Tomb Raider Underworld Ds Review

[Nathen Paisley]

TombRaider: Underworld is an action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive for Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS in November 2008. Later versions were released for mobile in December 2008, PlayStation 2 in 2009, and OS X in 2012. Various companies ported or developed the different versions. The ninth overall entry in the Tomb Raider series and third in the Legend trilogy, Underworld follows archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft as she searches for Mjolnir, an artefact key to entering the realm of Helheim, while confronting adversaries from her past. Gameplay features Lara navigating levels set across the world through platforming, fighting enemies and solving puzzles to progress.

Production of Underworld began in 2006 following the release of Tomb Raider: Legend, and was developed in parallel with Anniversary (2007). The scenario was co-written by director Eric Lindstrom and series co-creator Toby Gard; Gard left Crystal Dynamics the following year. The gameplay was redesigned around a principle of Lara's abilities, with her actions created using motion capture for the first time. A new game engine was created for the project, with the team having troubles transitioning onto next-generation hardware and staff shortages due to production of Anniversary.

Announced in January 2008 for next-generation hardware, it was delayed into November and also announced for then-current generation hardware. 360-exclusive downloadable content was released in 2009. The game received mostly positive reviews from critics, with praise for the environments, story, puzzles, exploration, graphics and the less linear style of gameplay, although criticism was directed at its camera and combat system. It sold below expectations, though ultimately went on to sell over three million copies worldwide. It was the final Tomb Raider published by Eidos Interactive prior to its 2009 acquisition and rebranding by Square Enix. Following Underworld, Crystal Dynamics rebooted the series a second time, with the subsequent game releasing in 2013.

The PlayStation 2 and Wii versions are generally similar to other versions, but with smaller environments and puzzle structure due to hardware limitations; the Wii version also incorporates dedicated combat controls and puzzles revoling around the motion controls.[9][10] The Nintendo DS (DS) is a two-dimensional (2D) side-scrolling platformer, with Lara navigating self-contained areas while progressing through each level.[11] There are two mobile versions with differing gameplay styles; one is a 2D side-scrolling platformer similar to earlier mobile Tomb Raider games, while the other uses 3D graphics and incorporates platforming and combat elements similar to the home console versions though Lara is restricted to moving forward or backward and some movements are automatic triggered using button prompts.[12]

Natla provides Lara with the coordinates of Helheim, but points out that only she knows the ritual to prepare its gates, so Lara reluctantly strikes a bargain and frees her from her cell. Amanda attempts to stop her, but the Doppelgnger attacks and apparently kills Amanda. Lara dives to the ruins of Helheim under the Arctic Sea, and with Natla's preparation opens its entrance with Mjolnir. Lara then discovers Amelia is turned into a Thrall and is forced to shoot her. Natla appears and reveals that she killed Richard after his betrayal in Thailand, then sets the Doppelgnger on Lara before leaving to awaken Jrmungandr, revealed as a metaphor for the Earth's faultlines; Natla intends to activate an ancient device above the faultlines' weakpoint and trigger apocalyptic volcanic activity. Amanda appears and apparently throws the Doppelgnger to its death, allying with Lara to stop Natla's plan. Lara finds the device and destabilises it, then throws Mjolnir at Natla, knocking her into a lake of eitr. Lara and Amanda then use the chamber's dais travel device, escaping to the Nepalese monastery where Amelia first disappeared. Amanda tries to restart their fight, but backs down and leaves when Lara refuses; before she leaves, Lara bids goodbye to her mother.

Planning for Underworld began during the final production stages of Legend in 2006, with the team feeling they had a strong-enough fan response and set of gameplay concepts to begin planning ahead.[13] There were also features that could not be included in Legend which were envisioned as being possible in a sequel.[14] Eric Lindstrom, who had previously worked as a scenario writer on Legend, acted as creative director.[15][16] Alex Jones, later acting as a co-producer for DmC: Devil May Cry (2013), acted as the project's senior producer.[14][17] The other staff included Harley White-Wiedow as lead designer, lead programmer Rob Pavey, and Patrick Sirk acted as art director.[16][18] Production lasted roughly two and a half years.[13]

Development was troubled by multiple factors.[13] Production of Underworld ran parallel to Anniversary, with Anniversary developed by a separate team based on the Legend game engine.[13][15] Due to this, Underworld suffered due to staff shortages.[13] For Underworld, a new engine was created that was later dubbed the CDC engine.[13][19] They had trouble adapting to the new technology, as the engine had to be built from stratch rather than carrying over the earlier code from Legend. Other troubles included the original lead level designer dying in the middle of production, and another core staff member needing to leave to have her baby.[13] The ship escape Lara experiences in the opening level, intended to feel like an action movie, was almost cut from the game several times due to its technical challenges.[20] Lindstrom later called the game's successful development "a miracle" due to the difficulties of transitioning onto next-generation hardware and the staff limitations.[21] While proud of their achievement, he regretted not being able to have a more polished product by release, attributing this failing mainly to over-ambition from himself and other team members.[22]

The gameplay was built around the question "What could Lara do?": while carrying over the established platforming and action, the team wanted to remove as many arbitrary barriers as possible, allowing Lara to traverse the environment in a more natural manner.[16] They also wanted to steer away from the corridor-style levels of their earlier games and have an open area with some freedom of choice for players, and better incorporate Lara's toolset such as the grappling line into puzzles.[13][16] Some gameplay elements planned for Underworld were first shown off in Anniversary, with Lindstrom working with that game's director Jason Botta to test them out on the fan base before Underworld released.[15] The separated elements of its difficulty settings were implemented to give players more control over their gameplay experience.[7] For the enemy artificial intelligence (AI), Crystal Dynamics licensed the NavPower middleware from BabelFlux, allowing for more variety in its AI behaviour.[23] Adrenaline Moments were designed as an alternative to the previously used quick time events which were falling out of fashion in the gaming world. Adrenaline Moments allowed the team to create similar cinematic moments without removing player interaction. Designing the feature, which had slow motion elements, presented a challenge as the team did not want it compared to the bullet time used in other media.[15]

After hand-animation was used for Legend and Anniversary, for Underworld Lara's animations were created using motion capture, chosen by the team to allow for a more fluid and natural style of movement compared to her earlier games.[24] Her motion capture animations were then blended together using hand animation to create smooth transitions between different gameplay stances.[25] Keeley Hawes returned from Legend and Anniversary to voice Lara.[24] Her motion capture was performed by Olympic gymnast Heidi Moneymaker and stuntwoman Helena Barrett.[25][26] To portray her at trade shows, Eidos hired model Alison Carroll.[27] Carroll was the last live model for Lara.[28]

Underworld forms part of a trilogy together with Legend and Anniversary.[29] The scenario was co-written by Lindstrom and Lara's credited co-creator Toby Gard; the script was written by Lindstrom.[30][31] Gard was credited on the game as cinematic director.[16] Additional writing work was done by the Freeman Group, led by screenwriter David Freeman.[32] Underworld was Gard's last project at Crystal Dynamics before leaving in 2009, and is his last Tomb Raider game to date. In an interview that year, he felt his influence on Lara had growing less since Legend due to the increasing size of the team and the input of the director and publisher, feeling it was the right time to leave Lara behind for other game projects.[31] The story delivery was intended to balance the dialogue-heavy approach of Legend and more solitary atmosphere of Anniversary, in addition to the atmosphere being darker and having environmental weather and effects tying into the story.[25] This was partly in response to negative feedback from players of Legend about Alister and Zip talking too much during gameplay.[14]

The game's title "Underworld" had multiple meanings; she was visiting multiple underworld locations across different cultures as part of her adventure, reaching a darker part of her "internal journey", and the tone of the adventure and locations was more sombre than earlier games.[33][16] The storyline of Underworld was made "epic" and dramatic, with the team wanting to raise the stakes.[16] While a single location with multiple ruins to explore was considered, the team wanted a world-spanning adventure that would take in multiple ruins themed around underworld legends worldwide, informing the game and story design from that point on.[33]

3a8082e126