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Old 01-02-20, 07:00   #91
Ward Dragon
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That’s one of my biggest gripes with AoD, tbh. The only way to make a proper running jump is to turn away from the ledge, press the roll and forward buttons simultaneously and finally press jump. Not a solution, just a work-around.
Hmm... I played AOD on PC with keyboard-only controls (I set the controls up to be like the classic controls) and I didn't think twice about doing running jumps that way I thought I could hop back a full square from the edge like the classics though, but I can't remember for sure (I guess I need to play AOD again sometime soon ). I did play AOD once on PS2 though and the controls were definitely harder.

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*PTSD intensifies* Ugh, should I also create a TRIII UNappreciation thread? All those traps and complex level design... >.<
If you want to I definitely agree about the random deaths. I played on PC with save-anywhere and I found the trial-and-error aspect frustrating. If I had played on PS1 with the save crystals, I never would have finished the game. I do love the atmosphere and general design of the India and South Pacific levels though, so I'm glad I played on PC and was able to finish it.

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Banana-jumps are ridiculous, tbh. And so are timed things like doors and all.
Yes, so much! I didn't like them in the classics (although I found them manageable with some practice), but some of the custom levels take it to the extreme! I don't remember banana-jumps ever actually being required in TR1-5 (although they made for good shortcuts), and the timed sections were annoying but doable, but I've unfortunately met some custom levels that I just could not beat due to one particular jump, or one particular timed run

Last edited by Ward Dragon; 01-02-20 at 07:02.
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Old 02-02-20, 12:34   #92
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The official games have zero banana jumps. I think designers didn't even know it was possible hence the shortcuts they create.

In custom levels they're extremely rare as well and often only used in really hard levels meant to provide maximum challenge to the players. I think it's quite known among builders that banana jumps just aren't popular.
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Old 10-02-20, 09:54   #93
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• The excessive combat amount.
I like the combat in TR2, especially against human enemies. It's a great feeling patiently waiting for a hapless goon to turn the corner into a couple of shotgun blasts. There's a lot of strategy you can employ to minimise your damage and feel like an action hero, without compromising the puzzle solving that made Tomb Raider what it is.


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• Lara’s personality/writing - Is she even TRI Lara? Why overuse those 90’s oneliners over and over? Their jackonary days are well over...
It's made clear that Lara has matured significantly since the first game. She always came across as a meek university student in the first game to me, but TR2/3 Lara felt a lot more confident and akin to a female James Bond, which I really like. Judith Gibbins nailed the confident, upper-class adventurer with her voice work too. Maybe it helps I'm a big fan of James Bond.

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• Lackluster level design in the Maria Doria and Tibet levels.
I disagree. 40 Fathoms and Catacombs are the only meh levels in that section, and they're not dreadful, just forgettable. I think 40 Fathoms would have been better combined with Living Quarters, as Wreck serves better as a stand-alone level. Catacombs could have easily been combined with Ice Palace.

And I probably don't have to sing the praises of The Deck and Barkhang. Brilliant levels.

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• Who thought it was a good idea to send hordes of enemies onto the player at only the second level! At least give the player some time to save a couple of medipacks...
I think you're forgetting that Great Wall set the precedent for the difficulty spike in TR2. Yes, Venice is a different kind of challenge to Great Wall, but I like that, and that's part of the reason TR2 is my personal favourite: There's a wide diversity of enemy types, instead of a reliance on reskins. Venice is tough, but fair (although it's hellish on a no healthkit run).

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• Excessive key-fetching type of quests.
I honestly thought TR3 was far worse with this. And TR1 had its fair share of this too. I don't think it's fair to single out TR2 when all the original three games are guilty of this.

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• Bad voice acting.
Bear in mind this was at a time where developers were still providing the voices for their characters. Outside of exceptions to the rule like Wing Commander 3's all-star cast, the biggest actor doing video game voice acting gigs was probably Clancy Brown in Crash Bandicoot. It was nothing like today where you can pull a Keanu Reeves or Peter Dinklage into a game with ease, it was less than 10 years removed from the NES era.

The voice acting is bad, but it's bad in a cheesy, enjoyable way, much like the Resident Evil or House of the Dead voice-acting, and I wouldn't even say it's as bad as those games. I think it absolutely ages the game, but that also adds to the charm to the game. Enjoyably dated I think is the best way to describe the voice acting.

I do have some critiques of my own for TR2, but they're relatively minor, given that I've slotted TR2 firmly in my top 10 favourite games of all-time now. I'll probably make another post detailing my gripes with the game.

Last edited by The Burned Man; 10-02-20 at 09:58.
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Old 16-02-20, 14:53   #94
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Lara’s dodge moves doesn’t really help with the human enemies. It’s really unbalanced. They still get you whilst jumping around, and that’s ridiculous. TRIII got this right. And there was no reason to spike up the difficulty. Great Wall wasn’t really that difficult apart from the traps, but Venice? TRI didn’t throw that much enemies at you till the Greece levels.

I don’t see Lara maturing significantly in only a year. You can mature alright, but not to the point of being a witty grandmother with boring one-liners. No offense to Judith Gibbins, she did it right in TRIII.

The Deck is the only level I like from the Maria Doria levels, with only the beginning of 40 Fathoms. There wasn’t any reason to make the section this long.

The voice acting is indeed a downgrade. Whilst the characters of TRI had their own voice actors, TRII only has two, of which them are Judith Gibbins as Lara and Nathan McCree as Marco Bartoli, Fabio, the Monk and Winston {the iconic grunts}. Thank goodness TRIII solved this.
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Old 10-04-20, 21:44   #95
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Hey Raidering, what's the ugliest area in TR2?
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Old 10-04-20, 22:11   #96
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Hey Raidering, what's the ugliest area in TR2?
The Great Wall. The texturing of the level is so ancient and old (in a bad way). It’s like the level was an ancestor to Underworld’s long dark grey corridors.

Anymore questions? Keep ‘em coming...
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Old 10-04-20, 22:14   #97
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What's the most annoying enemy?

Ooh, and which one has the worst AI?

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Old 10-04-20, 22:15   #98
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The Great Wall. The texturing of the level is so ancient and old (in a bad way). It’s like the level was an ancestor to Underworld’s long dark grey corridors.

Anymore questions? Keep ‘em coming...
If you don't like TR2, then you might like the video containing a negative review for TR2 which was posted in this thread: https://www.tombraiderforums.com/sho...d.php?t=164779

You're welcome to view that thread and watch the review but please don't post in the thread that I linked you to; the thread is many years old and the moderators won't like it if you bump the thread.
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Old 10-04-20, 22:46   #99
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Of course I respect every different opinion here, so I'm sharing mine: TR2 is my favorite, I love it so much and I really can't find anything wrong or bad about it
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Old 10-04-20, 23:36   #100
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How Tomb Raider 2 is a fan favourite is beyond me, it’s literally the worst sequel to game ever created.
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Glad I'm not the only one who can't stands TR2.
Me too!
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I've just finished my replay of Tomb Raider I and was about to start II. You guys are putting me off...
Do. Not. Play. TRII.
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Why would you waste your time? Skip to Tomb Raider 3 .
Right?
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More TRII UNappreciation goodness:
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Opera House: An unnecessary Venice level. Why wasn’t Bartoli’s plane in his hideout in the first place?

Floating Islands: A nice concept on paper, but a terrible place to look at with confusing architecture.

Home Sweet Home: Stop dragging on, TR2. And what’s up with the reincarnated Opera House dude? And that cringey shower scene... Btw, TR2’s manor looks like it was designed by someone with grandma-like taste (Granny TR2 Lara in this context )

Temple of Xian: An overrated TR2 with tRaPs aNd PlAtfOrMing. Why doesn’t the traps that dumped Lara down deeper into the complex dump Marco and his goons down? And what’s up with the entrance to the Floating Island. Is Lara entering a 3rd dimension? Wha??

Barkhang Monastery: A boring dull-colored temple with boring dull-colored environments. Lara, stop aiming at the monks! And the monks, how can you gossip this fast?!
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Lara’s boot sounds. They rival the sound of Spongebob’s shoes...
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The infamous "Aha" sound that Lara makes when picking up items is quite tedious and annoying, in my eyes. I believe it was exclusive to TR2; she doesn't do it in TR1 and I don't think she does it in any game after TR2. Maybe Core regretted their decision to introduce it and then decided to remove it.
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I don't love it! Although I do occasionally say it.
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Originally Posted by Lara_Fan1 View Post
It also doesn’t help that the enemies in Tomb Raider 2 take a huge chunk of health every time they hit you. I agree though, the health packs seem to few a far between. Also doesn’t help that the combat in that game is way over the top as well. It’s literally every room you walk in to there’s a goon with a gun waiting to shoot you.
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On a separate note, but semi connected note considering the current topic of conversation in this thread. Tomb Raider 2 has too few health packs. What on the earth is going on? I've never been a fan of the classic combat and I completely suck at it, but Tomb Raider II really doesn't help things with how scarce health-packs are. It's jarring after Tomb Raider I when I was drowning in them. I honestly don't remember it being this bad.
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@Greenapple Nice thread, I love it!

@HarleyCroft The worst enemy award goes to Marco’s every goon. The worst AI award goes to those men with bats.

@GabrielCroft Opinion respected, but disapproved.
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