View Full Version : Xbox 360 demo players - your verdict
tlr online
28-10-08, 11:12
Xbox 360 demo players only please. Please register your verdict on our public poll. :)
PC players will get own poll on Friday. In meantime please use this thread (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=123752) for PC discussion.
Votes from PC players will be considered as spam (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/faq.php?faq=vb_faq). :)
AmericanAssassin
28-10-08, 11:13
More than satisfied, definately! :tmb: It was awesome, however, I didn't give it the top spot, due to being linear in its first half... ;)
*Now, here's a little list of pro's and con's...
+ New Controls Have Weight To Them
+ Music Blends In Really Well With The Environmental Noises
+ Lara Croft Looks Sexier Than Ever Before
+ Rock Climbing Feature Adds To Exploration Element
+ Tigers Were Hard To Beat At First... I Even Died
- Half Of The Demo Was Completely Linear
- Virtually No Underwater Exploration In The Demo
- Loads Of Glitches Throughout The Experience
- Enemies Introduced Through Short Cutscenes
- Worst Camera Controls In History Of The Series
Keir_Eidos
28-10-08, 11:15
*takes notes*
I'll be passing on feedback to everyone at Crystal and Eidos :)
I know there are some PC and PS3 guys that aren't happy at the moment, but please don't vote on this poll unless you have played the demo - if you're angry about that situation send me a PM and I'll get back to you, it's important this poll is accurate (and about the actual content of the demo) so I can pass on a fair reflection of the consensus. Thanks :)
DanV - have you actually PLAYED the demo, or just saying that cos of it being on 360 and as yet not on PC etc.? just curious as you've not posted in any thread about getting the demo, or your thoughts about it
Would be nice if this poll could reflect people have `played` the game, not just complaining cos its not on PS3 etc :)
Lara Lover
28-10-08, 11:19
Went on to Xbox at 10AM expecting it to be a few minutes late, but nope it was there ready to download. Took around 20mins to download, but that was ok. Playing it was fine, still feels like Legend/Anniversary which is good but, I thought it was going to feel different.. Oh well.
Camera angles - some where a little annoying, but it was ok. Another thing was the swimming, I was swimming on top then all of a sudden you would go underneath. I was like huh?
The graphics looks gorgeous and I thought Legend graphics were beautiful. It's a big step up in graphics wise. Probably the nicest thing about the demo, is the water and how it looks real. :tmb:
One thing, I really enjoyed was finding the secrets. The little pots... :)
One last thing, I just can't wait to play on from that level, that huge ledge falling I was like :o but now I've got to wait. :p
Overall, out of /10, I'd give it a 7.5/10 :D
I wasn't not that much satisfied playing the demo.
Ok, I actually just played a few minutes of it right now, but I also had the chance to play TRU on a VideoGame festival few days ago, and I felt the same thing : not disappointed, but not really happy at all.
I'd give it a 6/10
Stunning. The graphics are faultless, and the gameplay is differnt, yet still similar to Legend/Anni which is brill. I made the camera go to her face, and she frowns and everything, and u can even hear her breath out her nose! It has only made me more excited for the game now. I honestly can't wait. :D
tlr online
28-10-08, 11:23
DanV - have you actually PLAYED the demo, or just saying that cos of it being on 360 and as yet not on PC etc.? just curious as you've not posted in any thread about getting the demo, or your thoughts about it
Would be nice if this poll could reflect people have `played` the game, not just complaining cos its not on PS3 etc :)
Dan will reply when he returns from vacation.
"Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it!"
Larson_1988
28-10-08, 11:23
Hard to say really, based on my vote. The camera was living its own life at some places. And when i stood next to a wall trying to zoom in on Laras face she would suddenly disappear sometimes.
*takes notes*
I'll be passing on feedback to everyone at Crystal and Eidos :)
I know there are some PC and PS3 guys that aren't happy at the moment, but please don't vote on this poll unless you have played the demo - if you're angry about that situation send me a PM and I'll get back to you, it's important this poll is accurate (and about the actual content of the demo) so I can pass on a fair reflection of the consensus. Thanks :)
Heheh dont forget to take 2 off the final number as we shouldnt be counted in the poll :)
@Larson_1988 - yeh the model will disappear to not block the view, but its rather rapid at doing it :)
Guess what my 360 came with that wireless network thing played it and it great! never though it come today
Playing it was fine, still feels like Legend/Anniversary which is good. :D
Sigh.. :(
Poke Warrior
28-10-08, 11:24
One word: BEAUTFUL!!!!!
But one question, on Lara's boat, there a picture frame with a photo in it, who are they?
I loved it. There are at least two ways to get to almost every location, and there are plenty of side nooks and hidden away areas (There is even a chime similar to the classics when you find these secrete areas)
The ledges look like very normal pieces of architecture, though poles are still a bit out of place in some areas.
Reticules can be turned off. Hints can be turned off. Helpers can be turned off. The swimming controls are fantastic and fluid. The animations are beautiful and smooth (nothing like those scary pop-lock animations from the old videos). There were several times when I saw a platform in the distance and went "Oooo, how do I get over there?", and unlike Legend, you REALLY CAN get to those places. Lara also feels much more like she is a part of the world - her feet touch the ground, she rocks and sways with the water currents, she even stopped herself from slamming into a wall when I rolled too close to one by putting her hands against the wall mid roll. Also, when she grabs a ledge, pole, grapple, etc it really feels like she has a tight grip on it - nothing like the floating feeling that TRL and TRA have.
All in all, I felt like I was playing TR3. My only complaints are that shadows look sort of funky close up, and you guys still love to rip the camera out of my hands and shove it another direction - when the tigers start biting me, I'll know they're there! You don't have to make a cutscene of them walking toward me.
Otherwise, I JUST WISH IT WAS THE FULL GAME! haha
I can't wait to really sink my teeth into that last area - there are so many places to climb and so many ways to climb there!
Right now however, I'm going to sleep. I stayed up all night for this demo, and while it was well worth it, I'm about to crash into my keyboard. Goodnight!
When I wake up in the morning I'll update this post with a very thorough in-depth evaluation :)
UPDATE: The Break Down,
The Good:
Reticules can be turned off
Helper Buttons can be turned off
Training Text can be turned off
Swimming is very fluid (she swims in whatever direction you turn her, much like the classics – though you can still swim directly up or down like in TRL/TRA)
Underwater Combat is very fluid. If you lock on to the sharks (Left Trigger), your camera will always face them, easing up both the shooting and the swimming.
The Sharks scared the hell out of me. They don’t have any reveal cinematic, they’re just swimming in the water waiting for you to jump in – very classic TR
Adrenaline Headshots are pretty cool. Basically, when your adrenaline meter is full, you can lock on to a target and press X, causing Lara to jump off of the enemy and go into slow-motion. From there, you’ll have a few seconds to move a reticule over the enemies head for an instant kill.
Free-Climbable Stones are really fantastic. The stones don’t look like big billboards screaming “Climb here!” – They just look like stones that protrude out of a wall enough to get some footing on. They’re easy to spot, yet still blend beautifully and look very natural. Lara actually touches and grabs each individual stone as she climbs – it’s not just a static “climbing animation”, it’s a real-time procedural movement.
Exploring brought me back to that classic TR feeling. You know, the one where you see some platform off in the distance and go “How the hell am I going to get there?” The very first rock you find yourself climbing has two ways to go – you can go up and left to the main area, or you can jump to another free-climbable patch to the right, follow the mountain side around, and then find yourself on a beautiful little cliff overlooking the ocean.
The Spiders, much like the sharks, scared the hell out of me because they’re just there. All the sudden these squeaking little monsters are climbing all over you. They remind me SO MUCH of what the spiders in TR2 would be like in a modern game. Love them!
The Foliage moves as you walk through it, and while Lara still does push them out of the way from time to time, she doesn’t beat the living hell out of them like she did in the gameplay videos anymore.
Pick-ups are everywhere. There just seems to be no shortage of goodies and trinkets to find lying around. I’m not even sure what some of the things I found are even for, but they were fun to find!
Secrets, complete with that old familiar chime from the classics and TRA. When you make your way into one of the many off-to-the-side areas you can find little nooks that house secret pick ups, like medpacks or artifacts
Smooth Animations carry Lara from platform to platform. Gone are the scary pop-n-lock animations of the gameplay videos. Lara looks like she’s really fighting gravity and moving like a graceful but real person. When she slides down the first slope of the demo, jumps to a pole, flips herself on top of the pole, and then jumps to the ledge in front of her it’s just so incredibly smooth and great feeling.
It Feels Great to Play because she moves with weight, and when she grabs a ledge it really feels like she has a great grip. That strange floating feelings from TRL and TRA is GONE. Lara feels very tactile in her environment, touching things that she runs into and balancing herself on her swaying boat.
Beautiful Landscapes aren’t hard to find – the levels are designed so that you enter areas from spectacular views. There are also tons of views that you’ll miss out on if you don’t go looking for them though. Click the manual aim button (right stick) and just walk around looking at the environments. You’ll see what I mean.
Depth and Height make some jumps really satisfying to pull off. In the last area of the demo, you’ll find yourself high above a courtyard. Watching Lara’s legs dangle over such a dizzying height as she jumps and climbs her way even higher gave me butterflies in my stomach.
No White Ledges to ruin the environments. Yes, there are “ledges,” but they’re beautifully blending and natural looking. Climbing up the face of the ruin just before the main temple, I actually wasn’t sure if Lara would be able to grab the ledge I was jumping to because it blending in so well. She did.
Ragdoll has been overhauled, on both Lara and her enemies. Lara doesn’t do that strange sliding anymore, she just falls and contorts to the environment – the sharks and tigers also have some very well done ragdoll, though there are still some clipping issues for everyone.
The Tranquilizer Gun is well designed, and for added challenge I can already see myself playing through the game using ONLY the Tranq Gun. It knocks enemies out in one shot, but they’ll wake up when you least expect it. It lets them surprise you all over again.
Wall Hopping took me some getting used to (I kept messing it up), but once I got the timing down this is actually a pretty fluid move, and a nice addition to Lara’s abilities. You can do it on any flat wall.
The Shotgun means business. That’s gonna be the boss gun.
Melee is actually really well done. Lara will do a flying kick you attack whilst running, or a standing kick if you attack while walking or, as the name implies, standing. I’m not sure if it does much damage, but when three tigers are tearing in Lara it’s very useful to knock one or two of them back so you can get some distance.
Lara Can Shoot While Doing Almost Anything. Climbing, shimmying, swimming, running, hanging on a pole, perching on a pillar, climbing on a pillar, and much more. The only time I couldn’t get to fire is when she’s sitting on top of a swing pole, but if you make her stand up and balance she’ll be able to fire.
The Blood is great. It’s not gory, but it’s a satisfying and realistic re-addition. I don’t think I saw an option to turn it off though.
Swing Poles are still a bit out of place, but there are far less of them (and so many other things) and they blend in very well. They aren’t shiny or glowing, they’re either wood or rusted metal and look like they fit the environment visually. The still don’t really make sense though – why would that be there?
Field Assistance is pretty intuitive. You can ask Lara for a little hint, or you can ask for the actual solution if you’re really stuck. I also think this addition made CD feel more comfortable to create some real challenges for us, since they don’t have to worry about casual gamers getting stuck anymore. I think we’re going to get some really elaborate puzzles!
The Static Lighting on the environment looks stellar. Radiosity and Ambient Occlusion give depth to the world’s lighting, making every loose stone and overgrown root pop. Light bounces off surfaces and warms up the environment – red stone will cast a subtle red onto the world around it.
The Character Models are highly detailed. Lara looks as real as a stylized character gets, and the tigers look superbly realistic.
The Textures and Shaders really push the details further. Lara’s hair is detailed down to the last strand, and the wet rocks near the waterfalls have a beautiful sheen. Normal Maps are used to their fullest here, bringing out every crack and crease in the stones and rocks.
The Spherical Harmonics are the best thing about the real-time lighting. Lara looks her absolute best in indirect lighting, because the Spherical Harmonics cause light to reflect off of the ground, plants, and objects around her in a detailed array of quality shadowing and highlighting.
Motion Blur is something that always scares me in games. A lot of companies over do it and make their games hard to play. TRU has just enough to notice. It’s a perfect amount, because when something goes flying across the screen it’ll look smooth and realistic, but everything is still sharp and clean during gameplay.
The Water is hit and miss, but overall good. The Ocean looks fantastic, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. My problem is with the river that runs in front of the temple. It’s just strange looking, but I can’t really put my finger on why.
The Bad:
The Real-Time Shadows are really low res in some parts. It’s strange because in the intro cinematic the shadows look god awful, but in the cinematic that plays as you enter the Shiva room the shadows look sharp and clean. During gameplay however, they tend to look muddy and flicker around the edges because the Shadow Maps are pixilated. CD needed to up the resolution.
The Foliage gets in the way of the camera sometimes. Like Lara, they should fade out with their too close to the camera.
The PLS is a POS. It gives off a really flat, dull, and dim looking light.
The Camera still gets ripped away from you and shoved in the direction of incoming enemies, though at least they only do it to the tigers.
Bottom Line: A lot of us who have been with Lara from the start are still burnt from Legend. I grew up on Tomb Raider, and TRs 1-5 were a huge part of my life; they’re practically sacred to me. Legend messed with the classic formula in a lot of appalling ways, much like AOD did, and it missed the Tomb Raider charm by miles. Any similarities we see between Underworld and Legend automatically seem bad to us because there is so much negative stigma attached to it. That said, I really believe that CD have finally nailed it with TRU. I got that old familiar TR ‘thing,’ where you just phase into the game and look at what a remarkable place you have found. I haven’t felt that wash over me since the first time I played through TR4 – way back in 1999! It’s a hard feeling to describe, but no other game has it. Price of Persia didn’t capture it, Assassin’s Creed didn’t capture it, and Uncharted didn’t capture it. This demo had it. It wasn’t as strong as it was back then, but it was there. The environments are worth exploring. Even though I’d seen all the gamplay videos, and I knew where to go, I still felt like I was uncovering something; like I had found it.
I loved this demo, and I feel like it’s just a taste of the game to come. My hope for the series is renewed, because there is so much potential in this demo. I haven’t been this excited about a game in years, and it feels so good to have that thrill back.
I think that once you play the game, all the fears and anxieties left over from AOD and Legend will start to fade away. This is a great game, and moreover, this is a Tomb Raider.
I love it, Its so amazing <3
Everything I was hoping for :tmb:
Larson_1988
28-10-08, 11:28
@Larson_1988 - yeh the model will disappear to not block the view, but its rather rapid at doing it :)
Oh, so it was done purposely then, :) I understand. :tmb:
More than satisfied. But I still don't like the camera and the way it acts during the combats. The gameplay itself was great and the secrets are interesting (but easy) to find.
I was pleasantly satisfied.
The gaming was quite different from Legend. I actually expected it would feel the same.
When I first started playing it actually felt quite natural because the moves aren't that fast and agile as in Legend which made it feel less real. So definitely a big + for the movement.
The shooting and action on the other hand felt a bit awkward, might be because I haven't truly got used to the controls to witness it's potential.
Graphics are also a big plus. :D Although the rendering of the game with the first intro FMV was a bit ugly. (here is a photo (http://img296.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0234ct9.jpg)) Could be my tv settings but this is actually the first game I played where I noticed this.
For the rest, no white ledges. Love the way you an traverse through the level. And the Player Tailoring works sublime, it really made it harder in my second time through. :D
Loved the puzzle for at the end. Was simple but nice to see I actually went back from where I came to get to the next bit only finding out I didn't have to. I just love the way you can go several routes.
I don't have a 360, but this is really encouraging :)
Good see the few are at least enjoying the demo looking at the poll.;)
Can anyone please say what the graphics are really like? Please be honest which I know maybe difficult in your excitement to be playing an actual demo.:)
Can anyone please say what the graphics are really like? Please be honest which I know maybe difficult in your excitement to be playing an actual demo.:)
They're great. Think Uncharted with more recent shaders (and less blurring), but honestly terrible shadows.
Personally, I'd say that during gameplay TRU is on-par to slightly better than Uncharted graphics wise. The models and textures are simply perfect and the lighting on the environment is beautiful (Looks like some Raidiosity and Ambient Occlusion baked into the lightmaps - gorgeous), up close however, the real-time shadows look pixelated and spaztastic :o
Can anyone please say what the graphics are really like? Please be honest which I know maybe difficult in your excitement to be playing an actual demo.:)
The graphics are really good. Not the best I have seen, the textures are really good but the plants,birds aren't looking really natural with some over sharp lines and blocks, not all but some could use a small soft blur. But that is compared to games as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry 2 etc. For overall it is among the top10 games with amazing graphics I have seen. In my opinion.
Am I the only one who has some of the dynamic shadows kinda pixelated and blurry?
Thank you.:tmb:
that sounds very positive not that doubted too much it wouldn't look good. Nice to hear it from a fans who have tried it!:D;)
Am I the only one who has some of the dynamic shadows kinda pixelated and blurry?
Seems like everyone does. A lot of people said that already.
Tomb of Legends
28-10-08, 11:45
Wow, pretty negitive stuff coming through. God I hope this is an old demo. None of the recent previews or reviews said anything about spastic cameras or bad glitches....
themanthelegend
28-10-08, 11:46
Major congrats Eidos! I LOVE it. Im no stranger to tomb raider and me and my sister have sat playing it for about an hour now. Although she's died a lot more times than me haha!
Its a gorgeous game and i cant wait for the whole thing!!!
Wow, pretty negitive stuff coming through. God I hope this is an old demo. None of the recent previews or reviews said anything about spastic cameras or bad glitches....
Honestly, I'm starting to think it's the Thailand demo, from 3-4 months now. If that's the case, it would be ridiculous. :whi:
Am I the only one who has some of the dynamic shadows kinda pixelated and blurry?
That's just how they look. It's a damn shame too, because EVERY other aspect of the visuals is breathtakingly flawless.
Is it a shadow mapping solution? Any way CD could just bump the resolution up a bit before release?
Wow, pretty negitive stuff coming through. God I hope this is an old demo. None of the recent previews or reviews said anything about spastic cameras or bad glitches....
It's just things like: Whenever a new enemy appears, they derail your camera and jar it over to show the incoming attackers.
The only bugs I saw would be the shadows, and that's not really a bug so much as 'just the way it is'.
Tomb of Legends
28-10-08, 11:51
Thats pretty stupid. I'll never understand why they wont stick to TRA over TRL. It should be 80% TRA and 20% TRL.
Keir_Eidos
28-10-08, 11:51
Thanks for all the comments and constructive feedback :tmb:
Satisfied, but the camera is really bad, some animations seem unpolished and I did not like the combat too much (Legend had probably the most fun combat) ... but I do like it.
Loved some of it. But not particularly satisfied with the rest though. See here (http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=3158993&postcount=24) :wve:
The camera truly did seem to have a mind of its own :vlol:
Tomb of Legends
28-10-08, 11:53
Keir,
What can really be done about these problems now? Its too late to right wrongs now isnt it? The game should nearly be gold..
Poke Warrior
28-10-08, 11:54
The shadows are abit werid but overall, its the best game I have played :D
Keir,
What can really be done about these problems now? Its too late to right wrongs now isnt it? The game should nearly be gold..
I think he's doing this for the NEXT game. ;)
Keir,
What can really be done about these problems now? Its too late to right wrongs now isnt it? The game should nearly be gold..
Last I heard it was already gold.
navinloveslara
28-10-08, 11:56
I don't have a 360, but this is really encouraging :)
Totally agree.
I can't wait to try the PC demo, if a computer I have access to can run it, not sure about mine.
But if not, I'll just wait for the game to come out.
Looks like it's really going to be worth the wait:jmp:.
I just want to point out that while I'm complaining about the camera and the shadows, neither one of those things really hurt the game. They're just things that aren't as good as the rest.
I honestly think that CD have nailed the TR formula this time. There was ton of exploration, with a few fights thrown in for flavor - just like the classic TR's.
I swear, when you guys get to the area with the Shiva/Kalli statue you'll get that unmistakable TOMB RAIDER feeling in your stomach as you look down below and wonder "how the hell am I gonna get there?"
I see improvement in every way, and return to the fundamentals of the series that make it fun and exciting to play. I'm really impressed.
themanthelegend
28-10-08, 12:00
I just want to point out that while I'm complaining about the camera and the shadows, neither one of those things really hurt the game. They're just things that aren't as good as the rest.
I honestly think that CD have nailed the TR formula this time. There was ton of exploration, with a few fights thrown in for flavor - just like the classic TR's.
I swear, when you guys get to the area with the Shiva/Kalli statue you'll get that unmistakable TOMB RAIDER feeling in your stomach as you look down below and wonder "how the hell am I gonna get there?"
I see improvement in every way, and return to the fundamentals of the series that make it fun and exciting to play. I'm really impressed.
I totally agree, I was so impressed. I really cant wait to play the full game, even with my incredibly irrational fear of sharks haha!
I had no problems planting a grenade or two on em though :p
I was more than satisfied, I loved the feeling that enemies could creep up to me at anytime (spiders, bats).
The camera was terible at some points especially when i was near a wall.
There was also one time that i was stuck in the bushes. I couldnt move. Also there was one time that i fell through the floor and magically got back to where i started. I could tell the places but i dont want to spoil the location of the secrets.
The running speed was perfect imo, but the wall climbing was to fast! her legs and arms moved way to fast imo. Some animations were a bit slow ie: when she'd fall of a ledge and had to turn and grab, and also when she would slide down a slope.
However combat is better than Legend and i liked the sticky grenades hehe., Swimming was good diving even better. Looks really beautiful.
I had no problems planting a grenade or two on em though :p
Hell yeah! That's fun, if a bit scary. I'm also a bit shark-phobic, so starting the game by making me jump into shark-infested waters was, well, interesting :cln:
jeffrey van oort
28-10-08, 12:04
It would be nice if you could get into the water from the actual yacht and find a hidden cave somewhere near the rocks / cliffs / whatever they represent :D (I thought water stops near a beach? :P ) and continue the level from there without having to climb up.
(Ps. I have not played this version of Underworld I have only seen it working, does that count?)
I thought it was sad that you had to go up to get out of that area. There are tons of things the creators could have done under water. :)
I thought it was sad that you had to go up to get out of that area. There are tons of things the creators could have done under water. :)
The level before this one was underwater, they probably didn't want people to get sick of it.
I do agree that a little underwater cave with a medipack or something would have been really cool though.
i agree with DOOCH
al of it was fantasic
except for the camera thng which peope have pointed out
i love how her pupils move btw
also on the first cutscene there was like funny back marks on her chest- sam as DOOCHES pic - what is this??????
it was more wtf - i ha no idea where to go on the end puzle near shiva, where to start from... heck i didnt even realize ere was a switch to pulll:cln::cln:
EXCELLENT
when can silver members expect the demo? ME WANT DEMO!!
"Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it!"
THANK GOD FOR THAT:cln:
Certainly lived up to the hype. I'm in absolute awe.
+ Swimming controls are splendid!
+ Water looks lush
+ Just watching Lara is fun, her animations are great!
+ Headshot move - I love aiming the reticule!
+ Wasn't expecting secrets, glad they're there!
+ On my 4th run through, I was shocked to get a quick look at a lizzard skittering up a wall! Really shocked me as I didn't see it the first times through. I got a few shots on him but he was off! :p
+ Music is really relaxing at times which contrasts the beautiful scenery.
- Wish it was longer! I'm so much more hyped now.
- Camera controls needed some getting used to, but they are perfectly usable now.
+ & - Bit overwhelmed by the combat at first with 3 tigers pouncing all at once but this is a positive as well cause it was such a thrill.
Loved it. Thank you so much Crystal D, you've really hit the nail on the head with this. Absolutely dying for the actual game now. :jmp::jmp::jmp:
Tomb of Legends
28-10-08, 12:15
I thought they said there was no ingame music now?
jeffrey van oort
28-10-08, 12:15
Some people are even getting emotional about it.
Warning this link contains dangerous content and should not be accessed by those with a weak heart or ppl that are just not up to it.. Eventually it will end.. once.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZgnf_HCl_o&feature=related
navinloveslara
28-10-08, 12:17
Some people are even getting emotional about it.
Warning this link contains dangerous content and should not be accessed by those with a weak heart or ppl that are just not up to it.. Eventually it will end.. once.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZgnf_HCl_o&feature=related
:vlol:!
[
They're great. Think Uncharted with more recent shaders (and less blurring), but honestly terrible shadows.
Personally, I'd say that during gameplay TRU is on-par to slightly better than Uncharted graphics wise. The models and textures are simply perfect and the lighting on the environment is beautiful (Looks like some Raidiosity and Ambient Occlusion baked into the lightmaps - gorgeous), up close however, the real-time shadows look pixelated and spaztastic :o
:jmp:
It's just things like: Whenever a new enemy appears, they derail your camera and jar it over to show the incoming attackers.
.
:(
I just want to point out that while I'm complaining about the camera and the shadows, neither one of those things really hurt the game. They're just things that aren't as good as the rest.
I honestly think that CD have nailed the TR formula this time. There was ton of exploration, with a few fights thrown in for flavor - just like the classic TR's.
I swear, when you guys get to the area with the Shiva/Kalli statue you'll get that unmistakable TOMB RAIDER feeling in your stomach as you look down below and wonder "how the hell am I gonna get there?"
I see improvement in every way, and return to the fundamentals of the series that make it fun and exciting to play. I'm really impressed.
:jmp::jmp::jmp::jmp::jmp::jmp:
Thank you guys, I can wait till 21 November :)
Brunosback
28-10-08, 12:17
Amazing demo! shame it wasnt very long. :(
the graphics were honestly superb! one problem with the whole thing though was the camera. It liked to wonder off every now and then; sometime to close so u couldnt see when to go next, and sometimes miles away and lara was tiny. But in all it was an amazing demo and its hyped me up even more!
At the end i was shocked how it ended on the quicktime! i though i had died at first until it said tomb raider on the screen and i was really disappointed it had ended.
Keir_Eidos
28-10-08, 12:18
when can silver members expect the demo? ME WANT DEMO!!
I'm finding out for ya.
It's excellent. The ambient feel is what I love a lot. The background score carefully adjusts as you progress. It's not like Anniversary where at times there is no score present, nor is it like Legend, where the score tends to be heard a lot. It's somewhere in-between.
The look is lush and beautiful. The first cutscene actually reminded me of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. There's a few shorts scenes but for the most part you're playing the game. I did get a little stuck near the end but eventually worked it out.
Now, I know how to get through that, I guess I will have no problem on that part when I play it again later and on the full game.
any ideas when pics/vids will be up
navinloveslara
28-10-08, 12:19
I just want to point out that while I'm complaining about the camera and the shadows, neither one of those things really hurt the game. They're just things that aren't as good as the rest.
I honestly think that CD have nailed the TR formula this time. There was ton of exploration, with a few fights thrown in for flavor - just like the classic TR's.
I swear, when you guys get to the area with the Shiva/Kalli statue you'll get that unmistakable TOMB RAIDER feeling in your stomach as you look down below and wonder "how the hell am I gonna get there?"
I see improvement in every way, and return to the fundamentals of the series that make it fun and exciting to play. I'm really impressed.
Ooh, can't wait:jmp:!
I'm finding out for ya.
I thought someone said it should be available for Silver members right away. Not fair, since why would someone need Gold when this game is going to be single-player anyway?
i'm finding out for ya.
:jmp: Yay!
:BitterSweet:
28-10-08, 12:22
I lurved it! Sure there was some glitches, but it was still good. :)
First play through I actually got lost, so I guess that's good. :p
Camera was bad at first, but then got used to it.
Fighting the tigers were hard for me, I almost died. I tried to runaway they still chase after me, so the enemies have been improved. :)
Wish it could be longer... :tea:
Only TR lover
28-10-08, 12:24
Reading through this thread made me even more excited. :D :D Can't wait to get my hands on a pc demo!!! :jmp: :jmp:
James_Rutland
28-10-08, 12:28
KamilM_93, you havn't even played the demo? :confused:
I like it! I like it! :jmp:
Tho' there was some things i didn't like. Wth are those cups with some red powder? When Lara picks them they just look like being sucked by the backpack http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u252/kcmraz/Emoticonos/X.png.
I don't now if it was a glitch or not, but i hated when the camera look like on first person. http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u252/kcmraz/Emoticonos/X.png
But I'm voting the first option since there are most yay's than no-no's :D
UNDERTAKER
28-10-08, 12:45
I'm more than satisfied with the demo. I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking or revolutionary so it lived up to my expectations as an enjoyable, old school tomb raider experience.
POSITIVES
Compared to Legend, frame rate is smooth and steady. Big plus point here. :tmb:
Graphics are lovely - lots of colour and foliage which make exploration really interesting.
Lara's animations are a sight to behold.
Lots of secrets and expansive areas to explore.
NEGATIVES
Controls feel quite loose and twitchy.
Camera is bad. No other way to describe it. If this issue is not fixed, then TRU will lose review points for the camera alone.
Combat is difficult, due in part to the camera.
Graphics are nice, but it definately is not in the same league as Uncharted (and I don't own a PS3 by the way). Textures appear slightly pixelated and blocky up close. Also Lara does not interact with all objects (an invisible wall stops you jumping on a few ledges for example).
Overall, an enjoyable TR experience. Bottom line, it is better than Legend but I do believe that Tomb Raider's days of blowing gamers away are over, sadly. 8/10.
Keir,
What can really be done about these problems now? Its too late to right wrongs now isnt it? The game should nearly be gold..
Maybe they can patch some things with the DLC... :)
_Tomb_Raider
28-10-08, 12:54
I have just come from my friend who had Xbox360....and I must say that I just love it! It's really beautiful! I just love it!
I love it its amazing!!
the only thing that does bug me is the camera it keeps moving where its not suppose to and keeps going into really awkward angles so i cant see anything or do anything.
but apart from that its a great game and cant wait for the full one:)
okay and i wish it was longer.
but still if that was just part of a level think about how big the whole game is gonna be :D
i'm so exited now
Maybe they can patch some things with the DLC... :)
http://i38.tinypic.com/289ew5g.jpg
KamilM_93, you havn't even played the demo? :confused:
yeh i noticed he voted yet we know for a fact he not playing the 360 demo. Obviously reading things and following requested instructions isnt a forte.
Noticing a lot of people talking about the camera.. Its weird as i guess i've gotten so used to playing it that i actually almost `play the camera` whilst i am moving Lara around.. so i dont actually notice bad camera angles or the like as i am always in control of it
Noticing a lot of people talking about the camera.. Its weird as i guess i've gotten so used to playing it that i actually almost `play the camera` whilst i am moving Lara around.. so i dont actually notice bad camera angles or the like as i am always in control of it
Probably something you have to get used to. I am also much better now with combat after playing a few times. I can now play it even on the hardest settings without dying. Which was quite a challenge. :D
When I started on the combat I really hated it, but now got used to it.
I know this is suposed to be 360 only but, jaywalker can this live camera be toggled off,i was apreheesible on eric interview and reading some posts here,it looks it will be frustrating to have to slap the camera into my submission every now and then.
Probably something you have to get used to. I am also much better now with combat after playing a few times. I can now play it even on the hardest settings without dying. Which was quite a challenge. :D
When I started on the combat I really hated it, but now got used to it.
Thas kinda what was expecting.. Initial `shock` of playing, then a realisation of how its different from before and how to `play to it`..
Man the demo was so hard, took me like 2 hours to complete
tranniversary119
28-10-08, 13:50
Satisfied :tmb:
Hey there Keir Eidos im gonna post a link from a pretty big general gaming community, its a direct link to the Tomb Raider Underworld demo so you can read general players opinions
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340280
Opinions and thoughts are pretty good and its generating positive feedback. The most common cons are the camera and some shadows
ttp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340280 (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340280)
It's not only EXCLUSIVE to 360 but is EXCLUSIVE to gold members. You cannot get more EXCLUSIVE than that.
LMAO :vlol: :vlol:
Extremely unsatisfied BECAUSE THE DEMO ISN'T ON PSN! NUFF SAID!
Hey there Keir Eidos im gonna post a link from a pretty big general gaming community, its a direct link to the Tomb Raider Underworld demo so you can read general players opinions
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340280
Opinions and thoughts are pretty good and its generating positive feedback. The most common cons are the camera and some shadows
Wow, GAF is kind :eek: they usually just hate things ... and Eidos used to be amongst the most hated.
Cool,nice to see how crowd thinks :)
Wana b like Lara
28-10-08, 14:21
What the hell does linear mean? Im confused :confused:
Psychos'Я'Us
28-10-08, 14:22
Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it!
i ment thumbs up^^^^^
ok..it took me 3 hours to download the demo, i got it at half 12, slow conection
BRILLIANT!!
the isuals could be better,i felt everythinhgwas to sharp-some thingd needed to be smoothed out and i also noticed some sloppy textures (little green areas..when i looked at them i couldnt realy tell what was going on.
the water is a bit:confused:................drinkable:D
laras head wrinkles make her ugly:(
laras litte pose are great, controlls are great, combat is...ok
i hate spiders:ton:
tranniversary119
28-10-08, 14:28
Hey there Keir Eidos im gonna post a link from a pretty big general gaming community, its a direct link to the Tomb Raider Underworld demo so you can read general players opinions
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340280
Opinions and thoughts are pretty good and its generating positive feedback. The most common cons are the camera and some shadows
I like there comments, alot of people I noticed on other forums as well are impressed with the graphics and how it looks so real. The combat may be kinda crappy but everything else is amazing :tmb:
My god,the original secret sound is back once again :D
Loving it! :)
bloodstormaoa
28-10-08, 14:54
More than satisfied :tmb:
Here's my Pro's and Con's :
Pro's:
- The graphics are fantastic.
- Underwater gunplay is brilliant.
- Animations looks great IMO.
- Fierce enemies.
- Melee attacks PWN!
- More variety of traversal.
Con's:
- I didn't get stuck once.
- Lara is too fast...like srsly!
- Camera is awkward, especially during combat.
- Slightly too much sensitivity in terms of analogue stick.
shadow_boy
28-10-08, 14:58
It's just things like: Whenever a new enemy appears, they derail your camera and jar it over to show the incoming attackers.
The only bugs I saw would be the shadows, and that's not really a bug so much as 'just the way it is'.
I guess that's part of the new cinematic feel CD has given to the franchise since Legend. although it looks nice and feels like playing a movie it takes away part of the feeling of a tomb raider, that feeling of getting scared by the sudden appearance of an enemy. I remember when a sudden noise or music would scare the hell out of me and then I would realize it was just a rat. CD should bring those moments back, or at least mix them between introducing enemies sometimes with a cinematic and some times just by surprise and with music. Just imagine in TRA if you would encounter the T-Rex by surprise. the cinematic introduction sure looks nice but it removes the feeling of surprise.
Keir_Eidos
28-10-08, 15:00
I thought someone said it should be available for Silver members right away. Not fair, since why would someone need Gold when this game is going to be single-player anyway?
:jmp: Yay!
OK, I've asked Microsoft and it will be available for Silver members in a week's time.
Hey there Keir Eidos im gonna post a link from a pretty big general gaming community, its a direct link to the Tomb Raider Underworld demo so you can read general players opinions
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340280
Opinions and thoughts are pretty good and its generating positive feedback. The most common cons are the camera and some shadows
Thanks for the linky, I lurk at neoGAF a lot :tmb:
I like there comments, alot of people I noticed on other forums as well are impressed with the graphics and how it looks so real. The combat may be kinda crappy but everything else is amazing :tmb:
You know after you get used to it the combat isn't that bad. Just need to know where to jump for the tigers, and kicking is your friend. :D
The adrenaline moments are also nice but I still need to make a perfect one without using the reticules for help.
Went on to Xbox at 10AM expecting it to be a few minutes late, but nope it was there ready to download. Took around 20mins to download, but that was ok.
Took you 20 MINUTES!?!?:confused:
It took me 4 HOURS!:hea:
goddamn crappy sky broadband!
anyways, the demo was awesome, i didnt like the camera or the way she moved at such a speed in different directions she could bust her neck.
graphics were awesome, i liked using the grapple, tigers were hard but thats good.
overall very impressed.
I guess that's part of the new cinematic feel CD has given to the franchise since Legend. although it looks nice and feels like playing a movie it takes away part of the feeling of a tomb raider, that feeling of getting scared by the sudden appearance of an enemy. I remember when a sudden noise or music would scare the hell out of me and then I would realize it was just a rat. CD should bring those moments back, or at least mix them between introducing enemies sometimes with a cinematic and some times just by surprise and with music. Just imagine in TRA if you would encounter the T-Rex by surprise. the cinematic introduction sure looks nice but it removes the feeling of surprise.
It is in the game, didnt you encounter the spiders in the first parts straight out of the bushes?
Achilles_DS
28-10-08, 15:28
That was a very interesting game. I think I may have downloaded a buggy version (if that is possible)
+Graphics looked good
+Animations are better
+Decent secret places
- The camera was all over the place. When I was free wall climbing it would move above Lara's head and bounce against the wall so my screen kept going black as it went through the rocks. The when I got into the tiger fight it got stuck behind some shrubs and i had to roll back and fourth to get it back. Just not a very good camera system.
- Swimming was strange, I was free style swimming and then Lara would start turning down and diving without any input from me.
- Quite linear for the most part
- Feels a lot like Legend/Anniversary.
It is in the game, didnt you encounter the spiders in the first parts straight out of the bushes?
Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.
Or I missed a certain place you have to be for the spiders to come into motion.
I wonder if the AI is somehow random at times because when I started out on my second time I saw 3 sharks swimming while at the first time I only saw 2.
And I did check around everywhere on my first way through.
- The camera was all over the place. When I was free wall climbing it would move above Lara's head and bounce against the wall so my screen kept going black as it went through the rocks. The when I got into the tiger fight it got stuck behind some shrubs and i had to roll back and fourth to get it back. Just not a very good camera system.
There are so many comments about this, it's seriously starting to scare me.
DomyRaider
28-10-08, 15:37
Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it:cln:
I LOVE CRYSTAL DYNAMICS:cln::cln::jmp::jmp:
There were tons of secret hidden areas. Great exploration game. I absolutely adored it. I've taken the afternoon off to keep playing it.
Achilles_DS
28-10-08, 15:43
yeh i noticed he voted yet we know for a fact he not playing the 360 demo. Obviously reading things and following requested instructions isnt a forte.
Noticing a lot of people talking about the camera.. Its weird as i guess i've gotten so used to playing it that i actually almost `play the camera` whilst i am moving Lara around.. so i dont actually notice bad camera angles or the like as i am always in control of it
you've gotten used to the crappy camera system. That's great as a developer... i wonder if the average consumer will have the same opinion. I'm hardly exaggerating the camera would sometimes spin in circles!! or slam up against walls randomly. I really hope this is an old build.
you've gotten used to the crappy camera system. That's great as a developer... i wonder if the average consumer will have the same opinion. I'm hardly exaggerating the camera would sometimes spin in circles!! or slam up against walls randomly. I really hope this is an old build.
Hm definitely not seen it `spin in circles` of its own accord etc..
shadow_boy
28-10-08, 15:48
It is in the game, didnt you encounter the spiders in the first parts straight out of the bushes?
I was referring more to more important animals.
loruraider
28-10-08, 15:49
The demo is fantastic..beautiful gameplay, excellent graphics with antialiasing , perfect camera sistem and no bugs...Perfect!!!A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I don't believe i played the demo!!!!:)
Here my video of lara's face...:)
Not particularly satisfied.
Achilles_DS
28-10-08, 15:50
Hm definitely not seen it `spin in circles` of its own accord etc..
I have nothing against this game, this is simply constructive criticism in regards to an issue that has plagued Tomb Raider (and many 3rd person games) from the very start, and you should take the criticism as such. Cheers.
I hated the camera in Anniversary (especially during combat) but from what i hear this looks even worse...:(
Sup guys! Looks like you all had lots of fun! :D Could anyone tell me, approx., how much time you had to play to get through the demo? How much if you take your time? and How much, you think, if you rush to the end? 2o, 3o minutes? An hour? Thanks!
And I cant wait to vote on that PC poll friday! :D
I have nothing against this game, this is simply constructive criticism in regards to an issue that has plagued Tomb Raider (and many 3rd person games) from the very start, and you should take the criticism as such. Cheers.
oh i know and i know Keir is passing on all these back to CD.. just saying in all the times i've played the code/demo etc i've not had the camera spin around..
There was a statistic someone wrote up about regardless how much time we put into testing a product that within the first few hours of a major game release the number of `hours played` racked up by consumers will outweigh the entire test time..
just played it for the fourth time:cln::cln:
and i realised something - i read something about having an underwater cave on the demo
well i swam to the very last cliffs- past the bit you climb on- and swim as far right as you can
then dive down to the bottom and swim left until there is an opening
inside is this HUGE door that canniot e opened
i have checked the walkthrough and its niot mentioned
i had the thought that maybe you ca come back with the gauntlets and open it seena s it is big
just wondering
if anyone can help i would be grateful
if its old - ignore me:):)
ccroft2003
28-10-08, 16:20
The poll results for me are a little sad. Sad becuase there are only 73 votes. Maybe 70 are genuine votes for 360 demo players. That's how many of us fans have been able to enjoy this demo so far :( It's totally unfair considering there are hundreds of us. Over 500 at 10am this morning according to Justin. :( Sorry - this isn't a ranting email. Just a thought . . .
Thats pretty stupid. I'll never understand why they wont stick to TRA over TRL. It should be 80% TRA and 20% TRL.
i second that!
The poll results for me are a little sad. Sad becuase there are only 73 votes. Maybe 70 are genuine votes for 360 demo players. That's how many of us fans have been able to enjoy this demo so far :( It's totally unfair considering there are hundreds of us. Over 500 at 10am this morning according to Justin. :( Sorry - this isn't a ranting email. Just a thought . . .
Hopefully the PC users will get the demo on Friday and soon The PS3 can get a demos as well with all the positive buzz the X360 demo is gettin I think an effort to get it to PS3 would be worth :)
"Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it!" :D
So i just started played the demo for a good 30 minutes, went slow as I'm trying to pick up on all the new improvements and a few minor drawbacks.
Pros:
-The graphics definitely deserve some major recognition here. A total treat for the eyes, the foliage looks lush and lara has a more realistic appeal (as far as her cartoonish style can take her).
-Environments are big and beautiful, although slightly linear, but a huge step up from Legend.
-Fast paced movement, swimming isn't slow or horribly boring, neither is on foot adventuring thanks to the reprising role of the 'Sprint' action.
-Combat is actually really satisfying in my opinion. The melee attacks are really amazing to pull off and I had a bunch of fun running up and kicking some butt while bouncing off and pulling off some awesome rolls and gun shots.
-The animations are a bit of an inbetween. The cutscenes work well and the Motion capture definitely shows. Lara's running animations all work with fluidity and are quite beautiful, but then there's a matter of taste with the jump.
The jump:
Lara's regular jump from ledges through the air look fine to me, but I definitely noticed a funky awkwardness when jump up from one ledge to another while climbing. Most of the controls and actions have a bit of weight to them, so it strikes me as odd that the animation appears more like a slight leap up and hovering to next ledge above. I mean I know it's small (and probably won't be changed) but it's just something that totally erks me. Legend's ledge jumps up atleast had some weight to em when she would throw herself, and Anniversary's was perfect in my opinion with the feeling that she struggled to to step off the wall in front of her upwards. Again, I know it's small, it's just a jump, but there's a lot of jumping...
Cons:
-Simply put, the camera needs work. Not major work, but definitely some alterations. It tends to wobble in tight areas and can be a total pain in trying to locate ledges in farther distances or behind you. When near a wall, rotating around and coming close into contact with Lara will have her disappear. Now that's all fine and dandy, but could it at least be a subtle transition. She just quickly vaporizes out of the camera's view. It just came off as glitchy. Beyond that, the control work alright in most of the instances, but adventuring felt like trial and error approach around the tight corners due to the lack of actual environmental exposure.
My biggest suggestions are pretty obvious...
-Fix the camera to a more wide open view, maybe it should be thrown into more fixed positions around tight corridors and mountain sides that maintain a view of all ledges to help make it easier. Maybe even slow it down a little so it doesn't throw itself around a player to fast and feel glitchy or awkward.
-Make a heavier climbing-jumping-up animation that maybe shows weight like the other animations that really expose her amazing animation. An example is the way lara swings on a horizontal pole and if you stop mid way, her body hesitates and then drops into a squatting position with a hand down balancing her out. It looks real and it looks great. If maybe more leg movement was implemented into motion, a little but of her pulling it up and a swing up, or her kicking off the wall upward (aka anniversary) which to me is a more preferable action, would help the heavier realism.
Hope this helps at least a little...
just played it for the fourth time:cln::cln:
and i realised something - i read something about having an underwater cave on the demo
well i swam to the very last cliffs- past the bit you climb on- and swim as far right as you can
then dive down to the bottom and swim left until there is an opening
inside is this HUGE door that canniot e opened
i have checked the walkthrough and its niot mentioned
i had the thought that maybe you ca come back with the gauntlets and open it seena s it is big
just wondering
if anyone can help i would be grateful
if its old - ignore me:):)
Really, I've played over eight times and not come across this. Awesome. I'm going to go look for that. I think I'm going to speed run Remnants we didn't get enough of the Bohgavarti level. Or however you spell it. :)
Lara.Jolie7
28-10-08, 16:54
no penguim option Oo?
The demo was indeed a little bit EPIC.
From some of the vids Lara's jumps looked a little bit squirrel on steroids but when your actually playing it its much better and the motion capture has really paid off, especially some of the little handstands over things and stuff. The main thing I enjoyed about it is that every play through i've discovered something new whether it be an underwater door or another area housing a secret which is what i think tomb raider is all about.
I've read quite a bit about how awful the camera is but personally i can see why they've changed it and once you get used to it its fine.
The graphics are beautiful too, better than pretty much any game i've ever played.
The only bad bits where that it was too short and left me wanting more which I guess is a good bit not a bad one and the bats sometimes seemed to be a bit of a never ending stream of em but it didn't exactly ruin my life.
If this is a just a demo I think the full game will live up to every ounce of hype and more so, can't wait :)
seriously its there here ( thankyou DICKDAN for the images)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/01laner/Underwold/KMP-AnalogWDM00044415-29-04.jpg
from here swim straight ahead as if going to the ledge but then to the right to get to te back wall
then go down to the bottome and go left for 2 or 3 seconds
ifyou look you will find i8t
sorry i am rubbish with computers so i cant take pics or anythng
again thankyou DICKDAN just in case its illegal or summat:o:o:o:o
wow sorry thats huge
i apologize i dont know how to make it smaller
powerslave666
28-10-08, 17:37
Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it!
seriously its there here ( thankyou DICKDAN for the images)
from here swim straight ahead as if going to the ledge but then to the right to get to te back wall
then go down to the bottome and go left for 2 or 3 seconds
ifyou look you will find i8t
sorry i am rubbish with computers so i cant take pics or anythng
again thankyou DICKDAN just in case its illegal or summat:o:o:o:o
wow sorry thats huge
i apologize i dont know how to make it smaller
I have seen that door as well unfortunatly we cant blow it open with a grenate...
I have seen that door as well unfortunatly we cant blow it open with a grenate...
Its probably where she comes out of at the end of the level when she gets the gauntlet thing :confused:
I´m Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it! :) 10/10 :)
My not particularly scientific opinion...
Loved the shooting! especially the blam! blam! noises, sounded meaty and satisfying
Enjoyed backflipping off tigers backs to shoot them
had to think a bit about what I was doing
Lara looks like she is wearing lycra sports gear..which is sensible. def no wardrobe malfunctions with them
Those bloody spiders!! made me squeal!
camera? well getting to grips with the right stick helped loads, annoying at times though.
Loved those backflips across the gaps
My main problem was getting to grips with the controls. I kept kicking when I shoudl have shot etc. My old school Lara reactions kept kicking in! :cln:
I have only played once and it took me an hour.
I loved it. There are at least two ways to get to almost every location, and there are plenty of side nooks and hidden away areas (There is even a chime similar to the classics when you find these secrete areas)
The ledges look like very normal pieces of architecture, though poles are still a bit out of place in some areas.
Reticules can be turned off. Hints can be turned off. Helpers can be turned off. The swimming controls are fantastic and fluid. The animations are beautiful and smooth (nothing like those scary pop-lock animations from the old videos). There were several times when I saw a platform in the distance and went "Oooo, how do I get over there?", and unlike Legend, you REALLY CAN get to those places. Lara also feels much more like she is a part of the world - her feet touch the ground, she rocks and sways with the water currents, she even stopped herself from slamming into a wall when I rolled too close to one by putting her hands against the wall mid roll. Also, when she grabs a ledge, pole, grapple, etc it really feels like she has a tight grip on it - nothing like the floating feeling that TRL and TRA have.
All in all, I felt like I was playing TR3. My only complaints are that shadows look sort of funky close up, and you guys still love to rip the camera out of my hands and shove it another direction - when the tigers start biting me, I'll know they're there! You don't have to make a cutscene of them walking toward me.
Otherwise, I JUST WISH IT WAS THE FULL GAME! haha
I can't wait to really sink my teeth into that last area - there are so many places to climb and so many ways to climb there!
Right now however, I'm going to sleep. I stayed up all night for this demo, and while it was well worth it, I'm about to crash into my keyboard. Goodnight!
When I wake up in the morning I'll update this post with a very thorough in-depth evaluation :)
I liked your in-depth review so much. The demo sounds fantastic!!
us ps3 folks are real jealous. ;)
atheistium
28-10-08, 18:19
Wrote my review already, I've quoted it below but I'll add my extra notes. The game now (after 3 times playing through) feels very glitchy. Lara had been grabbing onto mid air walls for me. She's got stuck a number times as well. Also the camera certainly need tweaking. I am having huge problems where it zooms in too much and goes through her head. I try resetting the camera by pressing in the analogue stick and still the same thing.
I also had to reset the demo when Lara got stuck. She climbed onto the pole you insert into the wall (for the first time) and she was crouching holding on. When I went to jump forward she didn't move. Tried backwards, still no movement. Then I just started pressing all sorts of buttons to get her to fall off and she just didn't move. Had to reset the demo in the end.
Animations are very jerky and unnatural. While the quality of the actual animation is high the link between animations and general movement feels out of place sometimes and uncomfortable. Her jumps and shooting are also way too fast seeing that she shot 4 bats in all different directions in less than 2 seconds which is weird seeing that most people would have to turn. Her arms just go crazy and point in the direction and before her body can turn to the target she is shooting another. It's all very strange looking.
Guys.. I'm a little upset. don't flame me for my opinion...
So you'd not believe how much I've been hyping this game to non-tr fans. I've been so excited I've pre-ordered it (3 times) and already brought ms points for the DLC that will be coming out soon after it's release.
Does anyone else find the animations to quick, jerky and not fluid? Please tell me I am not the only one! Tomb Raider has always had fantastic hand animation and I was really worried after hearing it would be mocap how they would link it all together fluidly. She move's TOO FAST and the camera can't keep up and won't stay in a good place for me. Seriously, it zooms in when I need it out and the only time it's really in a good place is when I am running in an open area or swimming.
The graphics look absolutely fantastic, the cut scenes are beautiful and Lara just looks magnificent but the animations and speed of how she moves, climbs and swims feels all too unnatural for Lara and what I am used to. It's really putting me off! I suppose I should play through a second time and then a third. I was planning to spend all night with the demo anyway. I still feel her animations are waaaayyy off and it doesn't feel right to play. She is TOO quick to move around so I can't get comfortable with adjusting for jumps and such.
I hope I am not the only one. Let me know~
However I still love how the game LOOKS and the atmosphere, music etc etc are amazing. I am also blown away by the sea. I mean, it looks real. REAL!
mmm...cookies
28-10-08, 18:24
Mmm...Cookies Mini Review!!
Graphics:
The first thing i noticed was of course the GFX, the shadowing on her model is a little pixelated in low light but is much better in bright areas.
The next thing you notice is exactly how good Lara looks, her model detail is amazing and her hair is remarkably well done.
Water looks amazingly real and wet.
Gameplay:
The initial thing you notice is it pretty much is what you had in TRL except with a much more weighted feel, Lara's moves feel like she has actual weight behind them and are more real in animation.
While this is ultimately a good thing, it can look a little awkward at slower speeds.
Moving around is pretty much done exactly like TRL/TRA which for me at least i liked.
Environment:
The surrounding areas in the demo look extremely lush and real.
Lara interacts with most plants and bushes pushing them aside as you stroll by.
This could be the demo only being partially done but Lara seems to have no effect on the water, when swimming she doesn't leave any kind of wave behind her, whilst not game breaking would be a nice touch.
Sound:
The sound effects in the demo at least were perfect, incredibly sharp and well balanced even when fighting enemies.
Pumping through my 5.1 at around 2am in the morning is probably not the best way i could have tested it but i'm sure nobody minded tehe!!
So that's it for my review, hope you liked it.
I would also like to state....... i did not have any problems with the camera, if you've played any 3d games in the last gazillion years you know too keep one thumb on the stick at all times, basically using the camera as your control movements......no shaking or glitching here.
Also thank you for the best B-Day pressy eidos.........yay 23rd B-Day was much better with Lara.
I watched some people's videos of the demo gameplay. The demo looks sorta buggy and the combat seems a bit too fast-paced, Lara flips seem a bit rapid, and one thing I dislike are the recycled grunts from Lara, TRA players will recognise this. Apart from that the demo looks AWZUM.
The good:
- Graphics look great on a nice big TV, lush and believable
- Much improved movements (on land) and some nice kicks
- climbing is much better, not just swinging and jumping
- less obvious clues
- felt like TR3 which is good
- sound & atmospherics excellent
- had to think about one or 2 puzzles, unlike Legend:tmb:
- more immersive than previous CD games?
- tigers and bats were excellent (played 'footie' kicking the bats lol)
- a real sense of scale and of "being there"
- Lara is 'heavier' to control and more fluid
The not as good:
- the water bit was pretty rubbish IMO
- the sharks look like rubber ;) or dolphins, basically unconvincing
- swimming movement is ridiculous?
- a little linear, where were the different routes (it's just a demo though)?
All in all exceeded my expectations. Will buy.
[QUOTE=jaywalker;3160043]oh i know and i know Keir is passing on all these back to CD.. just saying in all the times i've played the code/demo etc i've not had the camera spin around..QUOTE]
hope CD won't feel a little hurt. WE TRULY LURVE THE DEMO.
Well, I really enjoyed the demo. I've only played it once. I thought the platforming was quite good. I like that they've added moves since Legend and Anniversary. I liked being able to climb on the walls and balance beam walk and wall bound. I mean they're not that original, but they help add to the depth of the platforming. Exploration was pretty good. Lots of things to find it seemed. I liked the big room and bit of puzzle solving at the end there. Trying to figure out which way to go. Environmental puzzles/platforming were good. The whole grab a pole thing seemed better than I though it would be. Combat is pretty meh, but that's what I was expecting. It feels pretty similar to the last couple games. I did like the new headshot thing and being able to shoot from ledges, but like I said combat wasn't too good. But that's not really what TR is about so it doesn't bother me so much. Music and v/o seemed good. Graphics were pretty good, too, though there were some glitchy things like something around Lara's shirt in the opening cutscene and some clipping issues like when hanging from a ledge.
Anyway, I'm actually a bit more excited about this game now. I was going to wait for Christams for this game, but I may try and get it when it comes out now.
Edit: Oh forgot to mention camera wasn't too good, but maybe my control of it will get better with time. Seemed a bit off though.
I just downloaded and tried. It definately fulfilled my expectations. The grapics, gameplay, puzzling, all in all it seems to be very good in the demo already, (no doubt the full version will be even better).
A thing that really surprised me were the ledges. You really did a great job getting rid of the white "look im here" ledges, im very thankful for that :D
Now you really have to look around concentrated for the ledges, it isn't always easy to find them.
You have managed to put all the best things from Anniversary and Legend together, and even improved several of them.
All in all i am more then pleased and satisfied with it :D
I'm more then satisfied! There are definitely some good points and bad, but it sure lives up to the hype. I love it! :D
I watched some people's videos of the demo gameplay. The demo looks sorta buggy and the combat seems a bit too fast-paced, Lara flips seem a bit rapid, and one thing I dislike are the recycled grunts from Lara, TRA players will recognise this. Apart from that the demo looks AWZUM.
It doensn't look buggy, IT IS buggy. I played it some time ago when Alison was in Warsaw. The fighting is really chaotic, Lara jumps everywhere in very unreal positions (no offence to Heidi Moneymaker, but to the animators :P) There is no cooldown between the moves. The animations are interrupting themselves. It looks retarded :p Also the bullets fly and hit the tigers even if Lara's aim is off (she's aiming the other direction but the targets still get hit :D). Only the graphics lookin' good, but it is a shame that the base platform was 360. I doubt that CD improved anything from the demo and we will get a little buggy game. Anyway I will play the demo again tomorrow on my friend's console.
Regards
While the quality of the actual animation is high the link between animations and general movement feels out of place sometimes and uncomfortable.
That's my impression from the footage I saw too.
Can someone tell me what they thought of the music in comparison with past games?
eatlimegreen
28-10-08, 19:42
I said not particularly satisfied. I didn't like how frustrating it was to balance on a pole. The gunfights were terrible her pistols don't shoot a fast as they used to the tigers were really tough they seem almost too fast for Lara and the head shots were even more confusing.The rage meter was too small and when I flipped in the air I didn't have enough time to think and move the small reticule. Lara's swan dive is weird. The camera is horrendous it zooms in on Lara way too much. I also don't there's a need to use the analog stick to keep her balanced if she is just going to save herself when she falls The music and the scenery is good. I really liked the level design, it was a good mix of linear and non linear. The main problems are the camera and the combat.
I'm very happy with it.
I think the main draw is the range of motion of Lara and her interactions with the environment. She really feels like a part of a solid world, barring the odd minor clipping issue. She is a little on the twitchy side in terms of stick sensitivity, but this is the kind of thing that can be tweaked as a control option. I tend to dull down control sensitivity on a lot of games. Such a subtle range of animations naturally leads to odd little glitches here and there - particularly where steps are involved - but it's asking a bit much for CD to take every possibility of a player's actions into account.
Overall I think it strikes a good balance between fluidity and the neccessity of immediate control.
The shadows play a bit funkily, as many have said. I find this with pretty much all games with dynamic shadows. Mass Effect, Neverwinter Nights 2, Lost Odyssey, etc. I usually end up turning them off in the options if possible. Having said that, the lighting is spectacular and really breathes life into the locations.
Overall graphically it actually looks a bit rougher than I thought it would. Lara is fine and a lot of the architecture is excellent, but I found quite a bit of the foliage to have a very low-res look. Maybe it's going to get one or two more texture passes though. The water is lovely! Lara actually looks a little different here yet again from the trailers I've been watching. It's funny seeing her look evolve.
As for the camera, well I'm so used to babysitting 3D cameras nowadays that it barely registers with me. I think that it's a fundamental issue with a game like this, and I can't see anyone cracking it any time soon.
Combat... meh. It's the part of TR games that I care very little for and I always treat it as a minor annoyance to get through before the next bit of exploration and puzzle-solving. It's as unfocused and chaotic as it ever was. I can live with it.
I said not particularly satisfied. I didn't like how frustrating it was to balance on a pole. The gunfights were terrible her pistols don't shoot a fast as they used to the tigers were really tough they seem almost too fast for Lara and the head shots were even more confusing.The rage meter was too small and when I flipped in the air I didn't have enough time to think and move the small reticule. Lara's swan dive is weird. The camera is horrendous it zooms in on Lara way too much. I also don't there's a need to use the analog stick to keep her balanced if she is just going to save herself when she falls The music and the scenery is good. I really liked the level design, it was a good mix of linear and non linear. The main problems are the camera and the combat.
it's a different experience for each of us and with that in mind can't agree - the balancing on poles and so on was easy, just a quick adjustment left or right; fighting the tigers was just a case of jumping while circling and no harder than earlier TR games - they were as hard in TR3. I've seen a lot of comment about the camera but I just found it natural; weird how we're seeing the demo differently.
Ward Dragon
28-10-08, 19:56
More than satisfied :D The only reason I didn't put the top choice is because I didn't get to experience any of the puzzles in the demo so I can't tell if the puzzles live up to the hype or not :p But overall it was great :D
I literally spent five minutes at the beginning giggling like mad as I smacked Lara into the walls on the ship because I really missed that animation from the classics :D I was also happy with the controls (both on land and in water). Some precision was definitely required for the jumps and I didn't feel like I was fighting the camera or experiencing flukey controls. Lara died a few times but it was totally my fault, which is great :D I also liked that some secrets were in the demo so I could get an idea of how well hidden they are.
I was playing the demo through a second time and I got up to the first tiger fight, so my little brother took the controller away, proceeded to finish the tigers off quickly with the shotgun (which I didn't realize how to select :o), then handed the controller back and said, "I think you should transport me to more tigers." :vlol: He hated Legend just from watching me play it awhile back, and he was impressed with Underworld too, particularly the melee combat. I liked the acrobatics, but definitely also enjoyed swinging the pole around (even though there was nothing to hit with it in the demo) and stomping on spiders :D
Also, the demo ends during the adrenaline moment, right? I thought I failed it the first time but then the demo ended instead of restarting me at the last checkpoint I hit. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get to experience an adrenaline moment within the demo because I really wanted to know how it works first-hand.
Kittypower
28-10-08, 19:56
It was awesome:D
interstellardave
28-10-08, 20:05
The good outweighs the bad by a very large margin...
1. The graphics are outstanding. I was going to pop in Uncharted and switch between the two to really see how they compare but I decided not to. I don't care if it's technically equal to Uncharted or not. The level design and art direction in TRU are TOP NOTCH, IMO. That makes up for anything that might be lacking (in some kind of minor technical sense, graphically).
2. The areas are huge and there are lots of nooks and crannies to explore... and probably more than I found in my first play-through, that's for sure. It's not at all easy to know exactly what to do and where to go... you will see some options but, for me, the path I saw first wasn't always the best one; nor certainly not the only one to yield secrets.
3. The feeling of exploration is back--in a big way. I FELT like I was there, in an exotic location, the sights and sounds drew me in. I love that there are birds and other animals that aren't always there to attack you, but that are just there for the ambience. As I looked around I kept thinking "can I get over there yet?" and, after dying several times, "how in the heck do I get over there!?" Those are good things in a Tomb Raider game that were largely missing in Legend.
4. You will die. Just like the classic games I found out that not every jump is easy, and falling equaled my death many times in just my first playthrough. And, just like the classics, falls that didn't kill me forced me to take the long way back around just like the old games... frustrating sometimes, but that's Tomb Raider all the way!
5. It was not easy figuring out what to do. When you turn off most of the help features it's hard to see what to do... I went past one particular thing about 5 times before I figured out I had to do something--all because I turned off the "shiny hints" or whatever they are called, LOL. And it was good because I knew that I had finally figured it out on my own... and it wasn't handed to me on a shiny silver platter!
6. The only bad is what has been mentioned before... combat is frustrating, but it must be frustrating and chaotic when fighting 2 or 3 real Tigers in real life too. The camera can be wonky at times, too, but I've played games with wonky cameras before... every TR has had problems with the camera from time to time... frankly I can't blame the camera for even one fall or one of my deaths, so it's not THAT bad. There are some glitchy things but, this IS a demo... I don't think it represents that final game; most demos do have glitchiness that's not present--or at least not as noticable--in the final game.
OH... One cool thing about combat: the bodies stay where they are! Kinda cool they finally brought that feature back!
All-in-all, I feel like this is REAL Tomb Raider; back at last (and it's been gone since way before Legend in my book). The demo had more difficulty in it than most of Legend... and I was stuck at a couple parts of the demo more than I was ever stuck in Legend--in fact I don't think I was ever really stuck in Legend... I think TRU may be the real deal, everyone. If the demo is any indication, we're in for a serious treat!
fanoflaracroft
28-10-08, 20:08
I'm extremely unsatisfied, since i can't play it.
*takes notes*
I'll be passing on feedback to everyone at Crystal and Eidos :)
I know there are some PC and PS3 guys that aren't happy at the moment, but please don't vote on this poll unless you have played the demo - if you're angry about that situation send me a PM and I'll get back to you, it's important this poll is accurate (and about the actual content of the demo) so I can pass on a fair reflection of the consensus. Thanks :)
Sweet:p.
Ward Dragon
28-10-08, 20:11
1. The graphics are outstanding. I was going to pop in Uncharted and switch between the two to really see how they compare but I decided not to. I don't care if it's technically equal to Uncharted or not. The level design and art direction in TRU are TOP NOTCH, IMO. That makes up for anything that might be lacking (in some kind of minor technical sense, graphically).
I meant to ask this before and you just reminded me -- did the shadows seem a little glitchy to you? In the very first cutscene, the shadow of Lara's shirt on her skin was very strange and flickering for me. It's a very minor detail but I wanted to know if there's anything I can change in the settings to fix it :)
I am so excited for this game right now :D I think I also forgot to mention how much I loved the little birds flying away :D I didn't explore too much because I wanted to save some for the real game :p but I did spend an hour on my first playthrough and found several secrets, so I'm satisfied that the exploration is there :jmp:
fanoflaracroft
28-10-08, 20:12
*takes notes*
I'll be passing on feedback to everyone at Crystal and Eidos :)
I know there are some PC and PS3 guys that aren't happy at the moment, but please don't vote on this poll unless you have played the demo - if you're angry about that situation send me a PM and I'll get back to you, it's important this poll is accurate (and about the actual content of the demo) so I can pass on a fair reflection of the consensus. Thanks :)
Sorry, i voted like that, but the majority of people already voted, so it doesen't matter.
Surprisingly I'm more than satisfied. It's only a small part of the game though so I'm still trying to keep my expectations low for the full game.
First and foremost I was pleased with how you could turn the reticules, text and button prompts off along with adjusting player tailoring before you even begin playing. Removing the prompts really helps in lessening some of the hand holding from the last two games. The player tailoring feature is definitely appreciated. Really made combat and the grab times fairly difficult at the hardest settings.
Great to see there were so many secrets in the demo. Brought back much more of the old "ok I can see point b but actually getting there is the hard part" philosophy. Hopefully they will be abundant and even more difficult throughout the rest of the game.
You don't really appreciate how amazing the graphics are until you see them "in person" on an HDTV. Breathtaking on my 50" plasma in 1080i. It will be interesting to see if it looks better on my PC with dual GeForce 8800 video cards.
The animations look better than the build from a couple months ago. Targeting animation still looks kind of robotic though. Hopefully that will be smoother in the full game. Nice that the monkey like stealth animation was removed.
There was still a little too much in the way of ledge hopping and pole swinging. Hope this will be more balanced than in the previous two games.
Does anyone know if there will be a manual grab option in the final game? I would certainly appreciate seeing this option return. Also, is there any kind of option to turn off checkpoints?
interstellardave
28-10-08, 20:14
I meant to ask this before and you just reminded me -- did the shadows seem a little glitchy to you? In the very first cutscene, the shadow of Lara's shirt on her skin was very strange and flickering for me. It's a very minor detail but I wanted to know if there's anything I can change in the settings to fix it :)
I am so excited for this game right now :D I think I also forgot to mention how much I loved the little birds flying away :D I didn't explore too much because I wanted to save some for the real game :p but I did spend an hour on my first playthrough and found several secrets, so I'm satisfied that the exploration is there :jmp:
Yeah, I noticed that too... it's just something that I assume isn't in the final game--if everyone sees it so do the designers! I don't think any settings that will fix it...
As you can tell from my lengthy post I'm excited too! :D
Does anyone know if there will be a manual grab option in the final game? I would certainly appreciate seeing this option return. Also, is there any kind of option to turn off checkpoints?
I do believe manual grab is in the final version of the game... I'm betting that checkpoints aren't turned off though.
Lara's home
28-10-08, 20:15
Does anyone know if there will be a manual grab option in the final game? I would certainly appreciate seeing this option return. Also, is there any kind of option to turn off checkpoints?
If it's not in the demo, I wouldn't count on it.
Ward Dragon
28-10-08, 20:17
Yeah, I noticed that too... it's just something that I assume isn't in the final game--if everyone sees it so do the designers! I don't think any settings that will fix it...
As you can tell from my lengthy post I'm excited too! :D
Okay, good :D It's my brother's 360 and I don't really know how it works so I had no idea if I had it set up wrong :p But if you see it too, then at least it's not just me.
Oh, I had one other question -- did you ever experience a last-chance-grab? I didn't change any of the default settings and I was surprised that Lara never once needed a last-chance-grab. I even left her perched on a pole for a long time and she stayed there. I'm glad it gave me more time to think about where I wanted to go, though :D
fanoflaracroft
28-10-08, 20:18
Does anyone know if there will be a manual grab option in the final game? I would certainly appreciate seeing this option return. Also, is there any kind of option to turn off checkpoints?
No, this is upgrade from Legend, not return to the older games.
interstellardave
28-10-08, 20:22
Okay, good :D It's my brother's 360 and I don't really know how it works so I had no idea if I had it set up wrong :p But if you see it too, then at least it's not just me.
Oh, I had one other question -- did you ever experience a last-chance-grab? I didn't change any of the default settings and I was surprised that Lara never once needed a last-chance-grab. I even left her perched on a pole for a long time and she stayed there. I'm glad it gave me more time to think about where I wanted to go, though :D
No, I didn't experience any last chance grabs but, then again, most of my jumps were either sure things or jumps that I thought I could make but completely missed! I guess I just never tried one that was "on the edge of possible". :p
I also noticed that someone posted pictures of the demo, and he/she was in an area that I never got to--I made the assumption that I couldn't get there in the demo because I really never saw how to do it before the demo ended. IMO another plus for the direction they took with TRU. ;)
LOL the movement she makes when you let Lara sprint for a long time and then stop makes me laugh haha. I love the little movements they put in the game :tmb:
The more i play it the more i like it. I didn't have that with the other "CD" games :tmb:
Ward Dragon
28-10-08, 20:28
No, I didn't experience any last chance grabs but, then again, most of my jumps were either sure things or jumps that I thought I could make but completely missed! I guess I just never tried one that was "on the edge of possible". :p
True, that was the case for me too. I'm glad I get more time perched on poles in order to decide where to go :D Or is that what tha player tailoring is about? I thought it altered the time you have to press the recover key once she falters, but maybe it adjusts the time in between faltering? :confused:
I also noticed that someone posted pictures of the demo, and he/she was in an area that I never got to--I made the assumption that I couldn't get there in the demo because I really never saw how to do it before the demo ended. IMO another plus for the direction they took with TRU. ;)
I know :jmp: I just saw this other thread with a glitch of how to get down to the puzzle area:
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=137010
I am going to try that as soon as I finish dinner :jmp:
I'm lovin' it :D It feels like real Tomb Raider game.Even my best friend enjoyed the game,when I was playing it.And I was stuck for a while!!Finally :D 10/10
interstellardave
28-10-08, 20:35
True, that was the case for me too. I'm glad I get more time perched on poles in order to decide where to go :D Or is that what tha player tailoring is about? I thought it altered the time you have to press the recover key once she falters, but maybe it adjusts the time in between faltering? :confused:
I know :jmp: I just saw this other thread with a glitch of how to get down to the puzzle area:
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=137010
I am going to try that as soon as I finish dinner :jmp:
Okay, so that's what I saw! A glitch to get somewhere we're not supposed to be in the demo... limiting the playing area in demos probably gives rise to certain glitches that aren't in the final game, too. I just though of that. Maybe I'll try that one out too. ;)
I'm lovin' it :D It feels like real Tomb Raider game.Even my best friend enjoyed the game,when I was playing it.And I was stuck for a while!!Finally :D 10/10
That's what a lot of folks are saying, and it was the first reaction I had too... it "feels" like Tomb Raider. :D
That's what a lot of folks are saying, and it was the first reaction I had too... it "feels" like Tomb Raider. :D
And he was helping me with finding the paths to the secrets.Some of them are really well hidden :) !Spoiler! For example the one that's hidden on the left from the waterfall with big stone head(it's in the area when you first met the tigers) !Spoiler! I love it !
The good:
- Graphics look great on a nice big TV, lush and believable
- Much improved movements (on land) and some nice kicks
- climbing is much better, not just swinging and jumping
- less obvious clues
- felt like TR3 which is good
- sound & atmospherics excellent
- had to think about one or 2 puzzles, unlike Legend:tmb:
- more immersive than previous CD games?
- tigers and bats were excellent (played 'footie' kicking the bats lol)
- a real sense of scale and of "being there"
- Lara is 'heavier' to control and more fluid
The not as good:
- the water bit was pretty rubbish IMO
- the sharks look like rubber ;) or dolphins, basically unconvincing
- swimming movement is ridiculous?
- a little linear, where were the different routes (it's just a demo though)?
All in all exceeded my expectations. Will buy.Awesome ! TR III is my favourite game :D
I updated my review on page 2 :D
I loved it!! :D Though I hope this isn't the finished version and that Eidos haven't hired a bunch of idiots to do the testing as there are a LOT of glitches. I had more problems witht he camera than i had in total in both Legend and Anniversary put together.
Some of the annimations need fixing also. One glitch caused the rest of the demo to be unplayable. From the moment it glitched Every transition between animations became horrible and choppy.
As long as the camera and majority of glitches are taken care of, i'm sure i'll love this game to bits.
Ayup All..
I haven't got my XBox yet, so i can't play at my leisure, but this is what we got to do at Luton...
Cool, Ain't it?
More than satisfied. Assuming the final build has fixed the bugs other people have encountered TRU should be able to hold its own among the general gaming populace.
Bugs and the ocasionally frustrating camera would be what most critics will pick up on I'd say.
I only have a two minor gripes and they probably only matter to me, but here goes:
1) I know Tomb Raider requires a certain amount leniency when it comes to realism, but I'd really, really like something to be done about the guns.
Being a walking armoury isn't critical to a Tomb Raider game. It's how the series might have started, but then so many games did the same back in those days. I've tasted call of duty, gears of war, halo.. hell, even TR: Legend.
So long as Lara has her twin pistols its all good, but it just ruins the immersion for me, in any game (damn you bioshock...http://www.filmcow.net/forums/images/smiles/emot-argh.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:emoticon(':argh:'))), when the developers choose to allow the protagonist to carry all the weapons they want when quite clearly they didnt have to.
Halo has two weapon slots.
CoD1 & Gears had a sidearm, two main and a grenade slot.
Legend had sidearms and a main slot.
Lara doesnt encounter as many guns as other games might while she explores so simply picking up a new one and swapping an old one might not work as well as it does in a war game, but it wouldnt matter much - start with the spear gun for underwater levels, dartgun for pub-heavy levels and give players a choice of what to pick before a mission that involves a lot of combat or human enemies.
It just seems entirely unnecessary. She couldnt carry all that hardware, she doesnt need all that hardware. If theres going to be a helicopter, then have a rocket launcher in a crate nearby. If theres going to be a long fight have it against guys who drop guns with spare ammo webs etc etc.
Oh, and screw the GTA style system of reloading. I'm not a kid, I dont need my guns magically recharged whenever I dare to put them away. Give me a damn reload button, I'm sure theres one spare somewhere. mabey I just have to look....
2) Animation. Is it just me or is Lara on fast-forward? Don't get me wrong, I think its great she has fast reflexes, its just that... well. I don't. Half the stuff she does is real blink-and-you miss it stuff. Again, like the guns this isnt a game-killer, but it goes a long way to breaking the immersion and dragging me kicking and screaming into the realms of reality. I'm willing to believe all the crazy stuff Lara does so long as it has an undercurrent reality to it, this current stuff feels far to twitchy.
It's good enough that she can climb cilffs, is quick on the draw and generally has all the agility of a monkey on steroids - she doesnt have to do it all with go faster stripes aswell. You've impressed me already, just slow it down a tad so it looks somewhat believeable.
At the end of the day its the bugs and the camera that will make or break this game in the eyes of the gaming world, but I just had to get my two cents in like the whiney git that I am.
Overall it does look superb, let us all pray to the flying spaghetti monster in the sky that this won't be a flawed masterpiece. http://www.filmcow.net/forums/images/smiles/emot-catholic.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:emoticon(':catholic:'))
a single side arm would be more realistic; Lara should have slower, more languid movement, especially when climbing
I'm extremely unsatisfied, since i can't play it.
Thanks for voting and ruining the point of the poll, man.
I swear, when you guys get to the area with the Shiva/Kalli statue you'll get that unmistakable TOMB RAIDER feeling in your stomach as you look down below and wonder "how the hell am I gonna get there?"
2. The areas are huge and there are lots of nooks and crannies to explore... and probably more than I found in my first play-through, that's for sure. It's not at all easy to know exactly what to do and where to go... you will see some options but, for me, the path I saw first wasn't always the best one; nor certainly not the only one to yield secrets.
3. The feeling of exploration is back--in a big way. I FELT like I was there, in an exotic location, the sights and sounds drew me in. I love that there are birds and other animals that aren't always there to attack you, but that are just there for the ambience. As I looked around I kept thinking "can I get over there yet?" and, after dying several times, "how in the heck do I get over there!?" Those are good things in a Tomb Raider game that were largely missing in Legend.
4. You will die. Just like the classic games I found out that not every jump is easy, and falling equaled my death many times in just my first playthrough. And, just like the classics, falls that didn't kill me forced me to take the long way back around just like the old games... frustrating sometimes, but that's Tomb Raider all the way!
5. It was not easy figuring out what to do. When you turn off most of the help features it's hard to see what to do... I went past one particular thing about 5 times before I figured out I had to do something--all because I turned off the "shiny hints" or whatever they are called, LOL. And it was good because I knew that I had finally figured it out on my own... and it wasn't handed to me on a shiny silver platter!
OMG this sounds like The Return of REAL Tomb Raider! I really hope so. Good reviews everyone. :) And someone said it feels like TR3 so now I'm really looking forward to this game... :cool:
silver_wolf
28-10-08, 21:49
ooh this all sounds so great! this is the first time a CD TR game has truly sounded like a Core game :D
ooh this all sounds so great! this is the first time a CD TR game has truly sounded like a Core game :DThat's what I'm thinking too!
*prays*
From the smaller amount of people that would play it on 360, 80,51% are quite satisfied with the demo, that made me even more excited about it! :jmp:
I think this is truly the best game in the series, next to TR1/TR2. Bring on the classic Tomb Raider feeling, because THIS IS IT, modernized! :D
I also think this is going to be the best Tomb Raider to date from what I've played. Although for some reason when I started I inverted the camera axis and now I'm all screwed up in thinking of which way to move the analog stick lmao. I'll get it soon. I can't believe I would do such a thing.
stereopathic
28-10-08, 22:03
without a doubt, a beautiful game. maybe the prettiest i've ever played. i thought lara moved logically and fluidly, and she had some cool vaults and stuff. the camera is weak. the weakest of any TR game. music is nice and the combat is fun. some exploration in this mostly well laid out level.
it's definitely whetted my appetite and i look forward to playing the full version.
This demo was awesome! I spent a lot of time trying to find out what to do, thought it was really good. Just have to get used to the Xbox controller and it should be much more enjoyable. Lara looks great and the environments are great. Can't wait for the full game!
tranniversary119
28-10-08, 22:27
I think this is truly the best game in the series, next to TR1/TR2. Bring on the classic Tomb Raider feeling, because THIS IS IT, modernized! :D
:tmb: Have to agree! And to think this only one part of the level :whi:
Ive played the demo countless times now, the game is just so good!
Played it at Euro Gamer 2day, and downloaded when i got in aswel, This game is absolutely amazing, Its 100% better than legend, Cant stop playing it! I also got to play the almighty Underpuss level and the Burning Mansion, Which equally rocked!
LaraCablara
29-10-08, 00:11
For some reason I thought Mad Tony would vote extremely unsatisfied and I was right :)
3. The feeling of exploration is back--in a big way. I FELT like I was there, in an exotic location, the sights and sounds drew me in. I love that there are birds and other animals that aren't always there to attack you, but that are just there for the ambience. As I looked around I kept thinking "can I get over there yet?" and, after dying several times, "how in the heck do I get over there!?" Those are good things in a Tomb Raider game that were largely missing in Legend.
4. You will die. Just like the classic games I found out that not every jump is easy, and falling equaled my death many times in just my first playthrough. And, just like the classics, falls that didn't kill me forced me to take the long way back around just like the old games... frustrating sometimes, but that's Tomb Raider all the way!
5. It was not easy figuring out what to do. When you turn off most of the help features it's hard to see what to do... I went past one particular thing about 5 times before I figured out I had to do something--all because I turned off the "shiny hints" or whatever they are called, LOL. And it was good because I knew that I had finally figured it out on my own... and it wasn't handed to me on a shiny silver platter!
:jmp::jmp::jmp:
I am green with envy after reading all the reviews people are doing :D
kevleviathan
29-10-08, 00:58
OK! Thought I'd throw my review into the pot, seeing as Eidos is paying attention to this one.
Like many people here I've been playing and loving TR since the early days but I've always had a particular fondness for the first two games. There was something about the level design that made the environments intrinsically interactive in that EVERYTHING was made of blocks - you could literally go anywhere if you could see it.
So Underworld 360 demo.
Good:
+ Graphics! Wowzer! Underworld has some seriously stunning graphics. I can't wait for the PC version.
+ Sound + music design is FANTASTIC. Is Troels doing the score again? If so BIG props to him. Very beautiful and yet lonely score sets a great atmosphere.
+ Interacting with the environment has been substantially improved. Compare the way lara brushes laves out of her way, actually RUNS into walls, hits things, etc. to Anniversary and you would be shocked how much of an improvement there has been.
+ Options!!! I can finally turn off the aiming reticules and hints. Glad to see pick-ups aren't glowing.
+ Most of the demo had nice level design - very open. You could usually see your goal before you started wandering aimlessly.
+ Challenging enemies! The tigers killed me a few times.
+ Underwater exploration! Lara can hold her breath for a VERY generous amount of time. This is GREAT news, I expect some really awesome underwater sequences.
Bad:
- A few needless quick cutscenes to introduce enemies. The tigers would've been scarier if they just jumped out of nowhere. At least I haven't had a damn QTE yet. Yet.
- The camera. It's been said, but it's a little annoying. Not the worst camera scheme I've had to play around, but that said I definitely am playing AROUND it. It's not easy to manipulate and it likes to scoot off on its own.
- Underwater controls seem to be difficult for me. I never had a problem with Anniversary controls though so I may just be crazy backwards. Probably just needs some getting used to.
- Blackouts are still present, although Lara's "death crunches" have been improved. I firmly believe that if the user could get a good look at a crippled, dead Lara for a few seconds after her death it would make the game have more tension and feel like heavier consequences for falling. Probably an ESRB thing though to keep it T.
Ugly:
!- Some pretty annoying glitches. Jumping into things/not grabbing ledges properly/falling randomly etc. Many of the same glitches from Legend/Anniversary although she seems to be grabbing ledges (saving her from a fall) more predictably this time (sometimes in Anniversary she would just refuse to do a saving grab for no reason).
!- EDIT: How could I forget. The kicking of the urns/pots. Well this is rather odd. Seriously guys... when lara walks up to a little piece of pottery and then proceeds to punt it... it just looks totally laughable. My brother walked by and burst out laughing because of this incredibly silly animation. Is there perhaps a better way to break open the urns?
Overall this is looking FANTASTIC. It's reminding me of TR3. The level was pretty massive in scope and was, for the most part, non-linear and clever. A nice step up from Anniversary with a gorgeous engine :D:D
Immortalis08
29-10-08, 02:23
My review will be short seeing as how everyone else has already mentioned the obvious. I was more than satisfied, but too be honest I guess I was expecting more, however that did not stop the game from being absolutely immersive. I am sure the game will be much better (at least the camera I hope).
PROS
+ The sense of bewilderment that crept upon me as I saw so many places to explore in such a short amount of time.
+ Ledges were blended in alot better
+ Lara now moves more realistically and with more weight on her. She doesn't move ridiculously fast as others claim.
+ Flexibility and customization of Player Tailoring
+ Lining up jumps are trickier and you definitely have to be more precise and take into consideration the distance between platforms and ledges.
+ Enemies that attack you while platforming add more dynamic to climbing ledges and make them more dangerous.
+ Lara loses health...fast!
+ Grapple rings are next to invisible! :tmb:
+ Various combination of moves can provide different outcomes and different ways of reaching the same point.
+ The music is breathtaking. It is calm and serene at the beginning, and in certain instances it hits a dramatic high note that instantly raises your awareness and paranoia.
+ The ability to hear the tiger's roar and being unable to see your enemy adds to the suspense.
+ Medipacks require a keen eye to find! They don't stick out like in Legend.
+ Many little hidden areas to explore such as the underwater cave and the small side temple.
+ The adrenaline headshots looked so painful as the tigers reeled in pain and blood splattered. It was beautiful! :mis:
+ Good, but not great graphics.
+ The parrots were so adorable! :o
CONS!!!
- The damn erratic camera ruined the immersion that many jumps and platforming could've had and it moved and jerked around strangely during battles. I do not appreciate zooming into a random bit of wall while I am climbing or shooting. :hea:
- Lara jerks around occasionally especially when she draws her guns whilst holding on to a ledge.
- Beautiful water animation, but frankly I miss ripple effects from Legend.
- The graphics and texture of the foliage was unimpressive, it looked a lot better in the trailers. (not a big deal though)
- Glitches; Lara kept tripping over and over in a wall and over on the fallen ring holding the one of the ropes.
Yuna´s Wish
29-10-08, 02:43
It´s a pity to see there´re people extremely unsatisfied. I guess it was inevitable though :(
Hybrid Soldier
29-10-08, 02:48
More than satisfied. It left me wanting more! :D
Pros
Stunning graphics! The environments looked very exotic.
Gameplay was smooth, no framerate issues.
Grappling system looks a lot better and its not as noticeable (since there is a disable feature).
Lara's movements/animations look great (not too fast or too slow)
The music also added to the experience. :tmb:
Ledges don't stand out as much.
Cutscenes look great as well. :)
Areas are rather large so there is much exploring.
Med packs were scarce and not easy to find.
More challenging since you die a lot faster.
Cons
Camera can be frustrating sometimes when trying to jump from one ledge to another.
Other then the camera issue the demo was great! Still wondering if its enough to make me pre-order it though. :p
CrazyMonkey
29-10-08, 02:51
I'm actually pretty disapointed in the game.
- The new platforming mechanics aren't all that fun. Rock climbing isn't very good
- the animations are still weird. Like when lara swan dives
- the whole game feels rushed (the camera is awful, most of the outdoor textures are ugly)
- the death animation rag dolls still look terrible, but I'll blame that on Eidos' decision to make this game 13+ instead of 17+.
- Legend felt way more polished
-There were no puzzles in the demo
OK, I've asked Microsoft and it will be available for Silver members in a week's time.
Thanks for the linky, I lurk at neoGAF a lot :tmb:
The things a person will do just to get her hands on a demo a week earlier, should have it by tomorrow. :D
OK, I've asked Microsoft and it will be available for Silver members in a week's time.
Thanks for the linky, I lurk at neoGAF a lot :tmb:
Like every other demo... :ton:
I sooooo wanted to put "lived up to the hype" etc. in this poll, but after spending pretty much an entire day playing the demo over and over, i can pretty much spot the cons- glitches, jittery animations etc.
I have to say though, i am astounded by the beauty of Thailand, the difficulty of the combat (if you crank it up like i did) and the overall feel of the game. I loved the little details, like the Naga which scampers away up the ceiling, and the tiny droplets of water falling through cracks in the cave. I also love the return of wading through water, and lara stopping herself when bumping into an object- little things which make the game seem like a true honour to the originals.
I personally LOVED the demo, even if i can see why others may not.
HollabackBoy
29-10-08, 03:18
I've been a longtime fan of Tomb Raider, and Underworld is definitely a big step (maybe even 2 or 3 :D) in the right direction for the franchise. If this is just a taste of what we're going to experience in the final game, bring it on. Tomb Raider is finally back and I couldn't be happier. :wve:
Big Lara Fan
29-10-08, 03:23
I've been a longtime fan of Tomb Raider, and Underworld is definitely a big step (maybe even 2 or 3 :D) in the right direction for the franchise. If this is just a taste of what we're going to experience in the final game, bring it on. Tomb Raider is finally back and I couldn't be happier. :wve:
Same! (Voted: Lived up to the hype. Lovin' it! :D)
Idk about any others, but I got the feeling I was playing TR3 when I saw the temple in the jungle for the first time.. :pi: It was awe-inspiring. The music was icing on the cake as well. Peaceful, and then cranks up when entering combat. LOVE IT! :jmp:
Only problem I have with the demo is the stupid camera. It's too jittery! :p And also the animations, but from recent gameplay videos, it looks like the demo is an old build, so I'm not worrying about it. Most of them look superb! :tmb:
CD, you really nailed it this time! :yah: :hug:
Same! (Voted: Lived up to the hype. Lovin' it! :D)
Idk about any others, but I got the feeling I was playing TR3 when I saw the temple in the jungle for the first time.. :pi: It was awe-inspiring. The music was icing on the cake as well. Peaceful, and then cranks up when entering combat. LOVE IT! :jmp:
Only problem I have with the demo is the stupid camera. It's too jittery! :p And also the animations, but from recent gameplay videos, it looks like the demo is an old build, so I'm not worrying about it. Most of them look superb! :tmb:
CD, you really nailed it this time! :yah: :hug:
If the demo really is an old build, then i will jump for joy! Not that the demo wasn't fantastic anyway, but i would hate it if other people dismissed the game because of the glitches :S Also, i know exactly what you mean about seeing that temple (and exploring the mini temple with the secret :D- i loved the massive amount of exploration to be done!!) I was just like... "WOW" for about ten minutes. Then i moved the joystick :D
It's definitely reassuring to see how many people are pleased with the demo. :tmb:
I can't wait to see if I can get it to run on my PC.
hornedizzle
29-10-08, 04:48
i voted more than satisfied...
everything was fine besides the camera and the lighting. the shadows were so glitchy and unrealistic unless you were moving. if you stand still the shadows glitch all over her body and the daylight is very unflattering for lara's face. i really liked the little extras like hitting the wall when running, the new falling animation from a high distance. the ambience once inside the temple was absolutely breathtaking.
and ps.. i think they only mo-capped her gymnastics moves cause everything else is kind of the same as anniversary
voted "Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it! "
the demo is not perfect, it has some glitches like many have mentioned already, but I loved it :D TRU is going to be amazing
Amazing is all I can really say at the moment. I'm going to bed soon so I won't say much but I will say that the environments are breathtaking and Lara looks sexier than ever. Personally I loved combat,and when I say loved, I mean it. It was just so fierce, and although you keep getting knocked on your ass, it just made you want to get up and kick that tiger's ass even more. The graphics are amazing, the water looks real. The camera is a bit strange but as some people have stated - if you're used to third person games than you know how to control the camera. Lara's animations look better than ever, but still need a bit of tweaking to be considered "EPIC".
Overall though, the entire experience seemed like the start of something EPIC. I loved it more than I can explain and nothing could stop me from keeping my hands off of Underworld.
Xbox 360 demo players only please.Haha! What other kind of TRU demo players would there be?
Now that I have some time I can review it.. I think I was one of the first to download it yesterday morning.. :tmb:
I voted more then Satisfied.
Flaws
- Lara's controls and animations seem kind of "jammed" at times, making her animations look a little fast paced. It's not a big deal, it actually makes her control more like the "classic" games, tank like, you get me?
- The shadows look really butchy, and could have been worked on more
- Lara's animations are somewhat not in tune all the time, often going through walls or things she grabs, but overall not much a problem
- The Lara model is beautiful, I just wish she looked more like previous games and a tad bit more realistic, she stands out in the environments
Good points
- Controls are fluid enough, I like the combat now, it's definitely improved since Legend and Anniversary, I like how she can kick and squish things.
- Enemies A.I. greatly improved.
- Gun play is more varied as well, I like the new aspects of the adrenaline dodge
- Music is lovely, I noticed right off the bat!
- Water effects are beautiful
- Linear game play is not existent! I actually got stuck, hot dog! :D
That's about it for now, I'm going to wait for the final game to give my full out, extensive review. ;) Good jog Eidos/Crystal Dynmaics
Jack Croft
29-10-08, 10:21
Definately Lived it to Hype.
I was itching to play when it finally downloaded and what i saw was veryy impressive CD have done it! They have the TR formula. :p
Positives
+ Legend style plus old style.
+ Gorgeous Visuals Envornment + Lara
+ Controls feel 'meaty' she is actually there.
+ Ambient Sounds form animals and scenary.
+ Facial Expression are great.
+ Relasitc looking face and hair :tmb:
+ Hidden treasure and choice of paths is great!:D
+ Fights are HARD i died mutltiple times.
+ New moves and climing are great.
+ Overall animation improved.
+ Not obvious were to go i was stuck in some areas.
+ KEELEY HAWES is back as Lara!!!
Negatives
- Not sure on swimming animation.
- Some minor glitches with environment etc.
- Camera is a little bad in some areas.
Apart from them tiny little problmes i must congratulate CD and say this game is a hell of a good game 9/10 :tmb:
Tomb of Legends
29-10-08, 10:50
People are getting stuck? You mean in walls right?
Or...could...No....Tomb Raider be...Hard again?!1!!1!
:vlol:
Let's hope they mean it's harder!:D I sure it won't be too difficult though.:)
I reckon it's going to be the hardest yet.. Some of the puzzles sound very hard. I hope it is anyway :]
siouxsiecrux
29-10-08, 12:07
I think it was all well done, there were quite a few glitches but they didnt take the amazing player experience away that the demo gave.
I must say I think the animation is excellent, minus some sections of the swimming animation but i must say they look more realistic.
:jmp:
I just cannot wait for the full game.
Moon-Safari
29-10-08, 12:43
-combat is really tough. Lara doesn't backflip far enough to get away from her enemies in time. I guess it's a good challenge though.
-I never figured out what I was supposed to do with the second staff, but I guess I didn't need it because I progressed just fine.
-The layout of the level didn't twist and turn and interweave as unexpectedly as I had hoped. It is just a demo, but it appears to me this game will still be pretty linear.
-Lara disappearing is retarded.
Well I voted great!
I downloaded it on my X360 and I think it's fabtastic!!!!!
One of the best games I ever played, really, the graphics are out of this world, loved the controls, and I didn't really feel Legend as some said here, I felt a new great game.
I'm going to go and continue playing now, loving it!!!!
I'm definately going to buy the game, no second thoughts definately
:)
More than satisfied! Its basically what l always wanted a Tomb Raider game to be, true having played many other games my expectations are a lot higher than they used to be. Environment and graphics look great lots to explore and the demo level was nicely designed. Lara has a few more flashy moves and can do some things automatically which is nice. Weapon selection any time is great, backpack certainly got a lot bigger. Controls were great, camera was a bit jittery in places though, but nothing major.
My only beefs are with collision detection, but it is a lot better than it usually is, some of Lara's flashy moves could have been a bit slower, no point showing off if you cannot see it (swan dive and cartwheel). And could whoever is doing the sound FX please stop using cockatiels for their all purpose parrot sound, and actually go and record some realistic parrot sounds. :p
More than satisfied!Its basically what l always wanted a Tomb Raider game to be, true having played many other games my expectations are a lot higher than they used to be. Environment and graphics look great lots to explore and the demo level was nicely designed. Lara has a few more flashy moves and can do some things automatically which is nice. Weapon selection any time is great, backpack certainly got a lot bigger.
My only beefs are with collision detection, but it is a lot better than it usually is, some of Lara's flashy moves could have been a bit slower, no point showing off if you cannot see it (swan dive and cartwheel). And could whoever is doing the sound FX please stop using cockatiels for their all purpose parrot sound, and actually go and record some realistic parrot sounds. :p
Hahah.. maybe they had a parrot doing impressions?
As for the animations guess thats the downside of motion capture, its `real` so without putting in fake slow down which sometimes makes it look ridiculous you will get `full speed` animations
yeah the moves are guite fast paced..buts thats not a huge thing..after all the majority of the time you see the flips and catwheels is in combat...theres not that much combat in underworld, EMPHASIS ON EXPLORATION!!:D
Hahah.. maybe they had a parrot doing impressions?
As for the animations guess thats the downside of motion capture, its `real` so without putting in fake slow down which sometimes makes it look ridiculous you will get `full speed` animations
No l have seen real people do them slower, a gymnast might get points for doing them fast, but Lara Croft is not trying to score points is she? Even fake slow down would be nice. My only other beef with animations was more the lack of Lara's ability to do something she has always been able to do, but perhaps someone just forgot to tell the blocks Lara should be able to pull herself up and stand on them.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/aussie500/Tomb%208/DSCF0274.jpg
She jumps over the small obstacles, flips over them, runs into them or twists over them with the guns out. Why is it so hard just to pull her self up and stand on them? No matter where you put her she will not get on those higher blocks, it would take a glitch to get up there, so many moves, so many abilities and yet TR1 Lara could have done it. Pointless l know, and probably someone did just forget to program them to be nice to Lara.
Ivasawa Jin
29-10-08, 14:36
loved the demo ... the level was beautifull the music was great ... the gameplay was TR at its best ... the camera could use some work though
interstellardave
29-10-08, 15:09
She jumps over the small obstacles, flips over them, runs into them or twists over them with the guns out. Why is it so hard just to pull her self up and stand on them? No matter where you put her she will not get on those higher blocks, it would take a glitch to get up there, so many moves, so many abilities and yet TR1 Lara could have done it. Pointless l know, and probably someone did just forget to program them to be nice to Lara.
I don't remember how I did it at this point but I got up onto a low wall when trying to get away from the Tigers. It was cool, however, because he raised one big paw up into the air and swatted me off of it anyway! :p
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j215/aussie500/Tomb%208/DSCF0274.jpg
She jumps over the small obstacles, flips over them, runs into them or twists over them with the guns out. Why is it so hard just to pull her self up and stand on them? No matter where you put her she will not get on those higher blocks, it would take a glitch to get up there, so many moves, so many abilities and yet TR1 Lara could have done it. Pointless l know, and probably someone did just forget to program them to be nice to Lara.
Know what you mean, guess when they built this area they didnt put `climbable` attribute onto that block :( might have been for a reason, but i cannot think why :)
dream raider
29-10-08, 15:14
Know what you mean, guess when they built this area they didnt put `climbable` attribute onto that block :( might have been for a reason, but i cannot think why :)
I can even climb onto those small obstacles, and Lara can't! :vlol:
:p
I can even climb onto those small obstacles, and Lara can't! :vlol:
:p
remember its digital world, things have to be coded on how they react to any situation, am i climbable, do i go bang if exploded near, do i hurt if hit, do i move, do i do a dance if left alone.. u get the picture..
not an excuse, just explaining, as i know what u mean if u see it someone should have given it the right attributes
remember its digital world, things have to be coded on how they react to any situation, am i climbable, do i go bang if exploded near, do i hurt if it, do i move, do i do a dance if left alone.. u get the picture..
not an excuse, just explaining, as i know what u mean if u see it someone should have given it the right attributes
Well, I hope technology will allow us to do everything without coding, in a near future...
dream raider
29-10-08, 15:20
remember its digital world, things have to be coded on how they react to any situation, am i climbable, do i go bang if exploded near, do i hurt if it, do i move, do i do a dance if left alone.. u get the picture..
not an excuse, just explaining, as i know what u mean if u see it someone should have given it the right attributes
I understand. Was just teasing you. :p ;)
Well, I hope technology will allow us to do everything without coding, in a near future...
I understand. Was just teasing you. :p ;)
Its a valid point tho.. be nice when literally objects just `know` what they are :)
I finally managed to try the demo yesterday at my friend's house. And shall I say: WOW. I cant think of anything else to add. :) But I will vote on friday's poll because the version of TRU i buy will be the PC version ;)
But again, wow!
More than satisied, definitely!
All in all the demo was good. Nothing fantastic but it gave me new Lara for all of 10 minutes.
One thing that have probably been said before but my one problem i had with it, and i stress how annoyed i actually got, was with the camera. It was crap! It was the worst camera iv ever experienced in a game, and im including Angel of Darkness in that.
I will not buy this game until i know that is sorted.
Z0mbieKiller
29-10-08, 20:15
I really liked the Demo.
I kept pointing things out to myself the entire time.
The controls felt comfortable, and felt as though they had weight, though there were some instances of camera craziness.
The swimming animations were great! The sprinting while swimming looks amazing… but why isn’t Lara wet when she gets out of the water??
The rock climbing is terrific. It’s so realistic, and I was so impressed, that I just climbed back and forth a few times to watch the animations. The secretes are fun to find… I think I got them all.
The environments are great, as is the way Lara interacts with them, though the speed of some of the animations seem a bit… amped. Lara sometimes looks like she's moving in fast-forward.
The animation for bumping into low objects seems a bit awkward. I watched a production video yesterday where there was some bragging about the amount of different animations Lara has, so you think they would throw one in there for banging your shin on something instead of making you look like you’re hitting an invisible wall. (This was taking place while still on the boat.)
Overall I was impressed, and I can’t wait to get this game, I just hope a final polish will be done on some of the character and camera movement, and maybe a bit of a wet look when Lara emerges from water…
remember its digital world, things have to be coded on how they react to any situation, am i climbable, do i go bang if exploded near, do i hurt if hit, do i move, do i do a dance if left alone.. u get the picture..
not an excuse, just explaining, as i know what u mean if u see it someone should have given it the right attributes
Haha:P could this be fixed in a patch later you think Jay? I would love to climb on these little things. Just for realism :p
Thought I'd post my thoughts on the demo now having had a good couple of opportunities to play it through. I've got it open with Lara looking at the Shiva to provide background ambience while I type this! :D Every previous tomb raider I have played has been on PC, but having recently got an xbox 360 I'd already played Tomb Raider Legend and was a fair chunk through Anniversary when the demo was initially released.
I've broken down my comments into sections below:
1) Game engine:
Much much MUCH better than the last two games on 360. Coming from the pc to the xbox 360 on the previous two titles was a culture shock in places due to the frame-rate which was in places diabolical.
In this demo I saw no stuttering, flashing textures or any of the other graphical gremlins that have effected the previous two games in places. Great frame rates, lighting and resolution.
2) Character animation
BIG relief here. When I heard Crystal Dynamics had motion captured a gymnast... I thought GREAT...but when I saw the initial demo reels it looked like loads of very good animation badly joined together, giving her movement through the environment a very artificial feel to it. Lara'a character animation in this demo does still suffer a little bit with that in places, but overall it's very well linked together
3) Controls
Responses are all fine and what I'm used to apart from on the pole and balancing sections when I find that her movement gets quite stuck occasionally. I did find myself making a wrong turn at jagged rock junction because of a few ignored grabs & erratic camera changes.
4) Camera
90% of the time the camera is pretty much fine. I have a nasty habit of controlling the camera allot when moving around the environments. If you're a constant left stick fiddler then this causes it to behave very erratically in those locations where 'set camera angles' to help the player have been set-up. If you override you typically given a hopeless camera angle and then have to leave it about 10-20 seconds or so to settle back down.
5) Sound & Music
*Sighs* No classic tomb raider theme. I actually wrote personally to Trolls about the new theme a while ago. What we have here it's lots of very generic (all be it nice) incidental music. Fraid I wont be humming any of the tunes I've heard so far to work like I did with Legend or Anniversary though.
Atmospherically...fine...music...has been the strong point of the series up until now, but so far I'm afraid I feel it will be very weak on this title.
6) Combat
Now I've gotten used to it...it's fine. I was frantically pulling the trigger (aka Anniversary), and didn't realise that wasn't required for this incarnation. However having spent 20 minutes of sheer minded frustration in anniversary just 3 hours before trying to figure out how to get the adrenaline dodge to work on xbox 360...(Mr pc player here remember :P)...didn't know you had to hold down target lock on the xbox...I then had to spend another 2 play throughs of the combat sections getting the adrenaline moves to work in the demo. The Roll button was absolutely fine for it previously guys...WHY change it again?
7) Lara
Looking good. Model looks great, almost as good as in the pre-renders. Not sure about the worry lines on her forehead though...but then suppose got to think she's getting older like the rest of us! She looks better than ever!!!!
Overall I'm giving the demo the top rating here. I know I've been critical on a few points above but no game can possibly deliver everything to one person when it has to cater for so many different tastes and audiences.
After Angel of Darkness I never thought I'd sit and enjoy a tomb raider game again. Legend game me some hope, Anniversary showed Crystal really did understand was it was all about and Underworld looks set to be my game of the year!
Stiggy :D
isn't anyone else surprised of how quick she dies sometimes? a 2meter drop is sometimes enough to kill lara - i do like the more realistic aspects of TRU but some people could survive such a fall -.-
Not particularly satisfied!:(
Poke Warrior
29-10-08, 21:14
I loved the demo!!! It has to be the best one ever!
isn't anyone else surprised of how quick she dies sometimes? a 2meter drop is sometimes enough to kill lara - i do like the more realistic aspects of TRU but some people could survive such a fall -.-
Yeah, I noticed that too. Falls that I expect to just take some health end up killing her.
But I got used to the height differences. ;)
I played it on a friends and i dunno didn't really enjoy it. :/
never_the_same
30-10-08, 06:44
i've played it too, and i voted for "i'm lovin' it" ;p
but i guess i'll like original game more and thailand less, 'cuz we saw everything of demo before it got out
just downloaded it :jmp::jmp:
I voted 'More than satisfied'.
I enjoyed it a lot. :tmb:
just finished it.
it was onyl okay
but only cos i dont even like TR that much.
ajrich17901
30-10-08, 17:24
Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it!
From the 2 hours i spent on that demo, i can clearly see the true lara is realy back, thank you cd!:jmp:
I loved everything in the demo, specialy the music omg that was amazing, the controls were easy, lara responded fast.
I played on hard mode with all hints off, and i gotta say O__O i need the 18th to get here faster i need more lmao
just finished it.
it was onyl okay
but only cos i dont even like TR that much.
Than why are you here, this is a TR forum lmfao
Definately lived up to the hype! Lovin' it!
Spent two hours on the demo part just exploring since I knew exactly what to do and where to go, and an hour in the courtyard. :D
just finished it.
it was onyl okay
but only cos i dont even like TR that much.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v498/b4its2late/family%20guy/StewieHeadTurn.gif
I'm definately lovin' every second of it!:cln:
@gtkilla: I LOVE Stewie Griffin!!
All in all the demo was good. Nothing fantastic but it gave me new Lara for all of 10 minutes.
One thing that have probably been said before but my one problem i had with it, and i stress how annoyed i actually got, was with the camera. It was crap! It was the worst camera iv ever experienced in a game, and im including Angel of Darkness in that.
I will not buy this game until i know that is sorted.This camera stuff is getting me worried. Is it truly that bad? We need a poll or something. And... do they still have time to fix it?
:eek:
ajrich17901
30-10-08, 17:47
This camera stuff is getting me worried. Is it truly that bad? We need a poll or something. And... do they still have time to fix it?
:eek:
No its not, its alot better then legend and anniversarys if you are used to controllin the camera in game youll have no problems. I think people are just being nit picky...
Ward Dragon
30-10-08, 17:52
This camera stuff is getting me worried. Is it truly that bad? We need a poll or something. And... do they still have time to fix it?
:eek:
Well I hated the Legend/TRA camera and I liked this one, so...:confused: It mostly follows behind Lara and looks wherever she's going. It pulls out a bit during ledge parts so you can see where Lara can jump to. The only annoying thing is that if you leave the controls completely alone without moving Lara or adjusting the camera, the camera tends to slowly gravitate towards the main path. That is rather annoying, but so far it didn't mess up any jumps for me since it didn't happen while I was manually adjusting the camera or moving Lara. Can you somehow try the demo out on a friend's 360 to see for yourself? :o
No its not, its alot better then legend and anniversarys if you are used to controllin the camera in games youll have no problems. I think people are just being nit picky...
Well, there are few places where the camera is out of control ... but maybe these things are just more visible, because the demo is really great.
This camera stuff is getting me worried. Is it truly that bad? We need a poll or something. And... do they still have time to fix it?
:eek:
If you're following the main path, the camera is absolutely flawless. It stays behind Lara until you use to the right stick to rotate it around.
The problems start when you try to look away from the main path - the camera starts fighting you for control of the game, because it's been programmed to auto-focus on the main objectives.
This causes the camera's infamous seizures, because the player is trying to look one way, while the game is trying to look another.
If you're following the main path, the camera is absolutely flawless. It stays behind Lara until you use to the right stick to rotate it around.
The problems start when you try to look away from the main path - the camera starts fighting you for control of the game, because it's been programmed to auto-focus on the main objectives.
This causes the camera's infamous seizures, because the player is trying to look one way, while the game is trying to look another.
After playing a few more times, I've come to understand the camera a lot better and your description fits pretty well with my experience with it too.
ajrich17901
30-10-08, 18:01
If you're following the main path, the camera is absolutely flawless. It stays behind Lara until you use to the right stick to rotate it around.
The problems start when you try to look away from the main path - the camera starts fighting you for control of the game, because it's been programmed to auto-focus on the main objectives.
This causes the camera's infamous seizures, because the player is trying to look one way, while the game is trying to look another.
Am i the only one who had no probs with the camera :confused:
Seriously nothing went wrong when i played..
No its not, its alot better then legend and anniversarys if you are used to controllin the camera in game youll have no problems. I think people are just being nit picky...
Well I hated the Legend/TRA camera and I liked this one, so...:confused: It mostly follows behind Lara and looks wherever she's going. It pulls out a bit during ledge parts so you can see where Lara can jump to. The only annoying thing is that if you leave the controls completely alone without moving Lara or adjusting the camera, the camera tends to slowly gravitate towards the main path. That is rather annoying, but so far it didn't mess up any jumps for me since it didn't happen while I was manually adjusting the camera or moving Lara. Can you somehow try the demo out on a friend's 360 to see for yourself? :o
If you're following the main path, the camera is absolutely flawless. It stays behind Lara until you use to the right stick to rotate it around.
The problems start when you try to look away from the main path - the camera starts fighting you for control of the game, because it's been programmed to auto-focus on the main objectives.
This causes the camera's infamous seizures, because the player is trying to look one way, while the game is trying to look another.
I am used to controlling the game more or less constantly with the right analogue stick, so maybe I'll be OK. Ward, I don't want to play the demo because I want to play the whole game or not at all!! I never play demos. I'll be getting TR:U anyway. :)
However, I don't like the sound of the camera fighting me for control. I had a lot of that of that with TR:A in the tight corners. I wanted to look one way and the camera wasn't having any of it because there was a secret *over there* that it wanted to show me, that kind of thing.
And, I've never liked it when the camera pulls back and moves sideways on to show you where you need to jump. Even in the old TRs I didn't like this position. I prefer behind the head nearly all the time because it's closer to a natural real life perspective.
Keir_Eidos
30-10-08, 18:28
I would just like to say a big (or should that be epic) thank you (on behalf of Eidos and Crystal) to everyone who has contributed to this thread so far.
So...
THANK YOU!
I would just like to say a big (or should that be epic) thank you (on behalf of Eidos and Crystal) to everyone who has contributed to this thread so far.
So...
THANK YOU
It's us who should be thanking you guys - you released a TR demo and the only thing us rabid fans can tear apart is the camera because everything else was simply flawless.
and I do want to mention that again - even though I'm waging war on the "camera helping," it isn't something that's going to ruin TRU for me. TRU is going to be an amazing TR. You guys have really nailed it this time.
I just want the camera to be as good as the rest of the game for TR9 ;)
tranniversary119
30-10-08, 18:56
I would just like to say a big (or should that be epic) thank you (on behalf of Eidos and Crystal) to everyone who has contributed to this thread so far.
So...
THANK YOU!
Your very welcome :D Thank you guys for releasing that long,fun, enjoyable demo that will keep us occupied until the release :hug:
Played on my boyfriends 360 and was mildly surprised how difficult it was on the full difficulty settings. Was impressed both graphically and gameplay wise. It was very fun and challenging. I will post my full review later!
Than why are you here, this is a TR forum lmfao
I signed up when i got stuck on TRL AGES ago cos I got the game for free, then I just never got round to actually getting hooked onto everything TR related.
I'm a GC junkie tbh, I'm almost never in here.
I see TRF more as a general forum for me other than a TR forum tbh. I'm sure I'm not the only one here.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the demo,but it wasn't perfect so I might get the game.
I got my 360 mainly for Guitar Hero tbh
This camera stuff is getting me worried. Is it truly that bad? We need a poll or something. And... do they still have time to fix it?
:eek:
It's really that bad. :(
No its not, its alot better then legend and anniversarys if you are used to controllin the camera in game youll have no problems. I think people are just being nit picky...
Legend and Anniversary's camera was great, but the camera in Underworld has got a life of its own.
Am i the only one who had no probs with the camera :confused:
Seriously nothing went wrong when i played..
No, it worked fine for me too:) but the underwater swimming was an issue for me:( Other than that the demo was great, the coastal area was very beautiful, the combat was not as bad as reviews had suggested though it was'nt perfect. The whole level had a nice atmosphere and there was alot of exploring to do, you don't get that feeling that you need to rush or keep pushing forward which is great.;)
I don't remember how I did it at this point but I got up onto a low wall when trying to get away from the Tigers. It was cool, however, because he raised one big paw up into the air and swatted me off of it anyway! :p
would love to have seen that:D
sorry for double posting
sweetwasabi
31-10-08, 00:51
Alrighty. So I dl it and played it on 1080i and boy, does it look good. I'm very impressed. The water and lighting is something of wonder. Good job on it!http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t322/Newtellla/HPIM2302.jpg
As for gameplay, I found the shooting ok, could be more or less. The camera was the one I was fighting tough, not only in combat, but in platforming. I would try to zoom in, but it went further at time (OK I was looking at Lara's expressions):ton:http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t322/Newtellla/HPIM2286.jpg
But seriously, it was the same feeling of not knowing where the jump was going to lead me to.
There was also those weird time during swimming. It felt like controlling a plane underwater, just very dodgy.
But that's about it. Now off I go to finish it (died at the statue :()
I LOVED THE DEMO! TRIED IT TODAY AND REALLY LOVED IT.
Pros:
- Lara looks like Angelina (at least that's my impression). Either way she's the best looking Lara EVER.
- Loving the new moves (all of them) except for the squirrell-like jump.
- Enviroments and graphics are top notch.
- Controls are great.
- The player tailoring options are amazing and the on/off stuff too.
- The new movements give the player much more flexibility.
- Music is unbelievable.
- Enemies are fierce!!! LOL
- Feels like a mix of old TR and new TR. I didn't even know this could be possible.
- Might sound weird but I loved the ponytail animations.
Cons:
- The camera is not very good.
- It feels too linear (this part of the game, at least)
That's it.
Tried it on PC.
One word : GREAT!
The only cons I would give to the demo is the camera because yes, it's a problem.
Some shadow problem in the cutscene...
Well, it's great :)
What I liked in Legend and Anniversary was that all of Lara's moves had a huge sense of elegance to them. It seems almost like that has been thrown out the window in place of a more sporty Lara. Now, I do love almost all of the new animations(they're pretty damn realistic), but where's that elegant Lara? When she's swinging from the grapple, for example, it looks a bit too masculine. For god's sake woman, close your legs...!
I don't know, I just wish they could have made her sporty and elegant. Now it's just a bit messy.
Note: I absolutely love her running, it's beautiful.
I can't wait for this!;)
Loved it! I was able to play it yesterday and it made my day :)
x2crazyidiot
31-10-08, 15:30
from the demo, I can pretty much garantee that TRU may be my favourite game ever :)
Pros
- All of Lara's animations are absolutely beautiful, very well done!
- The music is outstanding. Very soothing and suitable to the location, with a great turn to it when faced in combat!
- The replayability! On playing the demo for the 7TH time today I am STILL finding little paths that lead to treasures, well done CD!
- The little things that the player can do to change gameplay, such as you can press A to vault over a small wall or press and hold A to flip over it, and pressing B just before landing which makes Lara roll and take less damage. Very involving :)
- The graphics are amazing!
Cons
- Animations are sometimes very glitchy and speedy, which should be fixed in the final product :)
- When free-climbing, at points Lara's legs look unnaturally long and wide apart. She looks more like Mr Fantastic rather than Lara Croft!
- missing moves such as sprint jump!
No its not, its alot better then legend and anniversarys if you are used to controllin the camera in game youll have no problems. I think people are just being nit picky...
totally agree, I had no problems what so ever with the camera
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