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Tomb Raider Underworld: Beneath The Ashes

View the first 15 minutes of Beneath the Ashes and Lara's gold bikini in action. (540p HD version here.)With new expansions for Grand Theft Auto IV, Fable II and Fallout 3 , the GameSpot Reviews Blog has been awfully busy with downloadable content of late. Tomb Raider Underworld is the latest...


View the first 15 minutes of Beneath the Ashes and Lara's gold bikini in action. (540p HD version here.)

With new expansions for Grand Theft Auto IV, Fable II and Fallout 3 , the GameSpot Reviews Blog has been awfully busy with downloadable content of late. Tomb Raider Underworld is the latest game to be given the DLC treatment, with 'Beneath the Ashes' adding a new level, a new enemy and six new outfits. The result is an expansion that offers some memorable set-pieces, but it's short at around two hours and does very little to fix the existing problems from Underworld.

Beneath the Ashes takes place under Croft Manor, which is now a burnt wreckage after the events of Underworld. Lara is following a lead from her father's journal, who buried a sacred artifact deep under the country estate to stop it getting into the wrong hands. This isn't just some dusty old monument either--it holds the power to control the Thralls, an ancient supernatural army of warriors. Lara being Lara, she decides to investigate, and this mini-adventure takes her from the basement of her home right down to the ancient monuments underneath.

Beneath the Ashes does a good job of maintaining the same balance of adventuring, puzzle-solving and combat from Underworld. The action takes place completely underground, but the new level isn't short on huge expanses to cover. This is where the game is at its best--gradually figuring out your way through an environment, and then being rewarded with some spectacular views along the way. The expansion also has some great puzzles, including the best use of Lara's grapple rope yet. Where it all falls down is on the combat--frequent encounters with Thralls and giant spiders are unwelcome distractions from the business of tomb raiding. The combat is fiddly, the enemies are weak, while Lara's ability to fit a shotgun, rifle and uzis into her tiny backpack mean that it's all incredibly easy.

Lara Croft fans who also have a Princess Leia fetish have their prayers answered by this DLC, as it adds six new costumes including a gold bikini. Putting aside the impracticality of spelunking in a swimsuit for a moment, the bikinis are nicely designed, and show off the work that's been put into designing the character. They also demonstrate the great dirt effects that gradually build up on her body, while the confined spaces allow you to 'appreciate' the subtle breast physics.

I had plenty of gripes with the core mechanics of Underworld, so I'm sad to report that they're still present in Beneath the Ashes. The camera is as unruly as ever, refusing to move around solid objects to offer a better view of the world, while it's even worse in confined spaces, of which there are many. You have to wrestle with the camera as it makes simple mistakes, moving underwater as you're doing something above, and there are even bugs, such as an underwater corridor where Lara never needs to come up for air.

Story and characters have never been Tomb Raider's strong point, but if you are into the lore of the series, you'll get something out of Beneath the Ashes. The level features Lara's Shadow character from Underworld, plus an interesting plot twist towards the end. You also get to read Lara's father's journal, which not only helps figure out the puzzles, but also fills in some of the Croft family history. And if you're not into any of the exposition but are lured by the possibility of achievements, then there are 125 points offer for completing the level and finding all the treasures.

Another problem with Beneath the Ashes is that it's a victim of bad timing, releasing just after The Lost & Damned has set a new benchmark for downloadable content. True, Tomb Raider's content is half the price of GTA's, but it also offers a lot less than half the value and entertainment. For what it is, Beneath the Ashes offers a good Tomb Raider level and some revealing outfits, but I'd certainly rather have seen new gameplay mechanics or environments. If you're a die-hard fan of Tomb Raider then you've probably already added this to your download queue, but everyone else is likely to feel a little short-changed.

48 Comments

  • RaiderxSpawn

    Posted May 26, 2009 9:31 am GMT

    Does anyone know if there is a walkthru for the dlc??? plz email me if there is, rdr518@msn.com

  • Itakel

    Posted Mar 24, 2009 2:55 pm GMT

    Lara croft is so hot and sexy. Maybe it's a good game. But I still love Zelda than

  • orcsblade

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 3:28 pm GMT

    man tomb raider just keeps getting better and better

  • plm3d_basic

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 10:25 am GMT

    I only hope this is a timed exclusive.

  • norwali

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 8:05 pm GMT

    she looks hot

  • residude

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 11:47 am GMT

    firehawk998, as much as id love a legacy of kain sequel, i really doubt they'll make one, the story was pretty much wrapped up in defiance. The only thing they could do is a spinoff, which is 9 times out of 10 not a good idea.

  • residude

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 11:44 am GMT

    adventstrike your spot on. I was very impressed with the graphics, but her animations seemed very jerky at times. They definately wern't as smooth as legend and anniversary were, still a great game though.

  • hamrookie

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 11:04 am GMT

    i think is going to be good games to me.

  • thingta42

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 5:17 am GMT

    Man i Love Tomb raider underworld. The Complaints about the Camera are silly. I Find no Fault with it. the Shooting Mechanics are ok also.

    But i Love the Platforming.

  • adventstrike

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 5:28 pm GMT

    Is it just me, or does Lara seem less 'graceful' the graphics are stunning (so Lara should have better movement), but unlike Legend, which did it so well, you cannot seem to just glide beautifully across levels like you used to. I believe it would have really helped if they delayed the release for another month, to fix this what-could-be wonderful game. (It might have also built the hype, perhaps helping gain the sales Edios wanted)

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 1:26 pm GMT

    the thing that lara could do were limited, and most of it was climbing the same wall for ages which really got boring, my best one was legend

  • beardrewz

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 5:34 am GMT

    she lol!

  • beardrewz

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 5:33 am GMT

    He has great breast!

  • pilot_riaz

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 4:44 am GMT

    Would be good if they put skeletons that rise from teh ground and attack Lara.
    Like in Golden Axe when the skeletons with swords rise from the ground.
    Suits the tomb environment don't you think?

  • caseyaustin84

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 1:32 pm GMT

    All three of the current-gen TRs have been awesome. Why does everyone hate on Lara?

  • tonicmole

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 11:04 am GMT

    Besides boobs Tomb Raider is not selling do to a lack of modernization. Eidos seems to be forever 1 step behind. They have to have something to bring in players. Whether it's boobs, gameplay, or graphics they need to do one or all to an extreme level. You can't get by with subtle, or okay. The competition is way to tough.

  • tonicmole

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 10:58 am GMT

    They need an update to make those subtle breast physics less subtle, Hell Yeah!........I'm a loser.

  • angelkadaj

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 9:42 am GMT

    gold bikini? come on, take a look at that place. it doesn't fit at all.

  • Teslaroq

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 1:26 am GMT

    This game is terrible. Down right terrible. I'm sorry people, but this is just a waste of money. 1. Since when does Lara go stomping on monsters? 2. I didn't like Laras movement. Its too quick. Its not lara like.
    Things I liked about it. 1. awesome graphics in gameplay and movie cutscene.
    .... I think thats it. lol.

  • aDhAmMe13

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 10:40 pm GMT

    Seems awesome.

  • bibliomaniac15

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 8:03 pm GMT

    All I care about is the "subtle breast physics." Fanservice anyone?

  • RandomWarrior69

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 4:21 pm GMT

    Looks cool, and Lara is looking great just as always.

  • gamer082009

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 8:36 am GMT

    They make too many dark areas in the game, it needs more light to let it really shine. Most of the time I spent squenting at what the hell I'm looking @.

  • kenshi_92888

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 4:55 am GMT

    Couldn't agree more with firehawk998... =p

    Seriously missed the legacy of kain.

  • firehawk998

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 4:34 am GMT

    ok the dlc maybe good but I have on request for eidos = MAKE THE LEGACY OF KAIN SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • -HCMF-

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 4:21 am GMT

    Great game, crapy review.

  • Chris-Parker

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 12:53 am GMT

    Its no wonder games like Tomb Raider Underworld fails to sell well, when its given such inaccurate reviews. Personally I thought this game to be everything a Tomb Raider game should be, and I found very few problems with the camera angles and controls! Ok, sometimes you may lose sight of where your supposed to jump, but thats always been the same on every tomb raider game. I think the visuals and challenging puzzles make up for these SLIGHT gameplay issues!

  • Misfit1119

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 11:03 pm GMT

    Didn't see any of the problems? Were you not seeing the insane camera, blind jumps and horrible combat or did you happen to blink? GTA is a mess of bugs (and not a terribly good game IMO) but Tomb Raider is a mess of gameplay with bugs on TOP of that.

  • frazzle00

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 5:48 pm GMT

    As much as I like the original Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics have definitely made better games than any of the Core titles. I thoroughly enjoyed Tomb Raider Underworld and had none of the problems mentioned by the reviewer. If they are looking for bugs, they needn't look any further than GTA IV. So yeah, it will definitely be Tomb Raider DLC for me.

  • polsci1503

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 4:01 pm GMT

    gold bikini??

    *plunks down cash*

  • bodylotion

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 3:53 pm GMT

    The original Tomb Raider is still the best in the series and no Tomb Raider will probably ever beat it. i'm not a real fan of crystal dynamics, they did a decent job creating the last 3 Tomb Raider's but the spirit is just gone. I dislike the grapple hook, i dislike dissapearing bodies and i dislike the bad A.I. Even Tomb Raider 1 had a better A.I. than the last ones. I still hope the spirit will come back someday.

  • vacantspace

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 2:48 pm GMT

    "im surprised that a company can wreck a tomb raider game"

    Yeh brendan - Eidos should move the production from Crystal Dynamics to, I dunno, Core Design, or some other progressive studio

  • vacantspace

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 2:44 pm GMT

    starfox, the team that made LoK are long departed form Crystal D! A new Kain/Raziel game would play out just the same any of the CD Tomb Raider titles?

    After the Defiance legacy, what? 'Guys - Hey, erm lets give Kain two pistols, a black one and a white one!'?!?

  • ahpuck

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 1:17 pm GMT

    starfoxmania, i agree with you on the Legacy of Kain suquel, but not just any sequel i want a GOOD sequel. maybe borrow liberally from Oblivion. . people, people, stop paying for all this nonsense, otherwise this companies will never learn, WE demand good games for the amount of dollars THEY are ask us to pay for their games.

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 1:07 pm GMT

    im surprised that a company can wreck a tomb raider game

  • starfoxmania

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 11:43 am GMT

    It is sad to see how far Eidos will go to make some more money. Dress Lara in bikini and make people pay $. Wow. This is ugly and ridiculous to say the least. They should just focus on making a Legacy of Kain Sequel. That's what people want: real games with intriguing stories and kick ass voice acting and characters. Not some virtual version of a whore that gets you bored in 2 minutes. Tomb Raider 1 up to Tomb Raider 4 the last revelation were outstanding games with strong production values and I beat them all more than twice each (including the Gold Bonus packs). And they didn't need to dress Lara in bikini back then either. You only needed to play the Venice levels and much later on the underwater levels of Tomb Raider 2 to appreciate it, or try to make it out alive of Egypt in TR4. Man, those were the real Tomb Raiders. Not this crap that you can beat it in 6 hours. Yes that's how long it took me to beat Underworld. Glad it was a rental. If they want people to buy instead of rent, well they should make a game that needs more time, like freaking TR4 would take you 60 hours or more. Nobody wants to pay late rental fees, so they would make more money. Wake up Eidos. Wake up Crystal Dynamics. PLEASE. This is sad

  • SteeleGT

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 11:25 am GMT

    Probably not worth the buy after seeing the video.

  • cm018b2391

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 6:14 am GMT

    i downloaded straight away and started to play level..but it is a little short if only 2 hours or expensive at 800 points... the makers know fans will buy it..so what do they care? so far and it is good... looks great. i did wonder when diving in the tunnel why i couldn't surface along the way and handling seemed awkward in it.

  • algy24

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 6:00 am GMT

    gotta love that bikini. i did like the game but it could and should have been allot longer. and they shouldn't have given you all the weapons from the start, you should have find them as you progressed. like all the old ones, it made it too easy. and i know you get thors hammer as a usuable weapon but that made things TOO easy. but very fun.

  • ebonyivory

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 4:12 am GMT

    im not getting it becasue it was cut out the game so why should i. not to mention underworld was not the best game in the world

  • Carpe_Noctum

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 8:03 pm GMT

    So far I feel "short-changed" on all DLC, it all seems over-priced to me, but if I REALLY like a game I usually get it. Oblivions Shivering Isles was worth it, I bought it on disk and shared it with my nephew, something I couldn't do with Lost and Damned; which I have only put about 2 hours into so I hope it is worth at least half what it cost. I'll have to finish Underworld first and see if I am left wanting more. And, good idea reckeweg, that would be very helpfull.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 7:45 pm GMT

    I'm going to pass, since I rented the game

  • -HCMF-

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 7:43 pm GMT

    i really liked this game and i am dloading this now. I look forward to playing it, and I think the reviews of this title are incorrect...

  • umbrae

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 6:51 pm GMT

    DLing it now. I like TR so it will probably be fine. I have GTA4 but could barely get the interest to solve it, so have no plans to get Lost and the Damned.

  • Spartan1017

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 3:53 pm GMT

    if it were $5... it'd be mine... as is, i'll wait.

  • Francision69

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 3:12 pm GMT

    It's a pretty good DLC but I just wish it were 5$...

  • reckeweg

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 12:44 pm GMT

    Meh, I liked TR:U so this is a buy for me. As a side note GS guru's maybe you guys should consider outing in a section on the site solely for DLC since it's becoming more prevalent in the gaming community. Just a thought.

  • hart704

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 11:38 am GMT

    Overall a little bit of a downer, but at least it's not $8 for 4 cars and nothing else.

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