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Tomb Raider |OT| Lara's Misfortune
- Thread starter Fracas
- Start date
You should be thanking me. I came up with it =P
bryanee
Member
Yeah this. it is automatic but you have more control over it than you do in the Uncharted games which for most part feels like everything is magnetised.
NullPointer
Member
I think this thread is starting to divide by zero.
If the platforming didn't have the slowmo segments it would work out better. The endgame showed that if they strung together some of the systems more there was some sort of potential to make that aspect less braindead.
I got flanked a lot in specific encounters like when you first get the grenade launcher. The shotgun enemies kept moving around to my sides when I moved up.
But otherwise, yeah, stuff like getting the high ground doesn't make them do anything special but get wrecked. I do disagree that Uncharted does AI all that much better though, especially in UC3 they are fucking dumb and rush you in moronic ways.
I got flanked a lot in specific encounters like when you first get the grenade launcher. The shotgun enemies kept moving around to my sides when I moved up.
But otherwise, yeah, stuff like getting the high ground doesn't make them do anything special but get wrecked. I do disagree that Uncharted does AI all that much better though, especially in UC3 they are fucking dumb and rush you in moronic ways.
Incendiary
Banned
Some of Tomb Raider's setpieces looked pretty as background, but overall there were no moments like in Uncharted 2 where I went "holy shit, this is awesome!" The hanging boat was probably the closest, but fell flat because it was essentially just a stay in one place shoot-a-thon. In fact, that's where Tomb Raider falls flat because all the big setpieces are basically shoot-a-thons.
Arguing Tomb Raider gives you more control is laughable, though. In Uncharted 2 you have the falling building sequence, the train sequence, the tank sequence, the jeep sequence, and the entire final battle. All of them you are immersed in the action and it's not just staying in one place and shooting. You're being active. Nothing in Tomb Raider stands out like that to me. The only tension-filled part in the entire game, to me, was at nearly the very beginning when
Lara gets her foot caught in the steel trap, and she has to defend herself from the wolves with only her bow.
That isn't saying the game wasn't fun or competent, though. In fact, if they take the right feedback from this first game, I can easily see a sequel having those big setpiece moments like Uncharted 2. But I would rank Tomb Raider on about the same level as the first Uncharted. Nothing terribly outstanding in terms of memorable moments, but a solid game overall.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
I was actually thinking about this last night, while playing through the aforementioned setpiece that I almost loved until the gameplay insulted it.
I'm kind of a sucker for gorgeous setpieces, but I want them to have some meat, some teeth. If every setpiece in this game required creative agency from a player, quick decision-making and timing, and a complex set or combination of abilities required to overcome or explore it, I'd be in love with this game. The most complex thing they ever ask from you is to fight another wave of suicidal madmen, and that's terrible. As it is, I might as well be watching TV.
Fundamentally, a setpiece without complementary gameplay is simply impotent.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Yeah I loved that whole last climbing section, I don't understand why they didn't take that same mentality for the rest of the game. Maybe they weren't confident in any single direction so they threw to much of everything in there.
UC guys can do some dumb stuff for sure but they will try to out flank you. You can't stay within one spot of cover for more than a couple seconds because they will reposition to higher ground or come around the side. This is especially true in the desert with all the verticality. Guys will climb up the pillars or platforms around them to shoot down on you. Plus if you shoot at a guy behind cover he won't just stay there but get up and move to a more concealed spot(most of the time). Makes the combat so much more challenging and engaging.
Nicely summed up. Took me a paragraph to try and say that.
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
Agreed. The finale actually gave me brief flashes of Sands of Time, what with the excessive use of bloom and the need to string together a quick succession of actions.
Actually damn, maybe I'll go dust off my copy of Sands of Time and play through it. I can't believe that in the 10 years since its release we don't have many platformers that can rival Sands of Time.
Just finished it, great game. It's been mentioned before but a little more openness, and less hand holding in the earlier parts would have made this game amazing. As far as weapons Keep the pistols and bow, get rid of the assault riffle. As for the shotgun, it was useful for the Bum-rushes some enemies would do, but I would've preferred a better alternative for dealing with them. The friends were handled kind of shitty. They could have been trimmed down to just Roth and Sam and nothing would've really been lost story wise. Graphically the game looks astounding overall, especially with tressfx on. There was a few spots where Laura almost felt.. out of place(?) with the world around her. But yeah overall, fantastic job there. Oh, and actually challenging tombs would be appreciated. If they're going to be optional side content, might as well go all out on difficulty.
I enjoyed this a lot. It felt like Arkham Aslyum more than an Uncharted. The exploration was fun, and I actually got everything, which I haven't done in a game in while. I was a little confused with GPS thingies though:
Lara says something like "there is a note inside" with the final one, but I got distracted by my wife and didn't see if there was any other message by that.
Incendiary
Banned
I definitely got more of an Uncharted vibe than Arkham Asylum. Yeah, there was exploration and upgrading your gear, but you never really had to backtrack to use the new gear. New options let you move forward, but there wasn't really anything secret locked off back at the beginning that you got to with an endgame gear item. If there was more of that I probably would have thought Arkham, yeah.
As for the GPS caches:
the last GPS cache you get unlocks a special journal entry. It's at the very bottom, under Unknown or something similar.
Not bad. From what I've played of TR so far, thankfully didn't have to pay for it, my view is this - they had a good idea and pretty much decided to do everything possible to destroy it through the process of the game's development.
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In which Lara screams a lot
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The concept is a fairly decent one, if you only look at it on the surface - a giant island, metroidvania-esque (although this element is almost comically exaggerated by the game's defenders, so far as I can tell so far), maybe some disparate survival elements and some BASIC platforming mechanics that wouldn't necessarily be a bad foundation for a game which didn't have platforming designed by (or at least inspired by) someone who is a nearly blind 80 year old grandfather whose hands are contorted into a shape like a truck ran over them and whose entire idea of games is 'i think that is something on the screen; I like when things are on the screen' and whose sole idea about life is 'i think the whole point of sex and human interaction in general is to be a serial killer'.
But I'll try to break it down
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Proof of a nearly blind 80-year old grandfather with crippled hands who is also a serial killer being the inspiration for the game's design
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● Why do we have the ability to change platforming jumps mid-air? There's essentially no real way to fail at platforming unless you actively try to kill yourself just to remember what games used to be like, back before they sucked:
Pic is only slightly exaggerated for effect. I guess this is one of those bulletpoints so they can say "see, control" even though the actual effect through level design is that it means less than jack and only microscopically more than shit? Seriously, this game has some of the most ill conceived and bullshit "platforming" segments I've encountered this gen. You have a foundation that could work for platforming with depth... but hey, why don't we just toss that all out the window? At least Uncharted knew what it was so you didn't feel like it should be something more, because it was just all suck. TR makes you feel like it could be more and then diarrhea's in your face for thinking it.
● Why is the whole island littered with bullshit? Because an 80 year-year old grandfather who is also blind would need the potential of just randomly stumbling into shit every other second, so they can pretend they're making "progress" toward a goal of some sort. Of course the fact that the goal is so pathetic that it makes DK64 look competent by comparison is beside the point; the old blind man just wants to hear the the satisfying "i found something" sound. Although, to Tomb Raider's credit, it was sort of nice they implemented the ability to look around at some of your items and find out a bit more about it. +.03 for that effort.
● Why is there a WIN button? (survival instincts) Because an 80 year old nearly blind grandfather needs to be sure he can see GIANT GLOWING MARKERS over anything of import. It's not even remotely subtle, it's like a fucking satellite guided ULTRA beam, of the sort government militaries might be capable of summoning with a 500 million dollar budget. I'm sure Lara Croft can manage, she is rich after all.
● Combat is definitely improved from past TR games; of course every self-respecting Tomb Raider fan knows that is because nobody wanted fucking gobs of nonsense combat in their TR games. But by necessity, because after the first 2 or 3 hours you'll be running into somebody every 3 seconds, and that's really the meat of the game... it is better. But of course it's completely unbalanced in every way and like any good nearly blind 80 year old grandfathers require by necessity, QTEs are liberally peppered everywhere in these encounters so that even he has the potential to win by luck. And naturally because it's also just stupidly unbalanced, you really don't need to do anything but shoot people with arrows all day, unless you waste time with a shotgun. I guess the reason they might exist besides that is the multiplayer, but of course that's just a bullshit mode not worth even a second of anyone's time. Yes, yes, I know you - whoever it is that will respond to this and predictably claim I'm stating my opinions as fact, even though it's self-evident it's all opinions - liked the multiplayer, but imo (look I'm writing it out!) that just means you like garbage multiplayer modes. Hey, everyone has one of those. Some reason I stick around to play Kingdom Hearts games, and those games fucking blow more than fucking...I dunno, some volcano that blows a lot.
● This game has to be the most pointlessly sadistic game ever. Lara Croft just dies endlessly in the most brutal ways imaginable if you let her, or you fail some QTE. Of course you're far more likely to randomly fail a QTE than anything else in this game on Hard difficulty, because I'd say the game is easy as pie but that's probably an insult to pie. Lara Croft is sad and completely horrified every time she has to overcome some new hurdle (EX: "oh god I have to climb THERE!? I was afraid you'd say that..." Even though she had already run out of a burning building, been nearly eaten by wolves, made hugely exaggerated leaps with considerable height), and then literally within 10 seconds she is fucking Gabe Walker in Cliffhanger or Rocky Balboa. There is incongruity between narrative and gameplay and then there is THIS. Game has no idea what it wants to be at any point.
● The visuals are fairly nice on a top of the line rig, which I do own. But the important element is the atmosphere, does it pull it off? It pulls off A atmosphere that is nice on its own terms. Of course for me it pales in comparison to the ultra isolationist feel of the best TR segments of the best TR games (of which this one isn't even on any best-of TR list, since it's not a Tomb Raider game), which actually made you feel at times like you were exploring ancient tombs weathered by centuries of disuse, but I will at least give it credit where it's owed. I guess even a nearly blind 80 year old grandfather prefers pretty looking blurry screens to just shit blurred out on a screen. +3
● The story... LOL. I mean I'll not post more on this until I beat it, but seriously... LOL.
● Can this game glitch out more often (PC)? I've had Lara Croft get stuck between rocks to force a reset; Lara Croft's face turned black; Lara Croft's arrow got like stuck floating in front of her; one time a dead bunnies carcass stuck to my leg for like 30 seconds. Let's see, one time instead of grabbing onto a pole she just decided to randomly hit it and not grab on... one time she died because the QTE didn't work no matter how hard I tried to ram the button, etc etc. The list goes on. As with my experience with Uncharted 2 and how buggy that was, your personal experience may vary. Since none of my bugs were really game breaking, I'll just slightly deduct points. As this relates to a nearly blind 80 year old grandfather, I'm unsure, but my current working theory is that the designers just felt how would he notice? Dude's nearly blind!
● Set pieces. Here they are, the much vaunted (lol) core of the Uncharted copycatting, and it's probably more shameless than even the worst detractors would expect. Most of them are tension-less minute or two long segments of dumb nonsense which are sometimes almost literally ripped straight out of an Uncharted game or some other game which copied Uncharted. Oh look she's climbing up an airplane fuselage, oh look it creaks and falls down slightly with no danger to Lara Croft's personage whatsoever. What a shock! Oh look, a building is on fire, now you have to run out of it before it falls on you - of course, you'd basically have to be petrified by some enemy in FFVI to actually fail this part... or, conveniently, be a nearly blind 80 year old grandfather. Hey, some bridge or boardwalk is collapsing. Hey, blah blah blah. You could probably predict what else I would say just based on how much time you've wasted with modern AAA videogames. Shamefully, I've wasted more than I care to admit. Segments are neither enjoyable or particularly well designed spectacle... just dumb. They are always devoid of challenge, with an extremely obvious exit out of the fake danger, and act basically as a cutscene where you can occasionally press forward or maybe stab an enemy quickly. Or maybe QTEs!
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The End
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The list can go on forever, but I'll just limit it here until I finish the game. I give the game a 3/10, maybe a 4 because I fucking adored the way Camille Luddington or whatever her name says that bit of dialogue on the green fan: "Could have been used by a villager or a noble, maybe." Her voice acting was shit basically, but she had some adorable way of saying some words.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Great as always Ami. Would read again.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
My Grandfather was still climbing on rooftops at 80, I call bullshit
Good write up. I agree with all your points and I have several I could add to that too. But ultimately for me, it was more than the sum of its parts. I think they nailed the feeling they wanted people to have with this game, and I still find myself capable of awe-ing at setpieces and vistas (maybe I don't play enough AAA games). On your grading scale, I'd give it a high 6 or low 7, assuming you're grading on a scale where 5 is average (and not IGN-ing it where anything under a 7 is below average). I personally enjoyed the game a lot (probably even more than it deserves to) but I can't defend the stuff it does shittily.
Man, you make real game reviews look good for once. 3/10? Unreal lol.
Nice write up Amirox, I agree just about 100%.
You know what's funny? God of War has tougher puzzles than this Tomb Raider. Just a neat and sad little tidbit I thought I'd throw in since I'm playing it now.
It's called using the whole scale. I gave it a 4 so it's in the same ballpark. You're just conditioned to seeing nothing but 7s and higher for AAA games so you think a 3 should only be for the worst kinds of shovelware.
You know what's funny? God of War has tougher puzzles than this Tomb Raider. Just a neat and sad little tidbit I thought I'd throw in since I'm playing it now.
Shinta said:
It's called using the whole scale. I gave it a 4 so it's in the same ballpark. You're just conditioned to seeing nothing but 7s and higher for AAA games so you think a 3 should only be for the worst kinds of shovelware.
But was he nearly blind with crippled hands? I THINK NOT!
That's super cool about your grandfather. My grandparents are all shitheads in the worst possible way, I could describe some of the horrors to you in OT sometime, so unfortunately I missed out on super rad granfathers
Yeah I still understand why some people like this sort of thing, but you have to really REALLY be into the spectacle over gameplay, at least as I can tell, because the gameplay is really supremely shallow. I'm sure people will say 'but wait Ami I totally disagree', but it's just my assessment.
Shinta said:
Amir0x can't sugar coat
Derrick01 said:
You notice I didn't even make a write up on puzzles because seriously... what puzzles? The challenge tomb shit I encountered was so lmfao simple that it could barely constitute such. But... to also be fair to God of War, the Pandora's Temple segment was legitimately great in the first game. Probably comparable to a good TR game series of puzzles. But that was the only time that happened in the GoW series
inanutshell
Member
I beat the pc version on normal in 10 hours according to steam. Overall I really enjoyed the game. The pacing was great since it was never too long to get to the next camp site and the game gave out upgrades at a good rate.
It really did feel like an Uncharted game a lot of times especially with similar kinds of engagements and dragons lairesque chase scenes and quick time events. I felt like uncharted 2 had more memorable gunfight sequences.
Looking forward to the eventual sequel. Hopefully the game goes into more varied locations.
It really did feel like an Uncharted game a lot of times especially with similar kinds of engagements and dragons lairesque chase scenes and quick time events. I felt like uncharted 2 had more memorable gunfight sequences.
Looking forward to the eventual sequel. Hopefully the game goes into more varied locations.
Incendiary
Banned
I'd use the whole scale, and honestly I'd put Tomb Raider in the 6-7 range. If you're ranking 1-10, where 5-6 is average, I'd say Tomb Raider is an average game. The controls are competent, it's not a huge glitchy mess, it's playable. While the setpieces are bland and it suffers from trying to put this generation's greatest hits into one game, it doesn't make it a bad game. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't do anything to wow me. It never did anything to put it into the "bad" range for me.
Obviously, some people consider different things attributing to a game's quality. But I don't think that just because it didn't do anything new, that makes it a bad game.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
This makes me sad, and also kinda makes me consider playing it in spite of never getting into GoW.
Nah.
He was deaf.
/rimshot
You notice I didn't even make a write up on puzzles because seriously... what puzzles? The challenge tomb shit I encountered was so lmfao simple that it could barely constitute such. But... to also be fair to God of War, the Pandora's Temple segment was legitimately great in the first game. Probably comparable to a good TR game series of puzzles. But that was the only time that happened in the GoW series
I was talking about the new god of war though. It doesn't have anything that will make you think hard but it has some tricky stuff in it, certainly more than TR. Which is kind of sad for this franchise.
Yeah I consider 5 average so 4 for me is slightly below. It wasn't a broken game or anything like that, just the norm for what we get in this industry nowadays. Which is a forgettable experience that almost plays itself.
Fine Ham Abounds said:
Well it's still a GoW game, I wasn't trying to make it seem like Portal now or anything. It's just that I'm comparing it to this game which has puzzles that can be solved in 20 seconds to a minute, so anything looks better in comparison.
I really didn't think she screamed all that much, and I think the pre-release talk of her constant gasping and supposedly sexualized yelping was 100% exaggerated.
You can fail jumps, and I fell a few times already just in the first four hours. Especially on the rock climbing things, it's not automated and you have to hit the axe button every time to grab back on after a side or vertical jump.
A few times she will go for a long jump and really reach out far like you said. It's not that often, and I think it's really just giving it more variety in animation, which is something they take great care to do throughout the entire game.
I do like that you can air-control your jumps. It's an improvement over things like Uncharted. The jumping generally feels pretty good. Still, I get what you're saying on this one and I think it's a fair complaint, regardless of the fact that I personally haven't minded it in this game.
I also really love the two dodges, and they're vastly improved compared to past TR games. They look a lot better, and they have more functionality.
Because it's fun to collect things, and that's what you do in most platformer/exploration games? It encourages people to thoroughly explore each area. I enjoyed having more things to do, and if you don't like it, you can simply not do it. There's literally no downside.
It's entirely optional, and it's a good way to cater to two different kinds of players. Having this feature is actually the best hope original TR fans have of getting more complicated environments that could potentially leave casual players stuck. You can simply not use it, and they can use it if they want.
I thought it worked pretty well honestly. I like how it stays on only if you stand still, and automatically turns off when you move. I found myself scouring areas for an hour, then doing a quick survey of the area with it and it was nice to have. Seems like a complete non-issue.
Yep, vastly improved.
If you do something dangerous, it doesn't mean you're immune to fear for the rest of your life. I don't see the big deal in doing something tough, then being overwhelmed because you have to then do something else on top of it. That's kind of how Die Hard goes. Just because he killed a bunch of terrorists doesn't mean he didn't have to sit and literally talk himself into jumping off the building before the roof blew up. Seems like a complete non-issue.
They're extremely impressive in all versions of the game in my opinion. The weather effects, the mud and grime, the varied and detailed animation, all extremely impressive and better than the vast majority of games out there.
:/ I'm not that far so I won't comment on it either, but so far I like it. I think the dark tone of the game is vastly superior to previous TR games, and to Uncharted. I have no complaints. Really enjoying it so far, and I don't really play these games for story.
Haven't encountered any major glitches yet personally. Playing on PS3.
I like QTEs. I've liked them since they first appeared in Die Hard Arcade, then Shenmue, then Resident Evil 4, then Resident Evil 5, then Resident Evil 6, Vanquish, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Asura's Wrath, Heavy Rain and on and on.
Tomb Raider has lots of moments where the camerawork is extremely cinematic. They have several extremely good shots in the game that heighten the experience, whether it's the changing camera angles when climbing the radio tower, or the claustrophobic caves with close-ups on her face. The game is shot beautifully. Set pieces and QTEs are really a very natural extension of that for a game focused on delivering cinematic action. It's done well. The QTEs are extremely easy too, and as far as I know only used one button (they do for me so far).
I get that lots of people don't like QTEs. But they are not objectively bad. Everyone seems fine with shit games like The Walking Dead that have vastly inferior QTEs compared to games like Tomb Raider, Asura's Wrath, or Resident Evil. It makes no sense to me.
I know how numbers work, it's just that the game isn't even close to as bad as you guys are saying. I don't think you're really reviewing it objectively at all and are just trashing it because you want it to be something else other than what it is. If you review the game for what it actually is, it's pretty fantastic and a 3 or a 4 seems entirely undeserved.
The only room for error in this Tomb Raider's platforming is that you might not react to a sudden QTE prompt in time or the game doesn't register your input correctly.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
lol, fair enough.
I'm going to go into the GoW:A thread and say you called it "the new Portal."
Can you find me an example of a person who says QTEs are AWESOME in Tomb Raider!
I hate QTEs in Resident Evil?
Also, haven't yet missed a jump. She turns in to Dhalsim when she's in the air.
Sorry but I stopped reading right there...I have no idea what the whole 80 year old part means and it sounds pretty silly to me...I might read the rest later after supper...
I liked the QTEs in Tomb Raider so far. Why do I need to find someone else for you?
Climbing out of the cave as it was crumbling in the beginning was better with the QTE. What's the alternative? Simply hold the joystick up and watch her climb? Not as frantic, and not as interactive even.
What else? A QTE to grab ledges if you fall suddenly. I like it. Keeps you on your toes.
A wolf QTE? Seems fine to me.
I did one where she kicked a guy off a bridge, I thought that was neat too.
toastyToast
Member
With games like this, I think Transformers. No one had to justify why they liked Transformers. It was big, stupid, full of explosions and fan service. Some people liked it, others didn't but, there never really was a serious conversation because beneath it all, everyone knew what it was - a popcorn flick.
The amount of explosions, bone shattering falls (it's ok because it was an area transition) and amazing feats of grip strength; this isn't high art
The amount of explosions, bone shattering falls (it's ok because it was an area transition) and amazing feats of grip strength; this isn't high art
NullPointer
Member
That and not hitting the pick-axe button when jumping to craggly rocks, something they used more and more as the game went along.
been waiting for 10 minutes and match found
really ? no one playing this game on PC ?
the first one on leader board is cheater and he is level 60
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198015631263/
really ? no one playing this game on PC ?
the first one on leader board is cheater and he is level 60
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198015631263/
TheChewyWaffles
Member
Dammit, I need this. Can I still get my hands on a code?
You have to be extremely forgetful to fail at that. You don't even really have to time it. Just jump and press it. And even if you forget, Lara will stick to the wall for a second and give you time to remember. And part of what I meant by game failing to register input is that sometimes Lara won't care that you pressed the button.
Because you said:
EVERYONE!
I don't like Asura's Wrath, Resident Evil or Tomb Raider. So maybe the people you see saying I like QTEs are different from the people here saying I HATE QTEs!
RedAssedApe
Banned
So for those of you who have played Uncharted and Tomb Raider...which
sections were you more impressed with?
burning building
Do you like The Walking Dead?
I said "everyone" because TWD is extremely popular, and won many GOTY awards just a few months ago. Yet, QTEs in general have an extremely negative reputation in most reviews and in most comments. It's rare to see anyone say they really enjoy them. It's not rare to see someone say they enjoy TWD. This makes no sense to me, because the QTEs in TWD are far worse.
You can try and split hairs over the word "everyone" but it's a perfectly legitimate point I made. TWD enjoys critical acclaim and popularity (I think it even was nominated in the "best gameplay" category at one awards show, which blows my mind). QTEs on the other hand do not enjoy critical acclaim and popularity.
NullPointer
Member
Uncharted's train sequence is better than anything here, and I still prefer Uncharted to this formula if only because there is a range of difficulty on offer. TR has more variety, but without depth.So for those of you who have played Uncharted and Tomb Raider...whichsections were you more impressed with?burning building
Never played it. Had no interest in it.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
I had the exact same thought about this game and the movie equivalent being Transformers.
Funny you brought that up.
Accompanied by 5 second of slow mo.
Most people like games IN SPITE of QTEs. RE4 is a classic not because it has gripping QTEs (they are ass) but because the pacing is sublime.
TWD is a game that breaks the barrier of what is considered the standard for character development and intense story in video games. If TR had even 1/10th the quality of characters in TWD it would be seen in a better light.
That being said TWD has non-existent game play and should never be brought up as a game known for its game play. TR has way better game play than TWD.
TWD is a game that breaks the barrier of what is considered the standard for character development and intense story in video games. If TR had even 1/10th the quality of characters in TWD it would be seen in a better light.
That being said TWD has non-existent game play and should never be brought up as a game known for its game play. TR has way better game play than TWD.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Good point.
She screams and grunts every time anything happens, really. Anything she makes even a little skip, anything she sees someone, anytime she does anything for the first time her responses is usually 'oh no' or moaning or something like that. I never thought any of it was "sexualized", though, just...lots of gasping, yelling, moaning, blah blah.
I agree with two elements of these parts.
1. It's an improvement over Uncharted platforming, in terms of the actual control.
2. And she will go out for a long jump and reach like you said.
Everything else I obviously can't relate to. The platforming honestly made Kirby Epic Yarn look tough at times. Unless things dramatically change in the last third of the game, what makes it even more frustrating than Uncharted - as I stated in my post - is that Tomb raider feels like they COULD have done more with the gameplay foundations and they simply chose to not trust gamers and do shit all with it. So in my head all I can think is "why... why aren't you going further? LET Gamers learn from their mistakes, christ!"
Of course there's downsides; countless hours of development time was wasted modeling and designing crap that has less than zero impact on anything. If you collect all of the garbage, your reward is nil, unless you're an achievement whore, which I never will be. Collecting is only fun as a service to the game design that leads up to it; it's never fun when it's like Tomb Raider, and it amounts to how often you randomly stumble upon crap. Rarely is anything placed in an area to service quality gameplay... in other words, if a GPS marker was sitting in a hard to reach area and you had to utilize Lara's jumping ability to overcome a series of intense and challenging platforming obstacles to get there... I'd be so down. Of course since nothing in this game is remotely challenging, it basically just amounts to lazily strolling around and picking up garbage. Since I don't like doing that in real life, doing it in a game is - for me - as unfun as getting a needle punctured into my cock.
It's like the people who tell me to put arbitrary limits on in-game design so that I don't have to experience the suck. Yeah, it is 'optional', but since the alternative is wasting even one second more in this sludge of mediocre or outright shit game design, I opted to use it any time I had to find something necessary.
That said, the point is why they included it at all. Let people turn that shit off in the options menu if the reason it exists is because they feel gamers suck even more than the game design suggests they feel they do.
No, but most humans at a certain point harden to it and stop acting surprised. Lara Croft was clearly put on OBSTACLE ISLAND, where every obstacle looks intimidating but none of them actually are, so by the point she keeps saying these things, it neither informs players about Lara Croft as a character, informs players about anything relating to gameplay, helps people understand some concept more... it's just Lara being nonsensical.
I don't know about the console versions, and I'd drop "extremely" from the line, but I'd largely agree... except for the animation, which is seriously piss poor compared to the top games this gen. It's so janky at times that it's embarrassing.
The worst is when Lara Croft puts her hand up to stable herself against a wall, ala Uncharted. Because that's where you see how large the gap is between a game developer who is clearly well versed in animation technology, and a game developer who seems to be just learning the ropes (whether they are or not is besides the point). It frequently seems completely unnatural and at times downright creepily puppet-ish.
Yeah I stop playing games for story a long time ago, because they're always so bad. I just meant LOL because they made such a big deal in this game's PR about what they were doing with the narrative, and it's the most nonsense, nothing storyline I can think of. Every side character is forgettable, Lara Croft is voiced by a girl with no acting talent, there is no subtle character growth or even meaningful character interaction... it's simply lots of gorey scenes interspersed between the most basic meaningless narrative I could think to put together. Maybe it ends really swell, but I just thought it was funny that for all the effort they put into it, this was the best they came up with? Try harder or stop trying, I say.
Nothing about any game is 'objectively bad' (unless we're talking sub 30fps framerates or shitty resolutions or something), but I will say anyone who likes QTEs is simply someone I doubt I could see eye to eye on when it comes to what is important in game design. It's luck based nonsense in place of what could be actual gameplay, and it's always so the game developer can jerk off on the players face because he/she incessantly needs to control every element of a player's experience and doesn't trust a player to do anything on their own.
NullPointer
Member
Its a bummer to imagine what these game makers must think of their audience.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
They think were brain dead, ritalin infused, COD loving, $60 dollar bills.
You should have Lara standing still and mash on the dpad. Nightmares will ensue.
edit: but for a lot of the traversal stuff and basic animations like running and such I thought they were well done, aside from a few iffy transitions.
I disagree. In RE4, the QTEs were actually some of the highlights of the game. I think people have forgotten just how much they are in there, and how cool they really were.
QTEs let you play out scenes that there's no way anyone could control. I really don't see the downside. This is a moment I'll never forget in Vanquish, and it adds to the gameplay, not subtracts from it.
I also disagree that QTEs can't be gameplay. Project Diva is basically one giant QTE game, and it's difficult and fun. Really difficult actually. It's pure reflex gameplay.