Tomb Raider Chronicles
- November 28, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Lara's fifth outing-Tomb Raider Chronicles-hardly differs from her first four
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Except for cool new levels and costumes, Lara's fifth outing-Tomb Raider Chronicles-hardly differs from her first four, and the controls and graphics are starting to show some unsightly wrinkles, especially compared to other Dreamcast titles. It's not a bad game, but only gamers who know and love the series-and know what they're in for-will enjoy it. Everyone else should steer clear. Let's take a look at the ratings breakdown below to tell the rest of the story.
Graphics: The levels are more interesting and varied than in previous Tomb Raider games, but they're really the same cube-shaped layout as before but with different textures. And the characters look surprisingly blocky for a 128-bit game-this looks like a PlayStation game but with nicer textures.
Sound: Lara grunts and groans and occasionally says "No" when you try to do something you can't. But besides the cut-scenes no voices enliven the game. The music is okay, but hardly noticeable, and the other sound effects haven't changed a whit in years.
Control: The controls are the same-they're as touchy yet unresponsive as always, so be prepared for swan-diving off high ledges to your death when you were merely trying to scoot up a bit. While they're fine half of the time, the rest of time, especially in tricky spots, they make you want to break your Dreamcast.
Fun Factor: If you're a fan of the series, Chronicles is a godsend-more costumes and gadgets than ever, plus four huge levels that include the Roman Coliseum, a Russian submarine, and a high-tech office. But for everyone else, this latest offering is a mediocre action/adventure game with infuriating controls.
