Microsoft just revealed that they've worked out a deal with Eidos to distribute two Tomb Raider: Underworld episodes exclusively through the Xbox Live Marketplace. One set to release this year.
The episodes - one titled "Beneath the Ashes", the other "Lara's Shadow" - will release as episodic DLC sometime after Underworld's November retail release and will provide up to six hours of gameplay per episode. Specifically speaking, "Beneath the Ashes" will release around Christmas time and "Lara's Shadow" will see release in early 2009. Yes sir, exclusivity FTW!
A pair of new Tomb Raider: Underworld trailers have been released, and we'd like to direct your attention to the one above in particular. There are a number of new gameplay elements seen here. For instance, Lara picks up a bar and inserts it into the wall where she can then swing on top of it to reach new heights. Others skills featured in the video include wall jumping, balance beam walking and, our personal favorite, wall climbing a la Assassin's Creed. We'd like to point out that all of these moves are superbly animated.
The second video, embedded after the break, features Lara's new and improved swimming abilities. It also features her blowing up a shark with a sticky bomb, a practice we're not sure we wholly endorse. Doesn't she have any Shark Repellent Bat Spray or something?
So, we've all seen Lara Croft running and jumping and kicking her way through Thailand (and swimming in the deep blue sea) in her latest adventure, Tomb Raider: Underworld, but why? What is she searching for? It turns out that she's looking for Thor's hammer. In the video above, creative director Eric Lindstrom explains that Norse mythology is the underlying thread of the game. Exactly how Norse mythology applies to Lara's journey into Thailand and South America, Crystal Dynamics isn't saying, but it certainly sounds intriguing. It doesn't hurt that it looks great either. Here's hoping it all comes together.
Well good lord. Tomb Raider: Underworld is looking better and better all the time. In this latest video, we see Lara doing her usual acrobatic thing -- check out her spinning on top of a pole and then leaping off: epic -- when suddenly ... OMG TIGER ATTACK! It's no trouble for Lara though as she proceeds to kick the tigers -- in the face -- multiple times. Honestly, there's nothing else we can say about this video. We tried coming up with something, but words fail us. She kicks ... a tiger ... in the face. Seriously, eeny, meeny, miny moe, kick a tiger in the face. Watch it.
Tomb Raider: Underworld just keeps getting better every time we see it. The latest video of Lara Croft's latest adventure is all about her acrobatic skills. Let's say they look pretty damned nice. From climbing to shimmying to swinging, everything looks nice and smooth. At one point it looks like Lara even swings over a pole and proceeds to perch herself on top of it. We have to add that it's all super speedy too. That's a good thing because no one likes to watch their character spend 30 seconds climbing a 10-foot rope. Also worth noting is the lush greenery, so lush in fact that Lara has to brush it away from her face as she runs through it. Why are you still reading this? Watch the video!
Eidos has confirmed its E3 lineup for the big show next month and, not surprisingly, Tomb Raider Underworld is on the list. It's not the only game though. Other 360 titles making an E3 appearance include Just Cause 2 and Battlestations: Pacific. Both Underworld and Just Cause 2 have been kept relatively close to Eidos' chest so far. Hopefully E3 will bring forth plenty of new details on these (arguably) highly anticipated titles. Also worth noting, IGN's report of the Eidos list implies that these games (along with Monster Lab for Wii) are merely the only games confirmed for E3, so it's possible we might see some others as well (GEON 2 here we come!).
We've scanned through these new Tomb Raider Underworld screens several times to no avail. Try as we might, we can't find a single example of the game's hyper-realistic footprint physics. While we're disappointed, we suppose we'll have to make do with Lady Lara doing boring things like walking down a thin stone beam as jaguars slaver below. You know, everyday stuff. Still, we take solace in the fact that the game is apparently shaping up quite nicely, so we'll save our judgments for later. For now, we're happy to see she hasn't lost her penchant for raiding. Check out the new screens in the gallery below.
SCi, best known as the parent company of Eidos, isn't doing too well. Shares in the company recently fell the farthest in the company's history. The fall comes in the wake of ended takeover talks (which had included potential buyers Time Warner, Ubisoft, and others) and the announcement that the company would post an operating loss in 2008. It is the given reason for this loss that will interest gamers most though: SCi announced that four of its 2008 titles will be delayed, most notably the upcoming Tomb Raider: Underworld. Lara's latest adventure will be pushed to the 2008 holiday season. That's probably for the best really. After all, those footprint physics take a lot of time to perfect.
As reported by Tomb Raider Chronicles, the latest issue of Play contains the first information regarding the next iteration of the Tomb Raider series. The issue was apparently available online earlier this morning, but has since been removed from Play's online store. Thankfully, Tomb Raider Chronicles have the details anyway. First and foremost, the game takes place after Tomb Raider: Legend. The game will be subtitled Underworld and will feature "a lush, vast interactive world." Whether or not this means the game will utilize the ever trendy sandbox / open world gameplay style remains unclear. The rest of the details center around nifty graphical effects like realistic footprint physics (no, seriously) and the fully motion captured acrobatics of Lara's latest incarnation. The game just might make it for a 2008 release and, yes, a 360 version looks to be in the cards.
Hungry for more tomb raiding? Have you squeezed out every possible ounce of entertainment from Tomb Raider: Legend? Have you suddenly developed an aversion to disc-based media? Well then, do we have a deal for you. Seemingly out of nowhere, the previously promised downloadable version of Tomb Raider: Anniversary is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The game has been split into two significantly more than bite-sized chunks, each of which will run you 1200 MS Points or, in the common vernacular, $15. Put them both together and the game costs as much as its PS2 counterpart and actually $10 less than the retail Xbox 360 version. Just make sure you still have a Tomb Raider: Legend disc lying around, as the downloadable Anniversary requires it.
Posted Oct 17th 2007 12:45PM by Dustin Burg
Filed under: News
After going through the trauma of being lied to about Tomb Raider: Anniversary's release date (September anyone?) Eidos has again taken the podium and announced official release date details. Tomb Raider: Anniversary will be available on retail shelves in the US this October 23rd and in the UK a few days later on October 26th. Then, later in November, the Anniversary episodes will be released to the XBLM as two separate purchasable downloads for those who would rather buy the content in digital form. Pricing for the DLC version has yet to be announced.
There you have it Lara Croft lovers ... your Anniversary dates are now confirmed, official and your content will be available in two distinct flavors. Go ahead and crack a smile already.
After going through the trauma of being lied to about Tomb Raider: Anniversary's release date (
