Tomb Raider: Underworld

My wife surprised me with Tomb Raider: Underworld this week. A pleasant surprise. I had played the Demo on both my Xbox and the PC and decided to get it for PC at some point, she just accelerated the process.

I am very pleased with the game. I have to say that it was pretty short, but it was fun while it lasted. Underworld is the first Tomb Raider I have ever owned, and the first on I have played since the revamp of the series.

The levels were absolutely gorgeous, huge ruins and outdoor vistas that were just beautiful. The movement was very interesting. It was very in-line with the newer Prince of Persia games and was pretty fun. I do have to admit to some frustrations while playing. Trying to chain together movements was sometimes a chore, Lara would dive off into the abyss when I wanted her to jump sideways or up. This was probably the biggest turnoff of the game, but I was compelled to keep playing, so it wasn't all that bad.

The combat wasn't spectacular. I think the game is old enough that I can give a little spoiler that should be evident after the first hour or so of the game anyway... SPOILER ALERT. Once I got my hands on Mjolnir, the combat definitely improved. Prior to attaining that legendary hammer, combat was basically a chore of holding down the fire button while letting enemies get close and spamming the melee button. This worked for 90 per-cent of the enemies.

I almost wonder if this game could have been better without combat? I know that conflict is a driving force for the tension in games, but is it the only one? The beautiful levels of this game made me want to advance, if only to see what was next. I think it is safe to say that Tomb Raider has always been an Indiana Jones knock-off. I am not being pejorative when I say that. The series has developed an interesting mythos of its own, but at the root of it is adventuring archaeology. I think that if a future installment focused more on the exploration, discovery, and personal conflicts, it could really innovate in a way that only a game like this could.

I guess the other option would be for the developers to step the combat up, give us a more Devil May Cry or Prince of Persia type combat. However, I think moving away from combat would be the bolder, if more risky move.

Time will tell what will happen. Overall, I recommend playing this game. I do not know what Erin paid for it, but I have seen it at Best Buy for $20, on PC. It is very worth your time.