It's been a while since I posted anything on this blog, so here's an update of my latest reviews. Two of them, GTA IV and Tomb Raider Underworld are featured in the blog complete with screenshots and a video for GTA IV. About my GTA IV review, it's long... really long. By far the longest review I've ever written. So long I had to split it into two blog posts.

Here are links for both the regular reviews and blog reviews. As always, if you're gonna leave any feedback make it constructive based on how well written the reviews are, not on whether you disagree with a certain score or opinion.

(GTA IV Blog Review) (Underworld Blog Review down ahead)

Tomb Raider Underworld Review

A thrilling conclusion to the Legend trilogy.

When Crystal Dynamics took over the Tomb Raider series back in 2006 they pretty much threw the entire Tomb Raider canon out the window. Tomb Raider Legend started a new story arc that had little to do with the previous games. Actually the first game in the series wasn't ignored given how the events of Anniversary (a remake of the first game) are tied in to those of Legend, to help further develop the Lara Croft character as well as her relationships with some of the existing characters (Anniversary is essentially a prequel to Legend). So Underworld can be rightfully viewed as the third chapter in this saga and based on how the events unfold, the final chapter of this particular story arc. Aside from bringing closure to the trilogy, Underworld features more of the same exciting gameplay introduced since Legend only this time there's a much heavier emphasis on puzzle solving, reducing the combat to a minimum, as well as a few other subtle changes that help keep things fresh. Overall, Underworld is a must play for any Tomb Raider fan, both for its thrilling gameplay as well as the satisfying conclusion to the storyline.

This lady just can't keep herself out of trouble.

Underworld literally starts with a bang (I don't want to spoil anything so just be prepared for an "explosive" start), with a brief tutorial section that's actually part of a latter chapter. As the section ends a particularly intriguing encounter occurs, one that you'll have to wait until you reach the middle point of the game to fully understand. The story delves into Lara's unfinished quest to find out what happened to her mother which means she'll cross path with both of her main enemies from the past two games (Amanda and Natla), while doing some more globetrotting to find clues that will lead to her mother. Unfortunately for Lara, her journey won't be a smooth one and there will be quite a few shocking occurrences as the story unfolds (one in particular may cause a lot of grievance for long time fans of the series). Without spoiling anything I'll say that the conclusion of the story is not only satisfying but also a rather unexpected one, certainly not the merry-go-round conclusion of other games.

Tomb Raider meets CSI.

Tomb Raider Underworld plays very similar to the previous two games from Crystal Dynamics, but this time around the game is much more puzzle oriented and very light on combat. For instance, traditional boss fights are gone. You read that right, there are no boss fights at all in Underworld. This decision makes Underworld the fist Tomb Raider game without any boss fights. If I may be honest here, I really missed the boss fights quite a bit, especially considering how good and memorable they were in Legend and Anniversary.

To the game's credit though, there are plenty of climatic moments that come through puzzle solving and the ending in particular features a scenario that manages to end the game on a spectacular note despite the lack of a major battle (it's one of the most impressive sights presented in the entire series).

Boss fights may be a thing of the past but huge menacing creatures still show up in Underworld.

That's not to say you won't get a chance to make Lara whip out her pistols because scattered through the levels are quite a few enemies. These come in the form of wild animals, mercenaries sent out to kill Lara, or in the latter levels freakish monster type thingies. A typical arsenal of weapons is at your disposal (pistols, SMGs, Rifles), as well as a new tranquilizer gun that allows you to take a more humane path when dealing with wildlife. Towards the end of the game however, Lara will get her hands on a mythical weapon, one that's truly a "blast" to use. It's a pity there wasn't a proper boss fight to make good use of it.

During combat Lara can also make use of the "adrenaline shot" which is essentially a slow-mo ability just like bullet time. This feature can lead to some really cool animations as you try to time a headshot while in slow-mo to perform an instant kill. Lara has an energy bar that needs to be fully charged in order for her to be able to make use of the adrenaline shot.

The adrenaline shot is a joy to pull off.

Prior to the start of each level you have the option to select what gear you want to start with as well as the outfit you want Lara to wear. This doesn't mean you can't switch weapons mid level, all you need to do for that is pull the PDA and select the desired weapon. The PDA also offers some additional features like a sonar map which in theory should help you get acquainted with your surroundings, but I for one hardly ever felt the need to use it.

As with every single Tomb Raider game before, scattered through the levels are several secrets which in Underworld take the form of treasures and relics. Treasures are the most common, while there are only a few relics in each level. Finding these items unlocks bonus features such as concept art, while relics allow Lara's health bar to go up. Should you find all the relics in the game you'll effectively double Lara's health bar. This can essentially turn Lara into a menacing fighting machine for the foes she'll encounter.

Is that Lara's shadow?

The most challenging enemies in the game however, come in the form of some expertly designed puzzles that make the most of the surrounding environments. Solving most of these puzzles requires some careful examination of the surroundings as well as some clever thinking. In case a puzzle feels too hard or is hindering your process, the game provides some helpful hints through Lara's PDA. Some hints will point you in the right direction while others will flat out tell you what to do. It's a great feature that will save moments of frustration to certain people, but it's certainly much more rewarding to solve a puzzle on your own.

Underworld features some truly awe inspiring environments. There are several imposing structures that make Lara look like a mosquito. Standing at the top of some these structures could produce some vertigo (really), but it's a breathtaking experience. The statue of Shiva in Thailand is simply gorgeous and intimidating as well, and is a central part of a very clever puzzle.

The statue of Shiva is just one of the many imposing structures in Underworld.

The environments in Underworld are somewhat less dangerous than before (save for any enemies lurking around). There are practically no death traps to be found, which can save some frustrating sequences. Navigating through them can still be dangerous as climbing a ten story tall structure is no laughing matter, something that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to help Lara avoid a deadly fall. There are also several mechanisms that may not have been designed with the purpose of killing intruders, but can be just as deadly nonetheless.

Graphically, Underworld looks spectacular. The game runs on a new engine (though it still shares a similar look to Legend and Anniversary), which leads to much crispier textures and detailed environments. Lighting and shadow effects are done superbly, as well as underwater sections. Lara's model has never looked better and her animations are fluid and feel natural. The game doesn't require a monster rig to look at its best, but if you fall right at the minimum requirements you'll miss out on plenty of eye candy, something that can actually deter the experience since it could make it harder to spot certain elements within the gameworld.

She better hang on tight, unless she'd like to join that fellow on a stick.

Underworld features less musical themes than Legend, giving certain sections a bigger feel of isolation, but there's still plenty of great tunes that play during the game's most thrilling sequences. Most of the soundtrack consists of orchestral tunes that convey a pompous feel. The voice acting is really good too. Once again, Keeley Hawes lends her voice to give life to the Lara character and she's just as phenomenal as she was in the previous two games. All the other characters are properly voiced too, particularly the main antagonists Natla and Amanda.

Finally, a word of warning for potential players, there are quite a few bugs in Underworld. This is nothing new for the series actually as virtually every Tomb Raider game has been marred by a few bugs, something that can be attributed to the sheer nature of the game. However some of the bugs in Underworld are game breaking, so caution must be taken. Eidos already released a patch for the PC version which fixes most of the bugs, but at any rate it's recommended to read a walkthrough first to get an idea of what must be done to avoid potential bugs. For the record, certain website's such as this one, offer some spoiler free sections describing how to deal with such bugs.

You can be sure this ain't the last we've seen from Lara.

With Tomb Raider Underworld, Crystal Dynamics has brought closure to the Legend story arc and has also succeeded at delivering another memorable outing for the series. Their experiment in tweaking the Tomb Raider formula was a bold move, and though I wish they bring back the boss fights for the next installment, they proved that they are more than capable of shaking up the series. For Tomb Raider fans this is a must-play title, while action adventure fans will be rewarded with a thrilling experience.