July 13, 2012

Tomb Raider Comic-Con Demo Covers Some New Ground

Tomb Raider is once again in the spotlight, this time at Comic-Con, which runs through Sunday in sunny San Diego. Last night Gamespot aired a live stream from the show floor, in which convention visitors had a chance to spend some hands-on time with the game, and Crystal Dynamics Global Brand Director Karl Stewart showed off a few previously unseen areas.

Highlights included the introduction of several new NPCs, more combat mechanics, and an extended segment showing exploration, pathfinding, and the mechanics of the "Survival Instinct" help system. I wasn't sure how all this was going to work, but I'm rather digging the RPG elements like experience points and the "salvage" system for item crafting. The scenery is as gorgeous as you'd expect from a Tomb Raider game, and the on-demand help seems subtle and well implemented.

But don't take my word for it. Watch the demo yourself and let me know what you think. Leave a comment below, post on my Facebook page, or send me a tweet @stellalune.


For a complete listing of Tomb Raider events at the con, check the Official Tomb Raider Blog, and bookmark my Tomb Raider SDCC playlist for more videos as they become available.

5 comments:

  1. Encore! Encore!

    So much to say! One, I'm glad they explained the bear trap was rusty and broken because no human being would survive that without losing their foot. Two, at the 27:30 mark her explorer friend connects the island to Atlantis? Yay! Also, that Russian scum was still alive after he got shot in the head?! Brutal!

    My theory is that Lara acquires her infamous backpack after her friend, Sam, dies and decides to keep it as a memento. The pistols are probably retrieved after a prolonged and intense boss battle, and her dual wielding ability is unlocked by spending experience points, or some such.

    This is coming along so well! It's like a combination of gameplay from the Batman Arkham games, SH: Downpour's exploration and hub system, the cinematic quality of Heavy Rain, and Metal Gear Solid 3's survival strategies. I'm going to purchase two copies, the collector's and regular edition of the game.

    And a new Tomb Raider movie coming out in 2013, too! Lara's back, baby!

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  2. This is totally amazing. Each time I see more of this new game, the more I'm amazed and happy. Though it does remind me A LOT of the Uncharted series, I'll still get it and play it to death. Did the same thing for all 3 Uncharted games. Nothing will stop a great game, unless it is rushed to market. Square Enix (?) and Crystal Dynamics take you time and get it right! I can wait (barely, but I can wait)

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  3. im sorry, that doesnt make any sense. she acquired the backpack at 4:11 when she actually got it in TR Revelations as a child. i know its a reboot and the gameplay looks kinda decent, although i cant really seem to get into the storyline. i dont know what they were aiming for with her being in this much pain throughout the game, but it just doesnt seem "Lara Croft-ish". i am a big fan of TR series, but im not really sure about this one.

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  4. She didn't take the backpack, she left it laying on the ground. Throughout the rest of the video you can clearly see she doesn't have it on her back, now does she?

    If you don't like what you see, don't buy it.

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  5. Uncharted fans everywhere.You've got it the wrong way around. TR is the original stuff! :)

    Never actually bothered to play Uncharted myself since, I refuse to buy any game I can't play on my awesome PC. Maybe I'm missing out on some great games though.. :/

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