Tomb Raider Preview – E3 2012
Lara becomes more desperate, dangerous in our updated look at the game
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SpectralShock
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Following the reveal of a new image for Lara Croft, the developers at Crystal Dynamics have returned to E3 with this year’s showing of the game. Things kicked off with a new gameplay trailer that debuted during the Microsoft E3 media briefing, showing Lara’s newfound action role and having gone from a crying young woman to a shotgun wielding heroine. This transformation is drastic, to be sure, but during our behind-closed-doors presentation of the game, we got to see a bit more of Lara’s character and how she will progress through the game.
We meet Lara not long after the end of the demo we saw at last year’s show. Injured but alive, she continues to trek across the coast, in search for food and shelter. We see a lifeboat on the rocks below, but getting down there is no easy feat. Having crossed a log dangerously positioned above a waterfall, we stumble upon an old airplane that is stuck on rocks with a long drop below it. Lara wearily jumps on it, and as the pieces begin to fall, we manage to climb our way to the top just as everything behind us comes crashing down. This is the only bit of platforming that the demo has, and it seems the developers are taking a few queues from the Uncharted series, including making Lara a very clumsy and uncertain climber, as a real average person would be.
We finally reach the boat and find a radio, but there is no answer to our calls. It is starting to get dark and the rain has picked up. Lara scrambles to reach a safe spot under some rocks and start a file with some supplies she has recovered. She shakes as the cold takes over, and waits out the night by the fire. When morning arrives, it’s time to move on and attempt to meet other survivors. In the forested area, Lara spots a body of a man hanging from the trees, unclear how he ended up there. He has a bow on him, something that would probably come in handy. Lara climbs the tree and grabs the body as it swings near her, retrieving the weapon and some arrows.
Now armed, but hungry, Lara finds some wildlife and reluctantly (as it is her apparent first time) kills the animal for food. It was time to head back to camp – here Lara could either use the in-game map or her Survival Instinct, which is a special effect which shows where you have previously been, thus giving the ability to retrace your steps. Back at camp, we purchased a new survival skill, giving us the ability to retrieve arrows we’ve shot. It works fine as a gameplay mechanic, but comes across a bit strange in the real world setting.
Suddenly, the radio comes alive, and Lara finally has a chance to speak with a survivor. She almost breaks down in tears, unsure if she is able to continue. But the man pushes her onwards, through the mountains where they can meet. On her way, Lara comes across a strange structure. There is someone signing, so we descend into the underground passageways and make our way through the flooded hallways. Here, we once again observe Lara light a torch and clear the way by setting fire to some cloth and boxes. We emerge in a new location as night has fallen once again.
It’s not long before we discover another survivor and Lara’s friend by a fire, along with a strange man. Lara isn’t comfortable with the man, but they agree to relax by the fire together. It’s not long though, before things go south and the man turns out to be hostile, taking Lara’s friend hostage. As they retreat, Lara is caught in a bear trap following them. Unable to break free, we hear the howls of wolves in the area. Defenceless, Lara pulls out her bow and begins to take out lunging wolves in slow motion. It’s a tense moment, for sure.
Finally, a set of survivors come to the rescue. They realize that Lara’s friend must be rescued, so they agree to split up – a group will follow the man, while Lara and a doctor will explore further inland for any survivors. It’s not long until the pair arrives at a door, which requires levers to raise. The pickaxe Lara currently has isn’t strong enough to open the doors, so we must scout the area to find more salvage materials. The materials are found in weirdly located wooden crates, which we recover with exploration of the area, all while fighting off stray wolves. Finally, the pickaxe is ready and the pair continues on.
Unfortunately, it’s not long until they are surrounded. The doctor has a gun with him, as he asks his bow-wielding attackers to back off, unsuccessfully. Being a pacifist, and to Lara’s desperate protests, the doctor decides to avoid conflict and actually surrenders to the attackers. They are tied up and taken to camp, where others survivors are also being held. With some luck, Lara is able to escape and sneak through the camp. However, she is once again discovered by the man who captured her.
In the fight that ensues, Lara bites off the man’s ear, and as they wrestle with the weapon, she kills him. Shocked and in pain, this is Lara’s defining moment as she continues to evolve at accelerated pace. This is a powerful moment, but it comes at odds with that same gameplay footage that we saw at the Microsoft Briefing. How does Lara, who is being constantly and successfully showcased as a vulnerable and inexperienced character, go from these exhausting moments to wielding shotguns and blowing enemies away without a second thought? As well, how much punishment can Lara truly take before her body should have began to suffer beyond realism? These are important questions, which will hopefully be answered when we are able to play through the complete experience as Tomb Raider ships on consoles and PC in March 2013.