Thinking of Buying TRL - need some SPECIFIC opinions

[Jon Croft]

Hello,

First off, I am a die hard Tomb Raider fan. I bought PS1 and owned only 5 video games...three guesses which 5. I have read some of the reviews at this site from other TRL fans and it seems that there is a majority that think that TR3 was the best one...this is how I know I am in the right spot. I think I have played and replayed that one 15 times or more. Just wish that bonus level would go on....

Then out came AOD and I bought it, but borrowed my brother's PS2. I would have bought the system only for the game...and holy **** thank God I didn't. I would have smashed my face through the TV if I had. I played the game for 20 minutes dumbstruck with disbelief at the travesty that was the successor to the original masterpiece. I never played AOD again; it sits collecting dust in my paltry video game cabinet.

My biggest, absolute biggest disappointment, was how the control of her movements was changed. Why on earth would you change that? Who's the genius on that one? You build an empire of brilliant games for the PS1 (well, OK except the rip-off of TR5 but at least it introduced a couple new tricks), and then dismantle it all on one small thing...that has all the impact in the world. Up is forward, the side buttons pivot her in the direction you want her to go, and down is hop back. You can do anything else with the game, but change that. Because changing that changes it from being Tombraider at all.

So disillusioned I forgot about it altogether when by chance I walked by a store and saw TRL being advertised, a demo running looking like they might have returned to the original movement controls. And when I asked the guy behind the counter, he didn't really know.

So here I am, with enthusiasm to re-engage the game I loved for so many years and after my heart was shattered over the ruin of AOD.

So just break the news to me...good or bad...is up move forward, the side buttons spin her, and back is jump back NO MATTER WHICH WAY THE CAMERA ANGLE IS?

If no, and so be it if it is, then let's gather together an army of diehard fans and march to the gates of Eidos and hold guns to the programmers and designers of TR8 to bring back the gameplay that once made this game great.

Thank-you in advance for the experts out there who have played the PS1 games who have also played the PS2 games who can answer my most important question.

Cheers.

[ShadowOfOblivion]

Yes the control is camera based and the jump back is gone (you dont need to do a running jump too much anymore..the 'grid' is gone), but honestly it still feels like Tomb Raider to me. Infact she controls fluidly and reacts instantly so that should feel pretty natural to you when you play it.

Infact the only thing that was hard to get used to was the swimming so just know this..forward analog stick swims her forward, circle makes her dive lower, X makes her raise to the surface...and tapping triangle makes her move faster when doing any of this.

So if you need to dive to go through a hole..press circle to swim down to the hole and then swim forward with analog. Easy enough once you get used to it.

[dufflover]

You can't really put that much into the controls could you?
Ok, maybe you can, but I mean for most games you gotta learn the controls and you had to learn the original Tomb Raider controls.

I found it annoying (and dizzy at times) as well (I'm not a die-hard TR fan so I'm not "used to" original TR controls) but I eventually got used to it too and had great fun :) .

for those interested, I basically came up with my own "style" of play where I would use the forward key most and the mouse more and if the camera gave me a hard time I would stop and prop - not that playing this game a bit slower will do any harm :rolleyes:

[Leak]

If no, and so be it if it is, then let's gather together an army of diehard fans and march to the gates of Eidos and hold guns to the programmers and designers of TR8 to bring back the gameplay that once made this game great.
Dude, you're both SICK and DISGUSTING.

Congratulations... :rolleyes:

np: New Order - I Told You So (Waiting For The Sirens' Call)

[NaughtyGirl]

buck up homie, it will never be what is was.

That said, you sound just like me. So all I can tell you is Lara is not perfect to control, no more 1.2 step, but she is pretty nice. I like it! I like it a lot!! The only thing that actually ruins the control is the camera.....which they all had problems with, so I can't actually complain.

[Mangar The Dark]

My biggest, absolute biggest disappointment, was how the control of her movements was changed. Why on earth would you change that?

Maybe because every single review ever written about any game in the TR franchise always made a point of saying, "the controls are terrible," "clunky controls," "awkward controls," "controlling Lara is like controlling a dump truck," etc, etc, etc. I guess they felt they needed to try something new. I'm not saying it necessarily worked, but I can certainly see why they wanted to alter things a bit.

I still don't see what was so bad about AOD's controls, though. I guess it was just bad on the consoles. On the PC, I had no trouble at all-- felt very much like any other TR game, actually (and I really, really suck at games, so if I don't have trouble with a game, that means it's not difficult.)

[Dad]

TRL is not AOD. The control is better and smoother and you don't have to worry about that agrivating spinning around in a circle thingy either. :nut:
imo :whistle:

[Xxx_Lara_xxX]

The controls are decent once you are used to them -- still not as intuitive as the first TR's -
run forward: forward
jump back: back,
use hands to draw guns, climb, or pick up object: action

I don't understand at all why the last one had to change, now to pick up an object you use one button and to draw weapons you use another (have to hold it down the entire time) and to fire you use a third. :scratch: Not good - the action button used to be the "Lara use hands" button, now its a lot more confusiong. But you do get used to it

The real problem is the CAMERA... the CAMERA THE CAMERA :mad2:

Remember the look button? Gone. Now the camera pivots all the way around her in circular slow-mo overhead. As if we want to see a view of Lara standing in the midst of lush scenery from all angles instead of where to go or where Lara is facing :rolleyes: although a lovely view this is fairly horrendous when trying to play the game. However, you will never need to trap her against a wall in a tiny corridor to see her face, now you can rotate the camera to stay in front of her, but if you turn around you can't see where to go. :whistle:

The controls are 100% improved compared to AOD, I never finished AOD, it was a piece of junk. This is a beautiful game. Wish the controls and camera were like the old TR's, and she didn't climb like the Soul Reaver guy, but amazing considering that its predecessors were the useless filth of AOD and Chronicles.

[Silent Shark]

If you've played Splinter Cell, or almost any other recent 3rd person game, you'll have no trouble.

[Johnny]

I still don't see what was so bad about AOD's controls, though. I guess it was just bad on the consoles. On the PC, I had no trouble at all-- felt very much like any other TR game

I completely agree with you. The controls in AOD felt like any other Tomb Raider, but with A LOT less responsiveness.

To Jon Croft, TR: Legend is definitely worth every penny. It lives up to the original in every aspect and it blows AOD out of the water. The only downfall of the game is that it's way too short, but very exciting to play nonetheless. :)

[midroth]

If you really like TR3, maybe you'll be disappointed with Legend. Sorry.

[smlaci]

If you really like TR3, maybe you'll be disappointed with Legend. Sorry.
yes you will be indeed but i say you should buy it anyway. not just now, ok
wait another year so the price will go down to like $ 10, coz it's not worth 40 now. sorry

[really fly]

We must face the change, isn't it?
In my opinion tr6 isn't a good adv game. I just played it for 2 hours or less. But there is still many people like it, they must have their own reason, maybe the game is just fit them, but not me, everybody is different in play games, you like this and he like that. What is the newest game should not affect the opinion of our own. OK,if you like tr3,just play it, I believe from it you can find your own pleasure.
I haven't play tr7 yet:mad2: If I have enough time I will try it, I think it maybe one of the games I will like.:whistle:
Changes must take place, without them, tr will not make more progress.

[JANKERSON]

I would say just buy the game and enjoy playing it. ;)

It really is a good game. :D

[thoran6]

I would say just buy the game and enjoy playing it. ;)

It really is a good game. :D

DONT BUY IT, RENT IT FIRST, it is not good at all, go buy AOD for a better game...

[Eddy Bones]

DONT BUY IT, RENT IT FIRST, it is not good at all, go buy AOD for a better game...

I'm beginning to wonder how much of either game you have even played. One hour into either is not enough to form a conclusive or cohesive opinion. And frankly, if you dislike Legend, why do you bother hanging around a Legend forum? Do you just like lambasting it so very much?

I do agree with you in regard to renting it first though. :)

[Johnny]

DONT BUY IT, RENT IT FIRST, it is not good at all, go buy AOD for a better game...

If you read Jon Croft's first post, you would have noticed that he described AOD as a "travesty", so telling him to buy it (which he already did) is just pointless. :rolleyes: He wants the original Tomb Raider "feel", which AOD failed to offer. Looking at Legend at a neutral stance, it had a COMPLETE storyline, responsive controls, no major bugs, very pretty graphics, and last but not least, Lara is back! I don't care what anyone says, but Legend is BETTER than AOD, even if you look at the game at a neutral position. I was very disappointed with AOD myself, and Legend brought back my love and appreciation for Lara and Tomb Raider. :)

[dufflover]

Renting is a good option. I mean it's the most useful way to test out a game if you're worried about the controls or what not - if you're on PC download the demo. (I never played the demo so perhaps it's a bad choice :whistle: )

And thoran, just give it a rest mate :)