PLAY UNEARTHS
'TOMB RAIDER LEGEND'
Copyright 2005 www.tombraiderchronicles.com
[ May 22nd 2005 ]
PLAY
magazine has published an interview with Toby
Gard, Lara Croft's original architect now working
on Tomb Raider Legend at Crystal Dynamics. Key
points from the interview reveal new information
on Legend, including plot details and game mechanics.
According
to PLAY, Tomb Raider Legend will not be a prequel,
nor will it continue any previous storyline from
earlier games. Many aspects of Lara's history
will be addressed in Tomb Raider Legend, including
an incident which occurred in the Himalayas. Both
fantasy and mythological elements will be present
as Lara explores the outer and inner boundaries
of our modern world.
The AI
system is actually quite robust and will respond
to the ever-changing combat situation in intelligent
ways, such as moving to flank Lara when she is
pinned down, dodging grenades, and calling for
backup. Combat game-play certainly leaves room
for cover and surprise-based tactics, and it is
much faster paced and visceral, involving numerous
jumps, ducks, slides and rolls.
There
are several key moments where Lara will need to
use her new super-bike. Although there is a smattering
of other vehicles in the game, it goes without
saying that Lara's motorcycle is the prominent
ride. Addressing the visual elements of the game,
Crystal Dynamics tells PLAY there will be a full
texture pass specifically for the Xbox version
where the frame rate and load times will be faster.
There will also be widescreen support for the
XBox version and Crystal Dynamics are also looking
into some of the Xbox specific features such as
soundtrack support.
Toby
Gard confirms that the control system is not like
old Tomb Raider games or reminiscent of The Angel
Of Darkness control system at all. Crystal Dynamics
have started from scratch building the game from
the ground up. The goal is to create a very responsive,
fluid control system but still have Lara animating
in a solid and believable way.
Commenting
on the soundtrack, Crystal Dynamics advertise
the music as being scored individually for all
the levels, events and main characters in the
game. They have created a highly flexible music
system, which allows the music to adapt to player
actions and changes in the game environment. The
player will hear the game soundtrack tailored
to his or her choices in the game.
The June
issue of PLAY magazine is on sale now.
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