There's something about lining up jumps with tank controls that is incredibly satisfying.
Tomb Raider back in '96 was a total game-changer. Sure, the graphics are blocky as heck now, but the exploration, puzzles, and atmosphere were amazing for the time. Feeling like a total badass adventurer discovering lost tombs was awesome, even when you got completely lost or killed by a freaking bear outta nowhere. Revolutionary game, but let's be real, it's tough to go back to those controls now!
Back in 1996 my brother and I invented a holiday called Children's Day because it was unfair that mam had Mother's Day and dad had Father's Day and they said "but every day is Children's Day!" and we said they should get us presents every day then and they said okay you can have one Children's Day and long story short we got Tomb Raider for Children's Day.
I have very mixed feelings about this game. Overall, I had a great time, but the road to the finish was definitely very bumpy.
The gameplay as a whole was fun, and very satisfying. I specifically enjoyed how predictable the platforming controls were. The consistency in what you know is possible with the various ways to jump, climb or traverse around the levels means that most of the time, any failure feels like your fault. This means it is rarely frustrating, with the exception of forgetting to save for a while and having to replay lengthy sections.
Some of the puzzles made sense, and were fun to solve - and the environments were interesting to explore. I especially liked the non-linear level design - it was very fun to explore a new area for the first time, seeing areas further into the level that are not yet accessible, and then progressing and finding your way to these secrets.
My biggest gripes with this game all came down to pacing, and the combat. A lot of the time, I'd be having fun with a tight platforming puzzle, enjoying the consistency of the controls, to be interrupted by tedious and annoying combat. The gunplay never really felt like I was fully in control, and the randomness of the enemy AI meant there were times where you'd easily get stuck with no way out of a situation. This wouldn't be a problem if combat could be avoided, but it is a huge part of the game, and never added to the fun of the game for me.
I also found the camera very frustrating. It was often difficult to see where to go in tight spaces, and this game seemed to love tight corridors with hidden platforms near impossible to see. I try to play games with as little help or guides as possible, and I had to look up solutions or directions various times throughout this game. While this may just be my own failing with my own abilities, most of the time when I was stuck or confused, it was due to not being able to physically see where I was supposed to be going.
This game of course is incredibly ahead of its time, and any of these failings are just examples of trying something new, which is always a messy road. The platforming is still satisfying all these years later, and you can easily see how this game has stood the test of time as a classic.
I'm intrigued to player further into the series to see how the gameplay develops - and I'm hoping to see the formula tightened and improved as things advance.
The gameplay as a whole was fun, and very satisfying. I specifically enjoyed how predictable the platforming controls were. The consistency in what you know is possible with the various ways to jump, climb or traverse around the levels means that most of the time, any failure feels like your fault. This means it is rarely frustrating, with the exception of forgetting to save for a while and having to replay lengthy sections.
Some of the puzzles made sense, and were fun to solve - and the environments were interesting to explore. I especially liked the non-linear level design - it was very fun to explore a new area for the first time, seeing areas further into the level that are not yet accessible, and then progressing and finding your way to these secrets.
My biggest gripes with this game all came down to pacing, and the combat. A lot of the time, I'd be having fun with a tight platforming puzzle, enjoying the consistency of the controls, to be interrupted by tedious and annoying combat. The gunplay never really felt like I was fully in control, and the randomness of the enemy AI meant there were times where you'd easily get stuck with no way out of a situation. This wouldn't be a problem if combat could be avoided, but it is a huge part of the game, and never added to the fun of the game for me.
I also found the camera very frustrating. It was often difficult to see where to go in tight spaces, and this game seemed to love tight corridors with hidden platforms near impossible to see. I try to play games with as little help or guides as possible, and I had to look up solutions or directions various times throughout this game. While this may just be my own failing with my own abilities, most of the time when I was stuck or confused, it was due to not being able to physically see where I was supposed to be going.
This game of course is incredibly ahead of its time, and any of these failings are just examples of trying something new, which is always a messy road. The platforming is still satisfying all these years later, and you can easily see how this game has stood the test of time as a classic.
I'm intrigued to player further into the series to see how the gameplay develops - and I'm hoping to see the formula tightened and improved as things advance.