Tomb Raider: Underworld Review
- Posted November 19th, 2008 at 12:05 EDT by Steven Williamson
- 13,500 views
- 42 Comments
Review Score
- PSU Review Score
- 6.0
- Avg. user review score:
- 7.1
Summary
Tomb Raider: Underworld is a lackluster adventure. Lara looks great, but gameplay is predictable and thwarted by camera issues.
We like
- Lara's character model and animations are spot on
- Some beautifully rendered locations
We dislike
- Predictable, bland puzzles
- Poor camera angles makes exploration frustrating
- Combat is lackluster and overly simple
See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings
(continued from previous page) ...impression that they’re somehow different and new. From very early on though, you’ll soon work out that it’s the same bag of tricks that the series has been churning out for over a decade. There’s no real surprise that the first puzzle you’re tasked with solving requires you to explore the environment in order to obtain two axles that you then have to place into a cog mechanism. Turn them a few times to solve a simple a simple visual puzzle and you're done. It’s predictable stuff.
Many of the puzzles are also multi-layered, requiring you to do more than one task to solve them and most also call for an element of exploration. This means that you’ll often need to traverse the environment searching in every nook and cranny to find a necessary piece of the puzzle; a concrete block, for example, that weighs down a platform that in turn opens up a doorway. See what we mean by 'predictable?'
The hint icons and glowing ledges of past Tomb Raider games are now a thing of the past, making exploration much more difficult. You now need to rely on your ability to actively search for a way across the environments, by keeping an eye out for a grappling hook, a pillar to ascend, a wall to scale or a slightly protruding rock face to grab onto. This isn’t as easy as you’d think. Even in the initial level, which took us 3 life-wasting hours to complete as we tried to solve a three-pronged puzzle to get past the ocean-dwelling Kraken (who guards the doorway to where the Iron Gauntlet of Thor is hidden,) we were exhausted and utterly bored searching for the solution. Once we did find out the answer, after once again falling to our death numerous times, we were mortified to be told we had to make our way back through the maze-like cavern complex, right back to the entrance where we’d began our dreary journey.
Jerky camera angles don’t help matters at all; in fact they hamper the game significantly. Like previous Tomb Raider games, a lot of your time is spent performing acrobatics, balancing and jumping from pillar to pillar, latching onto a pole to swing across a gap, or jumping from one ledge to the next. Therefore, camera angles should play an important part in helping you smoothly traverse the locations. The camera actually works against you though, panning out, zooming in, or moving around you at inappropriate moments. We’ve spent far too much time than is healthy misjudging jumps and falling to our death, or even worse into the water below (at least if you die you'll respawn close by, if you fall into water you have to make your own way back.) Multiply that by 2,3,4,5 or 6 times and you'll get an idea as to why we've been so frustrated with our Tomb Raider experience. If camera problems didn’t exist, then our review of Underworld would probably have been remarkably different. As is stands, dodgy camera angles have an unhealthy knock-on effect on the whole game experience.
Layered puzzles don’t help either in relieving any of the monotony and just as soon as you think you’ve solved a puzzle you’ll be sorely disappointed to realize that it’s just the first step in completing it. Inevitably, this means that you’ll be stuck in the same environment for relatively long periods, which is about as exciting as watching grass grow. If there had been a walk-through available at the time we were playing Underworld we’d have snapped someone’s hand off for it, or certainly of committed some form of violent act. Even with the PDA, which offers a few hints and tips, we found some of the intricate puzzles very difficult.
In between the arduous puzzles and bouts of problematic exploration, Underworld also has a fair amount of combat to get stuck into. After your first encounter, against the most none-threatening sharks we’ve ever seen -these ones react more like playful dolphins, nipping at your toes and then swimming off into the distance as happy as Larry- combat doesn’t really get any better. The A.I is as thick as two short planks. Combat against human forces, in ... (continued on next page)
Comments
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bilbo_bobbins |
bilbo_bobbins- 12:07pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 1
you think they would of stopped making this game now. It's boring and there are alot more better games out there than this. Including Uncharted... not a surprise.
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IndianaJones1936 |
IndianaJones1936- 12:27pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 2
This is good, but they should stop it now and let Uncharted take over
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jimbo0 |
bravotangosix- 12:52pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 3
After reading this, the XBOX360 can have all the "extra DLC" they want. I'm actually really dissapointed about that score as i was looking forward to get my hands on Lara again. Not this time though! Farewell Lara, it was damn good while it lasted.
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Sryche22 |
Sryche- 1:32pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 5
I'm actually really glad to read this....after my wife had an excruciating time with the camera issues of Pirates of the Carribean, I've been really selective about which games to buy...Unchartered was great...but I think we'll skip this one. Thanks PSU =)
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fareye765 |
fareye765- 2:06pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 6
i played the demo on my friends xbox and i was very dissapointed. i have been a huge fan of tomb raider ever since the 1st on the psone and i have every tomb raider game ever. ANGEL OF DARKNESS WAS TERRIBLE! i was expecting a huge overhaul in the combat for this but it felt too slow and boring. although the graphics are amazing!
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DantheMan_69
- 2:33pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 8
there is trophies for this game. also this is another SH!!TT review
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GunTeng
- 3:56pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 10
TBH, the combat part is what annoys me about the game. Too much human-human combat. But I would not knock it for being simplistic...its an adventure game, not a beat-em-up or shoot-em-up.
Camera angles in the Nintendo version p*ssed me off due to the environment being made so much smaller.
Are we ever going to see a TombRaider that really does get close or exceed the original? Looking at what we are seeing, it would appear we will never get that again. Especially when they listen to the gamers that would prefer they concentrate on shooting/fighting, rather than exploring, puzzles & themes/atmosphere.
Remake TR1 in HD and you will have a great seller.
Remake it as is...no little adjustments or enhancements other than smoother character movement and visuals.
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Odium_Generis_Humani
- 5:02pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 12
Aww. I was going to get this. That stinks. I'm pretty surprised that it wasn't at least an 8. I was actually looking forward to it.
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Intervention
- 6:44pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 15
Aside from Metroid, everygame and movie with a macho woman character is lame. Especially this Trash. Might as well make 3 Ninja's the video game or Ninja Kids.
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NICKKELANIUS |
NICKKELANIUS- 6:58pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 16
you know what i find funny, everyone gets all hyped up and psu always overates before it actually comes out, and everones like looks awesome!! and stuff then this happens.
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happypeoplearegay |
call-me-on-5- 7:43pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 18
@10 They did remake Tomb Raider 1. Its called Tomb Raider: Anniversery and it was released on the XBOX 360 and not the PS3.
They really need to get back to their roots. The Playstation is what made Tomb Raider great, yet they screw us over by being Microsofts B!@#$ -
hvnlyswrd08
- 8:16pm GMT - November 19th, 2008
- 19
WHAT!!!! Im Surprised That This Game Didnt Get At Least An 8 I Like Tomb Raider And Im Still Gunna Buy It...The Review Is Alrite But I Like To Find Out For Myself..
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MephistoSoze
- 1:52am GMT - November 20th, 2008
- 23
Odd... it's very odd. GamesRader gave it a 9 out of 10. I'm not saying that one is more valid than the other, each has its own valid points. I suppose that's why Metacritic is valuable, since it's an average of all published scores.
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v8nnwilder
- 1:55am GMT - November 20th, 2008
- 24
I've never been a fan and thisjust proves it once again that just because someone made a great game it's not always a good idea to keep milking it... At the most a game should be a trilogy and that's it... Okay bar certain games that just keeps getting better... Like the Metal Gear series and the Resident Evil's... And so on.... But at least they make every game more epic than before. that's why it works for them.
Tomb raider NEVER did anything to "Wow" me... Uncharted was better than any Tomb raider game... So i'll stick to that thank you.
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1solidsnake |
solid1snake67- 9:59am GMT - November 20th, 2008
- 27
this is the problem everyone thinks uncharted is better. TR games have been around for a long time. i've never played uncharted. there probably the same game
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roper
- 12:03pm GMT - November 20th, 2008
- 28
This has to be one of the most far off reviews I have seen. TRU is incredible, I played for about 3 hours last night and had no problem with the camera, and I like having to actually explore the levels to find things to keep me moving forward. You sounded like a person who can't play a game unless it is very linear or unless you have a walk through to help you along. This game is far superior to Uncharted in basically every aspect that I can see. TRU is very open ended and exploration is a must ( which is what I like ) while Uncharted was pretty linear and exploration didn't really play any part in it. You should stick to the easier games that lead you down a path and leave the games that take some time & skills to play for another reviewer! The game is at least a 8.5 imho.
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Punisher99
- 2:07pm GMT - November 20th, 2008
- 29
Well Uncharted is nothing but a copy cat game from the Tomb Raider franchise in my opinion. Uncharted fans should be thanking the Tomb Raider franchise. Because without the TR franchise, there would not be Uncharted. With that said. This TR game is nothing but an xbox 360 port. So what that means is that its not going to be a great game. It had the potential to be a good game at best, But not great.
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PS3lady
- 12:36am GMT - November 21st, 2008
- 32
the rating should not make u decide on what game to buy,that rating is other peoples opinion about the game not urs(escpecily if u havent even played it)everybody has different tastes of how they think a game should be..they cant please everyone...sooo im still going to get it i think its a good game nomatter what.
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Tonic99 |
Tonic99- 4:40am GMT - November 21st, 2008
- 33
Im sorry but anyone who doesnt like Tomb Raider is either not a true gamer or has just started playing games,it is a game where you have to use your brain to get something done its not just mindless shooting,dont get me wrong I some times enjoy just shooting the crap out of everything but there is too many of that going around and that is why LBP isnt doing as well as every one hoped for(maybe later) its because the kids today,i.e 10-25,dont know how to use there brains.I dont know what's going on with the PSU review because its the second one I read that got a lower score than on the other sites,R2 review was way off compared to most other sites
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illicious |
illicious- 10:46am GMT - November 22nd, 2008
- 37
Played an hour last night and 2 this morning. Changed from 6.0 to 7.5 Now i give it a 8.3! The environments are so beautiful and detailed. You learn how to use Lara better and better as you progress. You have to think or better yet "explore" the area and find out your next step. Dam great so far.
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I_AM_LEGEND246 |
Cilldealga + IAMLEGEND2468- 2:51pm GMT - November 23rd, 2008
- 40
This game has to be the worst game EVER TO BE CREATED. Its boring. They have made too much TOMB RAIDER games. Its just the same thing over and over again. This wont be a buy for me as im focusing more on R2, COD WAW, LBP and FALLOUT 3.
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zbamf
- 10:43pm GMT - November 23rd, 2008
- 41
There's going to be reviews which will be inconsistent. Apparently Eidos has asked all sites who gave a review score lower than an 8 to hold off publishing their review untill the games is out. Eidos have done something similar before for Tomb Raider Legend. When I used to buy PSW mags (those where the days) they said that Eidos aproached them with an offer to get exclusive review of their game Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness if PSW were to give it a perfect 10, the mag declined. Also remeber Eidos are behind the Kane and Lynch game and we know all about the sacking at gamespot of a certain person for a low review score of this Kane and Lynch game.
So how do we know if Eidos isn't throwing their money around in return for high scores. I don't trust Eidos, nor do I trust IGN and Gamespot. This site gave it a poor score, if PSExtreme which I trust to be honest and genuine even if I disagree with some of their reviews, give the new Tomb Raider a low score, then it has to be a bad game.
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Gomersoul |
Gomersoul- 4:20am GMT - November 24th, 2008
- 42
Uncharted was brilliant, no doubt. but i judge each game on own merit and this is quite a good one. it would of been better if tomb raider anniversary was next gen, or they used the same movement engine, it sometimes feels she isn't in you're control, which is probably just because it was ported from the 360. i think a 6 is very harsh, i would give it an 8, easily.
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