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Old 24-10-08, 05:48   #1
hera7days
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Default First impressions (totally biased)

I just finished (read: tried) TRA, so I felt like doing a "review", but mostly comparison to TR1. Also, I'll be usually the same numerical grade that I saw in some other similar type thread:
1 - Original's way better
2 - Original's a little better
3 - About the same
4 - Remake's a little better
5 - Remake's way better

The manors - Before I get into TR1/A's manors, I'd like to compare TR3 and TRL's. These two were always my favorites. I liked going around collecting things in the TRL manor, because it made it feel more like a level, but I also liked being able to go outside in the TR3 manor. Therefore, TRA's is awesome because it combines both elements. However, it's still not my ideal manor because it's unfinished. I liked the idea of it back in TR1, and appreciate that they copied that for TRA, but I didn't care for playing in an unfinished manor then and I still don't today. I won't fault TRA's manor for that, because that's just me being picky. I'd say my favorite manor is a three-way tie between TR3's, TRL's, and TRA's, but that TRA's is the best in terms of quality. It's certainly better than the original, because it had more to offer. 5

Mountain Caves/Caves - Both are pretty simple and uneventful. I'm going to give this one to the remake, for two main reasons. One, because they added the part outside at the beginning (adding more stuff's usually a good thing) and because they took out that timed part. I fricking hate timed parts. I mean, I'm okay with them if they're timed traps, because, while I do detest being rushed, I also appreciate the threat of death that accompanies it. But timed parts that aren't traps? The ones which, if you don't make it in time, just try again, no threat whatsoever? Man, I hate those. The one in Caves wasn't so bad because it was easy, so I don't have to suffer through it for long, but I still hate it on principle. So thanks, Mountain Caves, for removing that. 4

City of Vilcabamba - I guess the original is a little better. I think I sped through the remake's on the first play through, but I always get lost when I play the original. 2

Lost Valley - The remake isn't so bad, except for one thing- the T-Rex battle. I would argue that the old one was better because you had three different ways to deal with the dino (shoot up close, shoot while hiding, try to ignore), but if I'm perfectly honest, the reason why the original T-Rex battle was better was because the adrenaline dodge was a piece of crap tied to some string. Also, I missed all the little nooks and crannies. 1

Tomb of Qualopec - I said on another thread once, I don't care about how advanced or realistic graphics are. I just care about what's done with them. And the new Tomb of Qualopec looks way more like a Tomb than the old Tomb of Qualopec. I mean, orange wallpaper? What the crap? Also, I like destroying stuff! 5

St. Francis' Folly - Question, is there anybody here who prefers the old one to the new one? The remake just brings so much more to the table. Heck, even the part at the beginning, jumping from pillar to pillar was more fun than the original. And need I mention the four god rooms? Atlas was more intense and threatening than before, Poseidon was a really good puzzle, Damocles... well, Damocles I sadly couldn't enjoy. There was nothing wrong with the room itself, but the checkpoint system kept setting me way back, and I got tired of doing the same thing over and over and over and over. Otherwise, it was also way cooler than the original. And technically, I have yet to play the Hephaestus room, but who cares. Everything else is so awesome that the Hephaestus room would have to be phenomenally bad before it brought the level score down. 5

Colosseum/The Coliseum - I didn't really like either. But at least I don't have fight Pierre in the remake (I like Pierre; I don't wanna shoot him!). Then again, the place looks a heck of a lot cooler in the original thanks to graphical limitations, ironically. Then again, the original also has a non-lethal timed part, grr. But the remake has some stupid grapple part, hate. 3

Palace Midas/Midas's Palace - Well, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the remake's Midas level. The old one is pretty much what I'd call the perfect Tomb Raider level, and I had a hard time believing the remake could be any better. And it's not, but I had as much fun with it. I prefer how the old one had you running all over the place, looking for that last lead bar, and that cute little garden room. However, I much prefer the remake's fire room and spike room. Okay, the fire room. first of all, it looks a heck of lot more awesome. Second (and mostly) while the main challenge of the original fire room was being fast enough to make it across the burners, the main challenge of the remake was figuring out where to go next. I like that! Now the spike rooms. The original was freaking easy. The remake was more challenging and satisfying. 3

The Cistern/The Cistern half of Tomb of Tihocan - The original was better because the side rooms just made it. The remake was still fun, though. 2

Tomb of Tihocan/the rest of Tomb of Tihocan - Giving this one to the original, too. I didn't like the original one bit, but at least there was more to it than swim around, interactive cutscene, centaur boss fight. Also, adrenaline dodge. 1

I'm just going to tell you right now that I'll be giving ones to all the levels in the the Egypt section. For starters, I don't like how the new ones look. I adored the gold and vibrant colors of the original. The remake is soooo blah. Also, I loved the leisurely pace of the original, and how there was more emphasis on figuring out where to go than being fast enough to get there. The remake switched that all around. Okay, technically I only played the teensy bit of the new Obelisk of Khamoon, but I looked up the walkthrough. Anything with that many wallruns cannot possibly be better than the original. And the old Sanctuary of the Scion is quite possibly my most favorite Tomb Raider level ever, so it would be amazing if I preferred the remake. Guess what I don't.

Natla's Mines - Well, the remake looks better, and I mean it looks more mine like, but it also has at least one wallrun, but the pyramid jumping part was more fun, but it has the ridonkulous interactive cutscene, but it was pretty funny, plus it didn't have the stupid block puzzle of the old one. Huh, logically I should give to the new one, but somehow I enjoyed the the old one better. Probably because I could save anywhere. 3ish

The next two levels - I only tried a little bit of the first one of these from the remake, but from what I saw the original's is better because it's way creepier and more bizarre. I still don't feel right about grading these because I didn't bother reading the walkthroughs, so I'm pretty much in the dark about The Final Countdown, I mean Final Showdown, I mean Ultimate Showdown, oh whatever the last level of TRA is called.

In conclusion, TRA is a mediocre game. Could've been awesome if the camera had been less drunk, if it employed the save AND LOAD! anywhere system, and had the adrenaline dodge and wallrun been made of something other than fail. It's my least favorite TR game, but I'm still keeping it so I can get pretty screencaps.
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Old 24-10-08, 10:30   #2
Alex Fly
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Great review ! Thanks for sharing your impressions.
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Old 24-10-08, 10:52   #3
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Good review, I feel the same in many ways.

Heres what I think by your system...

Peru - Probabley 4

Greece - 4 (nearly 5)

Egypt - 4 (again, nearly 5)

Atlantis - 1

Atlantis was destroyed. It strayed so far from the original, it actually reminds me of a Crash Bandicoot game...
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Old 24-10-08, 11:14   #4
Zebra
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Quote:
1 - Original's way better
2 - Original's a little better
3 - About the same
4 - Remake's a little better
5 - Remake's way better
Peru - 3
Greece - 2
Egypt - 4
Atlantis 1

Mountain Caves - 3
City of Vilcabamba - 4
Lost Valley - 3
Tomb of Qualopec - 2

St. Francis Folly - 4
Colisseum - 3
Palace Midas - 3
Cistern/Tomb of Tihocan - 1

Tomb of Tihocan - 4
Obelisk of Khamoon - 4
Sanctuary of the Scion - 3

Natla's Mines - 4
Great Pyramide - 1
Last Level (can't remember the name) - 1

Last edited by Zebra; 24-10-08 at 11:24.
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Old 24-10-08, 11:29   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomb of Legends View Post
Atlantis was destroyed. It strayed so far from the original, it actually reminds me of a Crash Bandicoot game...
I hαve got to agree with thαt. I wαs disαppointed αbout the Nαtlα fight αnd to see how fαst you reαch the top with those timed floors in the first level of Atlαntis! In the originαl, it wαs one floor αt α time but the remαke wαs one-shot to the top without αny puzzles to hαve to figure I αlso wαsn't too fond about the wαlls & the designs but .. nice gαme though

Last edited by xkime-ex; 24-10-08 at 11:48.
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Old 24-10-08, 12:53   #6
Troy
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Good review but in the Playstation version of Tomb Raider you have save crystals. You can't save anywhere.
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Old 24-10-08, 13:47   #7
sandra croft
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Mountain Caves - 4 enjoyed the graphic
City of Vilcabamba - 1 much bigger in TR1
Lost Valley - 1 harder and scarier in TR1
Tomb of Qualopec - 4 feels more like a tomb

St. Francis Folly - 3 I seems to be one of fiew that wasnīt that impressed with this level in TRA, itīs good leveldesign but it felt easy to me, then again it was easy in the original too.

Colisseum - 3 none is very impressive
Palace Midas - 1 the one in TRA just felt short to me and I felt that the fire room was harder in the original, but I liked the spike room in TRA
Cistern - 1 do I even need to explain
Tomb of Tihocan - 4 like the centaur fight

Temple of Khamoon 5 - like the realistic look of the level
Obelisk of Khamoon - 4 same as above
Sanctuary of the Scion - 4 like the waterrooms in TRA

Natla's Mines - 2 bigger in TR1
Great Pyramide - 1
final conflict - 1 like the traps in TR1
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Old 24-10-08, 14:46   #8
dinahcat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troy View Post
Good review but in the Playstation version of Tomb Raider you have save crystals. You can't save anywhere.
Technically, yu can't save anywhere in TRA either. You are slave to the checkpoint.

I really liked the save crystals in TR1. It really made you cautious. When i go back and play, now, I really think about my route and try do as musch as possible before the save crystal just in in case. The checkpoint system in the Anniversary can be manipulated (For example, in "The Great Pyramid"...the room with the giant pistons you need to jump over on both sides of the room...you get a checkpoint before you go in the room, jump the piston, get checkpoint. After you jump back, before going to the other side of the room, you can leave te room and backtrack down the hallway and retrigger the checkpiont to save)

@ hera7days - Great review...I did something similar after replaying the first game. My stance was differnt tho! i appreciate your review...very honest.
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Old 24-10-08, 15:18   #9
MMAN
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Manor - 5

Mountain Caves - 4
City of Vilcabamba - 2
Lost Valley - 3
Tomb of Qualopec - 4

St. Francis Folly - 5
Colisseum - 1
Palace Midas - 2
Cistern/Tomb of Tihocan - 4 (rating it as the Cistern)

Temple of Khamoon - 4
Obelisk of Khamoon - 4
Sanctuary of the Scion - 5

Natla's Mines - 3
Atlantis - 1

I made a more detailed thread before: http://www.tombraiderforums.com/show....php?p=1864558 , although my thoughts on it have evolved a little since then (see Atlantis).

Last edited by MMAN; 24-10-08 at 15:22.
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