Tomb Raider: Underworld E3 trailer blows our minds in reverse

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 19th 2008 at 2:30PM }

Based off of our explorations of the Croft manor in previous Tomb Raider installments, we can say with absolute certainty that Lara Croft has a pretty sweet pad. Or, rather, had a sweet pad -- in the latest E3 trailer for Eidos and Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider: Underworld, the titular adventurer, now sans hot pants, apparently lays waste to her extravagant dwelling.

The two-minute, gameplay-less trailer is visually impressive, though our minds are racing with questions surrounding the top-heavy historian's act of residential sabotage. Is she trying to collect on her homeowner's insurance? Is she attempting to quash a rather formidable termite infestation? Perhaps she's trying to earn a visit from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? We'll be finding out when Underworld explodes onto store shelves November 18.

Tags: crystal-dynamics, e3-2008, eidos, lara-croft, tomb-raider, tomb-raider-underworld, trailer, underworld

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Huey2k2 @ Jul 19th 2008 2:40PM

No hot pants?

BLASPHEMY

Slayer @ Jul 19th 2008 2:58PM

Indeed...

The_Punisher @ Jul 19th 2008 2:45PM

Gotta say....that was awesome.....

Jonah Falcon @ Jul 19th 2008 8:13PM

Gotta say... that was pre-rendered.

The_Punisher @ Jul 19th 2008 8:29PM

....

YOU'RE pre-rendered

Jerk Face @ Jul 19th 2008 8:52PM

LOL

Nightvortez @ Jul 19th 2008 10:10PM

What's with the hate for pre-rendered trailers? A lot of them are made to show off the story, and to get you excited for the story, well guess what? The story is told through pre-rendered cutscenes. They have gameplay footage if that's what you want, but a game isn't just gameplay.

Obie @ Jul 19th 2008 2:50PM

While the ad was very slick...one thing struck me as odd.
The footage is going in reverse right? So it starts at the smoldering aftermath, ending at the explosion itself.

So since she was facing away from the house when she pushed the trigger, shouldn't the reveal show her with her back towards the house?

Meh, or maybe the game will incorporate some timebending ability like Prince of Persia.

Tesley @ Jul 19th 2008 3:47PM

That is some good observation you have lol.

Jakka @ Jul 19th 2008 3:50PM

My brain is to tired to work on this at the moment.

But methinks that it's something to do with the moment of transition between "reverse" and "normal".

Noshino @ Jul 19th 2008 6:19PM

Yah, the video looks really cool but they did mess up...while the whole scene is being rewound you don't even get to see the explosion

J @ Jul 19th 2008 8:43PM

I disagree Obie. By the time they reveal her, the building is completely WHOLE again. If they revealed her facing the building when it was STILL BEING restored and then play it forward with her turn away and blowing it up, THAT would be a paradox.

They're only supposed to reveal her facing away if the building had already blown up. But, again, the building was whole by the time they show her. She can be facing anywhere before she finally turns away to push the button.

But Noshino made a good point, we don't see the explosion during the rewind. Actually i did see the flames rewind. But they seemed to disappear quite early while the glass windows were still being restored. When the scene played forward, the flames are the FIRST to explode outwards, so you'd think they'd be the LAST the disappear during rewind.

Yup, it's simple really ;P. *head explodes*

Ubiqutous Oxymoron @ Jul 20th 2008 7:32AM

nothing wrong with using creative license to manipulate the scenario, surely it is not that hard to get your head round.

willing suspension of disbelief is what we all subscribe to when we play these games, this slight manipulation should not pose any problem to any of us.

should it?

Infidel @ Jul 19th 2008 3:00PM

If that is how the graphics turn out ill blow my own house up.

syrik zero @ Jul 19th 2008 3:06PM

Hahaha awesome. Make sure to record it from your desk to the front of your house

CJLopez @ Jul 20th 2008 5:07AM

At least for 360 and PS3. for Wii, not sol likely, still, might get the Wii version over the PS3 one

Charlie_Six @ Jul 19th 2008 3:01PM

Lara Croft looks weird at the end. o_O

syrik zero @ Jul 19th 2008 3:07PM

You mean like a prostitute?

Danny F. @ Jul 19th 2008 3:25PM

I have my bet on that she now has a evil twin.

Only way it makes sense without more info -.-

Nineset @ Jul 19th 2008 5:10PM

yeah it doesn't look like her. I doubt that they would change the character model like that.... my bet is on evil "twin" or something to that effect. nice CG though, Legend was great.

marty @ Jul 19th 2008 7:57PM

More like Major Kusanagi with down syndrome.

Jonah Falcon @ Jul 19th 2008 8:14PM

You're not used to her with round breasts?

Sora @ Jul 19th 2008 3:19PM

This didn't really blow my mind, but it's probably because there's nothing left to blow as my mind just 'asploded a few minutes ago while trying to comprehend how to install custom firmware onto my PSP.

But damn, if this trailer isn't pre-rendered, I may have to pick up this game.

klepto88 @ Jul 19th 2008 3:33PM

It's very obviously pre-rendered.

Obie @ Jul 19th 2008 4:34PM

@Klepto: No shit, Sherlock.

ppkonings @ Jul 19th 2008 3:42PM

Anybody else thinking evil twin?

OMFGSPLOSIONPLOTTWIST!

jeivindr @ Jul 19th 2008 4:46PM

Yeah, I go for the evil, slightly sluttier twin as well. I mean, real Lara wouldn't let the pistols inside the house, those things are magical!

ChooChooCharlie @ Jul 19th 2008 3:33PM

Well she is rich. Lara probably didn't feel like cleaning anymore, so she just bought a new house instead.

Miss Yvonne: "One time, when I had the flu, I let my dirty dishes pile up clear to the ceiling."

Pee-Wee: "What'd you do then?"

Miss Yvonne: "I bought new dishes."

t00l @ Jul 19th 2008 3:58PM

Whats her problem? :S

She must be bleeding out just like Leona Lewis! :o

Shmil @ Jul 19th 2008 4:03PM

Blowing in reverse?
So it sucks?

The_Punisher @ Jul 19th 2008 4:55PM

Damn, she really IS a prostitute

GamerChick @ Jul 19th 2008 4:05PM

This trailer is delicious. Just hope there's no huge progression blocking bugs like in Legend. I don't know if I'll ever find the the heart to start over and actually beat the game this time.

Can't wait to pick this one up, though...

ChooChooCharlie @ Jul 19th 2008 9:43PM

What kinds of bugs are we talking here?

I just bought Legend recently and I don't want to have the game crash on me or anything. I had a couple problems with Anniversary deleting my save file and having corrupted saves. Is it something along those lines?

Jeremy @ Jul 21st 2008 9:46AM

In the part just before you get that magical sword, there are some platforms you need to jump across as they fall. It is possible to make them fall before they are supposed to, thus completely blocking your progress. It happened to me my first time through (luckily I had a previously save not too far back).

GamerChick @ Jul 21st 2008 4:46PM

Also,
In the tomb (you'll know when you get there, I don't want to spoil anything), there's a large room with four hanging cages. The bases have grapple points on them. DO NOT GRAPPLE THEM! You need them for a boss fight, and if you grapple them before he appears, one of them doesn't drop, and you can't pass the fight.

It REALLY REALLY sucks. I threw my controller.

Tgreg131 @ Jul 19th 2008 4:52PM

What is the name of this song?

naxe @ Jul 19th 2008 5:47PM

sounds like the beginning of evanescence Lacrymosa.

Phi Nguyen @ Jul 20th 2008 8:55PM

It's Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem.

Benny @ Jul 19th 2008 4:57PM

Does this mean no Croft Manor to josh about in? If so, I'll be very disappointed.

I'm holding out hope that the building in the trailer is in fact the Louvre.

WPstart @ Jul 19th 2008 5:13PM

It's definately the manor from Legend. Hopefully the manor from TR1-3 will return.

Benny @ Jul 19th 2008 5:54PM

Nooooo! Let the Mona Lisa burn!

Henry @ Jul 20th 2008 7:42AM

@WPStart

I agree!
I wanna spend hours racing round that maze to get the secret quad bike track! And jumping around in the bathroom franticly trying to find the 'nude cheat'.
Good times. :)

Marco Sosa @ Jul 19th 2008 8:14PM

i noticed that laras face looks wierd but if you look at it a while it looks like the first model that crystal dynamic made not the alpah model this is the face that everyone started to complain about so im satisfied with the trailer , just imagine lara new model face in to the trailer , it kinda looks like she is wearing her swim suit with pants or something like that

Can't wait for the game to come out

:)

GO LARA CROFT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!