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Tomb Raider: Underworld is a side scrolling platformer that does little justice to its illustrious series. This perspective removes the exploration that made the series so popular and replaces it with generic jumping, climbing, and swinging through linear underground environments. It is by the numbers stuff, enlivened by attractive visuals and some addictive touch-screen puzzles. The result is a game that fails to master any of the things it attempts, though it has sporadic highlights and some nice environments and visual effects.
Tomb Raider: Underworld is the eighth instalment of the Tomb Raider series, following character Lara Croft. The story continues from the events in Tomb Raider: Legend as a direct sequel, but also addresses unexplained plot elements by association with Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Underworld was released by Eidos Interactive for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, in North America on 18 November 2008, Europe on 21 November 2008 and Australia on 5 December 2008. It is the third game in the series to be developed by Crystal Dynamics and is also the first Tomb Raider game to be released on the PlayStation 3. Developers implemented new features into the gameplay, such as the dual-target feature and an upgraded inventory system, using an Active Sonar map and a multipurpose grappling hook. The gamealso features a hint system and a new melee combat system where Lara has the ability to battle her opponents using punches, kicks and grapple pulls. Downloadable content was also released exclusively for the Xbox 360, where the player takes control of Lara and her doppelgänger in two new chapters.
This version of Tomb Raider: Underworld follows the same story as the other versions of the game. Things start out badly for Lara; the prologue finds her racing to escape her lofty mansion as it burns to the ground. Cut back to two weeks earlier, and she's trying to take care of some of her father's unfinished business, which leads her to discover more about her mother, characters from previous games, and the mythical Hammer of Thor. From a technical perspective it's good to see the CGI cutscenes squeezed onto the DS, but it's a shame that the story is badly written, poorly voiced, and instantly forgettable.
While a good portion of the game is spent jumping between platforms, you sometimes come across a puzzle that's controlled via the touch screen. The best of these is a Tetris type puzzle game, where you move the pieces with your stylus. The puzzles start off simple, but they soon become more challenging and are incentivised with prizes such as artwork that can be accessed from the main menu. There are a few other touch-screen-based challenges, such as chiseling away at an old stone to set it free or moving discs into the right position to open a door, but they're not particularly fun or challenging. You also use the microphone to blow away dust from time to time, but as in some other games, this feels a little tacked on.
Tomb Raider: Underworld is very pleasing to the eye. The environments are varied, the lighting is excellent, and only Lara's somewhat stilted animation dampens the impact of the visuals. There are also underwater sections that may not be much fun, but the distortion effects look really nice on Nintendo's console. The audio isn't quite as accomplished, and while the music occasionally quickens the pace, the sound effects are all generic.
Tomb Raider: Underworld is a mix of unremarkable platform elements punctuated with some fun puzzle-solving. The overall difficulty is far too easy, though, and even if you search out all the hidden extras, you can breeze through most levels without dying in a matter of minutes. Add this to a forgettable story and simple characterisation, and there's little to spur you on. Tomb Raider: Underworld is ultimately a competent but underwhelming platform game that has little to offer fans of the genre.
Minimum:
- OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows XP, Vista,(admin rights required)
- CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3+GHz or AMD Athlon 2.5+GHz
- RAM: 1GB (Windows XP) / 2GB (Windows Vista) system memory
- GRAPHICS: NVIDIA GeForce 6 series 6800GT (or better) / ATI 1800XT (or better)
- SOUND: Direct X 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
- DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM drive
- HARD DRIVE: 8 GB Free Space
- INPUT DEVICES: Keyboard and mouse
Recommended:
- OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows XP, Vista,(admin rights required)
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz or Athlon 64 X2 4400+
- RAM: 2 GB system memory
- GRAPHICS: nVidia GeForce 9800 GTX or ATI HD4800
- SOUND: Direct X 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
- DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM drive
- HARD DRIVE: 8 GB Free Space
- INPUT DEVICES: Microsoft Xbox360 Controller
Screenshots of Tomb Raider Underworld PC Game
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| Tomb Raider Underworld PC Game |
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| Tomb Raider Underworld PC Game |
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