Underworld Q&A: Eric Lindstrom, Creative Director, Crystal Dynamics

On why you should play...

It’s an epic experience, and you get to explore ancient long-forgotten ruins filled with the sort of things that only a lot of people with a lot of time on their hands could construct, and make amazing things happen.

On staying loyal to Lara’s roots...

We wanted to get back to what was so special and unique about Lara Croft, and tomb raiding: exploration and discovery, all the things we thought were core to the original vision that made the original games so popular. It took a lot of gameplay updating to accomplish that, and we’re pleased with what we came up with, but it was a very action-oriented tomb raiding experience.

I think that it’s a fine line between observing the traditions and evolving the gameplay, and the way we tackle that problem is boiling down Tomb Raider to its true essence, which isn’t about making blind jumps and falls to death and tractor controls.

On his team’s mission statement...

By concentrating on exploration and discovery and emotional payoff, people will remember Tomb Raider, and we can evolve those concepts continuously as the game industry develops.

+ Fluid combat and platforming, along with gorgeous visuals, help Lara get her groove back. Also: kicking endangered tigers in the mouth.
– Has slow-mo become the go-to gimmicky feature for action games? Can Lara’s charm bring something memorable to the mechanic?

Sep 23, 2008