Tomb Raider Chronicles Beta Analysis

[Gh0stBlade]

In this thread, you will be able to find the difference between the PSX beta version of TRC and the Retail version. To clarify, it is believed that this version of the game was actually sold in-stores thus that is how this was obtained. Although changes may not be drastic, it's still good to look at a few of the changes during the last moments of development. This page will be updated at times when I'm able to do so. I cannot guarantee that this will be completed. Complete comparison. 24/04/2011, 14:33

On a Moderator's request, download links will not be provided due to legal reasons. However, it's in the usual places.

---- FMV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All FMVs in the Beta version contain nothing but Tomb Raider 1 main theme music throughout, no dialogue at all!

---- Gameplay ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title Screen

1. TRC Logo seems to be bigger just before loading the flyby.
2. The "Special Features" option is unlocked already but you cannot select "Movie Trailer".

Flyby (Mansion)

Retail:




Beta:




1. Different character!

Level 1 - Introduction

1. FMV TR4 music, introduction FMV where Lara is at that opera thing the music when you enter the jeep in TR4 is played throughout.
2. The initial Streets of Rome cutscene/flyby when you begin the game doesn't exist.

Screenshot - FMV1

Retail:



Beta:



1. Different characters. Credits: Aussie500 (Moderator)

Level 1 - Training Area

1. Training area, Lara seems to have lost her tongue no dialogue is played.
2. The doors which you open do not close once entered but in the retail build they do.

Screenshot 1 - Training Area

Retail:



Beta:



1. You can see that in the beta version, the "warning" sign doesn't appear to be existent.
2. In the retail version, if you fall. You'll be able to climb back up using the block. In the beta, the block isn't there. The gap seems to be filled.
3. In beta, door seems to be positioned slightly to the right with a light above, the light in the retail build has moved above the warning sign.
4. The ceiling textures are different.

Screenshot 2 - Training Area

Retail:



Beta:



1. Retail seems to have a dark shadow area.

Screenshot 3 - Training Area

Retail:



Beta:



1. In this area, the platforms are arranged differently.

Screenshot 4 - Training Area

Retail:



Beta:



1. Seems to be some extra blocks.

Screenshot 5 - Training Area (End)

Retail:



Beta:



1. Whole room is textured differently.

--

Level 1 - Main

1. The door which you shoot the padlock on in-order to get the first star thing seems to have different SFX for it's destruction.
2. In the Beta, after the cutscene whereLlara inserts the symbols. There is a dog around the corner corridor.

--

Level 2 - Main

1. Not much changes, very close to final build.

Screenshot 1 - Market

Retail:



Beta:



1. Trap door is textured differently.

Screenshot 2 - Market

Beta:



1. This trojan head is quite creepy in the retail version. It ALWAYS sees Lara. But in the Beta, it only notices you if you are stood directly in-front of it.


Screenshot 3 - Main

Beta:



1. Items are underneath this crawl thing. In the retail, they seem to be slightly different items along with them being positioned else where.

Screenshot 4 - Main

Retail:



Beta:



1. Beta = Stained Glass Window, Retail = Normal Glass Window.

Screenshot 5 - Main

Retail:



Beta:



1. Slightly different layout.


Screenshot 6 - Main

Retail:



Beta:



1. There seem to be holes where the dragon heads emerged from.

Screenshot 7 - Main

Retail:



Beta:



1. The strange wobbly thingy seems to be different.

Screenshot 8 - Rome

Retail:



Beta:



1. Different camera angle.

Screenshot 9 - Rome (End)

Retail:



Beta:



1. Different Layout.
2. In the Beta, there's only one trap door. In retail there are three.

Level 4 - Main

1. Not many changes, very close to final build but still interesting.

Screenshot 1 - Colloseum

Retail:



Beta:



1. Different, you must drop down and climb down the fire pit to find the button, see walkthrough.

Mini Walkthrough 1

1. Drop and hang as you would normally but climb downwards instead of going into crawl space.



2. Keep going left and eventually, you'll find the button.



Screenshot 2 - Colosseum

Retail:



Beta:



1. Different trap doors again!

Screenshot 2 - Colosseum

Retail:



Beta:



1. The door will close behind Lara in beta, it allows you to lock out the mini boss as a cheat. Or it was probably supposed to be used to lock Lara in that small room with the boss to make things more complicated.

2. Going back, Screenshot 9 - Rome (End) Retail, seems to be the same in the BETA now.

--

Level 4 - Main

1. Not changes at all.

--

Level 5 - The Submarine

1. Cooker SFX louder.
2. No other changes.

--

Level 6 - The Sinking Submarine

1. Extra enemies.

Screenshot 1 - The sinking submarine

Retail:



Beta:



1. Slightly different room water effects.

---

Screenshot - FMV? (Sinking Submarine FMV)

Retail:





Beta:






--

Level 7 - Gallows tree

1. Beta has spookier background music.
2. Beta, no rats when you enter house.
3. Beta, no grunt when enter heart.

--

Level 8 - Labyrinth

1. Beta version has spookier background music like previous level. In retail there is no music at all.
2. Lara's footstep SFXs are missing.

--

Level 9 - Old mill

1. Rope seems to move more in the beta, in the retail it barely moves when swinging on.

--

FMV - Old mill (End)

Retail:





Beta:





1. Character difference.

--

Level 9 - The 13th floor



1. Different sliding camera angle. In the Beta version camera isn't pointed towards Lara.

Screenshot 1 - The 13th Floor

Retail:



Beta:



1. In the Retail Lara slides down and the cutscene starts automatically.
2. In the Beta, Lara slides down but the the last slide slope is actually a flat surface. You'll need to walk forward to start the cutscene.
3. The cutscene is still in the beta version. In the retail, the camera moves.
4. Red lasers have improved SFX in the retail version.


Screenshot 1 - The 13th Floor (Headset)

Retail:



Beta:



1. Headset improved in retail version.


Screenshot 2 - The 13th Floor (Cutscene 2)

Beta:



1. This extra area is shown in this cutscene. In the retail, this area isn't shown.

Screenshot 3 - The 13th Floor

Retail:



Beta:



1. In the Beta, the crawl space is not present. You must walk past the vending machine. In the retail, there is a crawl space. It's used because after the vending machine, there are lasers which will kill Lara.

2. The cutscene is triggered once you walk past the vending machine, in the retail it's triggered after the crawl space with fancy camera angle movement.

3. Beta = Red Vending Machine, Retail = Green Vending Machine

Screenshot 4 - The 13th Floor

Retail:



Beta:



1. Room textured differently.

Screenshot 5 - The 13th Floor

Retail:



Beta:



1. Chain = Retail, Pole = Beta.

Screenshot 6 - The 13th Floor (Cutscene)

Retail:



Beta:



1. In the Beta, she stands still during the cutscene. You do not get to see the other guy like you do in retail.

Additional:

When you disable the iris security, there isn't any music played in the Beta version.
--

Level 10 - Escape with the iris

Screenshot 1 - Escape with the iris(Beginning)

Retail:



Beta:



1. Different starting camera angle.

Screenshot 2 - Escape with the iris

Beta:



1. When you walk outside the door to red alert, it shows a quick preview of the next level.


Screenshot 2 - Escape with the iris

Retail:



Beta:



1. Beta has extra door.

Screenshot 3 - Escape with the iris

Retail:



Beta:



1. In the Beta, these cabinets are empty.
2. Further down corridor, the windows appear to be another texture (black)

Screenshot 4 - Escape with the iris

Retail:



Beta:



1. Cloth is green in the Retail version.

Screenshot 5 - Escape with the iris

Retail:



Beta:



1. In the Beta, she stands still in the cutscene where the enemies try to open the door. Moreover, you do not have the chance to press buttons. They break through instantly and you must run!

Screenshot 6 - Escape with the iris

Retail:



Beta:




1. In the Beta, you must crawl and get the secret under the wall which looses time + health,

Screenshot 7 - Escape with the iris

Retail:



Beta:




1. In the retail version, the buttons are used to open the door. The door must be opened quickly before they break in. In the beta, the buttons aren't existent. You must run!

Screenshot 7 - Escape with the iris

Retail:



Beta:



1. Room textured differently. In retail, the pipe still glows.

--

Level 10 - Red Alert!

Main:

Missing scream in beta when man falls off stairs.
Missing SFX in beta when the stairs leading to lower ground drops.
Missing male scream SFX in beta when the final stair piece drops at the top.
Missing music when Lara enters room underneath floor (man walks past)

--

When you shoot the valve:

Retail has water spray SFX
Beta has squeaky wheel valve SFX

--

Missing music when men break through glass in beta.


Screenshot 1 - Red Alert!

Retail:



Beta:



Screenshot 2 - Red Alert!

Retail:



Beta:



Screenshot 3 - Red Alert!

*REMOVED* Silencer

Beta:






Screenshot 4 - Red Alert!

Retail:



Beta:



1. The doors seem to open differently.

Screenshot 5 - Red Alert!

Retail:



Beta:



In retail, the sprinkler sparks unlike the beta.

Screenshot 6 - Red Alert!

Retail:



Beta:



Beta has buggy gas effect.

PART 2 IS BELOW DUE TO IMAGE LIMIT RESTRICTIONS

[Gh0stBlade]

Screenshot 6 - Red Alert!

Retail:



Beta:



1. Block isn't present in the Beta below the switch.

Screenshot 7 - Red Alert!

Retail:



Beta:



1. The lasers are not full length in the Beta, at the right side. You can walk through the gap with no damage inflicted to Lara.

Screenshot 1 - FMV FINAL!

Retail:



Beta:



1. Different Lighting effects.
2. Different Character

----Credits -----------------------------------------------------

Credits - Difference 1

Retail:


Additional Artworks isn't present in retail.

Beta:

Additional Artworks

Dunno!

1. In beta, they "dunno" who did the additional artworks.

Credits - Difference 2

Retail:

Additional Sound Effects isn't present in retail.

Beta:

Additional Sound Effects

Dunno!

1. In beta, they "dunno" who did the additional sound effects.

Credits - Difference 3

Retail:

Additional Programmers

Alex Davis
Chris Coupe
Richard Flower
Martin Jensen

Beta:

Additional Programmers

Chris Coupe
Martin Jensen


Credits - Difference 4

Retail:

FMV Sequences

Ex Machina

Beta:

FMV Sequences

Dunno!


Credits - Difference 5

Retail:

Producer

Andy Watt

Beta:

Producer

Troy Horton

Credits - Difference 5

Retail:

Nick Connolly
Hayos Fatunmbi
Paul Field
Steve Wakeman
Dave Ward
Jason Churchman
Benjamin Twose
Stuart Abrahart
Richard Apperley

Beta:

QA

Nick Connolly
Hayos Fatunmbi
Paul Field
Steve Wakeman
Dave Ward
Jason Churchman
Benjamin Twose

All differences listed will not be updated anymore! It's now complete

----Removed Menus -----------------------------------------------------

*DEV LEVEL SELECTION*




*REMOVED DEVCUTSCENE SELECTION MENU!*

TBA



----Test Level Data files *Dreamcast* -----------------------------------------------------



Note: this is all running on OpenTomb engine

There is still one test level which I intend to get working JOBY1.TRC for the Dreamcast. It also includes mansion textures so perhaps it's an early version of the title screen? Or it could be Lara's Home playable (which I highly doubt).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW! (23/07/2015) - Tomb Raider Chronicles Additional Test/Beta Levels.

Overview:

As some may be aware, a package was released containing various unknown levels. Fortunately, as recently I have been exploring the Tomb Raider: Chronicles PS1 level format. I have managed to partially get some of these levels loading on the final engine. These levels were:

• ".PSX" - Similar to GIBBY.TRC from Dreamcast.
• "TOMANDY.PSX"/"TOMAND.PSX" - Seem to be a completely unseen test level, both are identical level wise with different object wads.
• "TOM.PSX" A beta version of The Submarine dated 13/09/2000.
• "TOMRICH.PSX" - Similar to TOMANDY, camera is stuck in one place. Looks like a permanent fixed cam trigger?
• "TOWER1.PSX" - A beta version of The 13th Floor dated 13/09/2000. Unfortunately it crashes! Will try move Lara to another room.

Some issues include objects rendering invisibly, I don't think it's worth fully reversing the Tomb Raider: Chronicles PSX format just yet so i'll leave that until the future.

Videos:





Other Levels:

Some other levels have not been "upgraded" since they're substantially early. Hopefully in the future i'll get to upgrading these files to make them run on the final engine.

• "DEL.PSX" - 15/05/2000
• "TOWER2.PSX" - 10/07/2000
• "TITLE.PSX" - 31/08/2000
• "GIBBY.PSX" - 30/08/2000

----------------------
End-

[Phlip]

Looking forward to seeing more. The lighting seems to look better on the BETA version...

[Caesum]

So, as for now, it seems that TRC was the most complete TR game from the rest. Nice thread, I'd love to read more about TRC beta.

[aussie500]

Thanks for posting the differences Gh0stBlade. Is this the reviewers version where the cutscenes only had music and Jean Yves was still in the game, before they changed the character to Charles Kane? Or is it an earlier beta version. What was the creation date for most of the files?

[Gh0stBlade]

Originally Posted by aussie500

Thanks for posting the differences Gh0stBlade. Is this the reviewers version where the cutscenes only had music and Jean Yves was still in the game, before they changed the character to Charles Kane? Or is it an earlier beta version. What was the creation date for most of the files?

It could well be a reviewers version of the game. The cutscenes only have music and who is Jean Yves, sorry I really don't know who that is D: I'll add the file creation dates soon in main post.

Stay tuned for trajan market differences, barely anything so far. Apparently, there are quite alot of differences in the colloseum and the red alert levels.

[Phlip]

This layout is MUCH better:

[Gh0stBlade]

Lol, it's like stepping stones (:

[Gh0stBlade]

Files:

FMV: 12 days difference.
GameOBJWAD: 22 days difference.
XA files: 7 days difference.
English.DAT: 7 days difference.

[KIKO]

And to think I once throw this to the garbage I'm content that more people got this version as well, that way people ought to believe it