Disk Inserted

Hello my fellow gamers! Just checking in once again, and apologizing for not posting anything in a while. I recently have set up my Xbox Live account and have been somewhat addicted since my last post. For those of you that would like to add me, my gamertag is HrubixCube. If you forget, just ask Jon.

Anyway, what I have come to write to all of you about is a review of two levels I have recently downloaded for Tomb Raider Underworld- Beneath the Ashes, and Lara’s Shadow. For 800 Microsoft points each, I must say I was disappointed by the length of both of these levels. I would have liked to have had more time playing as Lara’s doppelganger and a more involved story involving her double- but first, those of you that are not familiar with the plot behind both of these levels, Lara’s shadow allows you to play as the doppelganger of Lara- the one that killed Alister in the game- and use its powers to overcome challenges Lara couldn’t otherwise pass.- on that subject, Lara’s double possesses what is known as “Shadow power” which gives her increased speed, agility, sharper aiming, and basically the “Lara on steroids” approach to the game. The thing I did not like about this level, firstly is that Lara’s shadow is actually the SAME LEVEL split into two parts. The level it takes place in is the remains of the Yggdrasil ruins after Lara kills Natla. The double is entrusted with activating a machine to keep Natla alive, then destroying the machine at the end of the game, which means you essentially visit the same area twice. Another thing I dislike about Lara’s shadow is that if you download this level, be prepared to face thralls over and over and over again. tons of them. After a while, I got sick of constantly fighting thralls and wanted an actual enemy I could shoot. The thralls seem to be immune to Shadow Lara’s bullets, and even if you use her enhanced firing ability, you’ll go through an entire clip before the thralls actually die. Lara’s double can also perform hand-to-hand combat against her enemies, the designers didn’t vary her combos. Her Shadow blast is effective as a knockback attack, but initially that’s all it’s good for. you’d have to significantly damage an enemy before it kills them. The same result occurs if you shadow strike your enemy on the first hit.

With Beneath the Ashes, the plot seems disconnected from Lara’s Shadow- Lara returns to Croft Manor to examine the Eitr stone, which can not only create thralls, but when she learns the phrase “Akeshiva” at the end of the game, she can control them. All Beneath the Ashes consists of is a level that is supposed to be a dungeon beneath Croft Manor that Lara ventures into in search of this thing. A lot of unanswered questions remain- What happens after the doppelganger kills Natla again? Does Lara create any Thralls using the Eitr stone? the levels were too short to really answer these in depth, and had it not been for the six new uniforms that Lara can wear for these new levels, and her double’s “Shadow combat” I probably wouldn’t have downloaded them.

I’d give these a 4 at best.