Current Events > LARA FUCKING DENISE CROFT! The OG Tomb Raider games are so

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Frusterating with bad controls. How did this series get popular

CruelBuffalo posted...

How did this series get popular

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You know why

They really were not fun to play at all

Godnorgosh posted...

I'll give you two guesses

lol yall are too much

The controls are great. The Grid system was fantastic because it means the entire game is peak skill. If you fuck up a jump, YOU fucked it up.

Later games off the grid in full 3D and automatically grabbing ledges for you had to guess what you were trying to do and what part of the enviroment around you to clip you on. Which was super frustrating because it added RNG or mastery of the awkward game system to platform. Underworld and the 2nd reboot were awful for this.

There's some dated game design in there with unclear level progression/explanation of game mechanics, segments were you're forced to take damage and unforgiving beginners traps.

But on the whole the games hold up really well aside from early 3D graphics. They were and are incredible platform games.

About the only thing I'd say has "bad controls" are the vehicles in TR2.

What's wrong with the controls? The grid based design is perfect imo.

Here's a great video recap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwzIu4zFJVI

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Locking onto dead enemies when Im trying to shoot thugs with baseball bats wacking me off while rats nibble on my ankles is not good design

VampireCoyote posted...

They really were not fun to play at all

I have that original on PS One and this is still my sentiment in 2024. Controls were fucking trash and I've played all the original Resident Evil games 10x more. Even Indiana Jones & The Infernal Machine was less frustrating to move around in than Tomb Raider.

The first reboot was phenomenal but of course for gamers, no gigantic titties and sex appeal = bad game.

Jagr_68 posted...

The first reboot was phenomenal but of course for gamers, no gigantic t****** and sex appeal = bad game.

2nd reboot*

First reboot was Tomb Raider Legend. Which was phenomenal but also mainted gigantic tits and sex appeal.

Also that's not fair. It reviewed and sold great. Most people liked it and while people did complain about the lack of boobs, the biggest complaint was the lack of platforming and combat/set piece focus.

Uncharted was inspired by Tomb Raider and then Tomb Raider was inspired by Uncharted.

Meaning we just got a less good Uncharted. It's not a great game if you're into the platforming

CruelBuffalo posted...

Locking onto dead enemies when Im trying to shoot thugs with baseball bats wacking me off while rats nibble on my ankles is not good design

Sure no one is saying it's perfect.

That still doesn't answer TC's question though. This was the decade that gave us Cindy Crawford, Denise Richards, and Lola Bunny (the big 3 as it were) and I refuse to believe there were people back then that were attracted to that blob of polygons over the big 3 or any other girl of the decade. It just doesn't compute.

Revisited posted...

That still doesn't answer TC's question though. This was the decade that gave us Cindy Crawford, Denise Richards, and Lola Bunny (the big 3 as it were) and I refuse to believe there were people back then that were attracted to that blob of polygons over the big 3 or any other girl of the decade. It just doesn't compute.

He's more than welcome to check the video I linked to. Goes into detail of how influential it was. You can lead a horse to water...

literally perfect controls in the original 1996 game, I replayed the PSX and N-Gage versions recently, I have no complaints, still an absolute masterpiece

Wonky controls were pretty common back then. I mean, just look at Mario 64.

Revisited posted...

That still doesn't answer TC's question though. This was the decade that gave us Cindy Crawford, Denise Richards, and Lola Bunny (the big 3 as it were) and I refuse to believe there were people back then that were attracted to that blob of polygons over the big 3 or any other girl of the decade. It just doesn't compute.

You forget where games come. Those polygons were state of the art back then. Something like Ocarina of Time had breathtaking graphics when it first game out.

Also comparing two real life women over a fictional character, really?

the only bad part of the controls are the combat, because they hadn't really created a very good lock-on-and-shoot mechanic yet. still too early in the 3d phase. but it was still pretty good for what it was. valid complaint though.

platforming, though? top notch. so fun, and accurate, and not automatic and hand-holdy like it is now. definitely the part where the og games shine. flipping around the mansion back in the day was a good time.

I was only half not joking but honestly, I really was surprised when I found this out 15 years ago.

It's like, I was old enough to be around for the MK thing, so this phenomenon escaping me was curious.