Alex Donaldson goes hands-on with Tomb Raider during GamesCom 2012
21 August 2012 | By Alex Donaldson
Sitting in a room interviewing Final Fantasy XIV's Producer, a guttural, pained scream rings out. It's nothing to do with that game - in fact, the reboot looks quite good - it's coming from next door. "Lara Croft, everyone," quips the translator, and everyone - even the Japanese, who presumably barely understood - laughs.
Overwrought screams and screeches from Lara are one of many things that have drawn the ire of Tomb Raider fans as Square Enix prepares to launch its gritty, down-to-earth reboot of the series - but like the rest of the controversies, you can see where the logic behind it comes from.
Wouldn't you cry out as you're prodded, stabbed, cut and essentially tortured by the harsh environment around you? If I fell on a massive spike I'd squeal like a pig, so I'm prepared to pass over the complaints about the noises.
We know Lara as a pampered-but-capable rich girl who has never really had to want for much in her life. Here, things are different - stranded, injured and very alone on a hostile island, she's far from her comfort zone - and that's the point.
The first time I gained control of her in my hands on, it's a seamless transition from a cutscene, and the environment drives home how alone you are. From that starting point there's some tutorial-friendly traversal stuff, shimmying across a cliff edge and taking in the lush jungle environment.
Eventually Lara's climbing through the upside-down wreckage of a plane, and this is where the Uncharted influence becomes obvious, the game seamlessly transitioning from cutscene to gameplay and back again for impressive-looking scripted events.
After looting a bow from a man who clearly no longer needs it, Lara's attacked by wolves - and is surprisingly adept with her weapon early on. Killing enemies earns experience, which can then be used for the upgrades you spend on weapons and Lara herself. It seems this progression may help working through the game mirror Lara's in-story journey to become the tough warrior she's known for being.
The controls feel tight and responsive, and Lara moves swiftly and elegantly through the game world in a way that looks more natural and realistic than she ever has before. The down-to-earth redesign of the character works wonders here, too.
You're not completely alone for long - as you've undoubtedly seen, there's others around. Lara finds a group of fellow survivors from the disastrous ship sinking that stranded her - but not everyone is friendly and banding together to survive.
It all goes a bit Lord of the Flies - without the constraints of society and law everybody goes a bit mental, and it's not long before people are getting killed and dividing into factions. Lara is kidnapped, and you're tasked with guiding her to safety.
While there were some places where you could edge off the beaten path in this demo, it was still largely linear, a natural consequence of the cinematic, story-driven tone this segment of the game takes. It's unclear if the game will remain like this, though the developers promise more open-world style missions and gameplay as the game progresses - and this is the very opening of the game.
The Uncharted influence is obvious, though I'd still argue that this is a game with its own identity. There's something more methodical about the pacing here - this is a game that takes its time with the setup, wanting to build Lara and the island around her carefully, layering a thick atmosphere.
While it has its rollercoaster Uncharted-like moments, this reboot clearly has other inspirations besides - and appears to be coming out as an intriguing, exciting new take on one of gaming's most famous heroines.
Overwrought screams and screeches from Lara are one of many things that have drawn the ire of Tomb Raider fans as Square Enix prepares to launch its gritty, down-to-earth reboot of the series - but like the rest of the controversies, you can see where the logic behind it comes from.
 |
Wouldn't you cry out as you're prodded, stabbed, cut and essentially tortured by the harsh environment around you? If I fell on a massive spike I'd squeal like a pig, so I'm prepared to pass over the complaints about the noises.
We know Lara as a pampered-but-capable rich girl who has never really had to want for much in her life. Here, things are different - stranded, injured and very alone on a hostile island, she's far from her comfort zone - and that's the point.
The first time I gained control of her in my hands on, it's a seamless transition from a cutscene, and the environment drives home how alone you are. From that starting point there's some tutorial-friendly traversal stuff, shimmying across a cliff edge and taking in the lush jungle environment.
Eventually Lara's climbing through the upside-down wreckage of a plane, and this is where the Uncharted influence becomes obvious, the game seamlessly transitioning from cutscene to gameplay and back again for impressive-looking scripted events.
 |
After looting a bow from a man who clearly no longer needs it, Lara's attacked by wolves - and is surprisingly adept with her weapon early on. Killing enemies earns experience, which can then be used for the upgrades you spend on weapons and Lara herself. It seems this progression may help working through the game mirror Lara's in-story journey to become the tough warrior she's known for being.
The controls feel tight and responsive, and Lara moves swiftly and elegantly through the game world in a way that looks more natural and realistic than she ever has before. The down-to-earth redesign of the character works wonders here, too.
You're not completely alone for long - as you've undoubtedly seen, there's others around. Lara finds a group of fellow survivors from the disastrous ship sinking that stranded her - but not everyone is friendly and banding together to survive.
It all goes a bit Lord of the Flies - without the constraints of society and law everybody goes a bit mental, and it's not long before people are getting killed and dividing into factions. Lara is kidnapped, and you're tasked with guiding her to safety.
While there were some places where you could edge off the beaten path in this demo, it was still largely linear, a natural consequence of the cinematic, story-driven tone this segment of the game takes. It's unclear if the game will remain like this, though the developers promise more open-world style missions and gameplay as the game progresses - and this is the very opening of the game.
 |
The Uncharted influence is obvious, though I'd still argue that this is a game with its own identity. There's something more methodical about the pacing here - this is a game that takes its time with the setup, wanting to build Lara and the island around her carefully, layering a thick atmosphere.
While it has its rollercoaster Uncharted-like moments, this reboot clearly has other inspirations besides - and appears to be coming out as an intriguing, exciting new take on one of gaming's most famous heroines.
