Tomb Raider Anniversary

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Released on: June 5, 2007
System: Games for Windows, Playstation 2
ESRB Rating: Teen
Review based on: Games for Windows (Downloaded from Steam)
Official Website

The Scoop: Lara Croft returns to her roots in this re imagining of the original Tomb Raider story.


Hitting Start...

• Someone wants to hire Lara to find a mysterious artifact. Something about the lost city of Atlantis. I'm not paying the best attention though because Lara is rendered much better than she was in the 1996 original.
  
• We are whisked away to a snowy mountain top in Peru. Poor Lara must be freezing in her now famous short shorts and blue tank top. You would think all the money she makes looting the riches from ancient tombs would afford her the comfort of a parka and some sensible boots.
• Hey look at that. Lara has her very own Sherpa. At least he had the sense to wear a jacket and some mukluks.
  
• The duo come to a large stone door in the mountain side. Numerous ledges and outcroppings dot the cliff surrounding the door. In classic Tomb Raider fashion it looks like I've got some work to do.
• The gameplay is solid. Climbing and jumping from ledge to ledge isn't frustrating even if you don't always make it the first time. It's made even easier with a Xbox 360 USB controller. If you intend to go the PC route with TR:A I recommend trying it over the mouse and keyboard.
• Finally I've guided Lara to a ledge over the door where the magic button is located. I push it and the large stone doors swing open. Ahhh victory.
• Cutscene: three wolves waiting on the other side of the door spring out and kill my Sherpa. Those bastards. I tried to stop them. But it was too late. They're already gaging on the soles of his boots. If only he were smart enough to dress for action like Lara he might still be alive! ( Funny how hindsight works sometimes ain't it! )
• The wolves dispatched and doors open Lara heads down into those deep dark caves one more time.
  

...I can't wait to see whats next.


Am I impressed? absolutely
How come? Crystal Dynamics provided the CPR that the Tomb Raider franchise needed last year with Tomb Raider Legend and it continues here. The gameplay is solid. The puzzles are tough but never impossible. And even though the graphics seems to be leaning more toward last gen than the current cycle there are still some really nice touches. It feels more like the Tomb Raider of old with the focus more on puzzles and acrobatics with the occasional firefight when you run into the animals and creatures lurking in the caves and jungles.

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Sega
Released on: November 15, 2005
System Xbox 360, PC
ESRB Rating: Mature
Review based on: Demo downloaded from Xbox Live.

The Scoop: Investigate crime scenes with high-tech forensic tools—just like Grissom from CSI! And you also get to bash in the skulls of crack addicts with a lead pipe (not like Grissom.)

Hitting Start...

• I like the intro; it reminds me of the movie "Seven". Nice way to set the tone of the game. It's grabbed me already!
• The game is an FPS and it starts with my character talking to a couple of fellow cops in an abandoned building. Oh boy, my first crime scene! Ok let's see; there's a woman lying on the floor...I'll say, she's dead? Open and shut case!
• I have to examine the body to determine cause of death. Using a cool-looking infrared camera doohickey reveals a fluorescent blob on the victim's neck. I focus in and take a snapshot, which is then sent to the lab (via my cool cell phone) for immediate analysis. Ah-ha! Death by strangulation!
  
• Further investigation of the crime scene reveals that the suspect is a known serial killer. I really like where this game is going. The atmosphere is great, and it's done a great job of pulling me in so far.
• The killer is still in the building? Time to bust ass! Wait, I have to stay here and restore power to the building while the two cops chase after the bad guy? Awww....
• Boy, my character is one ugly dude. :(
  
• Armed with my gun and flashlight, I venture into the dark building. As I start making my way down a dark corridor, I see movement!
• "Come out peacefully or I will use deadly force!" Hey—I plan to use deadly force either way!
• Bum-rushed by a crack-head! He eats a slug from my sidearm and crumples to the floor, his blood splashed all over the wall. I don't know what it is about this game, but it has a very 'realistic' feel to it. I like it!
• Venturing further, another crack-head. This one didn't even get a warning. Police brutality, anyone?
• I hit Y to reload my gun, only to realize that it doesn't actually get reloaded. Instead, my character checks the amount of rounds in the gun. According to the game, I'm limited to the ammunition that is found in weapons. Hmmm...I'm going to have to be a little bit more conservative with my ammo and quit hosing down these perps with a steady stream of lead. Very interesting game concept...
  
• Okay, I found the fuse box, but flipping the switch caused me to get blown off my feet. The killer took my gun! Joke's on him—I had only one round left! Ha!
  
• I'm on my feet now armed only with my flashlight. The game is telling me to rip a 2x4 or pipe from the wall and use it as a weapon. For real?! This game is crazy!
• I rip a lead pipe from the wall; now I'm ready for action! Hit RT to swing, LT to block. Okay, got it. Bring on the psychos!
• It's really dark in here and my flashlight keeps flickering. I keep hearing people running around, but I can't see anything. What's that?! A box just fell over and I hear running footsteps! Great use of audio and lighting—I'm normally not a wuss, but I'm actually quite freaked out now! (Okay, I am a wuss.)
  
• Another crack-head leaps out from around a dark corner and attacks me with a 2x4, giving me a slight heart attack in the process. I swing my pipe, and with a sickening wet "thunk" sound, I send him sprawling. I've never been in a pipe-fight with a crack-head before, so I can't speak from experience, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the developers did a great job of recreating the brutality of burying a pipe into someone's noggin. Hey, the details matter!
• Why did I choose to play this game with the lights off? :(
  
• Another nut case jumps out of the shadows and attacks! I think I've soiled myself. I finish him off, but not before I take several good shots from him. I've realized that you can't just keep the block trigger held down; you have to time it just right.
• Okay, I think I got a good rhythm going here: block, swing, block, swing—seriously, it's more intense then it sounds!
• "Press A to move object". Sure, why not. Moving an old file cabinet reveals a pump-action shotgun. Cha-ching! A quick check of the ammo reveals three rounds; gotta make 'em count.
• Hey, I can toggle between firing the shotgun, or using it as club! The developers thought of everything!
• After burning through my shotgun rounds, I rip a piece of conduit off the wall. Shopping at Home Depot will never be the same after this.
• I notice that each time I pick up a new hunk of board or pipe, a little pop-up window appears, displaying the weapon's stats (speed, power, block, etc.) It seems like each weapon has its pros and cons.
• It's slow, but I pull a fire axe out of the wall to use as my next weapon.
• I get jumped from behind, but I whip around and flatten the scumbag with a well-placed axe swing. Buddy hits the ground dead. Hey, he AXED for it! Ha!
• What the hell, the serial killer gets the jump on me and sticks a gun in my face! "...don't mess this up for us. We are on the same path of righteousness." Considerings all the people I just axe-and-pipe murdered, he ain't that far off!
• My fellow cops arrive to save me....and are promptly shot by the killer. Hey wait a second...my gun had only one round in it!
  
• The killer punches me in the gut and then throws me out a window. I land on parked car, and the demo comes to an end. What an intense 20 minutes! I left a big grease stain on my couch...

...but I want to keep playing!

Am I impressed? Very!
How come? Great atmosphere; the sound and visuals do an excellent job of immersing you into a dark and gritty experience; intense, edge of your seat hand-to-hand combat; the CSI tools are fun to use!