It's hard to focus on the good things and ignore the bad things when the bad is almost all of the gameplay. I'm left with a movie that has a horrible story and poorly written characters.
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Tomb Raider |OT| Lara's Misfortune
- Thread starter Fracas
- Start date
It's hard to focus on the good things and ignore the bad things when the bad is almost all of the gameplay. I'm left with a movie that has a horrible story and poorly written characters.
It's just a matter of what you can't stand in games and what you aren't really bothered with. I hate QTEs but I am not bothered by bad story/bad characters that much. To me if a game is good a good story/characters make it better but doesn't turn it into a bad game for having bad story/characters.
edgefusion
Member
Yes, when you're near a tomb a message pops up on screen that says "Secret tomb nearby!" and is accompanied by a little bell-ringing sound. White markings will be nearby the tomb entrance too. It's incredibly over the top and borders on parody.
The game is good fun, Lara's character and voice-acting are excellent (everyone else is horrible, particularly the villain) and the story is somewhat intriguing. If you hate hand-holding though then it's likely to put you off as this game doesn't just hand-hold, it picks you up and cradles you from location to location while stroking your hair and gently whispering "all the secrets are this way, here, I'll put them on your map. Wouldn't want precious darling to miss a thing"
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
I just got past the infamous Shantytown and I didn't think it was as bad as everyone is saying. I'm playing on Hard though, and I don't know how some people say they only died two or three times in the entire game; I'm up to 10 deaths right now, although four of those were from that tomb in Shantytown that had that shitty trap right before it. For whatever reason it's the only trap in the game where you have to shoot a buckle to escape rather than the rope itself. Took me a while to figure out why I couldn't shoot myself down. Lame.
I'm enjoying the game though, the atmosphere is pretty great throughout.
I'm enjoying the game though, the atmosphere is pretty great throughout.
Well, I think the worst thing in Tomb Raider's multiplayer is the platforming.
Uncharted is a TPS, and its platforming mechanics is just an accessory of the vertical combat mechanics: it has to be fluid and dynamic, and has to act together with the "abduction moves", so platforming is almost automated, and it fits perfectly with the game's genre.
In this new Tomb Raider, platforming simply doesn't fit with a TPS, specially in multiplayer.
You actually can shoot that down before stepping into it, it's a weird angled shot from outside the doorway though.
But I agree on the death thing. I don't find the game very hard but I've been dying a decent amount, you get downed in combat fast and punished hard if you mess up a risky attack.
No, you have to shoot the pulley in every snare trap. I died in that trap once, but then when I respawned I just jumped over the trap and burned the net to deactivate it for good.
I said the same thing after beating Solarii Fortress. I want to see the receipts on the people who said they only died 3 times on Hard.
Also Shanty Town after going back to it to 100% gave me a RE5 vibe. The house structures looked a lot like the first few missions in RE5..
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
Really? Hmm, maybe I've been playing too much multiplayer where you have to shoot the rope itself.
Now that you mention it, you're right. Although I think RE5 nailed the atmosphere better than TR.
Heh, you can totally avoid that trap by just jumping over it. And then, you dont even trigger the wave of ~10 enemies.
Ok guys, I'm finished with 100% and want to complete my achievements for single player. I am having a hell of a time getting enemies to spawn. I need quite a few combat achievements still and most of the game is devoid of enemies now and when I do find an area there is only a couple and then nothing. Anyone found a way to get people to respawn reliably? Shanty Town is going to be the best area to get these achievements but I just can;t get them to respawn, even after exiting the game and reloading.
All the better to keep you on the treadmill longer. Pretty sure MoH does the same, but I only vagued remember the mp.
kunonabi
Member
Well the only dangerous enemies are the machine gun guys. The only times I got killed where when I tried rolling past a firefight and it turned out to be a mandatory one or I rolled into a burning fire I couldn't see because of the camera.
Other than that I died once when the game glitched out and the environment and two enemies vanished and reappeared and shot me in the back.
I probably wouldn't have died at at all if I had bought the extra health and dodge upgrades earlier than I did.
jacksepticeye
Member
Glad to see some others agree, other forums are all praising the hell out of it and all the reviews are great, but I'm not feeling it, I thought I was going crazy.
The first hour or so is the worst part of the game and a horrible introduction to the entire experience, it leaves a sour taste. The game opens up a bit and lessens on the QTEs and you get some nice exploration but overall it feels like it never reaches the lofty heights it could have. All the material is there, they just put it into the wrong order in the wrong proportions.
What I feel is TR has always been about exploration and platforming/puzzles with fights peppered throughout, but this version is the opposite. It's action/fighting with exploration and puzzles peppered throughout. It's the wrong formula.
I blame the devs more than anything, they hyped this as something it really isn't. the game is constantly at odds with itself and doesn't know what it wants to accomplish, one moment it wants to be uncharted, the next it wants to be it's own thing with great lulls and exploration (albeit a bit simple).They hyped a coming of age struggle for Lara and it's not, the first hour maybe, but then she kills the first dude and the flood gates open and she becomes a homicidal maniac. She even enjoys killing at one point "Run you bastards I'm coming for you all". It's hard to connect with her and all the emotion she should have had is washed away.
Not to mention I think Camilla is a terrible voice over actress. Over acting all the time and missing the mark, her accent also sounds far too forced.
The first hour or so is the worst part of the game and a horrible introduction to the entire experience, it leaves a sour taste. The game opens up a bit and lessens on the QTEs and you get some nice exploration but overall it feels like it never reaches the lofty heights it could have. All the material is there, they just put it into the wrong order in the wrong proportions.
What I feel is TR has always been about exploration and platforming/puzzles with fights peppered throughout, but this version is the opposite. It's action/fighting with exploration and puzzles peppered throughout. It's the wrong formula.
I blame the devs more than anything, they hyped this as something it really isn't. the game is constantly at odds with itself and doesn't know what it wants to accomplish, one moment it wants to be uncharted, the next it wants to be it's own thing with great lulls and exploration (albeit a bit simple).They hyped a coming of age struggle for Lara and it's not, the first hour maybe, but then she kills the first dude and the flood gates open and she becomes a homicidal maniac. She even enjoys killing at one point "Run you bastards I'm coming for you all". It's hard to connect with her and all the emotion she should have had is washed away.
Not to mention I think Camilla is a terrible voice over actress. Over acting all the time and missing the mark, her accent also sounds far too forced.
jacksepticeye
Member
I think some things need to be made clear though to people. The bad character development, stereotypes and terrible QTEs are the biggest culprits. the QTEs are incredibly poorly implemented. they're not a "yeah let's get on with it" like BF3s and they're not satisfying like GoW's. They frustrate more than anything and when it leaves out certain button prompts because you're supposed to remember a narrowing circle is F and a hand icon is E it becomes worse. Sometimes it even changes where battling a wolf it became "Mash F" instead of the standard "mash E" it was up until that point.
They are counter productive and really do nothing to add to the overall game.
Man, I'm almost at the end but I don't want to continue because it's so damn good and I don't want this game to end, it takes another 3 years till we see a sequel.
The story is also one of the more interesting. It's really cool to see the change from innocent Lara to Lara Croft. That really helps to connect the player to the character. At one point where she shouted "I'm coming for you all!" I was like hell yeah we're gonna get them.
I also like that just like the Batman games the character changes visually
Pacing is also incredible smooth, I can't put down the controller. As said the story has you hooked and you want to find out more about the island combined with the gorgeous set pieces it makes it hard to put down the controller.
But for the next game, please less hand holding, what's the point of hunter vision when you get constantly flooded with visual clues/text pop ups even when not in hunter vision. (optional tombs anyone)
All in all it shapes up to be my goty, Crystal Dynamics have really outdone themselves.
The story is also one of the more interesting. It's really cool to see the change from innocent Lara to Lara Croft. That really helps to connect the player to the character. At one point where she shouted "I'm coming for you all!" I was like hell yeah we're gonna get them.
I also like that just like the Batman games the character changes visually
Pacing is also incredible smooth, I can't put down the controller. As said the story has you hooked and you want to find out more about the island combined with the gorgeous set pieces it makes it hard to put down the controller.
But for the next game, please less hand holding, what's the point of hunter vision when you get constantly flooded with visual clues/text pop ups even when not in hunter vision. (optional tombs anyone)
All in all it shapes up to be my goty, Crystal Dynamics have really outdone themselves.
jacksepticeye
Member
I'm glad you enjoy it so much, I myself am far too critical of games sometimes and if something bugs me I latch onto it. But I don't think this game is anywhere near as good as it could have been, they messed up in a lot of areas.
One thing I picked out of your post was "Connecting to the character" I think they did the opposite of that with her. They made her go through far too much far too soon where it's impossible for me to relate to her anymore. Killing endless dudes and falling down cliffs is completely over the top and I just can't sympathise with a person that does that. I never felt in fear of her dying even once.
They needed far more time developing her rather than changing her character dramatically after an hour. And when she shouted she was gunning for everyone I just thought "Why exactly?" her friends never helped her once in the whole game, but she's willing to risk her ass time and again for them. It was very inconsistent
jacksepticeye
Member
Just slapped together a video with the new changes if anyone would like to see it.
Tomb Raider PC - TressFX and Fullscreen Graphical Effects Fix - March 9th patch
Tomb Raider PC - TressFX and Fullscreen Graphical Effects Fix - March 9th patch
That will be an acquired skill you obtain in the sequel along with cartwheel dodging and an optional dinosaur fighting arena.
jacksepticeye
Member
The whole bloody game does. She shivers at fires near the start, yet her keen "Survival instinct" is to never fashion a tarp or anything to cover up. just stay running around in the tank top freezing to death and getting all scarred.
but you gotta have the cleavage showing somehow
They still had a nice nod to the dual wield at the end of the game, granted it was a QTE but still...
I feel the controls and mechanics are great, but the game really doesn't give you much reason to make use of them. Platforming is basically automatic, and the firefights are straightforward and boring. I'm quite enjoying it as an experience, but I have to say, there's not much of a game here.
I'll say Uncharted 2 is the better game. It doesn't control quite as well, but the firefights are far more dynamic by comparison.
I'll say Uncharted 2 is the better game. It doesn't control quite as well, but the firefights are far more dynamic by comparison.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
Oh, that's what that was? Haha
jacksepticeye
Member
Agreed. I also feel the upgrade system is rather pointless
SlasherJPC
Banned
The game is practically this gens Dragons Lair.
Hah, I was actually wondering how they blocked off that area.
It is, and the XP system behind it too. Exactly how I thought it would be pre-release.
From now on if you see a non RPG putting this stuff in you can just assume it will be nothing more than a checklist feature. Action games and FPS just can't do them well.
slasher_thrasher21 said:
You're not incredibly far off, even though you were joking. When there is no challenge in the stealth/platforming/combat and barely any input involved, well then is it all that far from something like Dragon's Lair?
SlasherJPC
Banned
This is opinion not fact. If there is no challenge, anyone could play and beat the game and I don't think that statement is true.
jacksepticeye
Member
Yep pretty much nailed it. Earning EXP from doing everything, just so I can upgrade how much exp I can get from something to level up how much loot I get all gets very redundant or an alternative finishing move where instead of pressing E over and over she just auto does the move, taking the exact same amount of time, is also redundant.
All flash and no substance as it were
Why not? It's hard enough to die on Hard so I imagine it must be almost impossible on Easy. And regardless of difficulty there is no depth or challenge to the stealth and platforming, much of it is automatically handled and require little more than a single button press.
SlasherJPC
Banned
You act like the game can be played by the press of a button, and that is a pretty absurd statement.
Oh? Most of the easy complaints are coming from people playing on hard. I think if you put it on easy you can probably just run up to every enemy and axe em to death. Yes, this game could be beaten by anyone with any rudimentary knowledge of video games.
Thinking about this... that's pretty hilarious. Most of the "puzzles" are in the optional tomb.
SlasherJPC
Banned
I played on hard. I felt it offered an appropriate challenge and I play most my games on hard. What are you trying to say then?
Is it? Tell me where all the tough platforming segments are that require you to do more than aiming Lara in a direction and pressing the jump button. The heavy use of automatic platforming makes it so she grabs a ledge on her own if you're anywhere close to it. If we were dealing with a game that had tougher jumps then maybe that wouldn't be as big of a deal.
As for stealth, tell me the instances you can use it where she doesn't automatically crouch low and make you do anything but move her around and press the kill button? Not exactly Thief we're dealing with there.
Hey now, the waves and waves in everyones favorite location got me (but thats because I refuse to use anything but the bow).
There is also the wind and bell "puzzle" but idk if that counts.
Yeah go and try that. You will be dead before reaching the enemy. There is little difference between easy and hard as far as the damage you can take goes. You get aim assist on easy though.
I just finished it. As a game I really think it is a lot of fun and well-done. It really is too fucking easy though and I miss the more classic TR stuff. I am really hoping they take this game and combine it with a lot of the old TR elements. If they could mesh the two ideas together, I think the game would be really special. I will post some more longer detailed impressions soon.
I'll count that.
I'm about to finish the game. Unless the last section/boss becomes really shitty, I think it's a pretty good Uncharted style game. But, man, times have changed!
SlasherJPC
Banned
How is this almost different then in something like Uncharted or even the older Tomb Raider games? You aim, you run forward, you jump. Oh wait in the old Tomb Raider you had to hold a button down for her to automatically grab a hold. Yep that one difference really makes it all.
You can still get spotted and get flagged down by gunfire. Just because she crouches automatically doesn't mean the game just takes control and kills people left and right all sneaky like.
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