Last weekend I decided to take advantage of the offer on Steam and take a trip down memory lane, picking up a copy of Tomb Raider Underworld ('TRU') for £4.99. I'm glad I didn't pay more.
I've not played Tomb Raider for many years, since the original games on the PS1. I recall thoroughly enjoying the experience: solving fairly straightforward puzzles, jumping chasms (after multiple attempts) and blasting enemies with my two Uzis. Yes, TRU is more of the same, but the big difference is that our expectations of a game have changed radically since those first titles were released. We're just no longer prepared to put up with clunky controls that may or may not do what you want, a camera that never seems to show the view you need to see and enemies totally lacking in any sort of (artificial) intelligence.
I've not played Tomb Raider for many years, since the original games on the PS1. I recall thoroughly enjoying the experience: solving fairly straightforward puzzles, jumping chasms (after multiple attempts) and blasting enemies with my two Uzis. Yes, TRU is more of the same, but the big difference is that our expectations of a game have changed radically since those first titles were released. We're just no longer prepared to put up with clunky controls that may or may not do what you want, a camera that never seems to show the view you need to see and enemies totally lacking in any sort of (artificial) intelligence.
I'm sorry, but either this franchise should be brought into the modern world of gaming, or it should be quietly put to sleep.
