PlayStation 3

Tomb Raider: Underworld

Lara Croft has always been a great video game companion. She looks great, can handle nearly any task thrown at her, knows how to ride a motorcycle, and looks great in a swimsuit. Her latest globe-spanning adventures provide hours of fun and good replayability, and the story is top-notch, especially for history or mythology buffs. If you enjoyed Legend's retelling of the King Arthur tale, you'll get a kick out of the search for Thor's hammer (which is named Mjolnir, so all you fellow Halo fiends out there can know where the armor gets its name). Good puzzles, great music, and amazing graphics are all to be found in Underworld. Now go get this game - you wouldn't want to keep Ms. Lara waiting, would you?

Overall, I have really enjoyed my time with Lara in Tomb Raider: Underworld. I am currently being frustrated by the final level of the game and aim to beat it very shortly. If you loved the series once upon a time but gave up on it and haven't played Legend, then get Legend and beat it first, then played Underworld. Your faith in one of the most iconic videogame characters of all time will once again be renewed.

In tone, Underworld hits the target dead center, delivering the perfect mix of isolation and discovery with larger dramatic encounters. No modern cities mar Lara’s excursion this time – this is tomb raiding from beginning to end. Remarkable visuals sell the experience, and a moving score deepens your involvement. The formula behind the game is ready for some fresh ideas, but as a wrap up of old ideas, Underworld hits the sweet spot.

That’s the rub though. Underworld does practically nothing with its aging formula beyond offering an aesthetic overhaul and streamlined, sleeker control scheme. The thing is, those glorious vistas, hugely atmospheric new tombs and fluid platform mechanics expand the core essence of the Tomb Raider experience in such a way that, yes, it feels fresh and new. It’s not a radical advancement for the series in any way and that’s a massive disappointment, particularly given the sheer wealth of game aspects seriously in need of attention. Scores are awarded for what a game is though, not what it isn’t and, despite its failure to move the series forward, Underworld is still fundamentally an incredibly enjoyable experience and a real return to captivating tomb raiding on a grand scale. It might be the same Lara we’ve enjoyed over the years but there’s no denying the lady’s still got style.

Not since God of War have I had my breath taken away so frequently by a game’s level designs. Lara’s polypropylene twins never once steal your eye from the magnificent sights – ranging from foreboding skyscraper-sized statues to lush jungle backdrops. As an adventure game, Underworld is a towering success that raises the bar for the series. Unfortunately, it also aspires to be a shooter. Whenever a gun is fired, the immersion factor is lost. The gunplay is antiquated to the point of absurdity, with enemies bouncing in place as they are riddled with bullets. Regardless, Underworld remains exhilarating, and is one of Lara’s finest efforts to date.

While it doesn’t propel the series forward to new heights, Underground is certainly an exciting and challenging Tomb Raider game worthy of Lady Croft’s sizeable talents. Yes, the returning problems from the first game are back but these new tombs make for a rich and rewarding experience for Tomb Raider fans.

Tomb Raider Underworld es una fantástica propuesta para los amantes de los puzzles y las plataformas, a la que sólo le ha faltado una cámara que haga su trabajo como es debido y algo más de contenidos. Y es que a estas alturas presentar únicamente un modo individual sin posibilidades on-line debe verse acompañado de una campaña larga, y no es el caso. La nueva aventura de Lara Croft es breve pero intensa, plagada de buenos puzzles y consolidando una entrega imprescindible para fans.

Tomb Raider Underworld was far more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be. The expansive environments, solid platforming sequences, challenging puzzles, and adventure-filled storyline should appeal to anyone who loved the Prince of Persia games and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Disappointingly, combat is fairly mediocre, and a lot of technical inconsistencies are troublesome. Nevertheless, Underworld is a very good game. Eidos can feel confident that Crystal Dynamics has returned this gaming superstar back to her former glory. I expect the next entry to be substantial. After all, third time's a charm!

Still, there’s plenty to be positive about when it comes to Underworld. The puzzles are a good bunch and are – on occasion – as clever as a particularly crafty fox, the game looks fantastic and will satisfy all teenage men with the graphical touches such as mud spattering and water dripping off Lara’s torso as she runs about some rather lovely ruins and the like, and the exploration is, for the most part, good fun and much more forgiving than previous Tomb Raider games. The camera issues, poor combat and longevity do hitch a snag around Lara’s ever-so-small shorts and hoik her down from a higher score, but overall it’s another step along the right path.

I really did enjoy the experience, as unchallenging as it felt (whether because the puzzles rarely required timing threatening death beyond falling, because the enemies even have visible health bars or due to the friendly checkpoint system) but felt that it was too quick to get through to justify a full £40 purchase. Spot it a bit cheaper when you’re done with the tonne of other great games out at the moment and I definitely recommend picking it up.

In Tomb Raider Underworld, Lara Croft must overcome dangers across the globe while solving a mythological mystery that ties in with her parents' disappearance. Unfortunately, the in-game camera is a hassle, especially when enemies get too close. The open-world exploration is fun, but a lack of hints of where to go next may frustrate you. Overcome these problems, however, and you'll be handsomely rewarded with outstanding visuals, fun shoot-em-up gameplay, excellent puzzles and hours of maneuvering the sexy Ms. Croft. Like her previous two games, Underworld is a welcome, if slightly flawed, addition to the franchise.

Epic without ever pushing boundaries for the series, Tomb Raider: Underworld is a game that fans of the franchise will no doubt relish. But with its occasionally obtuse puzzle solutions, this isn't the great instalment it could have been - and falls rather flat in the end.

Tomb Raider: Underworld is a visually stunning, epic adventure that continues Crystal Dynamics' excellent run. We reckon it's the best completely original Tomb Raider (Anniversary was, of course, a remake) we've had in years, and is only let down by the odd control quirk and camera issue. If you're looking for a game heavy on exploration instead of gun-play and don't mind looking at a finely toned arse for 12 or more hours, Underworld comes highly recommended.

Ei Tomb Raider Underworld kaikista vioistaan huolimatta huono peli ole, mutta kilpailu etenkin PlayStation 3 -pelaajien ajasta on tässä genressä tällä hetkellä tavallista tiukempaa, mistä kiitos kuuluu Nathan Drakelle. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortuneen verrattuna Tomb Raider Underworld nimittäin vetää pidemmän korren lähinnä seikkailuun ja tutkimiseen keskittymisen osalta ja (pelaajasta riippuen) päähenkilönsä puolesta. Uncharted taas sisältää perinteisen, mutta varsin hyvin kirjoitetun tarinan, toimivat taistelut (vaikka niitä onkin liikaa) ja huomattavasti paremmin tyhjyyden päällä taiteiluun soveltuvan pelimekaniikan, joista Laran kehittäjienkin sietäisi seuraavaan julkaisuunsa ottaa oppia.

Despite all our complaints, Underworld is still absolutely worth playing for Tomb Raider fans. The problems don’t detract from the core of the game, which is really entertaining. What they do highlight, however, is that this far into the series, with Crystal Dynamics already having cut its teeth on the franchise, Tomb Raider should know what it’s about. We shouldn’t have to deal with severely sub-standard combat. We shouldn’t have to deal with weird mechanics that seem to have been added in at random. This should be a much slicker product. Still, it’s good fun for the most part, and at the end of the day that’s why we play, right?

Then again, perhaps the short play-time is a blessing in disguise: it helps spare you from a really long adventure where you have to suffer with that camera. Plus, the sooner the story ends, the quicker you can stop paying attention to it. While that has to count for something, it’s highly doubtful that this is what Eidos was hoping for with the title. Maybe that downloadable content will address the ridiculous camera issues, so let’s be hopeful for that at least.

With a little more originality, and gunnery to match Lara's athletic prowess, Tomb Raider: Underworld would rank among the best the genre has to offer. As it stands, she's great company for a weekend but no substitute for Uncharted and co in the long run.

It may not be a revelatory interactive gaming experience in any way, but Underworld is great fun nonetheless. The combat can be a pain – at least until a late-game twist turns things around – but the puzzles, which form the bulk of the gameplay, are both challenging and enjoyable. Fans of the series can definitely look forward to a solid 8-10 hours of adventuring with Miss Croft and her many, many assets.

It's certainly worth playing, but after so many years without a decent Tomb Raider to tackle, now isn't the time to drip-feed new ideas and content.

Tomb Raider: Underworld é assim uma obra ambígua, composta pelo melhor e pelo pior que a série nos tem oferecido. Uma câmara indomável prejudica a experiência, assim como uma dose de bugs que se pensava não voltar a ver nestas aventuras. O jogo flutua ainda entre ambientes de cortar a respiração e outros perfeitamente dispensáveis, como o é igualmente o abuso de backtracking. Depois de Legend e sobretudo de um Anniversary de luxo, esperava-se mais deste regresso de Lara. Os fãs têm aqui uma boa aventura, mas que precisava de uns quantos meses de afinação para ser verdadeiramente digna da mítica Lara Croft.

Tomb Raider Underworld is a decent game that Lara Croft fans will enjoy, but it’s not quite the experience that will live up to or even surpass that of Legend. It’s a shame, really, because there was a large amount of promise, particularly with the “What Could Lara Do?” system, which highlighted good controls for the game, more realistic animations for Lara, and slightly improved combat. Unfortunately, the game was held back by “What The Technology Couldn’t,” leaving Underworld firmly in Tomb Raider: Legend’s shadow.

"Tomb Raider: Underworld" continua com a boa fase da heroína, que foi revitalizada pela Crystal Dynamics em "Tomb Raider: Legend". Para os fãs é um grande prazer reencontrar a musa em busca de sua mãe, algo que amplia sua mitologia, ainda mais depois de notar que a moça volta em excelente forma, repleta de movimentos naturais e precisos. Pena que, com certos defeitos técnicos, alguns combates sem emoção e curta duração da história, os admiradores tenham que continuar na espera por um jogo definitivo da heroína.

In the long run, the consistently buggy and flawed level design keeps Lara from reaching new heights. It’s a real shame that a game which has all the attributes present for a real fun adventure is ultimately dragged down by such petite issues. The game also only clocks in at around 7 or 8 hours (provided you don’t run into same issue I did) so if anything this is a good rental candidate. There’s no doubt big Lara fans will get their fix from this flashy adventure but for those looking for a solid adventure to hold them over Christmas should probably look somewhere else.

Tomb Raider Underworld se présentait comme le meilleur épisode de la saga mais se pose uniquement comme un "simple" très bon jeu. Accumulant quelques bugs gênants et divers défauts de gameplay, le titre de Crystal Dynamics n'en reste pas moins très abordable. En somme, malgré ces soucis, ce titre reste fort plaisant grâce à son level-design aussi torturé que celui du TR original, sa plus grande accessibilité, son ambiance enchanteresse et une volonté de terminer en beauté une trilogie en revenant à la source mythologique et familiale.

Le gameplay, quant à lui, s'inscrit totalement dans la lignée d'Anniversary avec l'accent mis sur l'exploration de décors gigantesques et des phases de plates-formes spectaculaires. Bien sûr, d'aucuns regretteront que le jeu ne tente pas d'amener la série un peu plus loin sur des terrains nouveaux et inexplorés jusqu'alors plutôt que de rester prudemment sur ces sentiers connus. Bien sûr, d'aucuns pesteront contre la caméra capricieuse et railleront les petits bugs encore présents çà et là. Mais ces imperfections, si regrettables soient-elles, sont très vite et largement occultées par les qualités indéniables de cette aventure. Peut-être l'un des épisodes les plus réussis de la série depuis sa création.

Tomb Raider Underworld is an enjoyable adventure, but it's one that's just too familiar for anyone who's played the previous games. The basic problems with clipping and the unruly camera are still annoying, and while Lara's new abilities add to her impressive athleticism, the route through most levels is still rigidly linear. The AI and combat are also weak, and while fighting is a relatively small part of the game, Underworld would arguably be better without it. That said, the environments are stunning, and working your way through the many different challenges is still as enjoyable as ever. Ultimately there's still life in the Tomb Raider series, but as the title suggests, it may be in need of another resurrection.

„Tomb Raider – Underworld“ ist ein wunderschön anzusehendes Spiel, dessen Fassade aber nach kurzer Zeit bröckelt. Bugs, lasche Story, fehlende Umsetzungen von kritisierten Punkten und notwendigen Features etc. sorgen dafür, dass der Spielspaß nicht zu groß wird. Dabei hätte es durchaus Potenzial: Man hätte das Spielkonzept nur ein bisschen weiter durchdenken müssen. Viel Negatives könnte wohl durch einen größeren Patch behoben werden. Vieles jedoch lässt die Fans der Reihe unbefriedigt auf der Strecke. Schade ...

Lara tries to whip out the twins -- get your mind out of the gutter: the "twins" I'm talking about here are 'action' and 'adventure' -- in order to evoke some excitement in Underworld but there isn't enough solid action to back up the platforming. All in all, Ms. Croft's latest effort falls a bit flat with a dated feel; it's obvious that the genre that Lara helped pioneer has long passed her by.

I still don’t understand how Lara can use her guns underwater or why she insists on kicking priceless vase’s, but niggles aside Tomb Raider Underworld is actually pretty fun in places. It’s just a shame that this so called update was is so horrendously out of date in comparison to something like Uncharted which trounces Underworld at every turn. Worth a buy if you’re an avid adventuring fan but a rental to the rest of us.

Tomb Raider: Underworld absolutely reeks of polish in some places and in others it needs a good buffing. The camera is still hideous to control for large portions of time and there are a fair few blind leaps of faith that’ll need to be made because of this. But, you need to bear in mind that this was always the case. Despite all of the flaws, this is a step in the right direction for the Tomb Raider series and isn’t a million miles away from the original game in terms of fun, addictiveness and overall quality. Lara’s slightly more realistic heaving bosom and slightly more rounded and shapely buttocks will be with us all for a good number of years to come it seems, and given the direction that this game takes the series in, that’s not a bad thing - as it isn’t hard to imagine the next game being one of the best of the generation. For now though, the flaws stop Underworld from being a must-buy at what is an incredibly demanding time of year for gamers’ pockets.

We gave Underworld a chance, we really did, but what with the predictable puzzles, exploration that is hampered by camera problems and the uneventful combat sequences, we found the latest game in the Tomb Raider series a little too much to bare. Perhaps we were expecting too much, but that’s what happens when the hype machine comes knocking at your door. If we're told something is going to be brilliant, the best yet, then it's quite easy to get suckered in; we were. If you’ve been a fan of Tomb Raider over the years, then we guess that you’ll still get something out of Underworld, but if you're expecting a memorable and enjoyable adventure, the best in the Tomb Raider series so far, be prepared to be sorely disappointed. Lara looks fresh and reinvigorated, it's just a shame that the rest of the game doesn't.

The numerous performance issues in Underworld mar the overall experience and detract from what could have been a perfect conclusion to the trilogy started by Legend, Anniversary. While it's likely worth it for fans to get closure from Underworld, expect to trudge through a large amount of frustrating gameplay to get it. Suffering from a distinct lack of polish, Tomb Raider Underworld seems like it could have benefited greatly from a little more attention. If it didn't have so many technical issues, Underworld could have been a brilliant conclusion to Lara's latest trilogy.

Beginning to end, the game runs roughly six hours, but there’s little reason to revisit it. For as short as the game is, the only substantial reason to play through it is to witness the excellent visuals. On the surface, Tomb Raider: Underworld looks and sounds fantastic, but much like its heroine, it shows its age upon closer inspection. Both Lara and her series are well past their prime, and both try in vain to look half their age. Though she might be worth a few hours of your time, Lara’s best days are far behind her.