20 Years Celebration Spotlight: Tomb Raider: Underworld

As announced a while ago, ROTTR Web will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider by (among other things) walking down the Tomb Raider memory lane with you! In the spotlight today: Tomb Raider: Underworld!

Introduction:
Tomb Raider: Underworld is the ninth game in the Tomb Raider series and functions as a direct sequel to Tomb Raider: Legend. The action-adventure game was developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive for Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2008. Downloadable content was exclusively released for Xbox 360, adding two new chapters (Beneath the Ashes & Lara’s Shadow) where the player takes control of Lara and her doppelgänger. Underworld comes with new gameplay features, such as a dual-target feature and an upgraded inventory system, using an Active Sonar map and a multi-purpose grappling hook. The game also features a hint system and a new melee combat system where Lara has the ability to battle her opponents using kicks and grapple pulls. The game received mostly positive reviews and sold around 2.6 million copies worldwide according to Eidos in February 2009.

Music:
The main theme of the game was composed by Troels Brun Folmann, while Colin O’Malley was scoring the bulk of the music. The style is purely orchestral.

Did you know..? Trivia Facts:
– Though Lara once again drops her famous braid in favor of a simple ponytail, her doppelganger sports long, braided hair. This is because this was the hairstyle Lara had the last time Natla saw her (in Anniversary) and so that was the look that she modeled the doppelganger from.
– The first Tomb Raider game to be distributed by Warner Bros.
– This is the first Tomb Raider to be broad-casted in high definition (720p).
– This is the first Tomb Raider game where Lara auto-heals. However, this feature takes time to restore her health meter, and does not restore it fully. Lara can still use health pickups for a quick health boost, or to restore her health to 100%. The pickups are mostly antiquated jugs of health elixir, however, traditional med-kits can be found on Amanda’s ship in the first level.
– A scene that provided a more definite resolution to the conflict between Amanda and Lara was produced, but ultimately cut from the final game. In the scene, set only minutes after the official end scene, Amanda sneaks up on Lara, just outside the Buddhist temple. She threatens to bludgeon Lara to death with a rock, but Lara turns and guns her down before she gets the chance. Lara marches away with a bitter scowl. Amanda, severely injured, gets up and calls out to Lara, but Lara doesn’t respond. Amanda collapses again and apparently dies.
– The first Tomb Raider game released for Playstation 3.
– Natla, the main villain from the first Tomb Raider (and the retelling in Tomb Raider: Anniversary), makes a re-appearance.
– The areas where Lara explores are: The Mediterranean Sea, Costal Thailand, under Croft Manor, Southern Mexico, Jan Mayen Island, Andaman Sea, Arctic Sea.
– When Lara is in the living room of the burning Croft Manor, you can see the portrait of her parents still hanging above the fireplace. The portrait is intact, except the left half of Lady Amelia’s face has been burned off. This is a reference to the state that Lara finds her mother in, later in the game – the left side of her face is decomposed, while the right side is intact.
– First Tomb Raider game since Tomb Raider II to include giant spiders as enemies.

HD Conceptual Artworks: