The Divine Comedy
> Main Page
   Quotes
   AIM Profiles
   Insult Game

VirtualMonkey
> Main Page
   Chrono Trigger
   Legend of Legaia

NerdPolitik
> Main Page
   Rantings
   NerdNews

:Home:

I type this of course with tears splashing agains tth ekyboard, to think that I would ever write ill of Lara.

If one was to break down a single episode of Chronicles and make it into its own game, it might actually work, but four separate episodes can't be pulled off. There is an element of dissatisfaction when you complete an episode, because you are purged of weapons and items. Worst of all, you cannot go back to the previous levels.

The onlys aving grace of the entire game is the story,a nd the apparent return to previous Tomb Raider-like gameplay... at first. I'll explain that later. The story of the game progresses at the best pace, piece by piece so you can understand it. The cinemas are fantastic. They intergrate right into the level unlike being at the end or beginning in some cases. The game in itself (as it was most likely intended) is a big story that you guide Lara through.

And thankfully, the first episode is like playing Tomb Raider 1. It was like a sweet dream for me. Lara was once again pitted against the hilarious antics of Larson and Pierre, and got to explore Roman ruins. The Italian streets were empty, and the only high tech items in the levels were the crowbars. Once that episode ended however, the dream ended.

The Russian levels are reminiscint of the Offshore Rig levels or TR2, a high tech area with old creaky sounds, and puzzles involving machinery. The levels that took place in the Submarine were too small and too easy to beat. The level when you are underwater was ridiculous, being a quick five minute romp on the ocean floor without any fighting.

The Irish levels are pure puzzles, there are no weapons, and thus you are defenseless to the little Imps and Sea Hags that patrol the areas. That's very refreshing from the shoot-em-up action that often dominates a TR game, but the puzzles are way too hard and impossible to overcome without a walkthrough. However, the story there is interesting and engrossing, a theme repeated often in the game.

The last set of levels are bad, just plain bad. They are too short and the puzzles of the game focus on infiltration and stealth, which is poorly represented in the game. If there were more interesting stealth abilities, the levels would be enjoyable, but all Chronicles has to offer are headshots and walking.

There is no final boss in the game, no final do-or-die confrontation, no epic climax that perfectly finishes the game. You finish the last episode, the old people talk and flash over to Von Croy in Eqypt with an "improtant discovery". No it's not Lara, or her corpse.

The sound of the game is finally deserving of the name Tomb Raider. Beginning with 3, the series strayed from the classic mystical and engrossing harp/violin music that would set the best mood of a level. Chronicles returns to that music genre and uses it well to set the mood from the Roman catacombs to the Irish countryside.

The graphics are standard from the last few games, with a little touch up. The characters' mouths move in the cinemas (a welcome change from head bobbing). Also, the enviroments are large and well detailed. The sky in Russia is cloudy and gives the feeling of a damp cold climate. Ireland is dark and uninviting. Sadly, the BLock Tower levels have a beautiful view of the New York skyline... including the Twin Towers. *sigh*

Ultimately, this phase in Tomb Raider is dead. Eidos has promised a new Lara Croft - perhaps a victim of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - the epitimaty of a rebel. Thus, we look upon Chronicles as the culmination of five glorious years of Tomb Raider... and in my opinion, a horrible misrepresentation of a series that lost its way, only to regain it too late. Make sure to pay your due respects to the first three (especially 1 and 2) if you're looking for an engrossing epic, but if you're looking for a game that supplies all the satisfaction of a quickie, then Chronicles is for you.

As a TR vet, I found the game nothing more than a trip into the way-back machine that barely holds its own.

OVERALL (3/5)