Lara is dead - long live Lara (Tomb Raider - Chronicles (PC))

Member Name: Moominpapa

Product:	Tomb Raider - Chronicles (PC)
Date:	12/01/01 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The fantastic level editor

Disadvantages: Lots of feelings of deja vu

Heavy drops of freezing rain fall from a slate-grey sky, like the tears of the gods. Blck figures, their faces as sombre as the weather, slowly filter past the wrought iron gates of Croft Manor. No-one talks, for this is not a time for idle chatter; it is a time for mourning. The dark procession filters through the Manor grounds and eventually reaches a polished stone statue: a memorial to their dearly beloved colleague and friend, Lara Croft – missing, presumed dead….

And so begins Tomb Raider 5 – or to give the game its proper title, Tomb Raider Chronicles. As fans of the hysterically popular series will already be aware, Lara Croft has a rather unfortunate accident at the climax of her fourth adventure, when the weight of a vast Egyptian pyramid fell on top of her. It has of course become apparent that Lara is not completely dead, as she makes so much cash for the creators.

The Tomb raider series started very strong, with a very puzzle based game which rocked the gamin-world with the very first computer game heroin. Tomb raider 2, in my opinion was better although many will disagree. It concentrated more on action, although there were still plenty of puzzles scattered around. I guess it was just more suited to me than the original. I was disappointed with Tomb Raider 3’s ‘increased difficulty’ because it was far easier than the earlier instalments, but still enjoyable and a decent addition to the series. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation saw a return to the puzzle-based gameplay of the original and is absolutely tough as sh*t to complete. The game also featured the death of Lara, which came as a huge shock to me, because someone spoiled the ending before I was anywhere near completing it (in fact I still haven’t).

To its credit, Tomb Raider Chronicles doesn’t try to fudge the ending of last year’s game by pretending that Lara has somehow cheated death at the last moment via some fee
ble plot twist. Instead, Tomb Raider Chronicles takes the form of a collection of four four-part ‘mini-adventures’, each based on a tale told by a guest at Lara’s Funeral as they fondly recall classic adventures from Lara’s past. As the guest begins to reminisce, the screen wobbles in classic TV flashback fashion and the player takes control. It’s a clever device that allows the game’s developer, Core Design, to create not only four distinct graphical environments but also four individual playing styles. So while one adventure focuses on non-stop action and gunfights, another is more stealth orientated, while another concentrates on puzzle solving and trap avoiding.

The four different min-adventures are as follows. The first is set in the city of Rome and co-stars Larson and Pierre from the first Tomb Raider game. The second sees Lara donning SAS-style arctic camouflage in an X-files-ish plot with loads of action. Next, is Spooky Island in Ireland and features ‘Young Lara’ as well as lots of Famous Five-inspired puzzling. The final mini-adventure sees a Joanna Dark-esque Lara being stealthy in a hi-tech tower block.

To prove that there’s a new code pulsing at the heart of Tomb Raider Chronicles, Lara has a new list of skills and abilities. One of the most interesting of these is her ability to take on a death-defying tightrope in order to reach new areas. As Lara inches her way along the rope the player has to tap left and right to maintain her balance. She can also catch and swing around parallel bars as well as new stealth abilities such as the ability to sneak up behind an opponent and eliminate him with either a mouthful of chloroform or a twat on the head with a club! Silent but deadly.

There are some other new adjustments to the gameplay. A new ‘search’ ability that allows Lara to find hidden items, much improved enemy intelligence, a more versatile inventory system t
hat allows objects to be combined in more ways, and best of all, the inclusion of a new comprehensive level editor, allowing players to create there own map designs, treasures and baddies as they see fit. This means that an almost infinite number of extra levels should soon become available over the internet. The level editor includes a tutorial mode which helps guide even the most non-technical fans of Tomb Raider through the rules of good level design, and is supported by a regularly updated website offering advice, troubleshooting tips and downloads such as new enemy models and textures. Nice!

While it’s clear that Tomb Raider Chronicles is a fine game, the big question remains: Is Lara really dead? Core’s not giving too much away, but with a a big-budget Hollywood movie in the pipeline for Summer 2001 release….well, what do you think? All that Core will admit at the moment is that this will be the last game to feature Lara as we currently know her, as they’re moving on to new technology and a new Lara.

For now: Lara is dead – long live Lara.

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