Tomb Raider Underworld

Rating: 4/5
Price: PC – 999 INR Xbox 360 – 2199 INR PS3 – 2499 INR
Requirements: 3.0GHz processor, 1GB Ram, 8GB HDD Space, 256MB Video card

Category: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PC, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Description for my rating:

Lara returns once again in Tomb Raider Underworld, arguably the most anticipated game bearing the name of the femme fatale for quite some time - but anticipation is not always delivered upon, is it.

Tomb Raider is considered a classic game series by modern day gamers, as the early instalments of the series were something completely different to anything else before it - not least because of the title character, Miss Lara Croft. It is possibly the only series around now which has survived simply because of the popularity of it’s lead character, but with the technology available to developers nowadays, Tomb Raider is in danger of losing it’s appeal if things do not improve vastly, and Tomb Raider Underworld was tipped to be the starting point for the series’ resurrection.

Whether or not Tomb Raider Underworld meets that challenge is debatable to be honest, but in my own personal opinion the game is a bit of a let down once again - something which is now becoming a trend with Tomb Raider titles. Yes Lara is still a great lead character, but the gameplay itself remains much the same as it has for years now and it is in desperate need of a complete overhaul if it is to compete with other action adventure titles around now such as Uncharted Drakes Fortune, Metal Gear Solid 4 and even the likes of less acclaimed titles such as Prince of Persia.

Tomb Raider Underworld is set amongst darker surrounding and circumstances than previous titles as the title would suggest. Lara has some troubles in the beginning and she is rushing to escape her own vast mansion as it is burning down around her - a flashback kicks in to show her two weeks previously taking care of some of her fathers unfinished dirty work which leads her to learning about her mother and other characters featured in previous Tomb Raider titles and most importantly, the mythical Hammer of Thor. To mention the quest you must head out on would be an instant spoiler so we’ll leave that for now, but the storyline is originally intriguing but soon treads into familiar territory and before long you will begin to feel you have played the entire game somewhere before.

Needless to say you, as Lara, must venture across dark and seedy environments to progress on your quest, unravelling various mysteries along the way but as usual it will never be as easy as it sounds. The usual bizarre creatures are there to make it awkward for you, but the games difficulty level is a touch easier than you would expect so disposing of these is rarely much of a challenge. Though Lara does have an impressive array of moves at her disposal, many of which are new, so that is one improvement on previous versions. The frame rates are more than capable of making these moves look smooth and effortless, too.

To be honest it is hard to say a lot more about the game which you will not consider pointless, as everything you will come across has been touched on in previous Tomb Raider titles - in some form at least. The environments are the same as usual, the enemies are the same as usual, the ultimate aim is pretty much the same as usual too - it does get predictable very early on, but as you are Lara Croft, you will keep playing on anyway.

Graphically, Tomb Raider Underworld is not what it perhaps should have been. Similar to the recent Quantum of Solace title, such a huge game franchise deserves far better than what it has received from the developers - it should have been groundbreaking, but instead it looks rushed despite being equally impressive as the majority of games hitting shelves right now. Fans of the series will probably be satisfied though, except from the weirdo’s out there who actually find Lara (a video game character) attractive and want to see her as close to life like as possible.

Tomb Raider Underworld has some good moments, but they are far too rare for this title to be considered a success in my view. A video gaming legend such as Lara Croft deserves far better than this, and this puts more pressure on her next title as it could be the end of her beautifully formed career if it all goes wrong again next time. No a must have by any means.