Ok I have to ask some questions. I'm considering this game but lately (since a year or so by now) I kinda refuse to pay for full game prices at (or near) release. I don't want any big spoilers either (I skipped most of this thread for this reason). I don't want to watch too much footage on YouTube either which of course might answer my questions but I might also look at someone's game-play who happens to be far in the game and I wouldn't be aware of it.
So I'm asking here for specifics...
1) How "explorable" is the environment? Is it like Crysis 1 style, pretty much linear point A to B but with some space in between to veer left or right and "explore" like one cave until the next map loads? Or is it more in the veins of Skyrim or Far Cry 3?
2) Enemy "camps", do they respawn mobs constantly even after you clear them? Or is it "cleared" forever until you finish the game? I'm mostly referring to human enemies here, wouldn't care much if rats respawn in a cave or stuff like that.
3) I've read about a fast-travel system, ok got that one, but what else is there to travel? Or is something like "oh look a conveniently forgotten glider placed at the right spot for me to use right here so I can travel down this mountain", or is it mostly on-foot at the risk of falling down from an unstable cliff side?
4) Wild life? Anything to "worry about" other than the obvious "bandit camp over there"? Evil bats from Tomb Raider 1 make any return? No? Any starving tigers or unnaturally aggressive wolves roaming around waiting for you?
5) How is the enemy A.I.? Is it Mass Effect "I take cover here you take cover there and we exchange fire until health bars deplete" kind of hidden poor A.I. mechanism, or it is more in the veins of "I'm totally going to throw a grenade at you and you won't see a big 'GRENADE AT YOUR FEET' warning on-screen when I do so"?
6) Last, but not least, re-play value? The game is still new and most people might still be playing their first play-through, but does anything change for a second play-through? Different enemy placement? Different items (randomization) in crates or chests? Does anything change at all or it is the same weapon parts found at the same exact spots all the time, the same enemies paroling the same exact routes all the time? Etc? (In other words, how linear and/or predictable is it)
Well that's many questions, but I wanted to avoid story-related and obviously puzzle-solving-related footage or comments. I just want to experience the story and the known Tomb Raider's puzzle solving on my own, however I want to know if "the rest" corresponds to something I'd pay $50 for (and I want to avoid the potential mistake of doing so yet again after so many recent significant disappointments, not to say plain failures).
1) It's more the former (Crysis 1). The game is mostly linear. However, the environments are somewhat large and ripe for exploring; the game rewards you for poking around in nooks and crannies, and for trying to swing/climb/swim into hard-to-reach areas. You'll find collectables and salvage crates, which give you XP and salvage (used for upgrading weapons), respectively. You'll also find hidden and completely optional tombs to explore. So while it's a linear-
ish game, there is certainly a fair amount of exploration to do.
2) When enemies are gone, they're gone. There are no respawning camps in the traditional sense. (Although there may be scripted events related to the story that involve enemies appearing where there previously were none, but those are pretty minor and atypical).
3) The fast-travel system exists so you can return to previous areas that you explored way back near the beginning of the game, without making any tediously long treks. This is one of those features that make the game not-so-linear. You're free to put the main story-missions on hold and warp to all the different locations on the island at your leisure, so you can grab any items that you may have previously missed. The game is very similar to Metroid Prime in this regard: There will be collectibles early on in the game that you won't be able to reach, until you get the right equipment upgrades much later and you must travel backwards to find everything. I hope that makes sense.
4) There's a fair amount of wildlife. Most of it is harmless. I think the only time I got hurt by something is when I was trying to pin a wild boar with one of my arrows, and it charged into me and did damage, hahah. Well, you'll also encounter some deadly wolves, but that's pretty rare. Generally, the wild animals don't really hurt you and they only exist so you can kill them for XP and salvage (if you want).
5) The enemy AI is perfect, IMO. Not too dumb, but not too overpowered and "cheaty". Human enemies are legitimately dangerous if you don't play your cards right. The stealth system works really well... you can silently take out entire enemy camps with only a bow and arrow, but it requires real timing and precision. Very rewarding and very fun. If you mess up and an enemy notices you, you can expect to engage in a pretty big firefight.
6) I don't see myself replaying the game anytime soon. That's not to say the game doesn't have any replayability, because it certainly does; you can try putting your skill points into different abilities, and try different playstyles. For me though, it's one of those games where it's like, now that I've experienced the game once, I can't really experience it again with the same excitement... like a good book or a movie.
If those answers satisfy you and you think the game's worth $50, then definitely buy it. But I completely understand if you'd rather wait for it to go on sale for cheaper.
Personally though, I heartily recommend Tomb Raider. I know I've already gushed about it earlier in the thread, but it's worth saying again that the game definitely surpassed my expectations. I was not expecting the storyline, characters, and atmosphere to be so well-done. And that's on top of the great combat and gameplay. It's overall just a stellar game. IMO it's definitely worth a full $50 purchase, unlike many AAA games these days.
Edit: You can get the game for $10 off ($40) on GMG if you use the voucher code GMG20-NT7TS-SY2RT.
http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/us/en/pc/games/action/tomb-raider/