Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Score: 95% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Eidos Interactive Developer: Core Design Media: CD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: As would be expected, the latest installment in the Tomb Raider series stuns us with richly detailed levels, amazing locales and some of the best cut scenes I've seen yet. However, in Tomb Raider: Last Revelation, Lara returns to her roots, delving once again into the tombs of Egypt. Expect to see a smoother, more realistic Lara, as she has been redesigned to appear more lifelike. Also, you'll get to see a 16 year old version of Lara and her mentor, Von Croy, during a training level which takes place in Cambodia, which helps to explain her wanderlust a bit. Cute, very cute. The background music very effectively immerses the player into the world of Tomb Raider, and each piece is a nice variation of the traditional TR theme song we have all come to know and love. There don't seem to be many ambient sound effects going on in the background, at least they weren't especially memorable. Then again, just how noisy did you expect a tomb to be, eh?
Gameplay: Shoot the bad guys and solve the puzzles. Hasn't that always been the Tomb Raider way? Well, it's a bit more detailed than that. In this current installment of TR, Lara once again returns to her old stomping ground - the tombs of ancient Egypt. Expect to have numerous run-ins with mummies, scorpions and such, as well as the requisite bad guys who are after the same relic Lara is. Werner Von Croy, Lara's former mentor and trainer, pops up once again to make her life miserable as they vie for the same prize. The levels are expansive and well-detailed, but I wasn't particularly fond of the fact that you would 'leave' a level incomplete and return to it later. I loathe coming upon a puzzle and hearing that 'Note' she always says, and then returning to the same level at a later time to finish the job. As mentioned earlier, the game begins with a 16 year old Lara and her mentor, Werner Von Croy, running about in Cambodia. This level is a training area where a young Lara is instructed by Von Croy. This is a bore for anyone who has played the previous installments of TR, as we know all these moves already. I like the idea of the level, but I don't think it should be required to progress on with the game. It should be as it was in the old versions, a separate area to visit if you choose to do so. Still, it was interesting to see the very odd exchanges between Lara and the old man. All in all, Tomb Raider: Last Revelation is quite a blast. I am a TR sucker from way back and am always happy to see a new sequel arrive on the scene. Personally, I would be thrilled just to play new levels, but the fact that many graphical improvements were made and the plot has once again returned to what we first loved about the series makes it all that much the better. If you are a fan, you already own it. If you aren't, pick it up and you will be.
Difficulty: Well, it seems very much like the Tomb Raiders which preceded it.There were particular spots which seemed pretty tough, ridiculously so, but overall, the difficulty is just right.
Game Mechanics: One very interesting thing to note, and one which you could easily miss in your hurry to jump straight into the game, is the camera fly-through at the very beginning of each game. As the game waits for you to choose either Load or New, the camera is flying throughout various levels, giving you a quickie idea of what you may expect in the near future. I thought this was really cool and sat, watching as it cycled through all of the areas. This technology is also utilized throughout the game during those points when Lara throws a switch or does something which affects another part of the stage. In previous TR titles, we would be presented with a short video clip which would supposedly 'show' us what was happening. In my personal opinion, they were rarely a big help. However, with this new method, the camera flies up, giving you an interesting point of view, almost as if you were a fly on the wall. Nice touch. Also, Lara has acquired a few new moves which really come in handy. She can now shimmy around corners, instead of stopping like a twit when she reached the edge as she used to. Then there is the fact that there are ropes everywhere now, and Lara's gotta use them - to climb, swing, whatever it takes to get where she needs to be. Both of these skills allow her to access more areas -some secret, some required - and I'm glad to see them finally be added to her athletic repertoire. Bottom line - Tomb Raider: Last Revelation is more of a good thing - more of what we fell in love with it in the beginning.
-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications AKA Ashley Perkins
Tomb Raider II: Gold Unreal Tournament