Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

[Iron Past]

Reviews are popping up all over the place, and they're... really positive? Don't get me wrong, I had high hopes, but I fully expected to be disappointed. Super happy that's not the case. What impresses me most is that they managed to create both a single-player and multi-player game by putting that little bit of extra effort into it. It's not a solo experience with more enemies, and it's not a co-op experience with an AI partner, the areas were actually designed differently. Go figure. Obviously, it'll be better with someone else, but so is burning shit (I speak from personal experience), and while I know some people will refuse to touch this without online co-op, I'm happy knowing I won't have a watered down game playing alone (which is what I was hoping for after watching the now-MIA Giant Bomb quick look).

And with that, I'll leave you with Eurogamer's review (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-08-16-lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-review), which seems to sum everything up.

Edit: Just to add, in case anyone missed the news, online co-op will be absent till an update on September 28. Don't want anyone bitching because they bought the game and didn't know. PC and PS3 versions will ship with it when they release on the same day.

There's a good Quick Look by the folks at Giant Bomb here (http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light/17-3054/), which does a good job showing the difference between SP/MP and how the game plays in general.

[Jason]

I will probably be downloading this on lunch today. If not then, then when I get off work.

[GigaFuzz]

I will probably be downloading this on lunch today. If not then, then when I get off work.

You probably won't. It comes out tomorrow.

I'll be getting it straight away (I just redeemed a points card). I loves me some co-op.

[Jason]

I thought it came out today. Either way it will be mine.

[Purple Santa]

I thought this was out today also. Doesn't matter, i'm getting it as soon as I get home...today or tomorrow...whenever it arrives. The TR fanboy in me squeals with delight.

[Iron Past]

Oh, just heard that the first DLC pack will be offered for free for 30 days on the X360. Don't know when it drops, but I assume it's one of the three 'expansions.'

[Jason]

Biggest XBL game I've downloaded yet, 2.02 GB. Downloading now and hoping I'll get to play before lunch ends.

[Iron Past]

Okay, some quick impressions.

First, it's really slick. Movement has a nice balance between floaty and responsive, if that makes sense. Shooting is done twin sticks style, left stick to move, right stick to draw and aim and trigger to fire. Left trigger lets you switch weapons with the face buttons, and it's actualy super easy to switch in the middle of combat. Lara has her dual pistols like always, and Totec has a spear (or Lara has it in SP), both of which are inifinite ammo and no reloading. Any other weapon uses the 'ammo bar' which will run out eventually, but the ammo management is light and they all draw from the same pool. It basically keeps you from grabbing the bolt action rifle or something and one-shotting everything in front of you.

Let me be clear right now: this game wants you to play through the levels multiple times. Not to say you can't just run through it and have a good time, but to get the most out of it you'll want to go through more than once; it may take some time the first time, but the speed run goals are around five minutes per level so don't worry too much. There's a bunch of stuff to collect which makes subsequent playthroughs much easier, and different challenges that you won't be able to do in a single run. These are varied from score goals to time attacks to "find the giant lizard and kill it" to finding each level's ten red skulls to just finding the power-ups in the environment, and they all net you stuff. Some give you more weapons, some will give you artifacts or relics (more on that later) and some give health or weapon bonuses (that only work in that level).

You're allowed to equip two artifacts and one relic. Artifacts let you alter your character's balance by upping one stat at the expense of another, like +1 Weapons/-1 Armor. Relics give you nice power-up abilities like a scattershot effect or juiced up weapon shots, but you have to build up a meter to activate it, and once activated it lasts until you get hit. There's also challenge rooms scattered around each level with extra puzzles that get you various collectibles. Everything you can pick up, as of yet anyway, doesn't seem to be an annoying chore. You'll need to look around, but I haven't run into anything like I can only see it if I happen to stumble into a corner at a certain angle, or a blind pick up the camera can't see. A modicum of exploration should be enough to nab most, if not all, of the extras.

Speaking of extras, they carry across SP and MP but are linked to your profile. So if you unlock a bunch of stuff in SP and someone wants to play coop, you have all your shit, but they won't unless they've already unlocked it. Pretty sure progress is tracked separately, though, and challenges certainly are. You can't find five skulls in SP and the other five MP, it has to be all in one or the other, but the unlocks don't differentiate. Also, once you've picked something up, that's it. If you die or quit or finish the level, you never have to pick that up again and objects you've already gotten don't respawn. If you miss a skull, you can play the level again till you see it and not be distracted by the ones you already have. Everything is saved the moment you collect it.

The puzzles all seem fairly clever so far, and they actually change based on SP or MP. Not much, but enough to feel right, even if you can tell that coop was a focus. Even the cut scenes and some level layout will change for SP, and I give major kudos to Crysal Dynamics for actually making the game work just as well no matter how you decide to play it; you almost wouldn't know the other option was available. The only negative I have right now is that jumping can be weird. For the most part your character goes where you want him/her to go, but it can be wonky and the isometric viewpoint doesn't help with the depth perseption. It's a small complaint and the game auto-saves so often you won't have to replay much, bu worth mentioning.

Lastly, I've posted a link to Giant Bomb's Quick Look in the OP, which will give you a great overview of how the game works.

[GigaFuzz]

I played a big chunk of this with my flatmate earlier. It's pretty damn good fun. It has some well thought out puzzles that aren't patronisingly easy to solve, and the big mix of challenges in each level keeps things interesting. I reckon there's a fair bit of re-playability to go back and try and get 100% of the items and challenges.

Overall it seems pretty polished and good fun. If you're waiting for another platform or for the online co-op to drop, then I'd say it's worth the wait.

[menage]

Cool game, will wait for the sale or the PSN version with co/op when it hits seeing as my friends are there..

[KamaItachi]

I was all over this until I saw the goddamn size of that thing. That'll push me over my d/l limit for the month because Australia is crap.

[SenatorSpacer]

Really enjoying the game so far. Biggest thing that keeps bugging me right now is that they don't have any facial animations for characters when the speak, so they did a really shitty job of trying to hide that fact. It just makes the game feel cheap and unfinished in my opinion.

[Iron Past]

Really enjoying the game so far. Biggest thing that keeps bugging me right now is that they don't have any facial animations for characters when the speak, so they did a really shitty job of trying to hide that fact. It just makes the game feel cheap and unfinished in my opinion.

Yeah, it's kind of funny that whenever anyone talks, you see them from behind. :)

Also, the opening was super cheesy.

[Jason]

Played through the first level. Fun little game. But it is making me want a new Tomb Raider.

[maharahaj]

And with that, I'll leave you with Eurogamer's review (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-08-16-lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-review), which seems to sum everything up.


Whoa! I didn't even know this game existed until a moment ago, but it looks great. The video in the Eurogamer's review was non-stop action. I'll wait until it comes to the PS3, as that has been my preferred console as of late.

[Farsight]

I just beat the solo game. It's pretty lengthy, and a lot of fun. Plus there's still tons of optional objectives I missed that unlock bonuses, and the co-op mode which is apparently a different game entirely. Well worth the money!

Played through the first level. Fun little game. But it is making me want a new Tomb Raider.

They're working on it. An open-world title, as I recall. That alone sounds great.

[Iron Past]

They're working on it. An open-world title, as I recall. That alone sounds great.

Oh, man, I hadn't heard that. If they do that even half right it would be completely badass.

[SenatorSpacer]

Oh, man, I hadn't heard that. If they do that even half right it would be completely badass.

It was pretty big in the news when the design documents/presentation got leaked, here ya go (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/59517).

[Iron Past]

It was pretty big in the news when the design documents/presentation got leaked, here ya go (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/59517).

Oh, thanks for that. My initial reaction to anything Tomb Raider--until recently--was to ignore it. :p

[Jason]

The reboot sounds like it will be good. I would love to see CD finish the storyline from the two TRs that they've already done before a reboot though.

[SenatorSpacer]

Oh, thanks for that. My initial reaction to anything Tomb Raider--until recently--was to ignore it. :p

Agreed. Just finish the game recently. It was a really fantastic experience, and I'm pumped for more DLC and the update that will add online co-op. It didn't really make me more interested in Tomb Raider games, but rather what the next Lara Croft and the Something Something is going to be.

[Ghostbear]

Cool game, will wait for the sale or the PSN version with co/op when it hits seeing as my friends are there..

Just to clarify online co-op will be added to the 360 version come September 28th.

[Dostoyevsky]

Game is great, having a lot of fun with it. I assumed it would be mostly combat and am pleasantly surprised by how much of a Tomb Raider game it is. So much that it inspired me to pick up TR: Underworld and cross that of my pile of shame as well. Too bad the antagonist graduated from the 'Bond Villain School of Setting up Traps and Not Just Killing the Hero Outright' though. I think I've seen him laugh at my demise, turn, and run away in every level. It gets old quick and feels really lazy. And the lack of online co-op is complete bullshit, of course, patch or not. It'll be too late by the time it drops anyway, the community will have moved on, as they always do.

[GigaFuzz]

I completed this with my flatmate last night. The game's a bit longer than I was expecting, and the quality seems to to hold up. Again, the puzzles are clever and logical without being too hard, and the various challenges and item pickups allow for a bit of replayability. I'm pretty damn impressed with this. It does suffer from occasional spikes of slowdown through area transitions and the like, but nothing major.

[Farsight]

And the lack of online co-op is complete bullshit, of course, patch or not.

They're giving us the first DLC (a new level) for free - I'll take that trade! :)

[menage]

Too bad the antagonist graduated from the 'Bond Villain School of Setting up Traps and Not Just Killing the Hero Outright' though. I think I've seen him laugh at my demise, turn, and run away in every level. It gets old quick and feels really lazy.

Sharks with freaking laserbeams?

Bh7bYNAHXxw

[quidmonkey]

If it wasn't for the free DLC and 400 point refund, I wouldn't have purchased this, but it is very good. Just $5 too much.

[Mortis]

I am really enjoying this. I am playing it with my girlfriend and she won't let me progress without her so I am replaying the levels I have available when solo and doing all of the challenges for the unlocks. Great game.

[Food Nipple]

Just to clarify online co-op will be added to the 360 version come September 28th.

I've been waiting for the online co-op to pick this up and haven't heard anything about the patch. The release date for the patch was two and a half weeks ago, did it actually come out?

[DarkDay]

Looks like the stole the Diablo 3 engine. Also.. looks good, might grab it on pc, thanks for heads up, missed this one until now.

[Zecon]

I've been waiting for the online co-op to pick this up and haven't heard anything about the patch. The release date for the patch was two and a half weeks ago, did it actually come out?

Nope, I bought it, and I'm still waiting for that damn patch...

[MagGnome]

Has anyone played this on the PC, particularly with mouse & keyboard? I picked the game up a few days before it came out, but I haven't played it yet. I don't have a controller, which I fear might be necessary for this kind of game.

[Thrak]

Finally an official announcement of the online coop patch. Next week on 360.

[Purple Santa]

Has anyone played this on the PC, particularly with mouse & keyboard? I picked the game up a few days before it came out, but I haven't played it yet. I don't have a controller, which I fear might be necessary for this kind of game.

Depends on how nimble you are with the M&K. It's certainly not like the usual TR games where leaps of faith (or used to anyway) were needed. If most of the movement is with the mouse and the keyboard for the jumping i'd say you might be ok.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm guessing I should have bought this on console rather than PC. PC controls are not good.

[Crowe]

I'm guessing I should have bought this on console rather than PC. PC controls are not good.

No wired xbox controller?

[Dukefrukem]

I hate the Xbox controller. I have a logitech gamepad. I should try that.

[Ink Asylum]

I tried a bit with mouse and keyboard last night, but I'll definitely be hooking up my gamepad the next time I play. I use an old Dualshock 2 hooked up to a Radio Shack PSX to USB adapter. Works great.

[Dukefrukem]

Dualshock 2! That's what I got. I need to upgrade it big time.

[MagGnome]

Yeah, the game plays great with a gamepad. I need to get one for my PC as well.

[Cactaur]

Its 1/2 price now. Goddamn it.