Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Also known as: Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation (Germany/Japan) Developers: Core Design, Westlake Interactive (Mac) Publishers: Eidos Interactive (US/EU), Capcom (JP), Aspyr Media (Mac) Platforms: Windows, PlayStation, Dreamcast, Mac OS Classic Released in JP: July 19, 2000 Released in US: November 24, 1999 Released in EU: November 19, 1999 This game has unused areas. This game has unused code. This game has a hidden developer message. This game has unused models. This game has unused items. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation is the fourth installment of the series, where Lara "accidentally" unleashes the evil Egyptian god Set into the world. She must seal Set before the world is destroyed in this adventure that follows the usual Tomb Raider formula: low polygons, engaging puzzles and crouch-in-corners-to-warp glitches that can be used to go out-of-bounds. Oh, and a surprisingly well-developed adolescent Lara Croft.

To do: Flip out of crawlspace animation and unused Von Croy dialogue in 1st level.

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Revisional Differences Lots of changes between the different PS1 versions.

Unused Models

The level file contains several unused and early object meshes distinct from those in the other levels, including red flares à la the previous games, an entirely different crossbow model closer resembling a harpoon gun, and an alternative shotgun mounted with a flashlight.

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  'Crossbow'

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  Shotgun with flashlight

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  Flares

Unused Areas

Valley Temple

To do: Describe. I can't compare this to anything, due to not remembering most of the levels.

The Valley Temple, known by the file name joby1b.tr4, is an area that is completely unused. It is listed in the game's script file between the The Sphinx Complex and Underneath the Sphinx levels, though is bypassed with a line of code.

Unused Palace

There is a short palace of sorts on Khufu's Queen's Pyramids. There is no way to access it normally, but it's just one jump away from being reached. It's empty on the inside, and the walls' texture is the picture of a woman. The level editor applies this texture by default to any surfaces that the designer does not specify, so it also appears in other unreachable parts of the Giza levels.

(2: Tomb Raider Forums)

The placement of this leftover area relative to the Great Pyramid suggests that it's an untextured low-detail copy of the exit from The Mastabas. Comparing the models for levels 32 and 33 reveals an almost exact match in geometry:

Comparing the exit point of The Mastabas

Unreachable Medipack

In KV5, there's a medipack on a platform between two pillars. The first and second PS1 versions have the collisions set up incorrectly on those pillars, making climbing them impossible. The first PS1 version doesn't have this medipack, but the second version adds it; unfortunately, this version didn't fix the collisions, so, while it is there, it cannot be reached. The 3rd PS1 version and all PC versions fully fix the medipack. YouTube video showing the medipack in question.

Developer Message

Hidden within the game's executable file is a message from programmer Richard Flower at 4B3B8A (Windows) or E9D42 (Mac data fork):

Tomb Raider IV - The Last Revelation  -- Dedicated to my fiance Jay for putting
up with this game taking over our lifes,my step sons Craig,Jamie & Aiden (Show
this to your mates at school, they'll believe you now!!),also for my daughters
Sophie and Jody - See you in another hex dump - Richard Flower 11/11/1999

(Source: mathew9r)

Platform Differences

Compared to the base PC version, the PlayStation and Dreamcast versions differ in the following ways:

PlayStation

• Audio is enhanced, featuring reverb and echo effects. The code to enable them still exists in the PC version, though they are not compatible with the majority of modern PC's.
• Lara leaves footsteps on certain surfaces.
• Bump mapping and volumetric effects (fog) are absent.
• While in look mode, Lara's model does not turn translucent when it obstructs the camera.
• The pause menus display a static background with a unique cross-hatched pattern, instead of overlaying on top of the action, due to technical limitations.
• In the Lost Library level, a fire spirit is triggered at a different, earlier time: it appears once Lara solves the fire switch puzzle. This appears to be its intended behavior, as a water pool is placed nearby in a location that is made redundant by the PC version's exclusion of the enemy.

Dreamcast

• Lara casts a dynamic shadow that is affected by light sources. This feature was created exclusively for the Dreamcast version, unlike most other differences which exist in all of the code.
• Additional bump maps were added to various textures throughout the game.
• This version includes an art gallery accessed through the Options menu. It contains 32 pieces of concept art and renders, most of which are unlocked by playing the game. The gallery also plays Paul Oakenfold's "Perfecto Remix Dub" of the game's main theme, which is again a track exclusive to this version.
• The game's controls are modified to suit the Dreamcast controller's additional analog stick, as well as its lack of secondary triggers and a Select button.
  • There is a single unified pause menu that resembles the pause menu on the other versions, but with an additional "Inventory" option. Selecting it takes the player to the item selection menu that is normally accessed with Select on other versions.
  • The D-Pad is used to move at running speed, while the analog stick handles walking and side-stepping. An "Analogue Control" option allows the player to swap the two.
  • Look mode can only be controlled by the analog stick.
  • The right trigger serves the dual purpose of sprinting and crouching, depending on whether Lara is moving or not. As a side effect, one of the moves available in the other versions - rolling from a sprint directly into a crouch, with a special animation - is not available on the Dreamcast version.