Game Star Magazine Article and Screenshots - 30/11/06
A few more 'Game Star' magazine scans have been revealed.
In the full German article there are a few more screens. To follow up the first page of the article, the second page of the article contains info on Lara's new 'fitness program' and some Lost Valley screens. The third page of the article compares the original game briefly with the new remake and contains a blurb on Karima Adebibe who's also going to be the Tomb Raider model for TR: AE. There is also aparently some concept art for the cover of the game.
"Happy Birthday, Ms. Croft" - Article Transcript
For her 10th Birthday the maker of Tomb Raider Legend send Lara through her first part of her famous series. Only a remake? No! Here is quite more than super looks. What for a year! Not 2006, because December is still left for a complete review. No, let's look a decade back - to the year 1996, in which happend a memorable moment: For example the young animation studio Pixar broke every visitor records with "Toy Story", the first film, which were complety made by computers. As the last EU-Country Belgium got rid of the death penalty and the german soccer team won the European championship againgst the Czech Republic with 2:1. But what the games of videogames is most momorable, is the birth of a pixellady named Lara Croft. Now, ten years later the development team, who helped the clever archeologist to get her former glory with "Tomb Raider: Legend", accord respect with her former debut: Tomb Raider: Anniversary is the remake of the first part in a modern look - and more. We visited the publisher Eidos in London to find out more about Lara's newest old adventure - and to light some birthday candles of course.
About Lara and King Kong
Right at the beginning Toby Guard corrected a big rumor: "No, Tomb Raider Anniversary is no 1:1 remake of the original one. Instead we were inspirierd by Peter Jackson, who made his remake of King Kong very succesfull: To take over highlights from the original part with a modern look." So, the team didn't build the original Tomb Raider stone for stone again, but provide the "new" game with remarkable single scenes from once. Is there a fan that doesn't remember the wooden cogwheel device and the waterfall in the Peruvian temple ruins? Or the T-Rex' scary and spectacular entrance? Unfortunately, Toby absolutely refused to show us the latter. Instead, we see Lara in another cutscene, standing at the bottom of a postcard compatible valley, staring at the camera in horror and barely able to stand due to quake-inducing footsteps (Jurassic Park, anyone?). The presentation stops right before the primeval animal appears. "Come on, gotta have a little suspense left", Toby jokes. Well, he's got it.
New Fitness Program
Even though Lara's arsenal of moves was revolutionary in the original Tomb Raider game, her jumping and crawling looks quite clumsy by today's standards. Remember long jumps, for example? Those worked more or less like this: Carefully walk up to the edge, hop back a full step, get some momentum, jump at the right moment and don't you forget that button to hang on! The programmers at Crystal Dynamics have adopted Lara's modernized abilities from Legend. You'll be able to reach far ledges even if you don't jump right at the very last moment. However, you'll have to grab again by hitting a key or your heroine will slip and fall. In general, you'll remember a lot of the jumping and climbing from Legend: Lara dives horizontally from ledge to ledge, swings on all kinds of bars and even hurls herself up to ledges above her. Of course the helpful grapple will return, which Lara uses to swing across chasms and to pull metallic objects towards herself. But Miss Croft has also learnt some new moves and balances on scarily narrow wooden poles - gamers using a gamepad with an analog stick will have a clear advantage.
Tell Me Again!
For those who can't remember: In the original Tomb Raider, Lara was hired by a mysterious organization to dig for a magical artefact called the Scion in the Peruvian mountains. As soon as Lara's found all of the three parts of the treasure, power-hungry Jacqueline Natla takes it from her and tries to kill her. Lara escapes and climbs, puzzles and shoots from now an through Greek and Egypt till Atlantis to get the Scion back. But honest, didn't you still know that? No? Well, we didn't. "I admit, we didn't tell the story well", Toby Gard confesses. "We want to make that better now." Like Tomb Raider: Legend there will be many cutscenes in the game's engine. But they weren't finish at the presentation. We assume that the cutscenes will be as stylish and furious as in Legend.
Like 10 years ago!
New movements, new level design, new graphic - will there still be left the original charm? "Of course", Toby answers. "For example Lara fights in Peru against many bats, wolves and bears. These has been the most type of enemies in Tomb Raider. But the team built in more nostaglia and they even rummaged from the design drawer the rotating ring menu and the same inventory from former days. Crystal Dynamics especially pays attention to take over the great atmosphere from the original Tomb Raider to Anniversary. "Lara's fans especially loved her isolation in the first part", Toby explains. "She was totally alone down there with all these enemies and had to explore old ruins by herself." To reach this oppressed atmosphere, the designers sent Lara's colleagues, who gave her hints over the headset and occasionally makes jokes, into virutal retirement. From which Lara is far away. Even 10 years later the pixellady from former days jumps as fresh and charming through her exciting adventures like then that some modern action hero could get anxiety.
The Original
Tomb Raider was published in November 1996 and revolutionized the genre of 3D action games. The brilliant mix of shooting, tricky puzzles and more tricky leaps as well as the smart and attractive female hero caused excitement all over the world. Tomb Raider were sold at millions as PC version as well as for Playstation and it has seven parts until now. Mid November the developer Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider: Legend) confirmed their work on the 8th part.
The new "real" Lara Croft
Six months ago when the newest part of Tomb Raider were published the Brand Manager Matt Gorman introduced Karima Adebibe (known from the movie Alien vs. Predator) the new and sixth Lara-Model. For the next two years the 21 year old Englishwoman represents Tomb Raider at game conventions and TV spots. To get prepared for her role, Karima absolved a recruit training at the SAS, the Anti-Terror-Unity at the british army and a hand-to-hand combat training and weapon training. "That is quite the greatest challenge to me as a model and actor and I want to hold it with both hands.
Details
Genre: Action-Adventure
Date: first quarter 2007
Developer: Crystal Dynamics/Eidos
Status: 90 % finished
Daniel Matschijewsky: "I'm a skeptic about remakes, for they are old games with a new technology - without fresh ideas. Tomb Raider: Anniversary shows how it could be: The level design were clever modernized, Lara's movements were gently adapted but the flair of the original is kept. The fans can looking forward to a lot of scenes, which 10 years ago were amazing. I finally want to see that T-Rex!"
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