Tomb Raider: Underworld demo online

By Robert Purchese Published 28 October, 2008

Exclusive to Xbox Live.

Eidos has popped the exclusive Tomb Raider: Underworld demo onto Xbox Live.

We heard about this earlier in the month, although we've not been told what we'll actually be able to do in the sampler.

We expect a mixture of hot-pants and water and guns and maybe a tiger, which is what we tend to have been shown before. You may have read one of our many hands-on previews of the game, in fact.

Tomb Raider: Underworld is just one of the tip top blockbusters on show at the Eurogamer Expo today, which we're reporting from - it's a bit chilly in here, but there's already a queue outside. Sold out today, incidentally, but you maybe able to get a ticket for tomorrow.

Tomb Raider: Underworld is due for release on PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii on 2lst November.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (42) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • spookyzombie #1 3 years ago

    Downloading now. 1.3GB.

  • stampax #2 3 years ago

    I don't get it - MS have paid for an exclusive trailer? Or the company only want to put it on xbox live? Do they not want to sell to ps3 owners? Or do demo's really not matter to sales at all?

  • Dizzy #3 3 years ago

    >Do they not want to sell to ps3 owners?

    No ;)

    Seriously.. it probably is more of a case where they have no time to do a PS3 demo since they probably are a bit behind on that version.

  • FiZiE #4 3 years ago

    HARD LUCK PS3 FOOLS LOL

  • Darren #5 3 years ago

    Hmmm, nice. I'll check it out later but with the number of games I have at the moment (FIFA 09, NBA 2K9, Saints Row 2, Fable 2, Dead Space, Far Cry 2, Midnight Club: L.A. etc.) plus the others that are due out in the coming weeks, including Fallout 3, LBP, MotorStorm: PR, Resistance 2, Banjo-Kazooie: N&B and Gears of War, there's absolute no way I'll time to play this so I'm putting it on hold along with several other games for next year's post-Christmas drought (I really, really hope there *is* one!).

    I hope that Crystal Dynamics have finally got the engine running smoothly and at a native 720p... the previous two games looked a little blurry at 640p (particularly the horrid low-res text) and the framerate wasn't terribly great either, made the whole game feel a little stodgy control-wise and nowhere near as silky-smooth as, say, Uncharted.

  • Gradius #6 3 years ago

    Oh, nice! Will Download ASAP :)

  • muscleblade #7 3 years ago

    "next year's post-Christmas drought (I really, really hope there *is* one!)"

    Please give us a long good Chrismas drought. Capcom is planning to release all their games in this period so heres hoping they wait til the last part of Q1 or even better Q2.

  • TedMoseby #8 3 years ago

    Gold subscribers only at the moment. Such a really terrible strategy - "Oh hi, yes, we have this great demo of our product that we want you to buy! - Oh wait, you can't try it because you're not special enough, sod off."

    Brilliant plan.

    I would have thought that with this coming out on the PS3 as well, that Microsoft would like to make it available to all 360 owners.

  • saku_luk #9 3 years ago

    If demo is ex for one platform, there is 100% chance that the full game on another platform is a huge flop with bugs, glitches etc....

  • DjFlex52 #10 3 years ago

    I would have thought that with this coming out on the PS3 as well, that Microsoft would like to make it available to all 360 owners.

    @TedMoseby

    It is brilliant. At least 14 million 360 owners have a gold account :)
    You want to play the TR demo...get a gold account and stop whining.

  • Dizzy #11 3 years ago

    >Gold subscribers only at the moment

    Just one week delay for Silvers... I am sure you can wait that long.

  • spookyzombie #12 3 years ago

    @ TedMoseby - just create a new UK account and use the months free Gold to download the demo.

  • Darren #13 3 years ago

    @TedMoseby - I think Silver account holders should be able to download demos at the same time as Gold subscribers myself as they're free promotional tools, like the videos and trailers are. Sure you only have to wait a week to try a demo if you're a Silver user but since demos are usually released close to the actual game release then it's not much consolation really. I don't really play games online at all but I still pay the £40 per year just for the convenience of being able to download demos as soon as they come out. In that respect the online model Sony use for the PS3 is far more suitable for someone like me, who only plays games online very occasionally but never for long.

  • Steroyd #14 3 years ago

    I shall vote with my bandwidth by not downloading this, this exclusive demo stuff is not acceptable.

    Oh wait... I don't have a Xbox 360 Yohohohohoho.

  • Derblington #15 3 years ago

    It's a bit naff anyway, imo. One to pick up in the sales.

  • Garulon #16 3 years ago

    "@TedMoseby - I think Silver account holders should be able to download demos at the same time as Gold subscribers myself as they're free promotional tools, like the videos and trailers are."

    OTOH delaying Silver users by a week dedicates bandwidth to Gold users, especially if the demo is OMG stunning like Bioshock's.

  • awb83 #17 3 years ago

    I will leave this downloading when I am at the Newcastle match tonight.

  • Beano #18 3 years ago

    Great - looking forward to the new TR game... after TR:Anniversary (which flushed the bad TR:Legend taste away!) I'm really hyped on the series again :)

  • stepneg #19 3 years ago

    Nice one, I will have to spend 45mins on the phone to the wife now trying to explain how to download it so it is ready when I get home!

  • Doctor_What #20 3 years ago

    I was thinking 'wow, what a great catch for Microsoft', but it's Gold exclusive for the first week? Blow that. I'll add this to the list of reasons why I prefer the free PS3 online service. I've got both machines and play on both machines. When Microsoft does this kind of thing it just reminds me why I prefer the Sony model of equal treatment: Microsoft, I've bought your machine, now treat me like a decent customer.

  • sco0504 #21 3 years ago

    The first time I'll be able to see her sexy thighs in HD..... I'm not a perv.

  • tap #22 3 years ago

    Nice long demo - well it took me a while to complete anyway!

    I'm not a huge fan as I've always hated the jittery camera, falling off things instant death mechanic they've always employed. Anyway, actually quite enjoyed this; the graphics are up to scratch though nothing outstanding (still has the crappy 360 shadow problem) and once you get over dying ten times in the first five minutes it's quite a pleasant experience. Nice music too. Lovely water.

    As I say, not a huge fan but I'll wager this is a return to form and 'feels' like the older games. Ready to be proved wrong of course :)

  • Ceatlan #23 3 years ago

    Why is it unacceptable to give people who've paid for a premium service, a premium service ?

    I don't understand. Its how capitalism works, you pay more you get a better service. You wouldn't complain that someone who paid more for their broadband had faster download speeds, at least I hope you wouldn't otherwise you're advocating communism where everybody gets an equally crappy service.

    Stop whining because some people have things you don't, you all have the same opportunity to get them. My boss drives a ferarri, but I don't go around complaining its not fair.
    Edited by 2 at 28/10/08 @ 13:27

  • rumrum4444 #24 3 years ago




    Lara Cross is amazing !



    Best tities ever !


    Siliconey-like, of course !


    .

  • Gradius #25 3 years ago

    I've never heard of this 'Lara Cross' so I did a Google image search, <a href=http://images.boardgamegeek.com/images/pic206026_t.jpg >She's</a> not really my type, I must say.

  • RandomTerrain #26 3 years ago

    Wow, Microsoft are really going all out for paying out the big money for exclusives.
    But an exclusive demo? A tad extreme? I wonder how much they paid for that.
    Interesting strategy.

    Anyway, I'll pick this game up at some point, one way or another.

  • Darren #27 3 years ago

    @Garulon - "OTOH delaying Silver users by a week dedicates bandwidth to Gold users, especially if the demo is OMG stunning like Bioshock's."

    Not a great example to use there as it took me over 20 hours to download that particular demo due to the excessive demand for it. I've also had several other eagerly awaited demos take a long time too even though less popular ones that are bigger in size download quicker. I know the reasons why it happens but it's still annoying when it does happen nevertheless. In comparison, all my PS3 demos have downloaded really quickly and that's a free service. Sure, the PSN doesn't have 14 million users but in this case that's a good thing. Mind you, LIVE seems much quicker for downloading these days... I just hope it stays that way.

  • CreepinJesus #28 3 years ago

    What's up with the one (1) in the "21st November" ? I looks more like 2|st or 2lst?
    Edited by 1 at 28/10/08 @ 14:55

  • Darren #29 3 years ago

    Well spotted... it appears to be a lower case 'l' and not a 1 at all! LOL

  • ParanoidZombie #30 3 years ago

    Plays like your usual tomb raider, which is good news for fans - and bad news for me, I hate the shooting mechanics, and you'll have to shoot a lot of endangered species in this lenghty demo. The level design is as linear as ever, but the graphics are spectacular.

  • DjFlex52 #31 3 years ago

    I was thinking 'wow, what a great catch for Microsoft', but it's Gold exclusive for the first week? Blow that. I'll add this to the list of reasons why I prefer the free PS3 online service. I've got both machines and play on both machines. When Microsoft does this kind of thing it just reminds me why I prefer the Sony model of equal treatment: Microsoft, I've bought your machine, now treat me like a decent customer.

    @Doctor_What

    Are online server problems and delays with games like LBP, Socom and MGO (amongst others) testament to your preference of PS3's free online service too?

  • StrayBezza #32 3 years ago

    Actually, as an Xbox Live member since its launch on the original Xbox, PSN (considering its free) is excellent and getting better and better. I play a lot online on both systems and have never had issues so great on the PSN network that made me sit back and think, "Gosh, I wish I was paying £40 quid a year for this, it would be so much better than Xbox Live".

  • DjFlex52 #33 3 years ago

    I play a lot online on both systems and have never had issues so great on the PSN network that made me sit back and think, "Gosh, I wish I was paying £40 quid a year for this, it would be so much better than Xbox Live".

    @StrayBezza

    Great! I guess you're not playing LBP, Socom or MGO (amongst others). That's 3 of Sony's top games of 2008 with server problems. That's not happening on XBL with MS' top games of 2008.

  • timbo1984 #34 3 years ago

    Not as good as Sands of Time. End.

  • technofranki #35 3 years ago

    I liked the demo, and will get the game sometime. I have some other games to play through first.

    I made a YouTube video of the first minutes of the demo.

  • bad09 #36 3 years ago

    Watched my girlfriend playing this at the expo yesterday (well done EG BTW!), it's not bad actually and really looks good - the tigers look ace! I think I'll download the demo.

    / contemplates first purchase of a TR since TR3

    / then contemplates just nicking his girlfriends copy if she buys it \o/

  • Darren #37 3 years ago

    I was quite impressed with this although not initially I have to say. The game still has that same sub-720p look of the previous two 360 games but the framerate has been improved substantially with no more stodginess and only the odd framerate drop. The camera is a bit hit and miss though, quite often I found it got in the way and made it hard to see where I was supposed to be going. Also the analogue controls are a bit too precise, loads of times when I wanted to jump forward, I ended up jumping to an angle and missing the ledge thus plummeting poor Lara to her death (again). The level design is good though and the graphics are lovely, reminescent but not quite as good as Uncharted but there's absolutely no screen tearing here so that's a decent compromise I feel. I love the new moves Lara has too as she leaps up between columns. A good game then but one which doesn't seem to deviate too much from the previous games. I'd love to pick this up on the 21st but there's just too many other games I want plus I need time to play the ones I have. I think I'll end up buying this after Christmas during the traditional post-Festive games drought.

  • dingo75 #38 3 years ago

    PC demo will come Friday by the way.
    Will not buy this one full price but I bet a play.com Madness sale will offer it in a while. ;)

  • Beano #39 3 years ago

    @Darren : I agree. The TR:U demo looks very promising... great framerate and NO tearing.. NICE !

    Maybe not as good looking as Uncharted - as bit blurry and bland lighting... but still great looking!

    Hopefully the rest of the game is just as platform-puzzle oriented at the demo level and not like the dissapointing TR:Legend.

  • muscleblade #40 3 years ago

    "The level design is good though and the graphics are lovely, reminescent but not quite as good as Uncharted"

    TR:U looks better than Uncharted imo.

  • MrE26 #41 3 years ago

    Yeah, i think it looks better than Uncharted too. The reveal of the temple is jaw droppingly impressive. The animation is a lot better than the previous games too. Same dodgy camera as ever though.

  • mainaman #42 3 years ago

    Uncharted looks better,but Lara plays better.Nuff said...

  • darc #43 3 years ago

    Lovely demo, although I find the climbing animation to be a little weird. Too fast, sorta spider-like.

    Also, worst camera ever, and even more of the "leap of faith" blind jump moments that critics panned in the last 2 TR's. Not good a good sign to see this first thing in a demo. I'll still buy it though, sooner or later.