I had a random dream about Tomb Raider: Underworld, can't really tell you why after all this time.
So it's time for a review.
I first played TR Underworld on release on my PS3 with my sis, we both loved Tomb Raider and would play every single one of them very often.
Underworld stood out among the rest because we didn't really enjoy it, it was very buggy, broken and just clunky to play, not to mention confusing because the plot was weird and the game wasn't exactly clear on what you should be doing (final boss being the biggest example of that).
Many years later, I've decided to rebuy every TR game all over again and replay them to see if my opinion would change over time.
And yeah, a lot of things have changed, including what I think about Underworld since I've finally managed to actually [b] beat [/b] Natla and get to the ending.
I've played Underworld on PC for my second run, but I'll still keep the PS3 as the main platform.
The one thing that I liked from TR Legend is that Lara Croft still acted like her usual self, the empowering female character who takes no ♥♥♥♥♥ from anyone and [b] will kill you [/b] if you get in her way while making some sarcastic remark like the sadistic character she truly is.
[i] "Death by irony is always painful... amateurs." [/i]
Underworld kept her personality intact, which I'm super glad, while also introducing a lot of things at stake that will constantly try to break her.
The game starts very strong with the Croft Manor exploding out of nowhere, we don't know why but we try to navigate through the fire to get some answers.
Meeting Zip, he actually tries to shoot Lara thinking she's the culprit.
And then the flashback begins.
Very strong introduction that gets the player immediately invested into its plot just to find out what could have possibly caused this to happen.
The environments in each level are gorgeous and the game giving you multiple choices to how you want to approach them, including the outfit, was a very nice touch.
The soundtrack is outstanding, the main menu is especially incredible because you start off with the Croft Manor under the rain while sad music closely resembling the original Tomb Raider theme plays in background.
I wish I could say this game was one of the best in the franchise, but I can't because of few reasons.
I've mentioned the fact that Underworld was buggy, broken and clunky.
That hasn't changed at all when I played it on PC.
This game is extremely broken and the physics are even more questionable, the controls are VERY clunky and you will often die just because Lara decided not to grab the ledges.
My Underworld playthrough was even more broken and frustrating than Angel of Darkness, and that's an achievement to be sure.
If you're willing to keep going though, you can see a lot of ambition behind Underworld and that's the charming aspect about it.
It's not perfect by any means, but there was a lot of love put into its concept and it's simply undeniable.
The developers tried many things just to see what would stick, including a whole semi open-world in the rain with Lara's bike.
The plot is also a proper conclusion to what Legend started.
If you thought Legend was curious, but not risky enough for your taste, then you'll be very pleased by how far Underworld is willing to go to conclude the story.
It's risky and very likely a controversial take on the Tomb Raider franchise, but I personally thought they handled it really well especially because it goes all the way back to Natla, the rival who hasn't made an appearance ever since the very first game.
Speaking of which, Lara is not the only one who kept her personality because everyone else is also very distinct and the interactions are fantastic, highlights to that one scene where Lara loses it and threatens Natla with the Hammer.
Despite my gripes with Underworld, it is a good game you should play if you're a big TR fan.
But you need to be aware of its issues, this game WILL frustrate you.
[b] "I need Thor's belt to get his hammer; and I need the hammer to kill a god" [/b]
