Tomb Raider: Underworld

Tomb Raider: Underworld was apparently developed concurrently with Anniversary, which led to the team on Underworld being understaffed. I don't think it shows too much in the game. Gameplay has few quirks but also advancements. And there is a good finale to the game.

An even finisher to an even trilogy

Crystal Dynamics creating a new engine for newer hardware and easier porting was probably the main reason for the staffing issues. Underworld looks as if it was a direction continuation to Tomb Raider: Legend and Anniversary despite the engine being allegedly written from scratch. It is prettier though: I could tell that immediately. Particularly the game's Thailand level is beautiful with its lush vegetation and sunny lighting.

Underworld finishes the story started in Legend -- or I guess in Anniversary when considering in-universe chronology. It feels like an immediate continuation to both previous games simultaneously with all the returning characters and villains. (Thankfully the returning Zip and Alistair aren't in a constant satellite call with Lara this time.) The trilogy as a whole is much more a cohesive single story arc than the newest games.

The PC version of Underworld isn't a complete edition: Microsoft negotiated exclusive two pieces of downloadable content that never made out of the Xbox 360 release (as far as I know). While the DLC, Beneath the Ashes and Lara's Shadow, don't drastically change anything, they do add to the game's ending. (I watched the expanded scenes on Youtube.)

Underworld's first location (after an in-medias-res intro) didn't give me a very good initial impression about the game. A completely open Mediterranean Sea floor did look cool but then I learned how many collectibles there were -- so small and hard-to-spot -- and the open area didn't seem that great anymore. Doing the treasure hunting is possible and kind of intended to be done after beating the story but I decided to do everything right away. The newer games made finding everything much more enjoyable with the treasure maps being in-game things, not having to use a 3rd party guide.

Except for one swimsuit you get from beating the game, outfits aren't unlocked in Underworld. Instead you get to choose from two to three options at the start of each location. I liked that way of doing it although being able to change outfit at will at a campfire, for instance, would still be better.

After the open sea, you'll get inside into a ruined area with tight corridors which felt like a downgrade after the scenic climbs of Anniversary. The tall set pieces do return later but Underworld definitely doesn't start with its best level. It was like a prolonged tutorial that wasn't needed. At least the game wasn't as punishing as Anniversary with failed jumps; you don't have to redo as long challenging sequences.

Lara's motorcycle returned as well -- fortunately not for repetitive chases but for simply getting around faster. However, having to constantly stop driving to check for collectibles kind of defeats the purpose of the motorcycle.

Few additions again

Climbing has new features; you can see the series inching towards the gameplay of its modern titles. For instance, Lara has separate walk and sprint speed in this one. There are also surfaces with hand and foot holds Lara can climb freely -- those were replaced by the climbing axes in the newer games. Rappelling was a thing before but in this one you can start it on an even surface and then go over the edge to descend with the rope you just attached. I was impressed how smooth the interaction felt with that.

Early on, there was one jump to get a collectible that felt "illegal". Normally, if you need to jump sideways while hanging on a wall, it is the farthest you can go to that direction, but in this case, the column had the handhold continue around the corner. Thus you have to do the jump quickly before Lara swings there. I thought such unconventional jumps would become a regular thing to watch out for to get everything but it turned out to be the only one in the game. It is also possible that it wasn't the intended way rather than a shortcut I took.

Chimney jump is a feature that hasn't reappeared after this game yet. I guess it's bit fiddly with camera possibly positioning too close to a wall but the jumping itself does work: I never failed to ascend a "chimney". And speaking of camera: there is something actually wrong with it too. After platforming jumps and such, the camera quite jarringly jerks to center itself behind Lara. It's so surprising jank when it wasn't a thing before; I guess it was due to the new engine. I tried gamepad to see if the problem was because keyboard & mouse but it persisted. I ended up playing the whole with a gamepad still; it didn't turn out much of a different experience because combat still uses the arcadey locking system.

Headshot maneuver was changed again. In Underworld, Lara herself has an adrenaline bar, which once filled, allows her to bounce off an enemy to kill them easily. A reticle appears like in Anniversary but in this one you have to yourself move it on top of the enemy during the slow motion. The maneuver is most involved in all of the trilogy but it's still worth doing to get rid of a full-health enemy quickly.

Underworld's finale was great; I immediately recognized it as a predecessor to Rise of the Tomb Raider's Baba Yaga DLC boss fight. The latter is of course much better, gameplay far more refined but I still enjoyed the spectacle in this one too. I suppose these three games weren't the worst impulse purchases ever but I definitely wouldn't recommend this Legend trilogy over the newer Survivor one.