Tomb Raider: Underworld

pjbliverpool said:
.
I'm not impressed that a technically more advanced and massively more powerful system isn't pulling off the same effects based purely on a software limitation which must have had possible to work around but I'm pretty sure i'll pick it up eventually.
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Isn't that the fundamental problem with all these console ports, though? They're never gonna compare well to a game built from the bottom-up on PCs, even if you do get far better FPS/AA/res.
 
obonicus said:
Isn't that the fundamental problem with all these console ports, though? They're never gonna compare well to a game built from the bottom-up on PCs, even if you do get far better FPS/AA/res.
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That much is true but in this games case, there are specific effects in the console version which haven't been implemented on the PC because of DX9 limitations.

So you can have a 4870X2 with literally Terraflops of SM4 level shading power to spare and yet because of the way the game has been programmed, your not able to run some shaders that even RSX is pulling off.

And to cap it, aside from the standard res/aa options, there don't appear to be any other enhancements in the PC version to compensate for this (as far as I can tell). I'd be happy to be corrected on that though.
 
Phil said:
BTW: is there a way to change the controls to Resident Evil style (left-right rotates Lara instead of running left/right). I never really got around to liking the Uncharted/MGS style of controls.. just didn't seem right after the playing so many good Tomb Raiders with the original control scheme...
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I'm not sure if there really is a "rotate the character" control at all as opposed to an "orbit the camera" control. While you're actually moving, changing the camera orientation is the same as rotating the character, but not so while you're not moving.

pjbliverpool said:
All in all, i'm impressed. If the game had been given a DX10 path to get around DX9 shader length limitations (its not like the hardware doesn;t have multiple times the shading capability of consoles) then it would be a definate buy. As it stands, its back on the possible list depending on how different the 360 version is.
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Making a game that's Vista-only didn't really sit well with anybody -- especially not in the focus groups and surveys over the entire course of development. Having separate SKUs to avoid the Games For Windows nonsense is one possibility, but the fees associated with that are utterly criminal. In any case, I think there is some uncertainty about whether DX10 is worth it at any point because by the time we have any additional game coming close to release, all indications are that DX10 will already have been long superceded, and you'd be making this same complaint about DX11 and/or Larrabee if we came out with a DX10 title.

And honestly, from the "want" angle of development, Larrabee is many times more attractive than DX10/11 any day of the week. In practice, of course, the "want" angle is infinitely meaningless. The "need" angle is the real concern and is, of course, completely unknown.

Farid said:
Second an actual question about the PC game: SMM, can you tell us whether CD handles the port in house or is it the Dutch folks from Nixxes that handle this version? I'd guess the latter, given the great relationship between CD and Nixxes, but a confirmation would be even better than a guess.
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The answer is C) All of the above.

Crystal and Nixxes put together makes one studio, more or less. PC, PS3, and 360 are all one codebase and all are developed on simultaneously at all times both here and at Nixxes. If you want to talk about specifics of TCR compliance, platform-specific UI, support for keyboard/mouse, etc., then that's pretty much all Nixxes. On the broader level of the overall codebase, there are no ports at all among those 3 platforms.
 
ShootMyMonkey said:
IMaking a game that's Vista-only didn't really sit well with anybody -- especially not in the focus groups and surveys over the entire course of development. Having separate SKUs to avoid the Games For Windows nonsense is one possibility, but the fees associated with that are utterly criminal. In any case, I think there is some uncertainty about whether DX10 is worth it at any point because by the time we have any additional game coming close to release, all indications are that DX10 will already have been long superceded, and you'd be making this same complaint about DX11 and/or Larrabee if we came out with a DX10 title.
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Its not so much that I expect DX10 for the sake of being on the most modern API. Its more about the PC version having to compromise on effects because of DX9 limitations that DX10 would have presumably negated.

I agree going Vista only would have been a poor choice, but the implementation of a DX9 AND DX10 path ala Crysis, Farcry 2, Bioskock etc... would have been nice (i'm not sure how that fits into GfW?).

Still, as I said, graphically the differences appear extremely negligable between PC and X360 IMO so its not a huge deal. The game looks great anyway.
 
I try the demo, the only thing I'm would say is great work! :)
And I'm preferring a sub-HD game who use the let's ressources from that for the others things( lightning, environnements interactions, animations, AA, etc) than a poor 720p game so for me you made the good compromise.
And my wife is really please with this demo and waiting for the game! ;)
 
Yes, nice trailer.

Hopefully this one will be released in good quality/good encode after it's exclusiveness to GameTrailers.com.

So far, almost every Tomb Raider: Underworld video footage from Eidos was bad in terms of encoding/capturing quality and was looking bad.

Sometimes it seems they didn't even use AVC or VC-1 :D:eek:.

This trailer would be worth a good quality HD encode ;).

Don't you think ShootMyMonkey :p?
 
So PS3 trophies or not? This is going to determine whether or not I purchase this game since I have so much else in the back log right now. Otherwise probably buy it used a few months down the road or rent it.
 
user542745831 said:
Hopefully this one will be released in good quality/good encode after it's exclusiveness to GameTrailers.com.

So far, almost every Tomb Raider: Underworld video footage from Eidos was bad in terms of encoding/capturing quality and was looking bad.

Sometimes it seems they didn't even use AVC or VC-1 :D:eek:.
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Doesn't really make much difference when the sites that post the videos always re-encode them anyway. Probably would only matter if we sent them HUFFYUV streams or something as the originals, but no suitably massive levels of bandwidth exist in this world to be able to pull off something like that.

Most everything we send out appears eventually on tombraiderchronicles, and even that guy re-encodes the WM versions. I think he leaves the QT versions untouched, though, but they are still QT. I think we always have to encode both Windows Media and Quicktime just because some media sites prefer one or the other or both (why anyone would prefer Quicktime is beyond me).
 
So, Ign's review is up and they say that again the 360 version is the way to go with a better framerate and less bugs......

Any reason why.......SMM?

It really sucks when you wanna buy a game your told will run great on the system of your choice, only to be dissapointed in the end.....
 
I only read their reviews to see what the differences are, if there are any at all, as their one of the few that actually compare(besides gamespot and eurogamer).
 
I've already decided to gamefly this beast. I don't have the money to buy a game that doesn't offer a lot of replay value right now. Since all the DLC and such appear to be going to 360, current reviews stating the game is a mediocre Uncharted, and the lack of trophies I just can't justify it right now.
 
Ack. I was looking forward to this and even had it ordered to be picked up today, but reading that IGN review makes me a bit unsure now... :S
 
Eurogamer is pretty tough but really interesting to read.
Basically it's a really good Tomb Raiden but they were expecting more changes in regard to the gameplay.
They praise the 3D engine and animation system, on the other side they are peaced about the AI.

I can understand their POV, but tomb raiders fans should be ok with the game.
ShootMyMonkey your team knows what to do next now, better AI and introduce a cover system/reworked fighting system.
Pretty easy ain't it? :LOL:
 
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