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Official Tomb Raider: Anniversary Thread

Got the demo for PC.

To be honest it looks a lot like Legends. Im not sure why but I was expecting a revamped Tomb Raider.
 
Hum, is it just me or did they remove the "Next Gen" option completely? Tried looking around in the registry keys but found nothing.

I also wish there was a way to disable that cheap motion blur effect.
 
Metalmurphy said:
Hum, is it just me or did they remove the "Next Gen" option completely? Tried looking around in the registry keys but found nothing.

I also wish there was a way to disable that cheap motion blur effect.
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There is no next gen in the PC version.
 
gimz said:
wait, so how does 360 control work with PC games?
please fill me in
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If it's a wired controller, you simply plug it in. If you use a wireless controller, you have to buy a $20 adapter for that.

There's a small driver download and you're good to go. Most games are going to be pretty much "plug and play" as far as I can tell. You won't have to map functions to buttons or anything like that.
 
Eteric Rice said:
Hrm, I might have to get a wired 360 controller.

Are the cords long?
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Yup. They're very long for a gamepad controller.

I have to say I prefer playing with the keyboard while exploring and then grabbing the controller when I need to fight. I like the quick response of the mouse for looking around the environments. You might want to try that and see if you like it.
 
Xdrive05 said:
Yup. They're very long for a gamepad controller.

I have to say I prefer playing with the keyboard while exploring and then grabbing the controller when I need to fight. I like the quick response of the mouse for looking around the environments. You might want to try that and see if you like it.
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Yeah, might do that. Thanks. :)

Might get a wired controller, because I have some PC games I'd like to play. But I find keyboards to be a pain in the ass with some games (Fable hihihi).
 
For those of you complaining about how it's not so scary because of the "cleanness," be sure to fiddle with the contrast settings in your options menu. I turned the contrast down to 25 and it felt a lot scarier and more real like the original. I agree that it's almost too clean and polished looking to carry the same atmosphere, but cutting done the contrast really, really makes a huge difference IMO. It feels more like you're there and less like you're in a video game than the default cartoony contrast.

Be sure to play around with it at least.
 
People keep asking about a next gen version of it, but keep in mind that this wasn't suppose to be CD's game. It was in development at Core until Eidos decided to can it and switched it to a CD project. CD had already moved onto the follow up to Legend (they just completed their next gen engine called CDC earlier this year) so the team working on this is likely rather small in comparison to the original Legend team which is why all you're getting is current gen graphics engine.
 
Hmm. I just tried Tomb Raider Legends, and I was pleasantly suprised. Its really good. I'll have to get this for the Wii I guess.
 
excellent!

will be picking up the PS2 sku :)

...though I have to ask...whats it looking like as far as the length is concerned?

..please tell me at least 10-12 hours

....none of this 6 hour shit
 
AgentOtaku said:
excellent!

will be picking up the PS2 sku :)

...though I have to ask...whats it looking like as far as the length is concerned?

..please tell me at least 10-12 hours

....none of this 6 hour shit
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Im 7 hours into the game and I just made it to Egypt..although I do try to find secrets..but still it just feels a lot longer than Legends.
 
Ultra said:
Im 7 hours into the game and I just made it to Egypt..although I do try to find secrets..but still it just feels a lot longer than Legends.
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as in each actual mission?

...and how far into the original is Egypt? ...somewhere around the middle no?
 
As fun as the demo was, one thing about the end of it bugs me.

Spoiler for the end of the demo for those who have never played it or the original TR before:

I was disappointed with the way they handled the t-rex at the end. In the original you still have complete control of your character and this giant t-rex just comes rushing around a corner out of the darkness straight for you. I remember that scene scaring the crap out of me when it happened.

Now, the scene is just a real time cut scene with no control over your character at all. I like the other things that are going on in the scene, but I wish they would have left us in control of Lara while it played out to give you a much greater sense of danger.

Despite that, I'll definitely be picking this up for the PC. The original TR is still my favorite TR game and I can't wait to see the differences.
 
nataku said:
As fun as the demo was, one thing about the end of it bugs me.

Spoiler for the end of the demo for those who have never played it or the original TR before:

I was disappointed with the way they handled the t-rex at the end. In the original you still have complete control of your character and this giant t-rex just comes rushing around a corner out of the darkness straight for you. I remember that scene scaring the crap out of me when it happened.

Now, the scene is just a real time cut scene with no control over your character at all. I like the other things that are going on in the scene, but I wish they would have left us in control of Lara while it played out to give you a much greater sense of danger.

Despite that, I'll definitely be picking this up for the PC. The original TR is still my favorite TR game and I can't wait to see the differences.
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I completely agree with your spoiler-tagged comment.
The T-Rex moment was arguably the most memorable in the entire game. The new hands-off cinematic presentation totally ruins the feeling of utter panic present in the original game. I'm really surprised by the dev's decision on this one; it's such a famous moment in gaming that you'd think they'd go out of their way to not mess with it.
 
Any word on how well the PS2 version is running? 30 fps? 60 fps?

After playing the demo (which was great), I actually popped in Angel of Darkness last night and played a bit of it. The game still looks excellent in a lot of ways and there are certainly aspects of the game that I really liked. Heck, while I know there are bugs within, it FEELS really polished.

One thing I actually DO somewhat like is the slower pacing. Each scene feels more important as you really have to work your way through it in a more realistic fashion. The controls aren't BAD, but they aren't great either. The L1 walking function prevents your from falling to your death. Still, there are plenty of moments where you end up doing something you did not intend. Again, the extra thought required to move through the world is actually somewhat appealing at times. The speed at which you move through the two CD games is just a bit TOO quick and really makes it seem as if those complex environments are nothing at all. I remember the Hall of Seasons in AoD having the player climb up through the roof. From first entering the room to finally making your way to the top required a good 20-30 minutes of gameplay. It really made the room feel vast and the player feel as if they were truly climbing through it.

The presentation and atmosphere is actually really killer as well. The music is stunningly good and I actually like the Lara model used in the game.

If they would have smoothed out the controls a bit, managed to avoid loading screens, added a checkpoint system, and polished everything up, it could have been really good. As games, however, there's no question that the latest two games are better overall. It's just that there is a certain quirk to AoD that I really liked and remain disappointed in its unfinished state.
 
Just played through the PC demo. I plugged my sixaxis in and went through it with that. It played very nicely.

Let me just say I think this game will be excellent-- like Legend-- but I don't think it's going to be anything like the original Tomb Raider. The level is completely differently. Well, it has SOME hallmarks of the original level, but it is almost completely changed. I like that.

The atmosphere is totally different. The Lost Caves were dark and freaking scary. The area where the T-Rex barges out is completely enclosed. There's no sky. Here the place is open and lush even.

It's going to be excellent, but it won't be TR1. It's just the spirit of TR1 packed into a new game IMO.

And frankly, nobody wanted TR1 over again at this point anyway. Core's game looked janky as hell. Go Crystal Dynamics.
 
I pretty much agree, but I do miss the freaky atmosphere. I popped in the original for a bit yesterday as well and it actually remains somewhat atmospheric and creepy despite its awful visuals. The new game feels slick and colorful in comparison...which isn't necessarily bad, but I could have gone for a darker feeling in a glossed up format.
 
dark10x said:
I pretty much agree, but I do miss the freaky atmosphere. I popped in the original for a bit yesterday as well and it actually remains somewhat atmospheric and creepy despite its awful visuals. The new game feels slick and colorful in comparison...which isn't necessarily bad, but I could have gone for a darker feeling in a glossed up format.
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I agree. I'd like to play both remakes.

If you give me the option of only playing ONE though, I'm going with Legend style in every case. Besides, this is just one level. Think of King Arthur's tomb.
 
dark10x said:
I remember the Hall of Seasons in AoD having the player climb up through the roof. From first entering the room to finally making your way to the top required a good 20-30 minutes of gameplay. It really made the room feel vast and the player feel as if they were truly climbing through it.
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And in this regard I think AoD was still like the original TR games. If you look at levels like Palace Midas and Colosseum and St. Francis' Folly, you'll see that you had to poke around various parts of the level first just to explore what you might have to do to get through the level. You'd find doors that weren't open or ledges you couldn't access immediately -- and then with some work you'd find the way all the little bits fit together into a coherent sequence of puzzles and keys and doors.

If that's not still in the new TRA (and I can't play it until it comes out or someone puts out a PS2 demo) then they've bloody well missed the point.

Speaking of a demo, is any American magazine carrying a demo on the cover before 6 June? I'd really like to give the game a run on my PS2 ASAP.
 
the demo was great very good job on the remake based on that level alone i pluged in my ps2 control it reconized it perfectly
 
I must say dark10x, for someone who is so overly critical of most games you seem to have a pretty soft spot for Angel of darkness which is, by all accounts, a pretty flawed game. It's really quite surprising.

Did it by any chance run at 120 fps?
 
AgentOtaku said:
did PC version immediately recognize the sixaxis or did you use some drivers?

..if so, may I have a link to them? :)
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You need drivers. And it's often a bit of luck getting them to work.

http://ipvideo.512j.com/bbs/bmb/topic.php?filename=216

jvm said:
And in this regard I think AoD was still like the original TR games. If you look at levels like Palace Midas and Colosseum and St. Francis' Folly, you'll see that you had to poke around various parts of the level first just to explore what you might have to do to get through the level. You'd find doors that weren't open or ledges you couldn't access immediately -- and then with some work you'd find the way all the little bits fit together into a coherent sequence of puzzles and keys and doors.

If that's not still in the new TRA (and I can't play it until it comes out or someone puts out a PS2 demo) then they've bloody well missed the point.

Speaking of a demo, is any American magazine carrying a demo on the cover before 6 June? I'd really like to give the game a run on my PS2 ASAP.
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Watch the developer interviews. They speak exactly on this problem. They're doing some tweaking. They claim they want you to know what to do and realize what you have to do and have the tools to do it, but you might just not have all the pieces put together yet. In that sense, it's very much like the original. The fixed controls should make things pretty straightforward though.
 
jvm said:
And in this regard I think AoD was still like the original TR games. If you look at levels like Palace Midas and Colosseum and St. Francis' Folly, you'll see that you had to poke around various parts of the level first just to explore what you might have to do to get through the level. You'd find doors that weren't open or ledges you couldn't access immediately -- and then with some work you'd find the way all the little bits fit together into a coherent sequence of puzzles and keys and doors.

If that's not still in the new TRA (and I can't play it until it comes out or someone puts out a PS2 demo) then they've bloody well missed the point.

Speaking of a demo, is any American magazine carrying a demo on the cover before 6 June? I'd really like to give the game a run on my PS2 ASAP.
Click to expand...

Well, the first area in the demo features a series of platforms and poles which are in the wrong positions, and you can only head that route once the extra cogs have been put into place, which opens up the next area. So there does seem to be a little of that stuff at least. The demo is pretty easy, though.
 
I picked up Legends the other day (thanks to a gaf recommendation in this thread), and just finished it now.

This being my first Tomb Raider game i have to say it actually surpassed my expectations somewhat. I wanted a good Indiana Jones type game and thats pretty much what i got, although i found the exploring ruins a lot more interesting than wondering through factories and Yakuza headquarters shooting people(Although it wasn't bad). I think this was an underrated game, it had some really nice level designs and neat platforming aspects.

I'm hoping this Anniversary game will have more of a focus on the ruins aspect. I'll be sure to pick it up now :).
 
For those who think the remake is too bright and not eerie enough, mess around with the contrast and brightness settings. I'm not being facetious. It works. I lowered the contrast to 25 and it felt a lot more like the original game.

As for the Lost Valley, it was always supposed to be outdoors. But the PS1 (and original engine) could not render very far and everything outside of that was black. So it gave the impression of being in a cave just because of the limitations (no sky). That much is clear. But you're right about the t-rex. Would have been better to make you face him without a stupid cut scene first.
 
trejo said:
I must say dark10x, for someone who is so overly critical of most games you seem to have a pretty soft spot for Angel of darkness which is, by all accounts, a pretty flawed game. It's really quite surprising.

Did it by any chance run at 120 fps?
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Oh, I'm aware of that. It's a VERY flawed game. We all have those games, right? You know, the games that really aren't very good yet we still manage to enjoy. I dunno, it just did a lot of things that I liked.

The atmosphere was great, the concepts were solid, the visuals were excellent (and 60 fps), the music was incredible, and the game was interesting throughout. Unfortunately, it just wasn't properly finished. While it actually feels pretty polished on the surface, there are plenty of serious flaws present in the game. It is not a game I would recommend to most people, really. I believe I enjoyed it for the same reason that I enjoyed Primal.
 
dark10x said:
The atmosphere was great, the concepts were solid, the visuals were excellent (and 60 fps.....
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Who to believe?

From IGN Review of TR: AOD "Too bad the framerate drops at seemingly at random from 30 to 20 FPS with only one person on screen."
 
speculawyer said:
Do what I'll probably do . . . get the Xbox 360™ Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows® (already got one, it is only $19.99) and play it on a PC with the 360 controller.
boxpcWirelessAdapter.jpg
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Absolute best choice for PC gaming with a controller. I don't want to screw with cords EVER AGAIN.
 
Bearillusion said:
Who to believe?

From IGN Review of TR: AOD "Too bad the framerate drops at seemingly at random from 30 to 20 FPS with only one person on screen."
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There are bits here and there when the framerate drops to 30 fps (and since the game is field rendered, it runs at half speed). IGN is terrible at detecting framerate drops as most games use frame skipping and they fail to notice issues, but in a situation like this, slowdown becomes VERY obvious. It does not occur all that often, however, but it is obvious.

It NEVER drops to 20 fps, though.
 
szaromir said:
Good for them.
Not being a framerate whore is a blessing. :)
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...unless you are being PAID to review games.

I really dislike the fact that there are essentially no professional reviewers capable of accurately assessing framerate in their reviews. A single sentence would suffice, but no, they fail to deliver even that.

I understand that few people are as picky as I am in this regard, but I see no reason why it should be completely ignored. If you spot framerate troubles, it should be noted properly.
 
Eurogamer now has a review up for Tomb Raider Anniversary: http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=77163&page=2

Score:
9/10

From the review:

So, if you've just skipped to the end, or maybe haven't quite got the gist yet, we rather loved Tomb Raider Anniversary for giving us so few things to dislike about it. It takes the inspirational level design of the original, improves upon the atmosphere, and makes the whole thing so much more fun thanks to the hugely refined control and camera system. Far from being a tired, cynical cash-in exercise of a brand past its prime, Tomb Raider Anniversary goes back to its roots and shows how remakes should be done. As such, it has ended up being one of the stand-out games of the year so far, and also one of Eidos' best ever. It's a must buy for any Lara fan, simple as that.
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Brings back some good memories ^^


So far i'm loving it although some levels suffer the same level design problems as the original TR1 :p I must have died over 100 on this level:
Comp2.jpg

And every time i did i had to climb up everything again :p

Apart from that its great, sound track is amazing, the game is definitely longer then Legends, probably twice as long if not more and they redesigned all the levels so they play differently, even though you recognize the rooms it still feels like your playing a new game.

In case you're wandering i'm playing it at 1280x1024 with x4AA with everything on MAX except for Depth of Field cause it's kinda crappy imo, the game is running pretty smooth. i'm on a P4 3.0HT, 2GB Ram, 6800GT

I'll post some more shots later.
 
Metalmurphy said:
So far i'm loving it although some levels suffer the same level design problems as the original TR1 :p I must have died over 100 on this level:
Comp2.jpg

And every time i did i had to climb up everything again :p
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'Sack up'
 
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