Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

[sambo]

Square Enix has announced Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
It's still considered by Square Enix has the continuation of the Tomb Raider series, despite dropping the name. Yet the really curious move here is how this Crystal Dynamics title will be 'released this year via digital download'.

Eidos has experimented with the digital distribution method before with Tomb Raider Anniversary, and clearly there must have been something in there to merit Guardian of Light getting a full-on digital release.

"This is a really exciting project for Crystal Dynamics, we have created something completely new and very different to what people might be expecting," said Darrell Gallagher, General Manager of Crystal Dynamics.

"Lara Croft is such an iconic character in videogames, with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light we have created what we believe is a truly original digital experience."

[nCogNeato]

Tomb Raider: Tower Defense XBLA?   

[Failed]

such an original title, i'd actually love a tower defense game, but i reckon it'll be a 2D game similar to Shadow Complex

[TaraJayne]

Tomb Raider is so boring :

[nCogNeato]

Tomb Raider is so boring :

It is boring for those of us that aren't entertained by staring at a woman's backend for 12 hours.

[TaraJayne]

  Of course but I dont mind staring at that for hours. Its the stupid puzzles and infuriating jumps. I find it repetative. Its the same reason I cant get into Alone in the Dark and I so wanted to. I love the PS one Tomb Raiders though

[nCogNeato]

I love the PS one Tomb Raiders though

Neato confession # 381:

The first time I played Tomb Raider on the PS1, I screamed like a little girl when the Yeti came charging at me.  It was the most realistic videogame I had ever seen to-date.  

[RedMaster11]

Tomb Raider is so boring :

It is boring for those of us that aren't entertained by staring at a woman's backend for 12 hours.

I am currently enjoying said backend. 

[GamerMan316]

Prepare to be surprised by the latest game starring everyone's favorite tomb raider.

As far as sweeping proclamations go, the claim that Lara Croft practically invented the modern action-platformer is pretty low on the controversy scale. It's hard to argue against the idea that recent hits like Uncharted and Assassin's Creed owe a large debt of gratitude to Ms. Croft's Tomb Raider series for helping to usher in today's era of jumping, climbing, and shimmying across three dimensions. So when you hear about the next game bearing her likeness, it's entirely understandable that you may let out a guffaw or two. But here it is: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, due for release as a digital download this summer, is an arcade-inspired action romp with a fixed isometric camera and a focus on high scores and replay value. Though the genre is something out of left field, this latest Lara Croft adventure looks to maintain much of the feeling of earlier games (tombs, booby-trap puzzles, and so on) with a framework designed around cooperative adventuring.



On a story level, Guardian of Light is a buddy adventure starring Lara Croft and Totec, a Mayan tribesman. The plot is lighthearted Hollywood fare and tells of the Mirror of Smoke, an artifact whose ancientness is matched only by its mysterious powers. And as people tend to do with mysteriously powerful artifacts, a number of folks are fighting over this thing. The odd couple of Lara and Totec find themselves in a battle against Xoxolt, an evil spirit released from the Mirror who has the distinct advantage of controlling all manner of spirits to do his bidding. Expect to be going up against undead tribesmen, giant salamanders, and from the looks of it, everything in between.

But for this downloadable game, the focus falls less on story and more on uncomplicated gameplay. As the point totals erupting from dead enemies suggest, this is a game with one foot in the 1980s. Beyond that, there's also the fixed isometric camera angle. Moving through Central American jungles and temples, you'll always see the action from the same semi-top-down perspective. This keeps the focus squarely on the torrent of enemies capable of swarming you at any given moment. It's a set-up that leads fast-paced yet simple combat: point your weapons at the things you want to die, shoot, and repeat. It's hard to draw any clear comparisons due to the fact that we weren't able to play the game, but the combat definitely gave off a retro, where-did-I-put-that-quarter kind of a feel.



Each playable character has unique weapons and skills for maneuvering through those Central American jungle ruins. Lara's got her iconic dual handguns (which, befitting of the retro style, have infinite ammo), and Totec hurls deadly spears. But these weapons aren't used purely for combat. For example, the spear works both against enemies and as a tool for traversing past obstacles: Totec can throw a spear into a wall to allow Lara to get up to an otherwise unreachable ledge. Lara, on the other hand, has a grapple hook to make it across seemingly impossible gaps, and Totec often must place his life in her hands with assisted jumps. Other co-op tricks include Lara's ability to jump on top of Totec's shield when he holds it above his head and Totec's tightrope walk across a gap using Lara's grapple rope.

You'll also encounter a number of tombs to explore. These indoor caverns offer up the chance to take a break from the frenetic combat to do some old-fashioned puzzle solving. Think booby traps that can only be overcome with two people working as a team, and you've got a good idea for how these puzzles will function. This co-op system will work both online and locally, featuring a drop-in system for adding a second player on the fly. The whole game can be played using a single player, as well.



Contrasting the old-school game design are Guardian of Light's modern visuals. Vegetation sways in the wind and reacts when you walk through it, while the environments have a nice sense of scale when the camera shows you at the top of a platforming sequence that's meant to spiral downward toward a point far below. Those looks, along with the co-op stuff, are some of the big points working in the game's favor. At this point, the big question remaining is how the game plays. Expect to see some hands-on coverage leading up to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light's summer release.

[Failed]

Baldur's Gate lookie likey, looks pretty groovy and visually it's very clean and crisp.

[nCogNeato]

Baldur's Gate lookie likey, looks pretty groovy and visually it's very clean and crisp.

Agreed.  Depending on the price, I'm tempted to buy it.

[GamerMan316]

Lara Croft returns this summer for $15

Crystal Dynamics plans to release newly announced Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light this summer on PC, PSN and XBLA.

This downloadable action adventure costs $15, which translates to 1200 Microsoft Points.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light represents a new take on the Tomb Raider licence and, for once, there are no high-kicking Lara Croft clones in sight.

Instead, inspired by the excellent Shadow Complex, Crystal Dynamics has created a pretty world with around six hours of co-op gameplay for two friends.

There's a concerted effort to produce a high quality game, and perhaps establish a new direction for the flagging Tomb Raider licence.

[Astrex]

Tomb Raider is so boring :

It is boring for those of us that aren't entertained by staring at a woman's backend for 12 hours.

I know she's a computer character but Jean Claude Van DAM she is fine!!

[nCogNeato]

Lara Croft returns this summer for $15

Neato say NO THANKS.   

I'll wait for a Deal of the Week offer.   

[TaraJayne]

Mainly aimed at  Failed as I know he likes his co-op games

Crystal Dynamics was kind enough to show off a bit of Lara Croft to VG247 today, and it looks like a neat arcade game you and a pal can play together and have a bit of fun.

During the co-op in the game, there will be times when Lara is going to have to rely on Totec and vise versa.
For example, Totec can throw spears into walls so Lara can climb, he can let her jump onto his shield so she can leap off onto a previously out of reach ledge, and he is good at helping her figure out two-person puzzles.
Totec also has to rely on Lara,  with one example being him needing to get across a large chasm. In order to do so, Lara will have to get over there first, and have him blindly leap in her direction so that she can catch him and pull him up with her grappling hook.
If you want to be a jerk about it, and are playing as Lara, you can just stand by and watch your pal fall. We would, and laugh about it – at least once or twice.
The game really looks vast for an arcade style game, as it uses the same engine used in Underworld – therefore, you'll see tress and branches sway in the breeze, and all other sorts of cool environmental graphics with no loads times.
Game's slated for late summer on PC, PSN and XBL.