Started playing Dragon Age: Origins again.  My, my, I fancy that Morrigan something rotten! Lara who?

Dvader said:

Tomb raider impressions, while the game is clearly high quality it feels so derivative, like every cliche of this gen is in there. The combat seems pretty good but so far (up to the radio tower) it hasn't opened enough to really be special. That is the thing nothing feels special, I can't find this games hook, what does this game do better or different than any other. It seems great at everything though.

I agree that it borrows a lot of ideas from modern games, but to be it also feels like it has its own little niche too. Kind of like Darksiders. I'm still not sure I like it more than Tomb Raider Legend or Underworld, as those were more "true" to the TR formula. But its good shit regardless, and the production values are insane.

Ravenprose said:

I'm enjoying Tomb Raider a lot. I have some minor complaints here and there (stealth AI issues / obnoxious hint system), but it's a very high quality game overall. The graphics are the best I've seen on the PS3, and I keep stopping the game to look around at the detailed environments. TR is Uncharted with a bit more exploration, but far less interesting characters; Lara being the only one. The combat does get better, but only on Hard difficulty. Normal was way too easy for me, and I play just about everything on Easy these days. I hope an even harder difficulty is unlocked later on. All in all, it's almost exactly what I expected it to be, and I'm quite happy with it.

Nice impressions.

gamingeek said:

Because those games don’t have specific characters associated with them, people may not view them as new  IP, but certainly when we created those games we intended them to be new franchises. It may be that in the future, as we’re generating new ideas, we’ll come across an idea that makes the most sense to release with a new character.

Miyamoto has been saying this ever since Gamecube launched. LOLz

Dvader said:

Tomb raider impressions, while the game is clearly high quality it feels so derivative, like every cliche of this gen is in there. The combat seems pretty good but so far (up to the radio tower) it hasn't opened enough to really be special. That is the thing nothing feels special, I can't find this games hook, what does this game do better or different than any other. It seems great at everything though.

Its hook is that it's Tomb Raider. (Not commenting on how well the hook is handled.) It's not their fault if so many games this gen have been influenced by Tomb Raider...

How do they objectify female staff that they don't have?

Dvader said:

Foolz said:

Its hook is that it's Tomb Raider. (Not commenting on how well the hook is handled.) It's not their fault if so many games this gen have been influenced by Tomb Raider...

Huh? If you are trying to say that uncharted is like tomb raider and every game is like unchared that is not right. Uncharted is nothing like the old tomb raider games. Nothing this gen is like the old tomb raider games.

Then by your own words the hook is something that is different to other games.

bugsonglass said:

OMG, we set up camp just outside of Lotherin and my bald headed stubby old casteless dwarg is allover Morrigan tongueing and necking her.  I'm right in there!  This is the best game ever

I just had my once a year confusing a forum post on thevgpress about a game as being about a real life event.

Foolz said:

Dvader said:

Foolz said:

Its hook is that it's Tomb Raider. (Not commenting on how well the hook is handled.) It's not their fault if so many games this gen have been influenced by Tomb Raider...

Huh? If you are trying to say that uncharted is like tomb raider and every game is like unchared that is not right. Uncharted is nothing like the old tomb raider games. Nothing this gen is like the old tomb raider games.

Then by your own words the hook is something that is different to other games.

Uncharted was definitely influenced by Tomb Raider, no doubt about it. ANY game that has you exploring lost civilizations is influenced by Tomb Raider. That was one of the things that excited me about Uncharted in the first place...I said to myself "Oh sweet, these guys are making a TR style game instead of a mascot platformer!". But as it turned out, it was just as much influenced by Gears Of War (which was influenced by Resident Evil 4) as it was TR. Now the new Tomb Raider feels like its influenced by the cinematics of Uncharted as well as the combat, while making Lara seem like less of a Superhuman female and more like someone who's going to became the female Rambo.

If there's one thing that's a bit disappointing about TR so far, its that its not a platformer anymore. There's no asking yourself "how do I jump from there to there, and get over to THAT spot which will hopefully get me to the next area" which the old TR games are really based on. Again though, I like it quite a bit, but at the same time miss the old Tomb Raider gameplay style because nobody does that style like TR did.

robio said:

Here's a thought/question for you. If they can bring the price of new games back to $50 would you be okay with not being able to play used games?

Of course.

If I was clinically insane.

Started playing DmC last night...

FUCK LARA, I want to be the meat in a Vergil and Dante sandwich!

**Is it wrong of me to find Vergil attractive if he reminds me of myself? Without the funny little hat of course!**

...

...Actually, Lara can join in too!

edgecrusher said:

If there's one thing that's a bit disappointing about TR so far, its that its not a platformer anymore. There's no asking yourself "how do I jump from there to there, and get over to THAT spot which will hopefully get me to the next area" which the old TR games are really based on. Again though, I like it quite a bit, but at the same time miss the old Tomb Raider gameplay style because nobody does that style like TR did.

Agreed. I love the platforming controls in the new TR, as they are a lot more fluid and far less glitchy than in past games, but the actual platforming and puzzle solving should have been a lot more challenging.