Critics Consensus: Tomb Raider

The much anticipated reboot of Tomb Raider by Crystal Dynamics/Square-Enix hit store shelves today, and without much surprise, it’s getting very positive reviews.

Lara Croft hasn’t been getting much talk since the Edios-published reboot trilogy comprised of Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and Tomb Raider: Underworld, but according to many critics, this is a drastically different experience. The game is much darker now (this is the first in the franchise to be rated ‘M’ for Mature) and pulls influence from the Uncharted video game series, as well as its own older titles.

Here’s what the critics had to say about the new reboot:

“The game itself contains some minor irritations, but Tomb Raider’s own failings are minimal – they only become magnified in light of the games it’s been inspired by and can be compared to. The story, script and cast fall some way short of the brilliance that the Uncharted series has consistently achieved, and the set-pieces never have quite the same ‘it’s too amazing for my brain to process’ factor. The exploration, side-activities and setting never compels or excites to the level of Far Cry 3, and the package offers much less for your money.” - Joel Gregory, Official PlayStation Magazine UK

“For those who have never delved into the series, Tomb Raider serves as a great first step. The combat is the best it’s ever been, puzzles are short but satisfying, and Yamatai is a veritable platforming playground. […] More importantly, it just may convince a new generation to like Tomb Raider again.” - Richard Mitchell, Joystiq

“The gaming equivalent of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the latest Tomb Raider is a gritty franchise reboot, exploring the origins of everybody’s favorite female adventurer in a new environment. […] With a well written cast of characters, mightily impressive production techniques, sumptuous visuals, tight platforming and surprisingly enjoyable combat, Tomb Raideris most definitely a release to be treasured.” - Liam Martin, Digital Spy

“Beneath the noise there is an engaging story clamouring to be heard, and there are moments of true beauty, serenity and pathos fighting for attention. The game does get better as it goes on, and despite the distractions the last few hours are a pleasure to play. At the centre of it all is a brilliant character, still iconic but more human and believable than she’s ever been before.” - Ellie Gibson, EuroGamer

“Crystal Dynamics has nailed a pitch-perfect new vision for one of gaming’s most recognizable characters, and revitalizes her for what I hope will be many more installments.” - Matt Miller, GameInformer

“It doesn’t try to rewrite the book on third-person action adventure games. But with its excellent controls, engaging heroine, thrilling combat, and fascinating setting, it doesn’t need to. Lara may be covering some previously charted territory here, but Tomb Raider is so well-crafted, you won’t mind at all.” - Carolyn Petit, GameSpot

“Tomb Raider is well-written, sympathetic, exciting, beautiful and just incredibly well-made.” - Keza MacDonald, IGN

“It’s easy to point out the many ways that Tomb Raider borrows bits and pieces from other popular games of the last five years, but Crystal Dynamics has blended these disparate strengths into something remarkable. It’s cinematic yet open, intense yet laid-back, fresh yet polished. It’s a near-perfect embodiment of the age of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with a hint of what to expect next.” - Phillip Kolar, Polygon

Bottom line: Tomb Raider has proven to be a remarkable reboot of a beloved franchise. The game took bits and pieces of other games of this generation (Uncharted, Far Cry), mixed them up a bit, and provided an exciting a fresh new take on an old hero. While the multiplayer might not be on par, the writing, story, and overall gameplay experience makes the title really shine. This is THE game to play if you haven’t had a chance to experience previous Lara Croft titles.

Check it: More Tomb Raider on Albotas
Buy it: Tomb Raider (360) (PC) (PS3) 

Critics Consensus: Aliens: Colonial Marines

Today saw the release of the Aliens title everyone has been waiting for since forever. I’m not too sure why so many people were excited for Aliens: Colonial Marines at all, considering the previous entries published by Sega weren’t so great, plus the title just looks like another generic space marine video game. But hey, it had a sweet ass collector’s edition release and it has the title “Aliens,” in it, so I guess that was enough to intrigue the lot of gamers.

Reviews came out and I think it’s safe to say that critics didn’t really have a mixed message here, as most major gaming sites have pretty much bashed this game to bits. 

”It’s empty and nostalgic, meticulous and dated. More importantly, it’s hands-off. Like a museum, Colonial Marines is at its best when you’re admiring the view. The moment you attempt to reach out to interact you’re met with a barrier, reminding you that you’re there to look, not to touch.” - Hollander Cooper, GamesRadar

“The problem lies with the aliens themselves; they’re not smart enough to hunt in packs or take you by surprise, they just wilfully hurl themselves in front of your short, controlled bursts. There’s never a feeling of being outwitted or outmanoeuvred, just outraged that you’ve sat down to take on some deadly xenos in one of sci-fi’s most iconic settings and somehow ended up in the equivalent of a clunky, coin-operated shooting gallery.” - Tristan Ogilvie, IGN 

“Take away the Aliens license, and you’ve got a shooter that has no reason to exist.” - Jeff Cork, GameInformer

“Unlike the movies, which relied on atmosphere, ominous sounds, and sharp surprises to frighten the bejeezus out of you, the life of these space marines is far more Doom-like. Xenomorphs in the story campaign don’t stalk you — they just lunge, which negates what made them so scary in the first place. Replace them with velociraptors, zombies, or demons, and you’d have essentially the same game.” - Chuck Osborn, Official Xbox Magazine

“If Gearbox’s quality scale has Borderlands 2 at one end and Duke Nukem at the other, Colonial Marines sits somewhere in the middle.” - Leon Hurley, Official PlayStation Magazine UK

“Aliens: Colonial Marines famously considers itself the canonical sequel to Aliens, but the quality of its campaign reduces such a claim to little more than arrogant posturing, as this bumbling fan fiction dares compare itself to one of the most respected science fiction horror films of the 20th century. It barely deserves a comparison with Battlefield Earth. Clocking in at just under five hours, and containing very little in the way of actual story, Colonial Marines quickly establishes itself as nowhere near notable enough to be the ‘true sequel’ it claims to be.” - Jim Sterling, Destructoid

Bottom line: Don’t fucking play this game. It’s generic, the A.I. is absolutely retarded, the graphics are acceptable at best, and it’s got an extremely short campaign experience that ends with a terribly anti-climatic ending. The only thing Colonial Marines has going for it is its use of “Aliens,” in its title, which should be the only reason why anyone would glance at this in the first place. Fans of the series may overcome a nostalgic feeling for the franchise, but it’s safe to say this isn’t even worthy of a thought.

Oh, and it should also be noted that EGM has the sole positive review I’ve seen of this title.

“All things considered, Colonial Marines is a consistently solid, occasionally spectacular shooter that does more than enough to honor the Alien name. It was going to be a tough task from the onset, but despite a ton of potential pitfalls for the talented team at Gearbox, they’ve gone a long way toward reminding us that, for folks who love the craft of building great games, the best challenges only seem impossible. Like most successful license-based games, Aliens: Colonial Marines is much more than a loving homage; it serves as one of the most robust story-driven co-op experiences to date. The concept definitely has room to grow, but as maiden voyages go, Colonial Marines is a clear winner.” - Brandon Justice, EGM

Okay, Brandon. Okay.

Sega Ages Coming to 360 and PS3

The Sega Ages series of re-releases started off on the Saturn (e.g. Space Harrier). When Sega went multi-platform, it transitioned to the Japanese PS2 (e.g. Monster World Collection, Treasure Box). Now it’s coming to current gen consoles.

The series is known for including tons of different versions of each game in the release. For example, some of the games on the PS2 Monster World Collection contain the Mark III, Mega Drive, and Sega-16 versions of the game. The disks really documented the history of each game, so hopefully that continues with these download-only versions.

The games currently slated for release are Miracle World, Super Shinobi, Super Hang-On, and three Wonder Boy / Monster World titles. It may be silly to get excited over this sort of thing, but the menus look absolutely amazing. They reflect the console that each title was released on. Check out the arcade and Mega Drive / Genesis menus above.

So far these have only been announced for Japanese consoles, but I’m betting they’ll appear in the west, too.

(Source: andriasang.com)

New Macross Game from Namco Bandai

Macross is one of my favorite series of all time. Usually, those go hand-in-hand with shitty tie-in games [*ahem* Evangelion], but some Macross games are pretty great, from the Super Famicom’s Scrambled Valkyrie to the PSP’s Ace Frontier. Namco Bandai will release a new PS3 game, My Boyfriend Is a Pilot 2012, on July 26 as a double pack which includes the 1986 movie, Do You Remember Love? Judging by the screen caps, it looks like the game will follow the original Macross’ story line, which is awesome news.

[Famitsu via Andriasang.com]

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Whether you’re in comics, videogames, movies, or even fast food, things don’t always pan out they way you wanted. Just in time for holiday gift giving, JSalvador has designed additional characters to add to his ever increasing set of “Super Emo Friends.” You can buy them for $15 each HERE.

Japanese PSN Says Okaerinasai

The Japanese PSN is back online finally. But this was a day I had been fearing. Turns out I had nothing to be afraid of though. I figured Sony, being Sony, would decide to block any PS3s outside of Japan from logging into the Japanese PSN as part of their recuperation from the 1337 hackers. I’d be out ¥1800 and a lot of good games. But we Americans can log in just as before. Phew!

Albotas PSA: Getting Your PSN Freebie

If you’re like me, you’ve had some trouble getting your free PSN games which are part of Sony’s Welcome Back program. I got an error message while selecting one of my free games, then was unable to download the game. I went back to re-select the game, but the option for the free game was gone. I tried my download history and got nothing.

Here’s the workaround: On the XMB, go to PSN, then Account Management, then Transaction Management, then Services List. Pick PlayStation Network Promotions, then Free PS3 (or PSP) Games, then Select Content. You will be taken back to the list of free games. Boom.

Thanks to T.A.P. at Neo-Geo.