TRU in the French Xbox 360 Magazine (Scans)

[Clara [CA]]

I'll translate this in a few hours and will also scan ultra HQ version, but I thought I'd already share these
Nothing new in the article




Translation :
For an adventure about to launch her to the top of her career, Lara is taking a dive into evolution.
By Julien Lemarchal

More than a symbol, an icon. To the entire world, Lara Croft has been the very first face of a videogame, an avatar finally realistic. Beyond the generous silhouette that marked the mind of thousands of young and less young gamers, Miss Croft is part of an endangered specie. Flawless guardian of a flame about to go off, the adventure at its most exotic sense, strong and supple action, the beauty can also use her neurons. With well-balanced puzzles implying exploration, observation as well as pure reflection, Tomb Raider is one of the rare titles where simple things, like opening a door or triggering a mechanism can fill the gamer with a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment. Going through time and generations of consoles without a wrinkle, becoming even better as time goes by (except for a few mishaps), Lara arouses jealousy and covetousness : few franchises grew old as good as hers. And although it's already her third appearance on 360, she's taking a definitive visual step. A foot into the old-gen and one into the next - as it was the case for Legend and Anniversary - it's really over now. The beauty chose her side, the one of the visual excellence, level with the most ambitious games of the moment. An evolution touching the game structure itself : environments, that in the past were already impressive, have gained a lot in volume and complexity, adapting to Lara's new abilities. More flexibility, more possibilities, the exploration can be easier thanks to the various paths and tools. Traditional metallic poles around which Lara swings can now be freely put in place. Professionals of the jumps adjusted-to-the-millimeter will find a worthy challenge, while the less experienced gamers will chose a less perilous path. A choice that you'll also find in the action : pacify or eliminate her enemies, it's the gamer's choice.

To be continued
The will of Crystal Dynamics teams is to close the trilogy with coherence. Still on the track of her roots and her identity since the Legend episode, the explorer keeps searching for her mother. It's an ancient legend about a mythic weapon, Thor's Hammer, that will be the start of this new adventure. This ancient and forgotten power could destroy civilizations as well as distort space-time. Will Lara finally spot some light on her past ? Will she find the answers to all the interrogations left unsolved in the previous episodes ? The adventure begins when we discover the raider, dressed in a brand new swimsuit, standing on the deck of a small yacht. You barely have the time to admire the postcard view before diving to explore the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, in search of the famous Hammer and the underworld. Deep in the Big Blue, then. Lara has never been affraid of getting wet, but this time the aquatic element is an integral part of some levels. Forget the smalls pools, the next stop is the abyss. The underwater relief progressively appears, revealing a huge amount of visual details. Rocks, coral reefs, aquatic fauna and flora, everything is there, including sharks. It's difficult to take your eyes off of the adventurer though, not for her plastic qualities, but for the whole set of animations highlighting the underwater atmosphere. The move of her flippers to stay on a certain level, the trickle of bubbles going upto the surface... everything is making your immersion deeper and deeper ! Just for the record, Lara has now a set of 1,700 different moves. For the occasion, the team used the motion capture technique with the help of a professional gymnast.

Brain-teaser
This visit of the underwater bottom is also the occasion to work hard on some puzzles; faithful to the series traditions, they imply collecting key-objects as well as manipulating complex mechanisms; some have more than one solution, others are closely intricated. In case of a dead-end, the gamer isn't left alone anymore, thanks to a two level help option allowing you to get a hint or the entire solution to the puzzle. And despite the recurrent presence of these brain-teaser phases, the general orientation of the title aims at a more present and more epic action. We will of course find new abilities for combat (see below), but also memorable moments like boss fights. Besides, the slightly old process of the Interactive Cutscenes has been replaced by sequences called "Adrenaline Moments" : the action happens in slow motion and Lara has only a few seconds to get out of the immediate danger, whether it is environmental or more organic, wild animals and corrupted treasure hunters being a little bit clingy to the explorer's boots. Besides, some old enemies, almost intimate with the damsel, will be back. Above all of this, everything is new, including the visited places that will all be original. Mediterranean Sea and Mexico were part of the presented levels, but Eidos isn't lifting the veil on the rest. But our money is on locations charged with history and mythology, and that the famous Croft Manor will be an obligatory stage. Another unknown factor is the presence of motorbike phases, like in Legend. Levels, wide and with ruins linked to each other by different paths, could benefit from the presence of a vehicule. Many unknown factors whose answers will be slowly distilled as time goes by. Because Lara's ability to make the atmosphere warmer by the second isn't a surprise anymore.

Camera, Action !
Accomplished gymnast, Lara ? She didn't have two left feet, yet now she's surpassing herself. Used to grand circles on horizontal bars, from now on she can also stand on these or roll on a beam, and she's been improving the independance of her limbs too. Hanging from a pole or climbing, she'll be able to hold a gun in one hand and ensure her grip with the other. And since we're talking gear, she's got a quality choice : multi-task grapple, spear-gun, sticky grenades, camera and PDA with a 3D engine will complete an already substantial equipment.

On her skin
Soberly called CDC, the new graphic engine of Tomb Raider offers lots of possibilities to make the environment more convincing and realistic. The wind in the trees, the moves of the seaweed under the waves of the flippers are good examples of the techniques used to blow life into the levels. Lights changing according to the hour and weather effects make the feeling even stronger. Of course, they don't forget to highlight the superstar with a skin catching the light and the color atmosphere of the place she's in. And we can't even describe you decently the textures of her new swimsuit !

Pics
- The Kraken will only bow before your ingeniosity, not your srength.
- Watching attentively the environment is essential to progress.
- Some levels could be entirely underwater.
- The legend of the Kraken takes place in the medieval Scandinavian folklore.
- Wide, high rooms with intricated puzzles. Think !
- Two times puzzle : collecting objects and triggering mechanisms.
- Ambidextrous, Lara can now shoot in every situation, even tense.
- You can distinctively see the water pouring naturally along the walls.
- Aim at one target or two, it's your choice.
- Showing off much, Lara ? Turning a cartwheel can be a way to avoid bullets though.
- Who says new engine says new (generous) modelling for our adventurer.
- Lara's atheltic abilities will be pushed more than once.
- Against fierce sharks, there's more than one option, like grenades or spear-gun.

[-Roli-]

WOW! Thank you!

[KC Mraz]

Thanks! . Looks like the media drought is officially gone! .

[Rivendell]

Cheers Clara!

[Conway]

Fantastic. Thanks, Clara! Some are new to me.

She looks great here.



The new underwater shots looks good too.

[Nick56music]

Wonderful, I like the screenshot with the Kraken whose tentacles are flying around and Lara has to shoot to stop that.

[daventry]

Translation please and thank you.

[abdul wahab]

That shot is awsome

[Tear]

Ahh! Amazing!!

I love that second render! And those underwater shots look so incredible!

Wait... is it just me? She got a whole lot more booty since the last game!
No seriously, in that pic where she's staring down Underpus, she's got this big ol' booty just winking us in the face!! I mean, I know we saw the first pic of her bum a while ago, but I didn't know it was that big.

Wow. I'm sorry, just really hyped.

[powerslave666]

thanks..
looks awesome