xhonzi

The last Tomb Raider game I finished (or enjoyed) was Tomb Raider 1 in 1995.  I tried TRII and one of the other sequels, but they were just missing something that made them... fun. 

But for some reason, Tomb Raider Legend stuck out to me as something worth looking into.  The demo was pre-loaded on my 360, so it was one of the first impressions the 360 made on me.  At any rate, I picked up all 3 360 games this fall and started with Anniversary. 

AnniversaryT was a nice trip down memory lane and I thought they modernized it very well.  (The available commentary has the original designer and the remake designer comparing notes.  It's pretty interesting).  Anniversary was released after Legend, but looks and plays like a slightly older game- so I think it was wise to start there. 

Legend was really fun.  They seem to have morphed Lara into half Indiana Jones and half James Bond.  This is what I think they were trying with the 90's sequels, but it never gelled well.  Legend was "lighthearted" and had plenty of "action set pieces" aside from the normal puzzle, exploration and basic action elements.  The story really moves and seems to be one that you can actually follow.

I'm about halfway into Underworld.  It's a direct sequel to Legend, but it seems to have changed theme quite a bit.  It's more focused and driven, also darker and more serious.  The graphics also underwent a massive upgrade which gives the game a nice slick look.  It also brings in elements of Anniversary- both from a game mechanics perspective and a storytelling one as well.  So it nicely ties the three games together.

In all, the three new games seem to avoid whatever was dragging the 90s sequels down and making them "unfun."  It seems that Tomb Raider borrowed from the original Prince of Persia and and then improved on it, then Prince of Persia Sands of Time borrowed back and then improved on it again, and now Tomb Raider has borrowed the best from everything including the new Uncharted games.  So If you liked the original game from way back when, you might want to give the new ones a shot.  If you've been looking at the games wondering if they were any good, you can know that I at least have found them to be very fun.

Now only if they would lower the price on the two DLC levels for Underworld.  I spent $10 on the game, and they're asking me to spend $20 on the DLC?  Where is Adam Smith's invisible hand?!?!?!

Also we watched Tales of the Black Freighter.  Has anyone watched the Watchmen Ultimate Cut?  I can't think this cartoon would integrate well into the live action movie.

We watched XIII last night.  It was okay... was that really Stephen Dorff?  I really liked the game when I played that 4 or so years ago... but I could only remember bits and pieces.  The movie didn't have any of the same set pieces (no submarines, no Scottish castles full of druids, etc) but the conspiracy was mostly the same.  I haven't read the comics and only a quarter of them or so are in English.  Guess I'll have to dust off my French if I ever want to know how the story ends.

I can't believe how many people think "fodder" means "poop" because of the way Return of the Jedi and the Phantom Menace use the term "(bantha) poo-doo."

As a non PS gamer, I used to think I was really missing out on the God of War franchise.  I was always looking for the GOW clone to come to Xbox so I could stop pining for the series.  If the demo for GOWIII is any indication, I guess I can stop worrying about it.  There are some cool concepts and generally the Greek Mythology setting entices me... but the game itself I didn't think was that fun.  And I can't say I enjoyed the gore or brutality much.

Not to keep making references to the Original Topic in a thread that has so hopelessly abandoned it... but I really like the beginning of part 5 where he says to the effect of "Qui-gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi should really be combined into an all new character named 'Obi-Wan Kenobi.'"  That's pure comic gold!

The Demo for GoWIII is on the District 9 Blu Ray.  At least, that's where I got it.

Poo.

Wait, I like to camp.  Doesn't that mean I win?

Put me down for $20k.

TV's Frink said:

xhonzi said:

That's funny at first.  But after the laughter, I just feel empty inside...

That's usually how i feel after reading a xhonzi post.

 :(.......

That's funny at first.  But after the laughter, I just feel empty inside...

I think I'll go cry myself to sleep.

Batman Returns is my least favourite.  It's sort of too serious for a silly take on Batman and too silly for a serious take on Batman.  The Shumacher films are mostly worthless, but they're consistent.

captainsolo said:

Alice in Wonderland-how many times can Tim Burton make the same movie?

 Maybe it's the movie he's been trying to make for the past 15 years and he's finally getting it out of his system.  *shrug*

The "sequels not as good as originals" thing mostly applies to movies.  I think most game sequels are expected to be better than the original. 

I don't know if Kate is really a good looker or not... there's no amount of looks for which I would put up with all of that CRAZY!

VFP- Watch out for ABC... they will pull episodes at the worst times.

My thoughts/questions on E3: What Kate does-
Is Sayid himself?  What does Miles know about Sayid's "death"?
Is Ethan still a part of DHARMA?  In the (alt)1977, DHARMA evacuated most everyone off the island so Ethan never helped Ben gas DHARMA.  Instead, Ethan left with his mother as a 1 year old.  Did she go back to Ann Arbor DHARMA?  If so, how/why is Ethan out in LA?

Are the coincidences in alt2004 just that?  Do people do the same thing more or less regardless of the circumstances (Kate taking care of Claire, Claire chosing the name Aaron for Turniphead) Or do people have odd memory leakage from the original timeline?

Was Desmond on the plane the whole time?  Are the changes in alt2004 permanent?  Or are they also changing... probably being sucked back into the original configuration and alt2004 will be a "course correcting" timeline?

Does 2007 Claire look like Rousseau because the island is causing her to perform the "Rousseau Role"? 

I think that's it for now.

I'm sorry?

Thish thread is the biggesh dishappointment shince my son.

I can't even tell who the proto-gonist is.

So... fur is... good?

Ditto.

Pft! Shelbyville?

E.T.

Pft! Shelbyville.

TV's Frink said:

CHEWBACCA: Rooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

(translation: PROBATION!!!)

And what the hell, FULL PARDON for everyone else!

 But I said I WATCH her make them.  And the letters W-A-T-C-H were transmitted "digitally.

Pft!  Shelbyville.