjolnir?
Joystiq interview: Crystal Dynamics' Lindstrom talks Tomb Raider: Underworld
There are not many developers who can boast having given rise to both a vampiric anti-hero and an anthropomorphic lizard, but over the last three years San Francisco-based developer Crystal Dynamics has become more well known as the studio that single-handedly breathed new life into the dying franchise that was Tomb Raider and its top-heavy icon Lara Croft. 2006's Tomb Raider: Legend took the series that Core Design had unceremoniously driven into the ground and reminded us all why we fell in love with the franchise a decade prior. And for those still left unconvinced, Crystal Dynamics revisited the 1996 original a year later with Tomb Raider: Anniversary, demonstrating that anything Core could do, they could do better. Now the studio is at it again, this time taking Lara Croft on a new adventure in Tomb Raider: Underworld. Currently in development for multiple platforms, the game marks the eighth outing for the series, and while the game was recently pushed out from its previously expected third quarter 2008 release until the following quarter, creative director Eric Lindstrom told us that when it comes to this project -- "quality" is the team's ultimate deadline. We recently spoke with Lindstrom on the game, and he opened up to us about the project, how he feels it measures up to Naughty Dog's Uncharted, and why he finds next-gen development troubling. Hit the jump for the complete interview. %Gallery-15158%
Tomb Raider Underworld: death defying screens
We've scanned through these new Tomb Raider Underworld screens several times to no avail. Try as we might, we can't find a single example of the game's hyper-realistic footprint physics. While we're disappointed, we suppose we'll have to make do with Lady Lara doing boring things like walking down a thin stone beam as jaguars slaver below. You know, everyday stuff. Still, we take solace in the fact that the game is apparently shaping up quite nicely, so we'll save our judgments for later. For now, we're happy to see she hasn't lost her penchant for raiding. Check out the new screens in the gallery below.%Gallery-15179%
IGN takes a look at Tomb Raider Underworld
Lady Croft may be the first true comeback kid in gaming with a return to form in recent years in Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider Anniversary. IGN got its hands on a demo of Lara's latest adventure in Tomb Raider Underworld and it appears the series will continue its upward trend. A pre-alpha build of Underworld showed enemy AI actually going for cover and using squad tactics instead of just suicidally staying in the open to get picked off (which doesn't sound like much, but it's revolutionary for the series). Lara has also been given new melee abilities, including the use of a pole to whack jaguars and send them scampering. Not riddling creatures with bullets should make the animal rights people happy. Check it out and prepare yourself for the inevitable question, "Who is the cooler tomb raider? Ms. Lara Croft or Mr. Nathan Drake?"
SCi pulls out of buyout talks, stock plunges following Tomb Raider delay
Eidos owner SCi has been on the hunt for a potential suitor for some time, reportedly having batted its eyelashes at everyone from Midway and Vivendi to Time Warner and even some mysterious outfit in China, with none showing enough interest to sign their name across the dotted line. However, after having been given the cold shoulder by Ubisoft last October, the British firm has finally gotten the hint and moved on, stating that it had not received any formal offers within the requested timeframe.What this means to you and I is that it may be some time before we see another major release branded with the Eidos logo, as SCi confirmed that it has pushed out the recently revealed Tomb Raider: Underworld until the fourth quarter of 2008, along with three other unspecified titles. The company also announced plans to bring Lara Croft's latest escapade to the DS, Wii and PS2, in addition to the previously known versions for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.Way to be strong, SCi, but you might not want to look at your stock this morning. Following the firm's decision to go it alone, SCi's stock hit "rock bottom," and according to a new Bloomberg report, suffered its biggest plummet in more than 18 years, falling some 61 percent after SCi admitted that the aforementioned delays will likely result in an operating loss for 2008 and that the company may need to look to outside parties for the money to stay afloat. Of course, with SCi's share price now swimming with the fishes, we wouldn't be too surprised if another company now swooped in and bought up SCi and its properties at bargain basement prices. You hear that EA? Someone is singing your song.
Tomb Raider dev: PSN less constraining than Xbox Live
Crystal Dynamic's Riley Cooper, the company overseeing Lara Croft lately, believes the PlayStation Network will offer more flexibility than Xbox Live for delivering content in the future. Cooper says that, for developers, the PSN service is better to bypass retail because of the constraints Microsoft has placed on their service.Cooper is basically talking about Xbox Live Marketplace's size restrictions more than the service. He believes console games being sold online is inevitable and the gates are slowly opening for that to happen in various channels. While he's right that digital distribution is going to keep getting better, we still want to see some additional savings for consumers if we're not getting boxes, manuals, and all the other incidentals. We had the cost-reduction dream for advertising in games too, but ad-heavy and no-ad games are still the same price.
