; / and I thought they would finally make a better camera control for this tomb raider game.. thanks very much for the review sage, i don't think I will buy this game this time

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with your review. While the camera and gunplay is far from excellent, the game itself makes up for these mistakes. The puzzles aren't too hard but they aren't too easy either, and the game drags you in its universe because the excellent voice acting and superb graphics. I have really enjoyed playing TRU, and in my opinion it's one of the best platform games this year. I suggest to pick up Legend or Anniversary from the budget bin, if you enjoyed those games you'll definitely enjoy Underworld.

Your reviews are still awesome Sage, I couldn't do it better myself. Just wanted to defend the TR series a bit :p

I've played Uncharted and look forward to the sequel. How it plays is a lot better than Tomb Raider.

Indeed, its graphics are impressive, I'm not denying that, but it makes me furious to see people detract away the incompetent camera. Technical issues like handling and camera control are paramount in making a game, if they're shoddy, they make the game damn near unplayable. Too many times I made Lara jump to her crushing doom all because I couldn't turn the camera to where it's safe to jump. The only way I can forgive crap like that is if every time Lara killed herself in this fashion, she flashes the camera before you take control of her again...but then again, seeing her jugs would get boring after the 238th time.

I bought TR Anniversary for wii. Gawd this game was terrible.

There were timed quests that you had to complete in order to unlock certain extras. The quests were too long to complete in the allotted time. Literally you'd have 20 mins to complete a level but it took 5 mins to run back and forth between two places on the level...and these areas needed to be accessed 5 or more times.

There were 100's of pieces of ammo but it was close to impossible to find the gun to use them with.

The (+) button (which usually is pause on the wii) would use a medi pac.

Controls were terrible too.

You're quite harsh on your review honestly.

It wasn't a great game, but it wasn't a bad one either(as you seem to describe it as one).

Although I agree with a few points you made, I didn't recognize myself in a bunch of them, but, I guess everybody experience games differently.

TRU though, also had some more flaws you did not mention, such as how she likes to get stuck in rocks or small hills, or the lack of any replay value... In Legends, there was a bunch of extras, like Time Trials, unlockable costumes and cheats. In Underworld... the only thing you can do after the game is beaten, is Treasure Hunt. A mode where you seek hidden treasures within the levels, which are devoid of enemies... wow.

And these treasures only unlock concept art... or an additional health bar (relics)

Still Sage, continue to make your awesome reviews !

Well done review.

I did quite a long review on this game at the TSE, maybe I'll post it here sometime. The major thing I have to disagree with in your review is saying that Lara hasn't seen a good day since Tomb Raider 2. Last Revelations was by far the best game in the old series, and I still believe that the new series is one of the better series of games over the last few years. Which is why this game was such a disappointment, I waited for years after playing Legends to see this game, but the story is stupid as hell, the environments are lackluster, and the gameplay is frustrasting and half-assed. I played the Wii version, and it's quite possibly worse than Angel of Darkness.

Underworld isn't half as bad as you portrayed it in your review.
The invisible walls for example only matter if you search them deliberately and after the tutorial I had no problem using the camera or controls (and I am far from being a hardcore gamer).

Also, the graphics are pretty good. It's been quite while since I saw such beautifully designed levels.

I think it pretty much comes down to how you approach the game. If you think 'Well, so we got another Tomb Raider...' you won't enjoy Underworld. I really liked the changes in Legend and the latest installment and if that's the way future Tomb Raiders will be, it's fine by me.

I would say that LEGEND was finaly Lara's step out of Crapyness and Anniversary was just a Great Game
even if you'd know the original by heart... this one is more of Legend's Sequel with IMPROVED GRAPHICS (and it looks great) so I'd be lenient on that...Tomb Raider finally stepped back to descency, with graphics good for its time (because anniversary and legend looks like the SIMS, and from 3 to Drakness, it was just pitiful) and so I'm glad young people can actually ENJOY playing lara croft

Lol I'm glad that I tried a pirate copy at a friend instead of buying the game XD

You're right about the shoddy camerawork, it should have been a lot better giving it's the third game Crystal Dynamics made in the TR franchise. And Ashariel is completely right about the replayability tough, with Legends and Anniversary you at least had some replayability with exploring Lara's mansion. In TRU, you don't have any of that, and the Extras are way to poor.

wow another awful Tomb Raider game, who da thunk it.

I was really considering picking this game up for a rental, but maybe not now. Guess if I haven't played the first Tomb Raiders then there's no reason to pick up the new one if it's a bad game.

As much fun as the older Tomb Raiders were, I think I'd rather stick to the comic series that was(vaguely, and possibly not even intentionally) ripped off to create this franchise.

I liked this video. I only have a 360 at the moment but I tend to check your site or this one to see if you've played around with any games that're on PS3 and 360 before I buy 'em if I'm not sure. Tomb Raider 2 seemed good back in the day, but that was more than 10 years ago and it's a little sad that not much has changed between then and now. TRU seems like a good rent at best if there's nothing else on the shelves or you're into gamer points if you've got a 360, but otherwise I'm glad I didn't jump on it before checking here. It doesn't seem like a well spent 60 bucks.

Thanks for always takin' one for the rest of us, Sage! You've got a new fan in me : )

I consider myself a pretty good fan of the Tomb Raider series... Up to the point of Revelations. I Really tried to bear with the same ol' crap game after game. But all in all the problems just continue stick out even more and more after the second release. I will always love Lara Croft and her tomb raiding adventures, but I refuse to pick up another game that just simply does not do her justice.

Great review. I hope that at least one "milestone" game is released in this series in the future. One that we can all say is that. damn. good.

Love the tag line to rhe review. "How can such big breasts be so boring?"

She's second to Sonic in terms of video game staples that have yet to catch up to profit with the current generation (or the generations before it.) Cruel but necessarily so, I really like the work in this review Sage, and I agree that Lara needs to be taken better care of.

Look i just want to say that i played this game recently and i think its amazing, the enviroment, the graphics, the story closure, everything looks and feels great...
The recap of the story plot doesnt show you much because as you know they have to sell the other games if you havent played them yet...

About the camera... idk what version of the game you played... as it is for the pc version its not that bad you know? actually (and this is someting i didnt see you doing in the review) if you stay lets say... hanging from a ledge for a few seconds, the camera turns by itself to the best position so you can see where to jump/fall/grapple/etc...

Anyway, nice review!

the first le parkour game in history... i always hate it... bad controls and camera, but a badass heroine i must admit...

Tomb raider is all about the boobs. The first game was interesting, but it seems it doesn't change much from the first one to the latest one (Underworld)

I'm a pretty big Tomb Raider fan so I am probably biased. However I really didn't notice half of the problems you pointed out. This is most likely because I am playing on the pc and controlling the camera with the mouse is fine. I didn't find the puzzles easy or hard, they seemed just fine to me. Also I never had any issues with jumping and missing the ledge, due to lara not grabbing onto it, either..

I guess what I'm trying to say is that PC>Console.

Tomb Raider Legend and Anniversary had some pretty bad and frustrating clipping issues. (over 9000 of them cost me time trials in Legend and Anniversary) I hoped that Crystal Dynamics would stop being so lazy and fix them when they are made.

I've been playing Tomb Raider ever since I was 5 or older. I was pretty young, and here I am at age 17 wanting to play Tomb Raider Underworld. I can tolerate the camera and actually use it's incompetence to my advantage (even though what it really is is guess work... Once you get used to the incompetent camera, you can do anything in the game, trust me.)

The only Tomb Raider game that I absolutely hate is Angel of Darkness. The handling makes the game nearly unplayable, and the controls lag so bad. I also believe that Tomb Raider was meant to be a PC game, not a console game. Only reason why is that it's really easy to control the camera with a mouse,and it's easier to get used to the incompetence. Though there are some problems with the camera and it's provocative angles.... o_o

Point being. I wouldn't recommend this game to a console.

Oh, and to beat clipping issues - hold the button that makes Lara grab onto the ledge, even when the ledge is already grabbed. Also, hold down the button that pulls Lara up, even when she's already pulling up. I kind of found that out when I was trying to beat the time trials again last night. ;D

*nod*

I agree with Bennet. A big big minus of TR series is a camera Everything else is... tolerable, I guess...

Excellent review as always!

I own the 360 version and I can safely say that the camera is what busts most of the gameplay. Having said that, it IS the best Tomb Raider game since Tomb Raider II. The graphics and bluring effects are some of the best I have ever seen in a videogame to date.

tomb raider legend was by fas the best of the series

I always wished I could play Tomb Raider games. But the camera just messes me up so badly I get too frustrated >.>