lost
08-18-2010, 01:57 PM
Title: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Platform: XBLA/PSN/PC
Platform Reviewed: XBLA
Developer: Crystal Dynamics (http://www.crystald.com)
Publisher: Square Enix/Eidos (http://www.square-enix.com/na/)
MSRP: 1200 points
Writer: Martin 'lost' Perry
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Review
This ain’t no Tomb Raider...
If you were to ask Eidos, Lara Croft’s last big console release, Underworld, was something of a commercial failure. It didn’t come anywhere close to their sales expectations and arguably contributed to the eventual sale of the business to Square Enix. If you ask me, that title sold well for such a long-standing franchise, but if all Eidos’ bitching caused developer Crystal Dynamics to go back to the drawing board and sketch up Guardian of Light, then I’m glad they did it. This new XBLA/PSN release is one of the best downloadable titles that you are likely to play this year, embodying the series’ best qualities in a completely new guise.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/trgol16.jpg
Attempting to carve out a unique space within the series ever-present third-person gameplay, Guardian of Light shifts things to an isometric viewpoint. What seems like a strange move is one of the big reasons that the game succeeds as an ‘Arcade’ title. Pushing away from the third-person viewpoint has allowed the developers to retain the visual quality of the series, albeit in Matchbox form, while opening the doors to new puzzle ideas. Where some of the physics based challenges of her bigger brothers caused gamers a headache, struggling to carefully position items to achieve the desired effect, you can clearly see the components of the brainteaser in front of you. While definitely still offering challenge, this often means the solution comes to you quicker.
Quicker is a pretty good description for how GoL feels in general. Lara, and her co-op partner, Totec, move at a considerable lick whether it be up staircases or leaping across fiery chasms. Thanks to this speed, the game is less reflective and less lonely than Underworld – you rarely pause to consider the history of your surroundings or the massive challenge ahead of you. Along with the viewpoint change, this change of pace is one of the greatest factors when considering the game as a separate entity from the series as a whole.
Gunplay has, and will always remain, a part of what makes Lara Croft a videogame legend. While gamers unite in their desire for more puzzles, more platforming and less empty shell casings, Crystal Dynamics have decided to ignore them entirely. The game features a wide range of weaponry, unlocked throughout the game, that offer a myriad of ways to dispatch lava dogs, green smoke monsters and a multitude of trolls. The problem with all of this is that the gun fights typically take place mid-puzzle. With challenges stretching across entire levels, enemies feel like an interruption. The most recent Tomb Raider games have done a good job separating out the gameplay, rather than blurring it all together, and this had a positive impact on how varied things feel; GoL can’t stake the same claim.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/trgol6.jpg
I can’t claim to have played co-op. The current lack of online play meant I had to try and convince the missus to have a go – lets just say the game didn’t appeal. The puzzles, while fun, didn’t really tax one’s mind. You are granted an infinite amount of explosive charges, which when placed can shift objects forward. The awkwardness of this is the only real challenge that a co-operative friend would help you overcome - otherwise the game is really quite easy. In the shoot-outs, I can definitely see how a second player would benefit but there just doesn’t feel like there is enough challenging content here for two players to really get stuck into. Still, co-op is always a welcome addition, but the marketing certainly points toward it being a more significant consideration than it is. Truth be told, were it not there then very few, if any, changes would need to have been made to the level design.
Crystal Dynamics tried to impart a little more depth into the game with an overhauled inventory system that focuses on power upgrades. Health packs and keys are gathered from around the level and applied automatically. Artifacts are found in special challenge tombs or by completing some of the score or action based additional tasks found on every level. It’s the artifacts that can take up to two slots that may improve your damage resistance or weapon damage. An additional slot grants either character a special ability that activates after a particularly successful blasting spree. This light RPG element is a little forgettable but may well hold more value when playing on a higher difficulty with a friend.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/trgol8.jpg
I went in to Guardian of Light with low expectations but high hopes. As a long-time fan of the series the lack of ‘Tomb Raider’ in the title suggested to me that this was something of an identity crisis rather than an attempt to offer something fresh and original. Still, the change of viewpoint always held some promise and it delivered. Feeling the same, it obviously inherits a lot of code from the big releases, but totally different all at once. I can confidently recommend this to fans of Lara’s ongoing adventures and those who abandoned her years ago. The pace, the quality level design and the confident presentation of a good value package outweighs any niggles about boring shooting or an under-developed co-op element.
Score: 4 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/4.gif
The Good
Excellent level design with the isometric perspective allowing for some complicated spacial problems.
Visuals compare extremely well to the full $60 games.
A decent volume of content for 1200 points, about 4 hours on the first play. Additional level challenges pack things out for the completionists.
The Bad
No online co-op at launch is bullshit.
The shooter gameplay is standard twin stick stuff and gets a little laborious.
The Ugly
No Tomb Raider in the title? Why?
Platform: XBLA/PSN/PC
Platform Reviewed: XBLA
Developer: Crystal Dynamics (http://www.crystald.com)
Publisher: Square Enix/Eidos (http://www.square-enix.com/na/)
MSRP: 1200 points
Writer: Martin 'lost' Perry
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Review
This ain’t no Tomb Raider...
If you were to ask Eidos, Lara Croft’s last big console release, Underworld, was something of a commercial failure. It didn’t come anywhere close to their sales expectations and arguably contributed to the eventual sale of the business to Square Enix. If you ask me, that title sold well for such a long-standing franchise, but if all Eidos’ bitching caused developer Crystal Dynamics to go back to the drawing board and sketch up Guardian of Light, then I’m glad they did it. This new XBLA/PSN release is one of the best downloadable titles that you are likely to play this year, embodying the series’ best qualities in a completely new guise.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/trgol16.jpg
Attempting to carve out a unique space within the series ever-present third-person gameplay, Guardian of Light shifts things to an isometric viewpoint. What seems like a strange move is one of the big reasons that the game succeeds as an ‘Arcade’ title. Pushing away from the third-person viewpoint has allowed the developers to retain the visual quality of the series, albeit in Matchbox form, while opening the doors to new puzzle ideas. Where some of the physics based challenges of her bigger brothers caused gamers a headache, struggling to carefully position items to achieve the desired effect, you can clearly see the components of the brainteaser in front of you. While definitely still offering challenge, this often means the solution comes to you quicker.
Quicker is a pretty good description for how GoL feels in general. Lara, and her co-op partner, Totec, move at a considerable lick whether it be up staircases or leaping across fiery chasms. Thanks to this speed, the game is less reflective and less lonely than Underworld – you rarely pause to consider the history of your surroundings or the massive challenge ahead of you. Along with the viewpoint change, this change of pace is one of the greatest factors when considering the game as a separate entity from the series as a whole.
Gunplay has, and will always remain, a part of what makes Lara Croft a videogame legend. While gamers unite in their desire for more puzzles, more platforming and less empty shell casings, Crystal Dynamics have decided to ignore them entirely. The game features a wide range of weaponry, unlocked throughout the game, that offer a myriad of ways to dispatch lava dogs, green smoke monsters and a multitude of trolls. The problem with all of this is that the gun fights typically take place mid-puzzle. With challenges stretching across entire levels, enemies feel like an interruption. The most recent Tomb Raider games have done a good job separating out the gameplay, rather than blurring it all together, and this had a positive impact on how varied things feel; GoL can’t stake the same claim.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/trgol6.jpg
I can’t claim to have played co-op. The current lack of online play meant I had to try and convince the missus to have a go – lets just say the game didn’t appeal. The puzzles, while fun, didn’t really tax one’s mind. You are granted an infinite amount of explosive charges, which when placed can shift objects forward. The awkwardness of this is the only real challenge that a co-operative friend would help you overcome - otherwise the game is really quite easy. In the shoot-outs, I can definitely see how a second player would benefit but there just doesn’t feel like there is enough challenging content here for two players to really get stuck into. Still, co-op is always a welcome addition, but the marketing certainly points toward it being a more significant consideration than it is. Truth be told, were it not there then very few, if any, changes would need to have been made to the level design.
Crystal Dynamics tried to impart a little more depth into the game with an overhauled inventory system that focuses on power upgrades. Health packs and keys are gathered from around the level and applied automatically. Artifacts are found in special challenge tombs or by completing some of the score or action based additional tasks found on every level. It’s the artifacts that can take up to two slots that may improve your damage resistance or weapon damage. An additional slot grants either character a special ability that activates after a particularly successful blasting spree. This light RPG element is a little forgettable but may well hold more value when playing on a higher difficulty with a friend.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/trgol8.jpg
I went in to Guardian of Light with low expectations but high hopes. As a long-time fan of the series the lack of ‘Tomb Raider’ in the title suggested to me that this was something of an identity crisis rather than an attempt to offer something fresh and original. Still, the change of viewpoint always held some promise and it delivered. Feeling the same, it obviously inherits a lot of code from the big releases, but totally different all at once. I can confidently recommend this to fans of Lara’s ongoing adventures and those who abandoned her years ago. The pace, the quality level design and the confident presentation of a good value package outweighs any niggles about boring shooting or an under-developed co-op element.
Score: 4 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/4.gif
The Good
Excellent level design with the isometric perspective allowing for some complicated spacial problems.
Visuals compare extremely well to the full $60 games.
A decent volume of content for 1200 points, about 4 hours on the first play. Additional level challenges pack things out for the completionists.
The Bad
No online co-op at launch is bullshit.
The shooter gameplay is standard twin stick stuff and gets a little laborious.
The Ugly
No Tomb Raider in the title? Why?