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Tomb Raider: Underworld
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| List Price: | $19.99 |
| Price: | $16.75 |
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from and sold by Beach Audio
36 new or used available from $11.00
Average customer review:
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1647 in Video Games
- Brand: Eidos
- Model: 1000044579
- Published on: 2008-11
- Released on: 2008-11-18
- ESRB Rating: Teen
- Platform: Nintendo Wii
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .59" h x 5.41" w x 7.51" l, .30 pounds
Features
- Tomb Raider: Underworld for Nintendo Wii by Eidos resumes where Tomb Raider: Legend left off and introduces a new, interactive playing environment
- Lara Croft explores a wide array places, such as the Arctic, Mexico, and beneath the Mediterranean Sea
- Environment is much more realistic and interactive -- footprints will be left in mud, for example, but only until it rains and then they will wash away
- Melee combat system that requires players to strategically strike with offensive, defensive, and evasive maneuvers
- Features specially designed levels and environmental challenges that incorporate the Wii remote and nunchuck
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Product Description
Tomb Raider: Underworld for Wii by Eidos resumes where Tomb Raider: Legend left off. This installment introduces a new, interactive playing environment that gives players a chance to immerse themselves more fully into the game. Players once again take the role of Lara Croft as she explores such wide-ranging places as the Arctic, Mexico, and beneath the Mediterranean Sea.
 Lara's environment is now much more realistic and interactive. View larger. |
 And now she can hold onto a ledge with one hand and fire a gun with the other. View larger. |
Unlike the previous games in the series, Lara's environment is now much more realistic and interactive. Footprints will be left in mud, for example, but only until it rains and then they will wash away. Lara's shirt will also get wet, and she's more likely to lose her grip if she is standing on a slippery, rain-soaked ledge. When the sun comes out, her shirt will dry and the slippery surfaces regain their friction.
In Underworld, Lara also has a lot more flexibility in how she makes her way through a level, as there is often more than one way to get from here to there. She can now climb walls with texture and rocky outcroppings to reach areas she previously wouldn't have been able to access.
All of these additions have been made to give the game a non-linear, open feel. Players can interactive with the environment by doing things they find to be intuitive, and the game will respond in an appropriate way. When Lara interacts with trees, for example, she will push aside leaves using either one or two hands depending on whether or not she's holding something. These details give a lifelike, immersive sensation to the game.
New Melee Combat System
Underworld introduces a new melee combat system that requires players to strategically strike with offensive, defensive, and evasive maneuvers. Lara can now attack enemies with different punches, kicks, knees, and other acrobatic onslaughts. Items lying on the ground, such as poles that were previously walked on, can be picked up and swung at enemies. Players can also perform a greater variety of actions with weapons; for example, Lara can now hold onto a ledge with one hand and fire a gun with the other.
Exclusive Wii Content and Controls
The Wii version of Underworld features specially designed levels and environmental challenges that incorporate the unique capabilities of the Wii remote and nunchuck. Whether you're using the multi-tool kit to excavate secret treasures, taking advantage of the active aim combat system, or controlling the in-game camera angles, the Wii remote and nunchuck deliver unprecedented as you battle your way through challenging levels.
Realistic Enemy and Animal AI
The AI in Tomb Raider: Underworld has also taken a big step forward--both enemies and animals now make independent decisions based on their surroundings, employ ambush and squad tactics when fighting, and will retreat if deemed necessary.
Tomb Raider: Underworld is loaded with a new melee combat system, various weapons, and smarter AI for both enemies and animals.
Customer Reviews
Improved in some ways, but largely more of the same.
Ah, another Tomb Raider game, which means I'll have to share the Wii with my girlfriend for a while. Graphically, this game looks very good, especially for a Wii title. Many of the textures look very nice unless viewed from extremely close camera angles. The environments are a mixture of wider open spaces and tight tunnels and hallways. Complex machinery, crumbling ruins, and environments that shift and morph after completing puzzles are common, in true Tomb Raider fashion. The locales look varied and different and keep me going to see what comes next.
Lara's animations are usually really smooth and some subtle but noticeable improvements have been implemented. She also now has a few new maneuvers such as a wall climb and wall jump (chimney jump) which are nice additions. With regards to the controls, I can't help but to make comparisons to the Prince of Persia series... Lara is pretty good, but she could learn a lot about raiding tombs from the Prince. The motion captures, while smoother than in previous games sometimes have some awkward interruption animations that are a bit jarring at times. The smoother animations also tend to not mesh with the environment at times and it may take more than one try to hop or step onto some surfaces. There is also this wacky-flailing-arms-running-thing that she does occasionally which would be best described as the proverbial "running like a girl" and it feels out of place. No one should run like that! It is infrequent when she does this, but it always catches my eye because I think Lara should run like an Olympian athlete, with power and purpose. Her running speed also seems a little slow-paced, but not bad. Climbing and jumping about is slightly improved over previous versions of the game, although sometimes the lateral jumps are difficult to get the game to recognize.
One thing I noticed is that Lara is a bit bouncier, and I am not referring to her feminine assets. By "bouncier" I mean she literally bounces off the ground when she falls and dies from a great height. Some of her falling death animations are what I would imagine a human-sized rag doll made of silly putty would look like if tossed out a fifth story window. Unrealistic yet kind of funny.
The camera is at times hard to deal with, as with previous versions. Sometimes it is in too close, sometimes it's out too far, but usually it isn't bad. When it is bad, it's really annoying and can get even get you killed. Sometimes, often without any type of cue or warning, the game switches to a fixed camera perspective which sometimes confuses me and makes me think the camera got stuck on some environmental obstacle.
The combat reticule is larger than Tomb Raider: Anniversary, which is nice since it is much, much easier to see what you are targeting. Up to the point that I have played there isn't a lot of combat, but Tomb Raider has never really been a combat focused game. It focuses on environmental puzzles and stays fairly true to the game's roots. Also, Med-Paks are no longer part of the game, and Lara will automatically recover from injury after a few moments of rest, which seems to be the new trend in video games. Overall, I think that the new health system is an improvement and I welcome the change.
The game starts you off after a short training level and then sends you off into a scuba diving sequence that could have been shorter. Once that boring hurdle is passed, the game gets back to its Tomb Raider platforming roots very quickly. The same basic Tomb Raider swimming controls are back. As usual, I struggled for a few minutes coming to grips with the swimming controls but even after I've mastered them again I really feel like they could be better somehow.
Ultimately, the game is about environmental navigation and solving mini-game puzzles. Many of the same style of puzzles we saw in Tomb Raider: Anniversary are back, and I still enjoy them. I wish there were more of them and that some of them were harder, especially the gear-and-cog puzzles. It is still easy to die if you aren't careful and fail to examine your surroundings before you jump to action, but the game is very forgiving and provides frequent checkpoints throughout each of the levels.
THE GOOD:
+++ Well designed levels in exotic, far-off places to explore.
+++ Excellent music and ambient sound
+++ Easier combat with the new, improved combat reticule
+++ Well designed exploration puzzles.
+++ Lots of checkpoints so death doesn't mean you lost 30 minutes of painstaking progress.
THE BAD:
--- The menu interface seems to be inspired by the iPod touch wheel, but it is not as intuitive as it could be. It is way too easy to accidentally select the wrong menu item.
--- The camera is still tricky to deal with.
--- Some of the controls and animations have so much potential but could have been tighter. A lot of the same issues from previous Tomb Raider games are still here.
It may sound like I really don't like this game, but I do. I just wish that the developers would have fixed these issues that have been present in the past several games. None of the issues ruin the game experience, but they do tarnish it when we've seen other games handle similar situations more gracefully. If you enjoyed the recent Tomb Raider games, you will probably enjoy this game. Fans of Prince of Persia and Indiana Jones will also probably enjoy this game despite its flaws.
Underworld Is Missing Something. 
I was very disappointed with this game. After a little internet research I found out why. The Wii version is missing some stages of the game that are found on the other game consoles. There are missing enemies such as sharks and spiders. You can not fire your weapon while hanging on ledge. Basically they removed from the Wii version all the cool stuff you see in the teasers.
I love the Tomb Raider Series and pre ordered this game. I would like to think it is my previous gaming expertise which allowed me to plow through this game in 3-4 leisurely days, but I don't think that was the case. If you are interested in the Tomb Raider and you have a Wii, I highly recommend Tomb Raider: Anniversary over this game. If you have played Tomb Raider before and have to try this new game, I would rent or buy for a different console.
My Wife LOVES This Game....
I bought this game for my wife and she is LOVES this game. She said it was a bit difficult to learn the controls at first but once she got through the first level she had it figured out pretty quick. She enjoys the feeling of it being all one big puzzle, as well as the adventure. I will say she HATES shooting games so when she had to shoot a couple of Tigers that seemed to disturb her. However, overall she really enjoys playing this game.
