Tomb Raider II
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tomb Raider II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Core Design |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Designer(s) | Gavin Rummery (lead programmer), Neil Boyd and Heather Gibson (level designers),Stuart Atkinson (lead Animator),Joss Charmet (character models) Nathan McCree (music and sound effects) |
| Release date(s) | November, 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter/Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PC |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| Input | Control pad, keyboard, Mouse |
Tomb Raider II is a video game in the Tomb Raider series, and is the sequel to Tomb Raider. It was developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive, and was originally released for PC and PlayStation in 1997. Once again, the storyline follows the adventures of archaeologist Lara Croft, as she travels the world in search of an artefact called the Dagger of Xian.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
In the Great Wall of China rests an ancient artefact called the Dagger of Xian. Legend has it that those who drive the dagger into their heart acquire the power of the dragon.
In ancient China, the Emperor was the holder of this power, and with his army alongside him, his forces were invincible. Thus he staked claim to the vast lands of China. His final battle, however, ended in defeat. While people fell into submission all around him, the warrior monks of Tibet would not relent and courageously fought against his will. They succeeded in removing the dagger from the Emperor’s heart – and reduced him and his army to carnage. The Dagger was then returned to its resting place within the Great Wall and locked up for all time.
Now, three parties covet this dagger — but for entirely different reasons. Lara Croft, forever the adventurer, is one of these. On her travels she will encounter the other two.
[edit] Gameplay
[edit] Features
The gameplay of Tomb Raider II builds upon the basic set up of the original game. For a detailed discussion of its features, see Tomb Raider. New in Tomb Raider II however, are an expanded range of weapons, extra moves, a small set of vehicles, larger levels and many enemies.
Moving around through each level has remained unchanged. Lara can still jump, grab ledges and push and pull blocks. New to Tomb Raider II is the ability to climb and a mid-air roll used to land in the opposite direction of which the player was facing. Ammo and medipacks are the staple of Lara's inventory, but this time flares have been added to her equipment, which are used to light up dark corners. When Lara lights a flare, she can either grab hold of it and run around using it as a torch, or throw it away to illuminate deep pits.
By default, Lara still carries her pistols, equipped with infinite ammo. The shotgun and the dual-wielded uzi guns are also present. The magnums from the first game have been changed to automatic pistols. New are the M16 rifle, which requires Lara to assume an aiming stance to fire, the harpoon gun to be used underwater, and the grenade launcher, the most powerful weapon in the game.
Vehicles include a motorboat (in Venice) and a snow scooter (in Tibet). Both are used to travel long distances across the map and can speed up on ramps or run over enemies. The snow scooter comes in two types: a regular model and one armed with small machine guns.
For Tomb Raider II, Lara's appearance was given a make-over by the designer, Stuart Atkinson, giving her a free flowing pony tail, a smoother appearance, and several new outfits. In China and Venice, she dons her familiar Tomb Raider outfit; in the ocean levels she is bare-foot and wears a wetsuit; and in Tibet, Lara wears a flight jacket over her top. Also, in the bonus level "Home Sweet Home", she wears a short, blue velvet nightgown.
The object of the game remains unchanged from the previous game. Each level must be finished by solving various puzzles, collecting key items and performing difficult jumps. However, this time there is an emphasis on gun fights and the killing of human opponents as well. Secrets no longer immediately reward the player with weapons or medipacks. Instead, each secret is marked by a coloured dragon ornament: silver, jade and gold, according to the difficulty of their location. Only when Lara has collected each of these dragons in a level will she receive a bonus.
[edit] Characters
- Lara Croft: The adventurous archaeologist returns to the world of tomb raiding in her quest to uncover the Dagger of Xian.
- Marco Bartoli: A vicious Venetian mob leader, Marco Bartoli has founded a cult obsessed with the ancient lore of the dagger. His henchmen have spread across the world in search for the artefacts related to the relic.
- Brother Chan: For generations, the sacred order of the Barkhang monks have kept the secrets of the dagger confined within their Tibetan monastery. The tombs beneath this ancient structure hold a keystone called the Talion. Marco Bartoli has kidnapped Brother Chan Barkhang and sent his gang to Tibet in order to recover it.
- Winston: The old but loyal family butler of the Crofts, Winston will follow the player around at Lara's home. He carries a tray with tea cups on it and he tends to groan a lot. Locking the butler in the mansion's fridge is a frequent source of hilarity among gamers.
[edit] Levels
[edit] England - Lara's Mansion
Once again, Lara's mansion, in England, is home to a training course designed to get the player acquainted with the controls of the game. This time training takes place outdoors on an expanded assault course and inside a thorn bush maze. The player can still move in and around Lara's house, and is followed by her loyal butler Winston. An infamous glitch within the Tomb Raider games causes Lara to switch platforms when standing nearby high objects and jumping while the player is looking down. In Lara's mansion, this enables the player to travel across the roof of her house. The house is also home to many secrets, most famously the hedge maze concealing a timed switch to open the basement of the mansion.
[edit] China
The game begins at the Great Wall of China. Lara has come to search for the Dagger of Xian. Her searches take her through many traps. At the end of the level, Lara learns of a cult dedicated also to finding the Dagger of Xian. The cult led by Marco Bartoli, consists of dangerous gangsters who would rather shoot first, and ask questions later. The first level is easy to start with, but it becomes much harder as the level progresses.
- Level 1: The Great Wall
[edit] Venice
Lara has tracked down Marco Bartoli to his hideout in a dangerous part of Venice that has been taken over by his cult. Lara must infiltrate the hideout in an effort to find Bartoli himself. Behind the hideout complex lies an abandoned opera house. A golden opportunity to explore and uncover more about Bartoli's operations. The levels in Venice range from easy to an average difficulty
- Level 2: Venice
- Level 3: Bartoli's Hideout
- Level 4: Opera House
[edit] Offshore Rig
While hiding on board Bartoli's plane as a stowaway, Lara is knocked unconscious by one of Bartoli's henchmen. When she wakes up, she finds herself stripped of all her weapons and trapped on an oil rig surrounded by a huge ocean. Lara's main priorities in these levels are to recover her weapons and escape from the rig. The levels here are of average to hard difficulty.
- Level 5: Offshore Rig
- Level 6: Diving Area
[edit] The Wreck of the Maria Doria
The game continues underwater into shark infested waters, into the remains of the wreck of the Maria Doria, a luxury ship that sank decades ago. On board is a mystical artifact called the Seraph. Bartoli's crew has begun to excavate treasures at this site, and Lara is closely on their tail. The levels of this ocean segment range from average to hard difficulty.
- Level 7: 40 Fathoms
- Level 8: Wreck of the Maria Doria
- Level 9: Living Quarters
- Level 10: The Deck
[edit] Tibet
With the Seraph safely in Lara's backpack, Tomb Raider II continues in the snowy foothills of Tibet. After encountering a remote monastery, she must delve deeper underground, through icy caverns and ancient catacombs to uncover the mysteries that the Seraph has unlocked, and acquire the Talion key. The levels in Tibet range from average to hard difficulty.
- Level 11: Tibetan Foothills
- Level 12: Barkhang Monastery
- Level 13: Catacombs of the Talion
- Level 14: Ice Palace
[edit] Return to China
Lara returns to China and enters into the Temple of Xian. This is where the mystical dagger is kept. Bartoli has already infiltrated the temple and has begun to cause mayhem. It is time for Lara to deal with this menace once and for all. These levels in China this time around are extremely difficult.
- Level 15: Temple of Xian
- Level 16: Floating Islands
- Level 17: The Dragon's Lair
[edit] England - Return to Lara's Mansion
Upon returning home, Lara examines the dagger of Xian that she has acquired. However, after marvelling its beauty, the house's security alarms sound. The remains of Bartoli's cult have broken into the mansion, looking for revenge. The final task is to kill all of the intruders to finish the game.
- Level 18: Home Sweet Home
[edit] Tomb Raider II Gold
- Main article: Tomb Raider: The Golden Mask
In 1999, Tomb Raider II was re-released as Tomb Raider II Gold for PC. The game comprises the scenarios of the original Tomb Raider II and 5 new bonus levels in a separate mini-adventure entitled "The Golden Mask."
In "The Golden Mask", Lara heads to Alaska in search of the Mask of Tornarsuk. According to legend, this relic bestows powers of re-animation on its wearer. This time she goes up against a band of mercenaries also bent on possessing the mask. The four main levels take Lara from an abandoned Russian mining base to the remains of ancient Inuit settlement, then into a tropical Shangri-La hidden beneath the complex. Lara retrieves the mask halfway through the game, and uses it at the end to summon a golden bird monster similar to that seen in Ice Palace in the original Tomb Raider II. A fifth level, Nightmare in Vegas is available for playing if the player collects all secrets in each of the four main levels of Tomb Raider II: Gold.
Levels:
- The Cold War
- Fool's Gold
- Furnace of the Gods
- Kingdom
- Nightmare In Vegas (Unlockable if the player collects all secrets)
[edit] Development history
Development of Tomb Raider II was already in its conceptual stages even before the first game was released. By the time Core was wrapping up Tomb Raider, many more ideas and suggestions had been put forth, some of which could be incorporated in the first game, others which would shape up to become the next installment of the series.
While two key members of the original team had left (most notably Lara's creator Toby Gard who was replaced by Stuart Atkinson), the design team for Tomb Raider II was expanded to more than twice of its original size. Subsequently, the game took a shorter amount of time to develop than its predecessor. The decision to keep the engine from Tomb Raider was made early on, adopting a tweak-and-improve approach, rather than starting over from scratch. Minor camera issues and object glitches were fixed, while new features were added, such as dynamic lighting and a more flexible control system. Core Design used a custom built level editor that let them explore each stage as it was being created. This allowed the designers to test play levels on the fly and eliminate glitches.
[edit] Reception
As one of the most hotly anticipated games of 1997, Tomb Raider II was an immediate commercial success, surpassing the sales of Tomb Raider with ease. The game was met with near universal approval and received perfect marks from several gaming magazines. Of particular praise were Tomb Raider II's improved graphics, the use of vehicles to add variety to gameplay and the more action oriented objectives.
Nonetheless, the high level of violence was also criticized, as well as the general lack of reverence and atmosphere that made the original game such a success.
At the time of Tomb Raider II's release, Lara was arguably at the height of her fame. A third installment in the series was inevitable and by the winter of 1998 Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft was released. Talks for a screen adaptation were in progress, Lara Croft featured prominently in several SEAT and Lucozade commercials and U2 famously used her image as a pop icon on their 1997 Popmart Tour.
[edit] Trivia
- References to Indiana Jones are numerous throughout Tomb Raider II, most notably by the use of locations from Raiders of the Lost Ark (Himalayas) and The Last Crusade (Venice). Also, the music featured in the scene showing Marco Bartoli putting the dagger in his heart is directly taken from the sacrifice scene from The Temple of Doom, played reversed and with some effects added.
- The level design of the wreck of the Maria Doria (itself named after the real ship SS Andrea Doria) reveals that the front part of the ship was turned upside down when it sank, referencing the movie The Poseidon Adventure.
- Judith Gibbins replaced Shelley Blond as the voice of Lara for Tomb Raider II.
- By inserting the Tomb Raider II disc into a regular CD player, audio and music from the game can be heard (just like Tomb Raider).
[edit] References
- Boyer, Crispin (Nov., 1997). "Reinventing the Raider: The Evolution of Tomb Raider 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly, p. 82-96.
[edit] External links
- Tomb Raider II at MobyGames - info sheet on all ports of the game.
- Tomb Raider II at Stella's Tomb Raider Site - Walkthroughs and savegame files.
- Tomb Raider II at Tombraiderchronicles.com - Contains images, walkthroughs and media related to the game.
