Product description
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Lara Croft set the world on fire in Tomb Raider as it easily
became one of the biggest games of 96 providing 3D Adventuring
like no other. Compliments of 3D Accelerators Tomb Raider 2 on
the PC now surpasses the PlayStation version graphically in
nearly every aspect providing of course you own a P133+ with 3D
Accelerator. The game runs in a number of high resolutions with
richly detailed textures and perfectly lighted environments.
Animation is also a strong point and all human nents move
relatively realistically though unless you have a high-end
machine the frame rate may drop slightly. This time around the
game takes place through more modern environments including the
Great Wall of China, the streets of Venice, Tibet, oilrigs and
even a shipwreck laying at the bottom of the ocean. Your enemies
also are mostly made up of humans who while providing a greater
challenge due to smarter AI leaves the satisfying originals
slaughtering of almost exotic animals absent. Tomb Raider II
contains seventeen huge levels, the clever use of smart puzzles,
plenty of exploration for the vivid adventurer, many brilliant
environments that are just ready to burst at the seams with life
and plenty of weaponry insuring frantic action.
Review
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It was only a year ago that Eidos Interactive released Tomb
Raider, a game that had such innovative flare that it defined its
publisher as a formidable force in the gaming industry. With its
cavernous 3D environments and charismatic protagonist - a hip
English jet-setter named Lara Croft - Tomb Raider pioneered new
territory in gaming. But can Tomb Raider II, which seldom strays
from the original formula, stand up to the new generation of
action games on the shelf? Definitely.
Taking its cue from the previous game, Tomb Raider II sees Croft
becoming embroiled in a brand new globe-trotting hunt for
treasure. Again, levels are lushly appointed with colorful
textures, taking you on a visual voyage from the waterways of
Venice to eerie subterranean catacombs, this time in search of
the Dagger of Xian, a relic that supposedly bestows great power
upon its bearer.
Once again, plot has little bearing on the Tomb Raider
experience. Most of Lara's activities still consist of finding a
key to open a door to find another key, with a lot of puzzle
solving in between. For example, in one level a switch is thrown
and a door opens in another part of the level. When the door is
finally reached, it's shut. Solution: Drive a speedboat up to the
door as soon as the switch is thrown. There are also a host of
"timed" traps, where Lara will find herself having to charge
desperately through a labyrinth of encroaching spikes and
collapsing floors when she least expects it. It's the process of
finding the key, of getting to that particular door that just
opened, that makes Tomb Raider II a truly engaging adventure.
Complaints about the original, such as the tedium of levels and
Lara's sometimes erratic control, have definitely been addressed
in the sequel. Basic moves such as running leaps and grabs are
slightly easier to perform with the new and improved heroine.
Most importantly, this helps the levels stay interesting. From
the very beginning, each trap or physical obstacle poses an
extreme challenge, forcing you to control Lara with the utmost
adeptness. More often than not, getting Ms. Croft from one ledge
to another requires that two or more specific moves are executed
in series. Performing a Hail-Mary leap only to cling successfully
to a far-away wall; figuring out how to execute that perfect
double-gainer back flip to get around a seemingly impassable
trap: These kind of activities become the most rewarding part of
playing the game.
Apart from being larger, the levels in Tomb Raider II are also
more geographically interesting. Lara is exaggeratedly dwarfed in
her surroundings, scaling the enormous walls of a gangster
hideout's vestibule during one adventure, swinging from balcony
to balcony in a surrealistically proportioned opera house during
another. When dropped into these extremely spacious environments,
Lara becomes a sort of modern Alice in Wonderland with you
ultimately acting as guide. Featuring 18 massive levels, it's
probably safe to say that Tomb Raider II represents more of an
adventure than Alice ever had.
Tomb Raider was all about looks, and Tomb Raider II continues
that trend. When running the game with a 3Dfx card, it's often
tempting to simply sit back and take in the view. Combining
breathtaking landscapes, fluid, Disney-like character animation,
and (most importantly) a nicely balanced procession of obstacles,
traps, and puzzles, Tomb Raider II is an excellent continuation
to the Lara Croft saga.--Tim Soete
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without
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Review