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just ask this guy By Ruffin Bailey Published: 1/18/99 |
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With the release of Tomb Raider II, Mac gaming finally comes into its own. Everyone knows the game is good, but why? And is there anything that could have been better? Read on... |
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When Tomb Raider was first released to the video gaming public at large, the game
simply had no peer. This strange action/adventure game with the
over-the-shoulder view had created a world so large and intriguing that gamers
flocked to the stores and to bring home a copy for their Sony or Sega. And then,
of course, there was this girl. GameplayThe gameplay, quite simply, is like nothing the Mac has ever seen. Assuming we have not had the benefit of playing the first, Mac gamers are in for a real treat. There is a training ground for the new user that teaches the basics of getting Lara to run, jump, swing, climb, twirl, and swim. The first few levels do not waste any time introducing a new vehicle, a boat in which Lara races through the water-filled streets. The eye candy is something to behold. Lara's pony-tail sways with each jump and floats when she is in the water, the first level suggests space like a well-engineered Japanese garden, and overall the game moves smoothly and impressively even on a 603e.There are three things that have contributed to Tomb Raider's success, and this formula went completely untouched in Tomb Raider II: Again, most importantly, the game lives up to its hype. Smooth gameplay, fantastic levels, and sex appeal. That Tomb Raider was a first from perspective (first person over-the-shoulder) was hardly all that separated it from the competition. That was the "in", the trait that immediately makes the gamer look twice. The second look showed one heck of a game. Is there anything wrong with this game?There are some parts of the game that could stand some improvement. We are inundated with 6 foot high switches that open doors and three foot square keyholes as if Lara's world had never heard of door knobs or dead bolts. Some levels, after the fun-filled beginning at the Wall of China, do not show careful planning. The feeling is more along the lines of walls and canals slapped together like a 5 year old making a castle out of legos for the first time. And what about these randomly placed dragon statues stuck in out of the way places? Though I do not find it troubling that Quake does not really have a plot and that these strange monsters have come through some slipgate deal, it simply eats me up figuring out where in the heck these statues orignated. Was the dragon fairy trying her darnest to stay one step ahead of Miss Croft, planting these wonderful Easter eggs for her to find? Perhaps if you finish the levels in record time, you find Lara's butler hiding these dragon dolls that Lara used to "just love" hunting when she was a kid. And who paced off each and every level to make sure each square in the walkway was exactly a square cubit to which Lara's jumps would uniformly match?What Tomb Raider becomes is an interesting puzzle with tons of eye candy. How many steps back do I take before running and jumping to the ledge precisely one cubit higher? In what order do I use these magical keys to Wizard of Oz-sized doors so that I can finish the level? Do I ever really need to use guns other than these pistols? And where did Yves hide those danged statues this time? This simple formula works because it is well-delivered. What keeps you coming back is the chance to make three quick jumps from platform to platform followed by a forwards dive into a somersault and coming up guns a'blazin'. The game just looks cool. Lara's movements are smooth and well done. Jumping in a powerboat, hitting the throttle, and crashing full-speed through glass windows over a jump through the canals of Venice is just awesome fun. Every "i" is dotted and every "t" crossed. Individual level designs vary, but the concept is sound and the world created is, again, extravagant. This is a female Indiana Jones that looks so good on your 3-D accelerated Mac you cannot help but be impressed. Final WordsAfter much deliberation, two admonitions and one complaint must be registered. First, make sure you have a gamepad. You can get by with a Gravis 4-button gamepad, but you will want the Playstation-style controller with eight buttons. It is certainly worth the purchase, and you were buying it for Connectix's Virtual Game Station anyway, right?Second, make sure you get some sort of 3-D acceleration card. This game did not look bad on a 603e 180 MHz, but there were some white specks created by software rendering and WOW! things look sharp on my iMac. Voodoo 1 cards are so inexpensive now (almost the same price as a game!) that you really are well-served by picking one up. Finally, the complaint: Even after having months to perfect the port, why did not Westlake Interactive add an extra Mac-only level? Tomb Raider Gold did just this, making the re-release of Tomb Raider I on the PC something distinct from the Playstation and Saturn versions. The Apple on the laptop at the end of the first level is a nice touch, but to really make this version special, an extra level or two would have done just the trick. The final word, though, is that this game is wonderful. With 3-D acceleration, it is fun just to watch someone play. The game runs smoothly with no distractions. The levels, though not too difficult, are expansive and thoroughly enjoyable. And the Croft-appeal is impossible to replicate. Finally, Tomb Raider II was the first game from the "real" gaming world to make it to the Mac, and heralded much anticipated games to come (in my mind, at least) like Quake 3's concurrent release. Nor does it look like the Mac gaming ball is going to stop rolling.
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