VGBreakdown: Tomb Raider

Title:
Tomb Raider (Featuring Lara Croft)
Year Released:
1996
Developers:
Core Design
Platforms:
Sega Saturn; Later ported to Sony Playstation and MS-DOS
Net-worth:
Saturn : NIB($58), CIB($28), L($10)
Playstation: NIB($35), CIB($7), L($3)
MS-DOS: NIB($12), CIB($4), L($1)

Breakdown:

The original Tomb Raider was released at a very interesting time in video game history. This game was supposed to be revolutionary on different levels; and anticipation was high. Fronted by a female adventurer - Lara Croft - Tomb Raider embarked on new ideas of how the hero of games should be portrayed. Generally speaking, this singly introduced a new species to the gaming culture that us neckbeards have never seen before - the female. Because this game was being watched so closely even before it's release, Core Design had to make sure it had smooth gameplay for even the newest of users. And that's where my only gripe about this game occurs - the controllablity. Although it isn't much of a problem with the game itself as it is with the new introduction of 3D graphics, it can and will leave you frustrated all these years later. The funny thing is, at the time we thought this was the best thing ever (Oh how much we'll learn). The innovative engine that this game is run on is almost made entirely out of single blocks pieced together it seems. Miss one of those blocks by a pixel, or accidently nick a cornor and you will be restarting from the last checkpoint. Oh, and checkpoints don't come often so if this is your first playthrough -- take it nice and easy. I walked into this game originally thinking it was going to be a spoof of a first person shooter -- oh how I was wrong. Don't get me wrong - There are obstacles to take out along the way such as bats, bears, and dinosaurs; but the fun in this game is within the puzzles that you have to complete to make it to the next checkpoint, room, or level. Imagine a Portal game from fifteen years ago. Except this isn't Portal with the anti-aliasing and blurring; this is Portal run on a brand new, glitchy technology. Now put that in a Myan tomb where all of the images, backgrounds, and sprites are the same shit green color. Atleast we know we didn't take this game for granted like I am now because at the time, this game was awe-inspiring because of it's 3D graphics and twist to modern video game stories. It was innovative, and a great milestone in video game history but the advancment in overall gameplaying smoothness is just too much to go back and replay this one more than a decade later.