View Full Version : To All the TRA Haters...thoughts from a veteran.
I would like to start off by saying first and foremost that "Everybody is entitled to their opinion".
With that said, I would like to say that I am a "die-hard" Tomb Raider fan. I am 42 years old and can't count the number of times I completed the original Tomb Raider game.
I Loved Anniversary, and think it is a great tribute to the original. It was everything I had hoped that Legend was going to be and wasn't.
I have read players complaining about the combat being horrible. I think it closely matches the original. I remember in the original game, blindly jumping and shooting, and hoping that I was hitting something without really seeing what the heck was going on :). The "Dodge" move is fantastic and deadly if pulled off correctly. I beat the T-Rex first time around and took hardly no damage.
I think the older veteran gamers who loved Tomb Raider 11 years ago, will love anniversary. While the newer gamers (products of the God of War generation) may find the game a bit dull and annoying.
As the true veterans of Tomb Raider knows, there are certain elements that make a good Tomb Raider game: Wandering endlessly not knowing initially what to do or where to go, enemies that bum-rush you and take you out the first time, puzzles that are a challenge to figure out, jumps that you miss and **** you off time and time again, and of course a lovely Lara to watch the whole time :D.
I feel Anniversary has all of these elements and is therefore more than qualified to be called a Tomb Raider game.
... just my thoughts.
Tomb of Legends
07-06-07, 12:51
Damn straight its Tomb Raider...at its finest.
Peyn_OTHfan
07-06-07, 12:54
I agree with you. TRA is ages after TR1 in terms of fighting, moving and everything technological. There is still room for improvement but I really don't understand those hard classic fans who always complain.
When I look at the general mood here on the forums, most people seem to agree with you - I certainly do. TRA could just be the game to unite TR fans again, it's got a classic exploration/puzzle approach while using a Legend style gameplay. So basically, there's something for everyone. I haven't really noticed any 'haters' yet, and I hope it stays that way - in Legend's case, the initial feedback was quite good as well, but it got much worse a few weeks/months after the release, when most people had completed the game once or twice.
It certainly looks as though CD are heading in the right direction.
The only worrying thing for me now is that TR8 is going to be very similar to Legend, in which case I won't buy it.
Notts Raider
07-06-07, 13:02
I would like to start off by saying first and foremost that "Everybody is entitled to their opinion".
With that said, I would like to say that I am a "die-hard" Tomb Raider fan. I am 42 years old and can't count the number of times I completed the original Tomb Raider game.
I Loved Anniversary, and think it is a great tribute to the original. It was everything I had hoped that Legend was going to be and wasn't.
I have read players complaining about the combat being horrible. I think it closely matches the original. I remember in the original game, blindly jumping and shooting, and hoping that I was hitting something without really seeing what the heck was going on :). The "Dodge" move is fantastic and deadly if pulled off correctly. I beat the T-Rex first time around and took hardly no damage.
I think the older veteran gamers who loved Tomb Raider 11 years ago, will love anniversary. While the newer gamers (products of the God of War generation) may find the game a bit dull and annoying.
As the true veterans of Tomb Raider knows, there are certain elements that make a good Tomb Raider game: Wandering endlessly not knowing initially what to do or where to go, enemies that bum-rush you and take you out the first time, puzzles that are a challenge to figure out, jumps that you miss and **** you off time and time again, and of course a lovely Lara to watch the whole time :D.
I feel Anniversary has all of these elements and is therefore more than qualified to be called a Tomb Raider game.
... just my thoughts.
Being 41 and a TR veteran like yourself, I totally agree with your opinion.
People are complaining about the combat AI but I think the combat is a very small part of the TR experience, its only there to scare the pants off you and make you panic, which it does admirably. There's no point taking up gamespace which could be better utilised.
I dont think there are haters on this forum? Show me quotes?
Majority seem to like the game, including the die-hards but they also mention the flaws which is natural because they want the next game to be better. I mean, this game HAS flaws, noone can deny that :o
And Ive said many times, CD is on the correct track now with TRA. Legend was just wrong, no TR game.
I actually like the combat in TRA :tmb:
I hope more animal's return in TR8.
Great to read your post Ballo. I've played and finished them all and play little else, so guess I know what I like about TR. The latest feels like it picks up where Last Revelation (open to debate) left off.
Hope TR8 isn't an on rails and dumbed down game like Legend. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed TRL but it had only the lead character in common with the best of the series.
The next game needs to be less linear still, more jaw dropping environments and great puzzles. I'd like a little more combat and each opponent to be tougher but that's just me.
Is anniversary a Tomb Raider game? Yes. Much more so than Legend.
Is it a good Tomb Raider game? On balance, I'd say yes. The set-piece puzzles are brilliant although the framework of the game lets it down somewhat.
Is it a great Tomb Raider Game? Unfortunately Not. The devil, as they say, is in the detail and too much of this has been surgically removed. Where are the little labyrinths and side puzzles that had to be solved as parts of the main ones? Where is the ability to choose how Lara deals with the wild animals? Why is so much of the plot explained so early and in such patronising detail in the cut-scenes?
I absolutely agree. I think that CD have learned from a lot of their mistakes, and made Anniversary a whole lot better, and closer to how Tomb Raider should feel than Legend.
I personally haven't seen any out and out haters around, but there are people who complain about minor niggles just a little too much. The game's not perfect, but it's a start! :D
I personally haven't seen any out and out haters around, but there are people who complain about minor niggles just a little too much. The game's not perfect, but it's a start! :D
I agree... but I still think it's very important to voice your opinion, positive or negative, and point out what you do and do not like about the game. Any feedback can be helpful to make better games, even if it's just small details. Just look at the giant step from TRL to TRA, I think we owe a lot of that to fan feedback. The reintroduction of the manual grab, for example, that certainly didn't come from magazine reviews, or the return of isolation and silence. It's not negative feedback that's counterproductive, it's no feedback at all.
I used the word "haters" loosely. I doubt there are any players out there that after playing Anniversary up until the final second could honestly say that they "hate" the game. There were some parts that I was not a big fan of, but overall this game was a fantastic ride that I plan on getting back on many times!
smegzila - hhhmmmm....this would be crystal 'ds second bite at the TR apple :D
i am only at beginning of t-rex level but i do have early impressions:
1) the prior levels i visited seemed 'too short' at first encounter but if you linger and reference what you remember with core's version, the levels for the most part was a bit too 'streamlined'. however, i can understand the design decisions since if crystal replicate the levels element by element they'll run out of space real quick. i bet if they did this on the PS3/blueray with 25GB of play they could have replicated everything with grafx facelifts.
2) the play feel shorter until i realised that TRA's lara moves naturally fluid now compared to classic lara (who moves like a m1 abrams tank), which contributes to the gameplay speed being up. really the camera is the factor that i had to struggle with but tolerated.
3) level designs and platforming workflow are pretty clever. it forces the player to be attentive to details, unfortunately, it kills your time trial speed due to wandering and rotating the camera to see details you need to pay attention to. levels are beautiful. i do like the animals as adversaries more than humans.
...is all i can come up with atm, err... first lemme dispose this big galoot of a t-rex :D
I know Anniversary is CD's second Tomb Raider game, I'm just saying this game is a great start at getting the TR formula right for them.
I also have nothing against people voicing their opinions, and saying what they didn't like about the game. I just think there are people out there that are picking the game to pieces a bit too much, and actively searching for the tiniest insignificant flaws in the game. Sad bunch of people, that :p
No need to use the word "hater" because people critisize the game, so far people for the most part are still enjoying it, much more so than legend. They are just pointing out things they are still not happy with. I got the game last night and for the most part I have to say I am enjoying it. Figured out the manor, even got trapped a few times, and caves felt "old school"! :tmb: So far just not crazy with controller layout, liked x being the interact button and the grab button, R2 feels clumsy for grab. And wall run works nice in open areas where you can see where to aim the camera but becomes awkward in tight areas like the time you use it in her pool house.
No need to use the word "hater" because people critisize the game...
... Like I said in my reply, I used the word "Hater" loosely. I'm sure nobody who played the game actually hated the entire thing.
:tmb: That's cool, oh and welcome to the board! :wve: You'll find all kinds of opinions, and those on either side of things that can't understand why anyone doesn't agree with them, it's just human nature. Take it with a grain of salt when someone says something you totally disagree with, it's easier on the heart, says the 47 year old... :ton:
Tthe Spirit
07-06-07, 14:32
I am a hardcore fan... the old series are amazing..
But this TRA is the best of'em all...
Great job...
Well I'm 42 and a TR veteran. I agree with the OP to a point but I disagree in some respects. I hate the combat. The trouble is I play lots of other games and see things done so much better in other games that it both annoys and saddens me to see the once great TR fail so badly in things like combat and environmental interaction. Yes the combat is just another obstacle in the game and it really makes no difference but it's just pathetic in this day and age to see a so called "enemy" standing there looking at you blankly as you shoot it in the face or running head on into a wall. It really just isn't acceptable and unless we DO moan and whinge about these things CD will think they can continue to get away with it.
I also think TRA lacks the amount of exploration that TR1 and 2 had. It's all a bit close and obvious in most places but not all it has to be said. Puzzle items are far too easy to find and should be hidden away in hard to find nooks and crannies especially in the Lost Valley level.
I don't hate TRA I think it has produced one of the best ever levels in any game in St Francis Folly. But also one of the worst in The Great Pyramid.
Less ledge hopping. More exploration, fewer bosses that we can decide how to kill not be dictated to. Harder to find puzzle items. Fewer cutscenes and no ICs and we'd almost have TR back to what it should be.
Then of course there is the invisible wall issue. But solving that would require TR to be turned on it's head. Which I'd love to see actually....:cln:
silver_wolf
07-06-07, 14:57
I would like to start off by saying first and foremost that "Everybody is entitled to their opinion".
With that said, I would like to say that I am a "die-hard" Tomb Raider fan. I am 42 years old and can't count the number of times I completed the original Tomb Raider game.
I Loved Anniversary, and think it is a great tribute to the original. It was everything I had hoped that Legend was going to be and wasn't.
I have read players complaining about the combat being horrible. I think it closely matches the original. I remember in the original game, blindly jumping and shooting, and hoping that I was hitting something without really seeing what the heck was going on :). The "Dodge" move is fantastic and deadly if pulled off correctly. I beat the T-Rex first time around and took hardly no damage.
I think the older veteran gamers who loved Tomb Raider 11 years ago, will love anniversary. While the newer gamers (products of the God of War generation) may find the game a bit dull and annoying.
As the true veterans of Tomb Raider knows, there are certain elements that make a good Tomb Raider game: Wandering endlessly not knowing initially what to do or where to go, enemies that bum-rush you and take you out the first time, puzzles that are a challenge to figure out, jumps that you miss and **** you off time and time again, and of course a lovely Lara to watch the whole time :D.
I feel Anniversary has all of these elements and is therefore more than qualified to be called a Tomb Raider game.
... just my thoughts.
and some damn good thoughts too. I agree completely,as a fellow TR veteran.
Kapitein Iglo
07-06-07, 15:44
I would like to start off by saying first and foremost that "Everybody is entitled to their opinion".
With that said, I would like to say that I am a "die-hard" Tomb Raider fan. I am 42 years old and can't count the number of times I completed the original Tomb Raider game.
I Loved Anniversary, and think it is a great tribute to the original. It was everything I had hoped that Legend was going to be and wasn't.
I have read players complaining about the combat being horrible. I think it closely matches the original. I remember in the original game, blindly jumping and shooting, and hoping that I was hitting something without really seeing what the heck was going on :). The "Dodge" move is fantastic and deadly if pulled off correctly. I beat the T-Rex first time around and took hardly no damage.
I think the older veteran gamers who loved Tomb Raider 11 years ago, will love anniversary. While the newer gamers (products of the God of War generation) may find the game a bit dull and annoying.
As the true veterans of Tomb Raider knows, there are certain elements that make a good Tomb Raider game: Wandering endlessly not knowing initially what to do or where to go, enemies that bum-rush you and take you out the first time, puzzles that are a challenge to figure out, jumps that you miss and **** you off time and time again, and of course a lovely Lara to watch the whole time :D.
I feel Anniversary has all of these elements and is therefore more than qualified to be called a Tomb Raider game.
... just my thoughts.
I absolutely agree with your story and in my opinion TRA may carry the tomb raider name with pride. Yet when I look back on Tomb Raider games and have to pick a favorite I will always seperate Core's Tomb Raider games from CD's Tomb Raider games. And don't see that as a bad thing, to me it's just a new saga just like the two sagas of Star Wars and can't be compared.
I am pretty positive about TRA. :)
It's pretty good IMO, better than I thought it would be.
The graphics are very good for what they are, but NG graphics would have been better IMO.
But then you can't have everything right? :D
This is a really good thread, Ballo, as I was also getting the feeling that there were a lot of detractors who weren't happy with TRA, but it seems from the comments here that people generally love the game, whatever their criticisms may be. Which is all good :)
It's so hard for most of us to see it from a novice's point of view, but I personally believe that CD have done a good job introducing the fundamental elements of TR and Lara which in turn may inspire these 'newbies' to fork out a couple pounds for a used-but-well-loved copy of the original title, and really understand why the faithful have been so loyal all these years.
dream raider
08-06-07, 10:00
Ballo, you seem to be a very dedicated tomb raider fan and your opinion is definitely respected. Great post and I agree with you 100%. :tmb:
nicola1986
08-06-07, 10:05
I love TRA, I've played every TR and this is as much a TR as any of the others :)
Shark_Blade
08-06-07, 10:11
I agreed Ballo:D :tmb: The game is pure tomb raider this time around;)
Jack Croft
08-06-07, 10:31
Guys,
After Anniversary TR8 is Gonna be Great ;)
Tthe Spirit
08-06-07, 11:26
Actually, i dont see that any1 has the right to say this game is total negative...
There are some goofs, but they are so minor...
this game really rocks...
SchmookiePookie
08-06-07, 11:32
I too am a seasoned Lara Croft fan and spent many hours immersed in TR1 -totally blown away.
TR:A is excellent, and I am truly enjoying the game so far. The sense of isolation, the dizzying leaps of faith and the cursing and abuse when I send Lara plummeting to her demise time and time again!
Well done Crystal Dynamics! I love you!
poindexter
08-06-07, 12:07
Again im a 36 year old veteran of TR1 and sequals. However, as beautiful as TRA looks and its a pleasure to re-visit the old levels the game is spolied for me by constant wall / ledge climbing and swinging off poles & ropes. I know this the way the engine is, but just like TRL it becomes very tedious.
Just my oppinion.
Lemmiwinks
08-06-07, 17:45
I just arrived in the Tomb of Tihocan and so far I can say I am really enjoying it. In the middle of the cursing at Damocles in St. FF I realized that TRA accurately captured the exact emotions I experience playing TR1 the first time through. To me that's one of the most importants parts; a part that TRL was greatly lacking in...
TRAIDER523
08-06-07, 18:31
All I have to say is that so far I would deff. consider this my fav. TR yet. I have been playing since the original was released. At the Sanctuary of the Scion in TRA. Haven't been playing it too much. Got some other things too. But still like in shock. The game is amazing. Only thing that bothers me is the shortness of levels. But puzzles are perfect. This game like :cen: on Legend sooo bad..
vBulletin® v3.8.4, Copyright ©2000-2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.