Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Mr E

The last Summer of Arcade game, out next Wednesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONQYAllzia4

First review is up on the Guardian website, and they make it sound really good. A great physics engine, lots of puzzles, and perfectly playable in single player (thank god).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/aug/13/lara-croft-guardian-light-game-review

The Recliner

Mr E wrote: »

The last Summer of Arcade game, out next Wednesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONQYAllzia4

First review is up on the Guardian website, and they make it sound really good. A great physics engine, lots of puzzles, and perfectly playable in single player (thank god).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/aug/13/lara-croft-guardian-light-game-review

That is a very positive review

I like the puzzle element in the Tomb raider games so I will probably pick this up

Mr E

This will be a blind buy for me tomorrow. Eurogamer's review has convinced me. It's two games in one - the levels are quite different in single player and co-op, it's 6-8 hours for each in length, there is replayability (challenge rooms and speed runs).

2gb download though.

chrislad

Much as I'm enjoying the Tomb Raider games by CD, I'd really love another Kain game. I know the story kinda finished, but there's always loopholes, especially with time travel! Hell, HD remakes would be great!

mise

Getting great reviews.. ill definitely be picking it up tomorrow

calex71

It's not going to have online co-op from release. It will be patched a month ot so later.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-will-not-have-online-co-op/

Gunmonkey

Mr E wrote: »

This will be a blind buy for me tomorrow. Eurogamer's review has convinced me. It's two games in one - the levels are quite different in single player and co-op, it's 6-8 hours for each in length, there is replayability (challenge rooms and speed runs).

2gb download though.

Plus thereare like 5 DLC packs to be released before the end of the year. If they hold up to the quality of the base game then its all good.

Burning Eclipse

This is a strange one. I read bits and pieces about this and wasn't too interested (own all 3 Tomb Raider games on 360), but then 9/10... that's hard to ignore. I haven't bought any of the Summer of XBLA titles this year, which is in stark contrast to last summer. I'm going to get Limbo, but not for 1200... This is another story, but I'll try the demo first.

Healium

I might pick it up just to have my 3rd arcade game and get 400 points back. But, I won't be playing it before September 28th (co-op patch)

Mr. K

chrislad wrote: »

Much as I'm enjoying the Tomb Raider games by CD, I'd really love another Kain game. I know the story kinda finished, but there's always loopholes, especially with time travel! Hell, HD remakes would be great!

+1. Those games are amazing (aside from BO2).

-=al=-

Is there an unlockable bikini costume?

I could never do it on the last one!

calex71

Free DLC, yes you heard me correctly FREE

http://release.square-enix.com/na/2010/08/16_01.html

There will be 4 more DLC packs add that to the 1200 pionts for the game and you could be slipping in to full retail price territory.

Gunmonkey

Nice....and the character packs are for characters from other games.....Crystal Dynamics made the Legacy of Kain games.....Raziel and Kain adventuring through a tomb together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

calex71

Gunmonkey wrote: »

Raziel and Kain adventuring through a tomb together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

K. I. S. S. I. N. G.

Mr E

Its up now... (1200 points, 2 gigaroonies)

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-GB/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258410a59/

YouSavedMyLife

May pick this one up, looks quite good. This summer of arcade hasnt interested me in the least. Was gonna pick up Castlevania but it seemed the botched it, was expecting something more traditional.

Will wait for a few more reviews before i decide on this one

NotorietyH

YouSavedMyLife wrote: »

May pick this one up, looks quite good. This summer of arcade hasnt interested me in the least. Was gonna pick up Castlevania but it seemed the botched it, was expecting something more traditional.

Will wait for a few more reviews before i decide on this one

Limbo was great though. Other than that I agree, a bit of an under-whelming Summer of Arcade this year compared to other years. Not a bad summer for arcade titles though with Deathspank, Monkey Island 2, Scott Pilgrim, Shank and a few others though.

CORaven

Not sure if I want to give up 2gbs for this. What are boardies' opinions of the game so far?

calex71

CORaven wrote: »

Not sure if I want to give up 2gbs for this. What are boardies' opinions of the game so far?

Yeah was surprised by the size too, nabbing the demo now to try it.

Edit: Gave it 5 minutes there, was surprised at how quick flowing it feels, and how quickly I adjusted to the isometric view (Only finished TR:Underworld last week) Could be worth the price of admission maybe, not sure yet.

In terms of graphics it's not bad but far from stellar in the looks department.

Mr. K

Gunmonkey wrote: »

Nice....and the character packs are for characters from other games.....Crystal Dynamics made the Legacy of Kain games.....Raziel and Kain adventuring through a tomb together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, that's awesome. Kain's very cool, Raziel is one of the best designed characters ever.

calex71 wrote: »

K. I. S. S. I. N. G.

But...but...Raziel is missing half of his face, how can he kiss anyone?!

I'm a big TR fan, I might try to get the last achievements out of Underworld before I get this.

Gunmonkey

Picked it up, very good. Puzzles can take a few seconds to get but no massively hard parts. Most I died was trying to do a puzzle right for an achievement.

Also a lot of replay, every level has about 10 goals to complete, either for points earned, time taken or doing particular actions. All unlock upgrades so a great incentive to complete them. Only on the 4th out of 14 and taken me close to 2 hours so quite a bit of game in there.

Couldnt hurt to trial it anyways, not touched the co-op as nobody round to play with right now

rizzla

Played the demo and really enjoyed it. I'll be picking up the game for sure. From the screenshots I've seen though the level variety appears to be lacking.

Mr E

Terrific game, I really like it.
Some head scratching puzzles and frantic battles. Great game.

calex71

Mr E wrote: »

Terrific game, I really like it.
Some head scratching puzzles and frantic battles. Great game.

Is it 12 points great?

rizzla

Great game, well worth the money.

Burning Eclipse

Pleasantly surprised by this last night. Didn't buy it, but I'm pretty close to it. Seems like good value for money too.

Did it bother anyone else that you never see a character speak, just the back of their head? I suppose they have to trim the cost somewhere!

YouSavedMyLife

Played the first two levels with the otherhalf last night, most fun we had in a coop game in a while. I like the fast arcadey feeling, everything flows really nicely. Also the challenge rooms and the level time trials add to the length of the game if your the kind that likes to 100% your games. So far so good

Mr E

There is a huge amount of replayability in it too (especially if you're going for 200GS). Some of the challenges (like finishing the first level in 6 minutes, doing that fire puzzle in 30 seconds, or finishing a level with over a certain score) means there is a lot to do after you finish the main game. That's before you even think of co-op.

NotorietyH

Played through the co-op campaign in one sitting there with a friend last night. Had a great time playing it. There was only one slightly frustrating part but other than that it was fantastic. Tis longer than I thought it'd be too.

Mr. K

I played the trial last night, very impressed. It's amazing how well they've captured the feel of the other CD TR games on the isometric plain.

I'll be spending my next set of points on this and Scott Pilgrim!

RolandIRL

is this download-only or will it be available in shops? shít broadband at my place so i won't be able to get it online.

TetraxShard

It's part of the Summer of Arcade, so I'd guess it's download only.

Tempted to pick this up. Just got Monday Night Combat (It's a Team Fortress clone! It's an RTS! It's got an identity crisis!) though and Scott Pilgrim's next week isn't it?

When's the SoA offer over does anyone know. Might stretch to this and Limbo with a few weeks breathing room.

calex71

So save me from going mad here but am I right in thinking some of the collectibles are only obtainable in co-op ?

Mr E

Nope, the single player game is completely tailored for single player.
What one are you stuck on?

calex71

Mr E wrote: »

Nope, the single player game is completely tailored for single player.
What one are you stuck on?

2nd level a red skull, I'll have to replay it to get it as it becomes inaccessible after a point, but it's on the roof of a temple with a water fall above it. It's on the path you take for the sundial middle one over the river and the bridge, the falls apart.

But also I missed 3 or 4 other artifacts that I couldn't even see after spending an hour on the level.

Gunmonkey

calex71 wrote: »

So save me from going mad here but am I right in thinking some of the collectibles are only obtainable in co-op ?

The way the puzzles work is that in co-op, you use each other as winch points, stepping stones and such. In single player, there are blocks and hooks to facilitate the same actions on your own.

Finished it earlier, got a nice pair of Avatar outfits for completing the game.

chrislad

Just finished the first level last night. Fun game, and can see myself actually being interested in the co-op!

YouSavedMyLife

calex71 wrote: »

2nd level a red skull, I'll have to replay it to get it as it becomes inaccessible after a point, but it's on the roof of a temple with a water fall above it. It's on the path you take for the sundial middle one over the river and the bridge, the falls apart.

That took me a few tries to get. You throw a spear on ground level, then you walk up the hill infront of the temple and throw another. Then walk further up again and throw the last spear into the side of the temple. The jump from the side is smaller than trying to jump up the front of the temple

calex71

YouSavedMyLife wrote: »

That took me a few tries to get. You throw a spear on ground level, then you walk up the hill infront of the temple and throw another. Then walk further up again and throw the last spear into the side of the temple. The jump from the side is smaller than trying to jump up the front of the temple

Ta , I worked it out after have to do the same to get a relic on top of a pilar with noting else in the room to work with , sure wasn't I trying to roll a boulder in from outside and everything

DARK-KNIGHT

TetraxShard wrote: »

It's part of the Summer of Arcade, so I'd guess it's download only.

Tempted to pick this up. Just got Monday Night Combat (It's a Team Fortress clone! It's an RTS! It's got an identity crisis!) though and Scott Pilgrim's next week isn't it?

When's the SoA offer over does anyone know. Might stretch to this and Limbo with a few weeks breathing room.

just be aware limbo is class dont get me wrong but short and i cant see much replay value tbh unless they release dlc


very good game though

DARK-KNIGHT

played the demo today defo pickin this up great gameplay

Mr E

Just finished it now. Brilliant game. I'd put money on one of the 5 DLC packs being a Horde mode. The gameplay is so well suited to it.

5½ hours from start to finish, and I'm jumping back into level 1 to start on the missing artifacts (with all my great new weapons)

calex71

Mr E wrote: »

Just finished it now. Brilliant game. I'd put money on one of the 5 DLC packs being a Horde mode. The gameplay is so well suited to it.

5½ hours from start to finish, and I'm jumping back into level 1 to start on the missing artifacts (with all my great new weapons)

The hardest will be the ones tied to the completion time of the level i think :eek:

Mr E

For sure. Not too bad when you know the level (and just roll past the enemies). You just need to know the level layout pretty well.

Gunmonkey

have tried some of the time trials. Even when avoiding enemies, and rolling straight to the objectives I STILL have some minutes to shave....gonna be a long road

Mr E

You can shave off a decent chunk off your times by bombing the balls instead of pushing them (like on level 1 where the 2 balls are on a high ledge).

DARK-KNIGHT

am i right in thinking the dlc packs are gonna be free for this when released

calex71

raycaulwell wrote: »

am i right in thinking the dlc packs are gonna be free for this when released

Just the 1st one ray , think I posted a link further up. It's only gonna be free for 30 days too.

calex71

Mr E wrote: »

You can shave off a decent chunk off your times by bombing the balls instead of pushing them (like on level 1 where the 2 balls are on a high ledge).

Am i the only one crossing my legs at such a suggestion :eek:

NotorietyH

Managed to fully complete it yesterday. Was really enjoyable, and it's straight-forward enough to get all the achievements. One of the better downloadable titles I've played.

Mr E

All but one. That Tomb Raider achievment will take ALOT of work.