The unmatched and atmospheric feel of the first Tomb Raider game.

[The Crimson One]

First off, hi everyone i'm new here.

Now onto it...

I love the series. I own parts 1-5, like i'm sure most everyone here does. And though I have held out on buying a pS2, I am sure that the next Tomb raider release will no doubt tip the scales in favor of me finally buying one.

I love all of the games. Each game seems to have it's own personality. But somehow, Tomb raider seems to have become less Tomb and more Tech Raider. The plots are less archelogical and more crime fighting. I do not for instance classify a U Boat as a Tomb per say, because even though there are modern tombs, the term Tomb reminds me of ancient dwellings and remains.

For me as far as the feel of the series goes, nothing captured the it like the first game did. She was barely armed when you compare the game one arsenal to her later arsenals. It was practically her alone versus the grand opposition. The music was sweet. The worlds were stoic.

Do not get me wrong. With each game came improvements. But with each sequel something was also lost. One can only hope that the Tomb does indeed stay in Tomb Raider for the remainder of the series.

BTW~ I do count Last Revelation as an exception as there is no denying the Tombness of Egypt.

[DKSM]

Hi! Welcome!

You can only stick with Tombs for so long. The idea of it was getting a bit boring and tedious. The idea of her branching out and discovering things in different areas just moves the game along. If they didn't add new places not "Tomb" related, the games wouldn't have continued to have the popularity it has.

[The Crimson One]

Thank you for the welcome.

To respond...


Yes, but it ceases being Tomb Raider, which to me defeats the purpose. They could still add the challenging plots and keep the Tombs and the ancient realms in the game. To think that they could not keep both aspects in the series would be to wonder why they are professionals. I am in no way underminding anything. As previously stated, I love the series. But it's heart and soul in my opinion is the grandness that were the ancient back drops.

After enjoying the music and scenery of the original game, I was in awe to discover that most male players gravitated towards Laras "assets". I sometimes wonder if I am alone in enjoying what i enjoy about the games.

[DaveJ]

Welcome to the jungle!


I think Core are rueing the day they released what they thought might be a moderately successful, possibly one-off game and calling it "Tomb Raider" back in the mid - 90's.

It became a millstone around their necks with everyone expecting more Tombs with each successive game, instead of 'further adventures of Lara Croft with a historical/mythological bent to them'. (Not as succinct a title, I grant you....)

If one sticks to the Tombs, one appeals to an ever decreasing audience potentially bored with the 'same old same old' each time.


Among the wider gaming community the games are already considered a tired joke - appealing to fans only - and a lot is riding on AoD to pump new life into the franchise....if this fails to happen it may be that we never see this new multi-part story reach its conclusion.

[The Crimson One]

Changing it into something wholey different from what it started out as is not the answer. If they can't revive the essence of Tomb Raider while bringing it into the new erra, maybe all good things should come to an end.

I'd sooner pick up a more classic Tomb Raider adventure than many of the silly and apearingly slapped together games that are being shovelled out these days. Very few games being released capture my interest.

[Godfather]

Originally posted by DaveJ
I think Core are rueing the day they released what they thought might be a moderately successful, possibly one-off game and calling it "Tomb Raider" back in the mid - 90's.
It became a millstone around their necks with everyone expecting more Tombs with each successive game, instead of 'further adventures of Lara Croft with a historical/mythological bent to them'. (Not as succinct a title, I grant you....)

It's quite the same with those archeologists who discovered ancient bones of a animal; bigger than any other animal that had ever existed on planet Earth. They called it "dinosaur" which means something like "terrifying lizard", but they came to realize that only a small amount of the dinosaurs are actually terrifying. Lots of others are just peaceful herbivores doing what cows and sheep do today ... eat & drink, sleep & make babies.

[blondie]

Hello, Crimson one!
I agree with you about the atmosphere and the general ambience of TR1. I always felt, when playing it, that I was very other worldly, something that only Stella Artois normally does for me. The general quiet of the game with the exception of the odd lions roar, or shriek of the things that look like tampons on horseback do make for suspense beyond belief, and the music is entrancing.

Although I understand the points also made in the above replies, it is still the game I recommen d people play first.

[Jorge22]

If they made more TR games with the kind of philosophy of TR III - The Adventures of Lara Croft - I'd be more than happy. TR II, TLR and Chronicles, just as well as the gold games, mainly TR III Gold (whatever is the name?) are great. But, sorry to say am I, the first TR is precisely the one I liked the least. What are you gonna do?

[DaveJ]

Originally posted by The Crimson One
Changing it into something wholey different from what it started out as is not the answer. If they can't revive the essence of Tomb Raider while bringing it into the new erra, maybe all good things should come to an end.

Depends on what you class as the 'essence' of Tomb Raider.

If it is raiding tombs to you, then there are still tombs aplenty coming up in AoD.
And where there are not tombs, Lara will still be utilising the skills she developed as a Tomb Raider.


To me the essence of TR is the central character herself. As long as she is in adventures that suit her talents I am happy.

The day we see Lara in Space I am packing it in.


But it could be argued that TR2 was wholly different from TR1 in that it didn't feature Egypt or Atalnteans.
So the plot of AoD is not that much of a departure if you get down to brass tacks...it will hopefully be more involved and better fleshed out, but the spirit of adventure should be the same methinks.

[Ostercy]

Lara in Space?

[DaveJ]

It happened with Bond...its only a matter of time....

[Lara Croft Online]

If you read the 2nd news item the president of Eidos states
regardless of success or failure of AOD the remaining 2 parts
of the AOD series will be released regardless.
http://www.laracroftonline.com/cgi-bin/news/default.asp

[DaveJ]

Even if nobody buys them?!


Lets hope they won't join "Cutthroat Island 2" on a dusty shelf somewhere.....

[Deekman]

Originally posted by Ostercy
Lara in Space?

I posed a lengthy idea on that back in the old forum.
Other worldly tombs even more ancient than anything here on earth.
The man to design it as a level editor project would be have to be Psiko (are ya listening, buddy?)
Something along the lines of before the Techno Egyptians appeared on Earth, maybe. Just a thought.
Lara piloting a spacecraft would make for some really cool screen graphics.
And she has yet to make use of any kind of flying vehicle.
(The underwater vehicles come close, but there is no real landing skill involved with those)

Anyhow, Lara's goal is not neccessarily to raid tombs, but to obtain the artifacts contained therein. Sometimes a tomb may have already been raided,
calling for a raid on a more modern locale to obtain said artifact.

[Cyber_Punk_303]

WORD!

[Eddy Bones]

As to moving the story into London in the new game, who ever said that they couldn't have tombs there

[The Crimson One]

My main concern is that I hope they at least include ancient locations in each game, and don't try to stick Lara in an all modern world of James Bond.

[DaveJ]

But she lives in a modern world, no?

When you say you fear they are straying from the formula, I actually thought they had strayed too far from it by the end of the first TR game, with all those silly Atlantean mutant thingies... a very silly end to what had been an absorbing game until that point.

[The Crimson One]

But the life forms, according to the story, had been on earth for a long time. And I don't mind a modern edge, but she is the Tomb Raider, not 007.

[DaveJ]

Hmmmm....it still strayed too far into Fantasy areas for me.

I still prefer TR2 of them all.

[Cyber_Punk_303]

TR1 rocked.

The only game that rivals it in terms of similar atmosphere and gameplay is ICO.

ICO is what TR2 should have been.

[Rusty_DK]

I think it's fair enough to say that tomb raiding has come and gone. Don't get me wrong, I loved Lara in the tombs, it did after all revolutionise 3D gaming...however, i think AOD is more than a welcome change to the already dying appeal of the TR series.

All I can say is, don't look at the changes made as a disapontment, look at it from a story point of view. We've all been brought up with Lara in tombs, think how uncomfortable and shocking it's going to be us, the players and fans to find Lara in this strange and frightening new environment. I for one can't wait!!!!

I've always been a fan of Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid, think of those games and how successful they've been. Now with Lara in one of these kind of adventures it's going to amazing!!!! BRING IT ON is all i can say!!!!!!

[isis]

Crimson One, I agree with everything you say - I loved the first TR and 2 and 4 were great but as you say, apart from 4, they got more away from tombs and more like James Bond as the series went on ending in TR5 with the most odious levels of all, the VCI office block - so boring I can't even remember the names.