Tomb Raider - PC Review - Gamecenter

Free Email

Search

Great Free Web Site on CNET!

CNET: Gamecenter: PC

Reviews

Tomb Raider

continued
she's all that, and a bag of chips
Aside from Lara, the first thing that attracts attention is the graphics. Tomb Raider can be switched from low- to high-resolution on the fly. In low-res, the game is gorgeous. In high-res, it's stunning. Just watching the lighting effects when Lara runs from one beautifully rendered cavern to the next made my jaw drop several times. However, to play in high-res, I recommend running it through nothing less than a Pentium-133 with a good graphics card--preferably a 3D graphics accelerator. Even then, the action can stutter a little during fight scenes. Demanding nature aside, the only knock against the graphics is that polygons sometimes disappear or blend together, which makes it seem like Lara is stuck halfway through a wall. But this is only an occasional occurrence, and a minor blip in the otherwise stellar graphics.
Lara's athletic ability is even more impressive than her appearance. The third-person viewpoint allows the player to marvel at her acrobatics: somersaults, swan dives, rolls, slides, and jumps are all Kerry Strug-quality, and you don't have to carry her off when the game is over. Swimming is especially impressive, and the control is excellent.
The camera angles can be frustrating at times, especially when Lara turns corners or has her back against a wall. The camera can't sit behind her (because of the wall), so it swings to the front. The player sees Lara's face while all sorts of beasties might be chasing her. Thankfully, there is a Look button, which allows players to swing the camera angle any way they please. Lara's head even turns in the direction the camera is looking--too cool. Looking around can cause camera problems, though. When Lara is floating on top of the water and looks up, the camera goes under water, and the player can't really see what she sees.
the big question is...
Will Quakers like this game? Probably not, because of their aversion to violence. Let me rephrase that: will players of Quake like this game? Maybe. At first glance, the two games seem similar. When a level is completed, a screen appears detailing the number of kills, secrets, pickups, and time taken. The most noticeable difference, however, is that Tomb Raider doesn't have as much action as Quake. The monsters start out very tame, and there are only three weapons.

Give me more!

Games - Free Overnight Delivery

PC-Mac, PS1, PS2, Nintendo, Dreamcast • Rune, $39.95 delivered Free overnight • Nomad Jukebox 6GB MP3 Player, $479.95

Tomb Raider

Click for printer-friendly format
Email this story to a friend
SPONSORED LINKS
Buffalo Wireless LAN
2.99% Platinum Card!
Shop B&N.com Today!

Comics
CDs
DVDs
Inline
Movies
Skateboards

Search for more products:

mySimon
a CNET Networks Company