View Full Version : Immersion breaks
What are the worst places in TR1 where the design of the game kicked you out of your immersion in Lara's world and reminded you that you're playing a game?
It's a principle of game design that if your character cannot do something a normal person can do, you don't remind the player of it by giving them an obstacle they could overcome if only they could do that.
For instance, if your character can't jump, you don't block him from going where he needs to by putting in a 3-inch-high wall.
The case where I saw this in TR1 was with a key on a conveyer belt. A person could have easily reached that item by reaching out a hand, or crawling. But Lara can do neither.
A better design would have been to block the crawl entrance and the reachable spot with iron grates.
What immersion breaks have you seen?
Dan
She swims VERY fast underwater!
How long she can hold her breath... :rolleyes:
That crawling one was the worse. There is one terrible puzzle in The Last Revelation in the City of the Dead where she has to open a grate to be able to climb to a crawl space, because she cannot climb to crawl spaces unless they are higher than her. A normal person would not need that.
Not jumping over the swinging doors in the tub, needing a ticket?
Not being able to shimy around corners in early games was annoying too. I some frustratring moments I thought "If only Lara was normal". http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
The fact that she can actually explore a frozen cave while wearing a rather summery outfit http://nikkie.tombraiderforums.com/forums/smilies/cold2.gif
Tomb Raider Master
10-08-05, 21:39
There are a lot of them. For example, she can dive to extreme depths (Lud's Gate, 40 Fathoms) with no problem. And it is annoying that she can't do a mid-air twist and underwater roll in TR1, crouch in TR2 (1st Secret in Wreck Of The Maria Doria http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/c-1.gif ) and do a somersault in TR4 (it was annoying to turn around non-stop just to get out of crawlspace http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/c-1.gif ).
Or killing T Rex with pistols. I've never come across one yet that I could kill that way! http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/vlol.gif
As far as I know, my backpack doesn't have enough space for a shotgun, rifle, pistols, keys, crowbar, ... :D
[ 11. August 2005, 00:10: Message edited by: ben croft ]
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/vlol.gif
You're not of the time of "Sport Billy" are you?
Originally posted by DREWY:
Or killing T Rex with pistols. I've never come across one yet that I could kill that way! http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/vlol.gif When you do, kill it immediately DREWY.
[ 11. August 2005, 00:38: Message edited by: joseph ]
Oddly, few of the things mentioned above break my suspension of disbelief. Perhaps it's because they're videogame conventions or artistic license, so I don't notice them.
Things like unrealistic carrying capacity, infinite bullets for the default weapon, slightly superhuman capabilities for the protagonist, pickup items, instant healing, ability of self and enemies to absorb multiple rounds of gunfire...these all seem to fit the internal logic of the work, and so do not break the experience of flow during play.
But things that a normal person can do that the game hero can't, like crawling through a tunnel or reaching inside a hole, and then being faced with obstacles that could be overcome that simply...well that just takes me right out of the flow.
An action hero that can hold her breath for two minutes, leap 20 feet across a chasm, and do backflips while simultaneously shooting an enemy with deadly accuracy can't crawl into a tunnel? C'mon!
Dan
XxxxLaraxxxX
11-08-05, 00:33
HA HA!
I like the way you think Dan -- that is exactly how I felt when playing TR1, like it was really happening. I would even have dreams where I was inside the game.
I can't remember any specific to tr1 -- but tr2 it began almost immediately in Italy -- when she ran out from the corridor and there was a freaking sniper running around in circles on a balcony. It was so bad. I was really upset at the time, because tr suddenly became just another action shoot-em-up with lots of big muscular enemies to kill. I think in the first one there were only four human enemies in the whole game, and they did not run in little circles.
Then in later games when the bodies started evaporating when you killed them, it was total anti-immersion. And her dialogue became really snappy in later TRs which also ruined the moments. The TR4 FMV Lara was probably the ugliest ever, it reminded me of Gumby, and that totally destroyed the TR feeling. There are too many to list in TRC and AOD. TR1 is the ultimate, the gold standard IMHO.
Hello Joseph. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/wave.gif
That was just my poor attempt at humour. I too have killed the T Rex with the pistols. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/waffen/violent-smiley-052.gif
I was talking about in real life... http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/waffen/violent-smiley-028.gif
[ 11. August 2005, 01:47: Message edited by: DREWY ]
I was talking about in real life... i am too, DREWY, since i edited more than an hour ago (after suddenly understanding what you meant)... :D ...making my weak attempt to a joke, meaning: "when you do encounter such an ultimately rare animal alive, just shoot it immediately"
oh well, nevermind. http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/whistle.gif
Kamrusepas
11-08-05, 09:11
Originally posted by DREWY:
Or killing T Rex with pistols. I've never come across one yet that I could kill that way! http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/vlol.gif But you have come across one? :eek:
:D
Originally posted by Nicky:
The fact that she can actually explore a frozen cave while wearing a rather summery outfit http://nikkie.tombraiderforums.com/forums/smilies/cold2.gif Yeah, she must get a bit chilly sometimes!
Tomb Raider Master
11-08-05, 21:12
Originally posted by ben croft:
As far as I know, my backpack doesn't have enough space for a shotgun, rifle, pistols, keys, crowbar, ...Yes, specially in TR4. She can carry about fifty Large Medipacks, but size of one of them is bigger than size of her backpack itself. :confused: http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/vlol.gif
Originally posted by Gomes:Not being able to shimy around corners in early games was annoying too. I some frustratring moments I thought "If only Lara was normal". Agreed. Don't know how many times I have thought that.
Originally posted by dbhankins:An action hero that can hold her breath for two minutes, leap 20 feet across a chasm, and do backflips while simultaneously shooting an enemy with deadly accuracy can't crawl into a tunnel? C'mon! Agreed also. That got really annoying. (not being able to crawl)
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