Interview with Morgan Grey

She's baaaack. Well, she's back again. But Tomb Raider: Legend (PS2, XB, XB360) marks short-shorted blueblood Lara Croft's first sequel that's both new and improved. We asked Morgan Gray, producer at developer Crystal Dynamics, for the postgame story on her makeover, starting with the most important question of all....

EGM: Months ago, you said you wanted a realistically proportioned Lara, but those things are still huge, dude.

Morgan Gray: What we were doing went just beyond her breasts, to get to the heart of the issue. [Laughs] She actually is slightly smaller. What we were trying to shoot for was not just a reduction in cup size but an overall "aliveness," a bit of a change to her overall musculature and the general proportions of her body, leg size to arm size to hip size, and then back size. We didn't, obviously, take a drastic approach to the body, but we did make as many attempts as possible to sort of un-blow-up-doll where she'd been going. We [also] tried to put a lot into her face, her expressiveness. So her cheek structure, her eyes, eyelashes, the width of her lips-little minor things that haven't seen a lot of light in the press, maybe because we haven't really talked about that too much.

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GameSpot Legend PSP Review

If you can get past the poor controls and irritating camera, Tomb Raider: Legend on the PSP offers the same fairly enjoyable experience as its PC and console counterparts.

The Good: Gorgeous, varied environments; excellent voice acting and music; puzzles and boss fights are fun and satisfying.

The Bad: Imprecise, cumbersome controls; uncooperative camera requires constant adjustment; sluggish frame rate; weak gunplay; the added multiplayer minigames aren't worth playing.

Lara Croft made a triumphant return in early 2006 with the release of Tomb Raider: Legend for home consoles and the PC. But that's not enough for Lady Croft, as now she's making her debut on the PlayStation Portable. The game is essentially the same on the PSP as it was on the consoles, so if you've played it before then you can expect to visit the same levels and solve the same puzzles all over again. Unfortunately, the biggest difference between the PSP version and the others is also its biggest downfall, and that is the often cumbersome, imprecise, and downright frustrating control. But if you can learn to live with the control, you'll find that Tomb Raider: Legend is a mostly competent action adventure with more than a few enjoyable and exciting moments.

Tomb Raider: Legend follows Lara Croft as she tries to piece together the fragmented memories and knowledge of her past. Before the end of the story you'll learn about Lara's mother, an estranged friend and colleague turned nemesis, and even King Arthur. The story doesn't make a lot of sense, and it definitely isn't confined to realistic or even believable events. For the most part though, the story is just an excuse to travel all over the world in search of mystical artifacts and the answers to the questions about Lara's past.

The eight levels in the game take you to exotic locations on four different continents. You'll explore ruins in Bolivia, search an abandoned research facility in Kazakhstan, perform death-defying acrobatics high above the streets of Tokyo, race a motorcycle on a dusty stretch of Peru, and more. The levels are all fairly expansive and varied enough to keep things interesting. They also look great, and the visuals haven't been significantly diminished in the translation to the handheld. You'll see some clipping and collision-detection issues as Lara interacts with objects in the environment, but for the most part the game looks great. That is, until you actually try to move around. The frame rate in Tomb Raider: Legend is usually sluggish, but when there's a lot of action happening onscreen the game slows down significantly. Fortunately most of the game is dedicated to exploration, which isn't as taxing on the frame rate as some of the more lively action sequences.

Most of the levels in the game involve the same basic objectives. You move through a level from start to finish, solving puzzles to unlock doors, jumping between platforms to reach out-of-the-way places, and indiscriminately murdering any man or beast that you come into contact with. The platforming and puzzle-solving is the best part of the game. The puzzles aren't difficult, and if you've played the other versions of the game you'll be able to breeze right through this one. Lara has a handy magnetic grapple this time around that lets her grab distant objects, tow large items around to be used to weigh down switches and such, and swing across chasms like Pitfall Harry. She also has an impressive repertoire of slick moves. Lara can leap from one narrow cliff ledge to another, hanging on by only her fingers, swing on ropes or conveniently placed bars, and get up to all of the usual Tomb Raider fare. It can be exciting and rewarding to expertly navigate a tricky platforming section or solve a puzzle, and there are plenty of those moments to experience throughout the game.

Lara knows her way around a firearm too, be it her twin pistols, a grenade launcher, or a mounted chaingun. The gunplay is by far the weakest part of the game though, because it just isn't exciting or challenging in any way. You simply hold the L button to lock onto a target, and then hop around like a kangaroo while blasting away at your foe. You can do some fancy slow-motion moves like jumping off of an enemy's head and shooting him as you fly through the air, but those moves don't make the gunplay any more satisfying. There are also a couple of motorcycle levels that play out like a rail shooter. You have to ride along, shooting at waves of enemies and jumping over gaps. These sections aren't nearly as exciting as they sound, and they drag on for way too long.

The human foes and occasional leopard are nothing to worry about, but the camera can often become your greatest enemy. It's a constant struggle to get a clear view of the next platform or ledge you need to jump to. The problem is magnified on the PSP, because there's no second analog stick with which to adjust the camera. That means that if you want to tweak the camera angle you have to stop what you're doing, hold the square button, and then use the analog stick to position the camera where you want it. That works fine until you start moving and the camera decides to show you a nice close-up of Lara's face or a wall. In the many platforming sections of the game, you'll quickly settle into an awkward pattern of lining up the camera, making a jump, and then pausing to realign the camera before making the next jump. You can attempt blind jumps, but that will almost always result in instant death for Lara and much hair-pulling and fevered cursing from you as you wait 20 seconds or more for the game to load so you can go fall off a cliff again.

The camera isn't your only nemesis in the game though, as you'll also often find yourself fighting with the imprecise control afforded by the single analog stick on the PlayStation Portable. It's difficult enough just to run in a straight line using the analog stick, but attempting some of the precarious platforming in Tomb Raider: Legend can be exceedingly awkward. There are several areas in the game that require you to line up in just the right direction in order to make a jump, but this is next to impossible when Lara can't change direction in anything less than 45-degree increments.

Aside from the sometimes aggravating analog control, the button layout isn't exactly conducive to quick, intuitive actions. Instead of switching guns, tossing grenades, or using your grapple on the fly, you have to use the directional pad to cycle through a menu, select the item or action you want, and then press the triangle button to use it. Fortunately you can usually just leave your grapple equipped and forget about all your other equipment. Most of it isn't necessary or useful anyway.

Multiplayer minigames are exclusive to the PSP version of Tomb Raider: Legend, and they can be played via an ad hoc connection. Two players can go head-to-head in a handful of different games that take place on levels from the single-player game. There's a game where you have to race from the beginning of a level to the end; one where you have to hide an artifact and then go look for your opponent's hidden artifact; and one where you have to activate three beacons scattered throughout the level. These minigames aren't especially fun, mostly because they suffer from the same control and camera issues as the single-player game. It's an interesting novelty to see two Lara Crofts running around, but it won't keep your interest for more than a few minutes.

The sound in Legend hasn't been sacrificed in translation to the PlayStation Portable. Lara and the other characters are all interesting and full of personality, thanks to some great voice acting. Lara in particular has just the right amount of cheesy action-hero lines to maintain the light tone of the game without making it seem overly silly. The music is also excellent, and provides a perfect backdrop for a grandiose, globe-trotting adventure.

If you've played the console versions of Tomb Raider: Legend you'll be able to breeze through the PSP version in a few hours, since all the puzzles and levels are all the same. The only new challenge to be found in this version is the challenge of adapting to the uncooperative camera and clunky controls. Even if you haven't played the game before, you can beat it in six hours, which is short for a console game (although it seems slightly more excusable on a handheld). That said, Legend is still a decent game with plenty of satisfying puzzles and expansive levels that look great and can be fun to explore. If you're looking for a straightforward action adventure and don't mind making some sacrifices for the sake of portability, Tomb Raider: Legend fits the bill.

By Greg Mueller, GameSpot - Posted Jun 22, 2006 2:01 am GMT

Overall

Gameplay: 5
Graphics: 7
Sound: 9
Value: 6
Tilt: 6

Overall: 6.2/10

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Core Design Bought By Rebellion

Core joins the Rebellion

Rebellion has reached an agreement with SCi Entertainment Group plc to purchase the staff and physical assets of Core Design.

The deal will see Rebellion acquire the Derby studios and staff of Core Design, who will continue to work with Eidos on a new project and will be re-named.

The Core Design name and IPs will be retained by Eidos.

The acquisition forms an important part of Rebellion’s strategy to maintain its position as one of Europe’s leading independent studios.

Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion said, "Core is one of the UK industry’s major success stories and we're delighted to have completed the deal with Eidos. With Next-Gen development upon us now, and publisher requirements changing, this studio’s deep and experienced talent allows us to continue to compete at a global level."

Jason continues, "We are in a position where our products such as Sniper EliteTM and Rogue TrooperTM are receiving critical acclaim and our reputation for innovative, quality titles is in the ascendant. This acquisition is a major component in maintaining this progress, and together with our business plan for 2006, it’s our goal to develop Rebellion further."

Who Are Rebellion?

UK-based computer games super-developer Rebellion was established in 1991 by brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley. Recent releases include Rogue Trooper™ with Eidos world wide and Sniper EliteTM in September 2005 on PlayStation®2, Xbox® and PC DVD , securing critical acclaim, global sales success and winning the TIGA game of the year award. Lauded as 'The Gran Turismo of War games' by the gaming press, it has built upon the collection of Rebellion owned IP's which includes World War ZeroTM on PlayStation®2.

In June 2000 Rebellion purchased the UK sci-fi comic 2000 AD and its entire character portfolio.

PSP Legend Review from Pocket Gamer

They say sex sells, but the Tomb Raider games are proof that not everyone lets their genitals do the shopping. With each outing of virtual archaeologist Lara Croft further diluting the essence that made the 1996 original so desirable, not even then-developer Core Design's obsession with increasing Lara's bra cup size convinced players to stick with the gradually weaker series. There may be some video game franchises that have been more systematically exploited than Tomb Raider, but our ageing brains can't think of any.

Thankfully, Legend marks something of a return to form. Now under the creative control of Crystal Dynamics, the focus is back on tomb raiding across the world's vine-covered temples, with most of your time spent scaling ruins, avoiding ancient bone crushing and spine severing traps, and solving admittedly-obvious-though-nevertheless-satisfying archaeological brainteasers, as you strive to get Lara's mysteriously callous-free hands on whatever the little minx has set her gorgeous brown eyes on.

Whether it's rock climbing, hanging off ledges, swinging on ropes or poles, jumping over wide chasms or swimming through narrow ruins desperately looking for the opportunity for your next breath of air, Lara negotiates the many obstacles in her path with a satisfying fluidity, matched by the quality of the animation of her actions.

Calmly working out and successfully negotiating the convoluted route to a platform high above the ground is often the most enjoyable aspect of the game, followed closely by solving the many puzzles you encounter – indeed, the two are often intrinsically linked. And because money is no object when you're an aristocratic thief, Lara has a selection of neat toys at her disposal, the most useful of which is her grapple gun enabling her to pull down obstacles or swing across to safety (helpfully, grapple points are indicated by icons due to their position off-screen).

Pleasing, too, is the introduction of established concepts such as Quick Time events (requiring you to press highlighted buttons during a tense, action-paced sequence), which further round out the gaming experience.

You'll also find things to shoot. These tend to be mainly trigger happy (yet reckless) henchmen, though Lara is equally at ease gunning down members of endangered species (we suspect stealing sacred relics for a living demands a certain moral flexibility).

Still, conservationists would no doubt be proud of the animals' ability to present the more dangerous opposition, even if, unlike Lara's human adversaries, they can't carry machine guns or shotguns. The latter can be picked up from downed minions to take over from the archaeologist's trusty, though weaker, twin pistols, and you'll also find grenades, though we found their use too cumbersome in practice.

But that's not too problematic; once you factor in the mostly functional, repetitive nature of Legend's shootouts, it's easiest to regard these segments as simple diversions from the game's core dynamic of artefact pocketing.

More disappointing is to find some of the controls spoiling the fun. The analogue stick input is too wild and twitchy for precise on-foot control (and utterly useless during the fast moving motorbike sections) which can result in some unpredictable jump angles, the manual camera override – while neatly making double use of the analogue stick (by holding down Square) – feels a little convoluted, and there's a subtle yet noticeable lag to some commands, which can grate.

You do get used to most of these, but then you'll probably start to pick on the game's technical shortcomings. While this is essentially identical to the home console versions, featuring the same excellent level design and production values (not least the atmospheric soundtrack), the visuals have had to be toned down. They remain impressive – the sense of scale when entering a vast chamber of a new tomb is certainly conveyed – but at the expense of the frame rate. At times the PSP struggles to cope, resulting in an unpleasantly juddering experience.

Happily, handheld owners get some recompense. Legend's Tomb Trial mode, exclusive to Sony's handheld, features single or wi-fi head-to-head time trial and artefact collecting challenges, and it makes for a solid, substantial addition, which builds on some of the main game's most fun elements.

And that's probably how you'll remember the first PSP Tomb Raider – its engaging plot, unusual pace, atmosphere, inventive touches, various play modes and the fresh mix of concepts ultimately prove highly seductive.

Overall: 7/10

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Kotaku - Tomb Raiders I and II Getting the Old Once-Over

Many Bothans died to bring us this e-mail. Super secret agent reader reports the following, between exhortations to preserve his/her anonymity:

"Anyway, I was over at Eidos/SCi headquarters for an interview when I stumbled upon some material concerning a new Lara Croft game. My juices got flowing when I realized I was looking at the real thing and I started asking some questions. Turns out Eidos/SCi are planning on celebrating Lara's 10th birthday by releasing a remake of her original adventure. We are talking improved graphics, new moves, the lot. If there is time, the "new" game will feature a remake of both Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider II: The Dagger of Xian, but right now the developers are focusing on Lara Croft's first adventure."

So there you go, you jackals. How's it feel to have flowing juices over a ten-year-old? This is hot on the heels of the Final Fantasy VII remake, leading me to expect a lot more of these in the coming months. Updated releases of DOOM, Commander Keen and Day of the Tentacle undoubtedly loom on the horizon.

Special thanks to the selfless bastard who is no doubt getting noisily fired at this very moment. Out of a cannon. Into the sun. Eliza Gauger

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Tomb Raider remake gossip continues

Rumours about a return for the 1996 original just won't go away
Words: Dave Harrison
Tuesday 30 May 2006

Speculation is continuing that Eidos is working on a remake of the original Tomb Raider game to be released to coincide with the series' ten year anniversary.

We first reported that a 'special edition' Tomb Raider was part of Eidos' 2006 plans last year, when a new Tomb Raider game was mentioned as part of a financial report from the company.

Even though Eidos hasn't officially announced details of the game, speculation about it has returned as kotaku.com has received an email from a source at the UK publisher claiming that work on the remake is ongoing.

The insider said that the remake will be made for PSP and PS2 and will feature "improved graphics, new moves, the lot!" It was also mentioned the Eidos has been considering the inclusion of a remake of Tomb Raider 2 in the 'special edition' but this is dependent on the amount of time available.

The original Tomb Raider was released in November 1996, so Eidos still has a few months to go if the 'special edition' is to be launched exactly 10 years on. We're currently trying to contact Eidos for an official comment, so we'll hopefully have something for you shortly.

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Legend Wins IGN Game of the Month, April 2006

Slim on quantity, not on quality. by Xbox 360 Team

April 28, 2006 - The end of each month signifies a variety of milestones across everyone's lives. People are getting their paychecks, making resolutions, doing their laundry, going grocery shopping, cleaning their gutters, and possibly celebrating with a frosty beverage. In keeping with the theme of closure, we here at IGN amass from our vast library of green-boxed games the ones that came out over the past month and determine which one is the reigning champ.

--snip--

For the slim month of April, we saw the short-lived run of good games come to an abrupt end. EA cranked out a bunch of titles ending with Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and 2K Sports did its best with Top Spin 2, though it wasn't quite as good as the first one. Plus, a few Arcade games hit the Marketplace including Astropop and Jewel Quest.

Why We Picked It: Eidos finally took the plunge and put Tomb Raider in the hands of developer Crystal Dynamics, best known for its long-standing Legacy of Kain series. The result? Fantabulouso. Well OK, IGN rated it an 8.2 out of 10, but the game itself is easily the best one of the series mainly because it puts the emphasis squarely on adventuring using a nimble, athletic and capable heroine who moves and feels nimble and athletic. The action-adventure game is a tad short, but it's got tons of unlockable items and replayable levels and some neato achievements. If you've been waiting for the series to improve and you've just about had it, don't hesitate, Tomb Raider: Legend is worth your money.

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Gamespot - Tomb Raider: Legend Handheld Versions Hands-On

Not once, not twice, but thrice do we play Tomb Raider on a handheld system at E3 2006. Check it out!

LOS ANGELES--Tomb Raider: Legend is already out on most consoles, but the handheld landscape is still barren. That will all changing soon enough, as Legend is coming to the PSP, the DS, and the GBA later this year. All three versions are on display at Eidos' E3 2006 booth, and we took a look at all of them.

The PSP version of Legend is a straight-up PS2 port, with typically downscaled textures and other graphical bells and whistles, but it looks quite good on the system. The animation is still smooth and fluid, and the frame rate seems to hold up pretty well. The controls are obviously a bit different, given the lack of a right analog stick and other key buttons. Camera control is mapped to the square button in this version--holding it down and pressing the analog stick in either direction moves in. It's a little awkward, but seems serviceable. The analog sensitivity also struck us as a little overmuch. Trying to keep Lara perched on narrow ledges or other such treacherous situations was more chancy than we'd have preferred. Otherwise, though, this is the same full game as the PS2 version, and with multiplayer to boot. We didn't get to try any of the modes, but the game will evidently include a timing-based mission mode, as well as raid and seek, which is competitive hide and seek, where you and a friend compete against one another to hide objects in an environment, and then see who can find the opposing player's objects first. There are also some new unlockable outfits available in the PSP version.

The DS and GBA versions are considerably different from the console games, which is to be expected. Both follow the basic plot of the game, though the GBA version tells it via a slide show, as opposed to full cutscenes (which the DS version does include). Gameplay-wise, both games are side-scrolling platformers, but while the GBA is strictly 2D graphics all the way, the DS does a hybrid of 2D and 3D, where the background environments take on sort of a 3D slant, despite the side-scrolling nature of the game. The DS also includes touch-screen menus that let you switch Lara's items and weapons around, and there will be artifacts in the game that need to be dusted off by blowing into the DS's microphone.

From our brief time with the games, the DS and GBA versions of Legend certainly seemed like interesting side-scrolling versions of the console games, and the PSP version seemed like it was just about as good as you could feasibly hope for with a PS2 port. Tomb Raider: Legend will hit PSPs later this month, and the DS and GBA versions will follow this fall.

GameSpot

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Tomb Raider Legend - A fresh look at the handheld adventure. Dive in.

May 11, 2006 - The console version of Tomb Raider Legend shipped to critical acclaim. It brought back the same level of exploration as the original. It also refined the formula by adding flexible jump mechanics and a new combat system.

On PSP, Legend offers even more stuff. First, you score three different multiplayer options. You can play Raid n' Seek, where one player hides an artifact and the other player has to find it. There's also a mode where you two players have race to see who can uncover the same artifact. This lends the game some groovy tension.

To start, just know everything from the console versions makes it into this portable edition. Everything from missions and weapons to secrets and bonuses appear in full form. What's more, the interface you use to access said weapons and missions looks exactly the same. It's no big thing, of course, but it helps make it feel like you're getting the same package as those who bought the game for the PS2 or Xbox. More importantly, the game retains the same complex level design throughout the entire adventure.

Moving up a notch, the game controls the same way. And that's definitely one of the most important aspects in Legend. On consoles, leaping over chasms and shimmying along walls just feels right. There's no other way to describe it. And fortunately, it feels almost identical on the PSP. It's not exactly the same, mind you, since there's only one analog stick. You'll notice a few differences here and there. But damn, it's close. Besides, what really matters is how intuitive it feels. And, fortunately, it feels just as it should.

And that's about it. Look for the game sometime after you read this.

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Toby Gard Interview - Evolution, Not Expansion

Tomb Raider was real proof if ever proof were needed that something different does appeal - and does, indeed, sell. Lara Croft was embraced by the gaming community as both something of a feminist icon as well as a sex symbol. On either side of the gender divide, her character remains respected - with Tomb Raider: Legend now on general release, Lara Croft appears to have discovered her fans again. "It's nice to see that people still have that warm place in their hearts for Lara," says Gard.

So what does Toby Gard think is next for Lara Croft and, indeed, for himself? How does being reunited with his highly successful creation feel? "I never thought it was going to happen," he admits. "Lara has a long way to go now that we've done Legend. We can do what Core didn't, which is to seriously push and expand the franchise - to evolve Lara. The problem before was that ot all became very stagnant, every Tomb Raider game was essentially the same but with different graphics or the odd new costume or maybe vehicle. In the future, they're going to be moving Lara to new spaces, with new types of gameplay, I hope. That's what's needed, you know? Evolution." Quite. Ten years might be a long time to spend away from your creation, but it seems that Gard is glad to be back.

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LARA CROFT CATAPULTS ONTO THE NINTENDO PLATFORMS

VIDEO GAMING'S LEADING LADY MAKES HER DEBUT ON THE NINTENDO GAMECUBE, NINTENDO DS and GAME BOY ADVANCE THIS FALL

San Francisco, CA (May 2, 2006) -- Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, is pleased to announce further details of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend on Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Available this fall, the handheld versions will faithfully capture the detail and breadth of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Xbox video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the soon-to-be-released Nintendo GameCube version.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend on the Nintendo platforms will deliver the same innovative level of gameplay and high production value experience that has helped the PlayStation2 and Xbox versions rise to the top of the sales charts all over North America and Europe. Nintendo fans will be able to experience Tomb Raider's dynamic controls, Lara's fluid movement system, engaging puzzles, and gorgeous environments.

"There are a host of new and exciting features for Lara on the Nintendo platforms," said Senior Brand Manager Kathryn Clements. "With the stunning graphics of the original games optimised to Nintendo's platforms, Legend will further extend the reach of the Lara universe."

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend is the seventh title to be released in the Tomb Raider series, which originally launched in 1996 and is still one of the best selling videogame franchises of all time, with over 28 million copies sold.

VIDEO GAME ICON SELECTED AS SPOKESMODEL FOR THE SKIN CANCER AWARENESS FOUNDATION

San Francisco, CA (May 03, 2006) -- Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, today announced gaming legend Lara Croft has been chosen to be the spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation of Minden, Nevada. Lara's image will be used to educate and place skin cancer awareness information in the hands of teens across the country via the Sun Smart Teen Program beginning in November of 2006. Dr. Ann F. Haas M.D., Dermatology will act as advisor and consultant for the program.

"The goal of the Sun Smart Teen Program is to bring education and awareness of the dangers of the sun and skin cancer to the youth. Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the world and the most preventable. Melanoma is being diagnosed in the young populations, no longer just in the older adults. What better role model than someone who the youth can relate to, and Lara Croft is that individual. She personifies the benefits of having a healthy body. The youth today are our future tomorrow." said William H. Barth, President/CEO of the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation. For information: www.skincaf.org or info@skincaf.org.

Lara Croft is a billion-dollar brand and pop culture icon transcending well beyond her Tomb Raider video game franchise. She is the inspiration behind music videos, comic books, amusement park attractions and endorsements for products, ranging from hot pants to energy drinks. Lara's selection as spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation adds an entire new dimension to the Tomb Raider brand.

"We are delighted that Lara has been selected to help bring awareness to teen sun care education," said Bill Gardner, President and CEO of Eidos Interactive North America. "Lara is the epitome of a positive role model for teens: she's extremely health–conscious, physically fit, independent, ecologically concerned, and intelligent. Lara fights strongly for her beliefs, and we are pleased she can do her part in supporting the cause."

The Lara Legacy:
Lara is arguably the first, and certainly the most recognizable game crossover star. In the ten years since the world first met adventuress Lara Croft, she has become a pop culture Lara icon extending well beyond her Tomb Raider video game franchise. In addition to being the face that sold more than 28 million game units sold to date, she's been lauded in Entertainment Weekly's It" issue of 100 most creative entertainment elite, Time Magazine's most influential figures of the 20th century and as the only virtual celebrity figure featured in Details' Sexiest Women of the Year. With two movie spin-offs and 200+ magazine covers, the digital diva was honored with a star at the Walk of Game in San Francisco, California in March 2006. And most recently, Lara was awarded the Guinness World Record as the ‘Most Successful Human Videogame Heroine.'

Lara's most recent video game adventure, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend, hit retail stores nationwide on April 11 for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 and Xbox video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, and the PC. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend will be available on the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Advance later this year.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend is published by Eidos Interactive and presents Lara in the finest fidelity to date. A revamped control system provides intuitive and fluid character movement, while a compelling storyline and vast environments lure players into an unrivalled adventure experience. More details are available at www.tombraider.com.

Return of the first lady of games

It has been 10 years since the creation of aspiring British game designer Toby Gard first hit computer screens.

Lara Croft of Tomb Raider fame has gone on to become one of the most famous virtual celebrities.

But for most of this time, Mr Gard has had little to do with her. Instead, they have been somewhat of an estranged couple.

He left shortly after the first Tomb Raider game, angry with how Lara was being sexed up. The most visible sign of this was Lara's breast augmentation.

But the subsequent five sequels also strayed from the original Tomb Raider formula.

Lara's reputation as the leading lady of video games reached a nadir three years ago with the release of Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness.

The widely derided game tested the faith of even the most dedicated fans, as did an equally poor film, Cradle of Life.

Intervention

For Toby Gard, it was time to get back into the fray. He approached Crystal Dynamics, the US developers working on the Tomb Raider: Legend, and was hired to help revive Lara's fortunes.

"I had seen the character go a bit wild," he told the BBC News website. "I felt like I had a wayward child and had to do one of those intervention things."

The most visible sign of his intervention is Lara's look. Her ballooning chest was brought under control, as Mr Gard worked on her look and costumes.

But he also wanted the game to return to the basics of exploration and puzzle-solving that made the original Tomb Raider such a hit.

Shortly after he joined the team working on Legend, Mr Gard convinced them to scrap the original script for the game.

He spent some eight months rewriting the story, so that it was closer to the themes of the original Tomb Raider.

"As a character, Lara Croft is about delving into history," said Mr Gard. "It is about looking into the unexplained.

"At its heart, it is about uncovering mysteries and exploration."

Lara's rebirth

Lara still wields her trademark dual pistols in Legend, but there is less of an emphasis on shooting enemies.

The reworking of the Tomb Raider franchise has hit a chord with gamers and critics alike.

The game has topped the charts in the UK and across Europe, riding a wave of overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Legend is the seventh title to be released in the Tomb Raider series, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, with more than 28 million copies sold.

Mr Gard sees Legend as the rebirth of Lara and is already thinking about ideas for the next Tomb Raider game.

"I really think there is a lot more to be done with her character," he said.

Alfred.Hermida-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

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How Lara Croft Steals Hearts

Lara Croft's back and she's as bodacious as ever. In the new Tomb Raider: Legend, Eidos has crafted its heroine using its usual blend of Indiana Jones and Victoria's Secret. As she runs through the catacombs, Croft's spectacular chest heaves and her behind wiggles. In quiet moments between action sequences, she stretches up on tiptoes and arches her back, to get the kinks out. Ahem.

She's a piece of cheesecake, all right. And among cultural pundits, this is the prevailing wisdom about why young men so loved Tomb Raider when it debuted in 1996. Teenage boys are horny; teenage boys like to ogle hot women; Tomb Raider allowed them to drool over Croft for hours on end. This dismal equation, as the theory goes, also explains the subsequent explosion of games with hot-chick characters, from Bloodrayne to the undulating mass of Tecmo's Dead or Alive vixens. Once again, the basest urges of young men had coarsened society -- right?

I beg to differ. I think young boy gamers loved Lara for reasons that were considerably stranger. They weren't just ogling her: They were identifying with her. Playing the role of a hot, sexy woman in peril -- surrounded by violence on all sides -- was, unexpectedly, a totally electric experience for young guys.

I am not merely pulling this argument out of my butt. I'm basing it on a famous piece of film theory: the "Final Girl" concept of slasher movies.

The Final Girl theory emerged in 1985, when Carol Clover -- a medievalist and feminist film critic -- was dared by a friend to see The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Back then, most feminist theorists loathed slasher films, and regarded them as classic examples of male misogyny. It wasn't hard to figure out why: Thousands of young men were trooping into theaters to cheer wildly as masked psychos hacked apart screaming young women. That really didn't look good.

But as Clover sat in the theaters, she noticed something curious. Sure, the young men would laugh and cheer as the villain hunted down his female prey. But eventually the movie would whittle down the victims to one last terrified woman -- the Final Girl, as Clover called her. Suddenly, the young men in the audience would switch their allegiance -- and begin cheering just as madly for the Final Girl as she attacked and killed the psycho.

This, Clover argued, was not mere garden-variety sexism. On the contrary, it was a generation of young guys who apparently identified strongly with the situation of a woman who faced agonizing peril yet came out victorious. The slasher dynamic was unprecedented in film history: "The idea of a female who outsmarts, much less outfights -- or outgazes -- her assailant (was) unthinkable," Clover wrote. With this new crop of slasher movies, the young men in the audience essentially became the Final Girl: exhausted, freaked out and ultimately triumphant. They weren't just ogling the sexual violence. They were submitting to it.

The sexuality of young men, Clover concluded, is profoundly weirder than you'd imagine.

I think she's right, and what's more, I think her idea maps perfectly onto the success of Tomb Raider. As with the slasher flicks, there's a Final Girl dynamic: a constantly threatened woman, fighting for her very survival, attacking goons on every side -- and a captive audience of young men. Playing as Croft was an emotionally catalytic experience. Young guys had played tons of male characters before, from Nintendo's Mario to the anonymous marines of Doom. But being Lara was different; it got its hooks into their psyches like no game before.

"I feel like I'm sort of in charge of protecting her -- which is to say, protecting me," as one gamer told me back then. "Both at once. It's really unusual." I've noticed it myself. When I control my avatar in almost any game, I'm pretty engaged. But when I play as Croft, the game is an order of magnitude more intense: I find myself sucking in my breath, involuntarily ducking at virtual obstacles.

Of course, in today's gaming world, the idea that young men secretly crave to be hot, imperiled virtual women doesn't seem as unusual as it might have in 1998. After all, half the women in online worlds are played by young guys who've actively chosen their virtual gender.

I'm not suggesting a good part of Croft's allure is not, in fact, straightforward titillation. (Even more sexually charged than her bouncy pixels is her voice acting: If you're wearing headphones, those soft grunts as she hauls herself onto a ledge practically qualify as phone sex.) And it's also true that being Lara -- or any other impossibly curvy avatar -- is undoubtedly a whole different experience for women gamers.

But the next time you see prepubescent boys playing Legend on the demo machines at Wal-Mart, take a closer look at their glazed expressions of concentration. There's more going on there than meets the eye.

Clive Thompson is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, and a regular contributor to Wired and New York magazines. His blog is collision detection.

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Joystiq Review: Tomb Raider: Legend (Xbox 360)

Posted Apr 27th 2006 8:55AM by Jennie Lees

There are moments in our gaming pasts that stand out with clarity from the mass of bygone levels, saves, high scores and kill counts. One of mine is a first date of epic proportions, one which launched a thousand clones and broke a million hearts. It was my first date with Lara.

Lady Croft and I have a lot in common. The novelty of playing as a girl who looks great and sounds normal grabbed me back in 1996 and hasn't let me go since.

A decade later, in Tomb Raider: Legend, Lara still looks the part; she hasn't put on a pound, though her poly count's up. As I put the disc in, her iconic face stares at me. This revamped Lara looks more human, more real, less like a creature from some stylised midnight fantasy. Her face is soft, her lips slightly curled in a welcoming smile -- her eyes measure me up. It's been a while.

I've not spent much time with her, these past few years. Disappointed in our recent adventures together, I pulled the "it's not you, it's me" line and flirted with a medley of characters -- from Master Chief to Joanna Dark -- who owe much of their existence to Lady Croft's legacy. But when she called asking me for help, I jumped at the chance. She's changed, after all.

Jump, Jump, Left, Left, Grapple

Lara's back. Running around a deserted ruin is a comfortable, familiar experience. The lady herself is smoother -- almost plasticky -- and beautifully shaded, her ponytail swinging as I move her lithe body around poles, ledges and ropes. The environments are lushly detailed, well-lit and textured, and I occasionally stop what I'm doing to have a look around. The HUD fades away, and the screen is frequently clear. The game runs smoothly, though the framerate stutters once or twice in larger environments.

Controlling Lara feels like second nature; helpful prompts pop up, making the manual redundant. Mis-presses aren't fatal -- most of the time. The camera is movable and the controls respond quickly, with well-timed vibration which is especially noticeable during tense moments.

With high-tech binoculars that help identify key items, figuring out puzzles is straightforward, although there are aimless moments. Some challenges rely on spotting one glinting item in a large area, or positioning blocks in a certain way, which can be frustrating. The in-game PDA provides objectives, but they rarely help -- throwing the grapple at everything generally works.

Various bronze, silver and gold rewards are strewn throughout the levels, with Xbox Live achievements linked to their collection. There are moments when rewards are visible but seemingly impossible to reach -- patience is key, but it's easier to come back later.

A Fate Worse Than Healthpacks

Death is the worst that can happen, but luckily there are frequent checkpoints -- dying means repeating a jump or three, not restarting an entire level. The generous healthpacks mean that it mostly happens when plunging clumsily from a tall building.

It's usually easy to plot the best course across a room, although sometimes the camera is stubborn. An interesting hybrid of cut-scenes and Dance Dance Revolution results in slow-motion cinematics; large icons flash on the screen, corresponding to timed button presses. Fail to react quickly and it's back to the start -- they're mercifully short, for the error-prone among us. This isn't new -- we've seen it in Resident Evil 4 -- but it's nicely interactive.

Of course, life isn't all running and jumping. There are enemies to shoot -- Lara survives frantic firefights quite easily, cutting through an endless stream of identical men, no questions asked. Grenades and marked destructible scenery provide some variety, but encounters are usually tedious rather than adrenaline-filled. One can simply mash the fire button and indiscriminately toss grenades to win just about any firefight. There's a lack of finesse here that most FPS fans will scoff at.

The occasional level bosses require a little more cunning and skill. The balance seems just right between impossible frustration and a walk in the park -- on medium difficulty, most bosses take a few tries, but once the strategy's clear they become easy.

Another change in pace occurs when Lara encounters a motorbike and starts tearing up the scenery. The motorbike sections are fairly repetitive, peppered with checkpoints, health packs and enemies. It's a useful way to get from A to B, but a tedious one.

After a few levels, I get a feeling of déja vu -- haven't I done this run, jump, shoot routine before a thousand times? Are the enemies and artifacts I'm tracking down any different from those of the past? There's no real novelty in this outing, but the gameplay's smoothness and the ever-dangling microrewards (next checkpoint, next reward, next level) keep me going. Original or not, exploring Bolivian ruins and Kazakhstani laboratories is just plain fun.

Hours of enjoyment?

Each level takes up to an hour to complete first time, which makes for seven to nine hours' total gameplay. There's more to Tomb Raider: Legend, though; if you're shooting for achievements, try the tricky 'time trial' mode. Collecting silver and gold rewards is also a reason to replay.

Finally, there's a set of extras, the most impressive of which is Croft Manor. You can visit Lara's home and explore the formidable surroundings, practice in the gym and try on outfits. It's worth doing for the rewards, but it's also a relaxing distraction -- they say an Englishman's home is his castle, and that's almost literally the case here.

Conclusion

Tomb Raider: Legend is a refreshing return to the Lara of old; you won't regret picking Lady Croft up again, and she won't reprimand you for not calling. The Xbox 360 version is differentiated from the other formats by an added graphical sheen and Xbox Live Achievements. The gameplay is as engrossing as Tomb Raider ever was, with a moderately interesting plot, decent voice acting and intuitive controls, although the motorbike sequences are a low point.

The game's strength -- it's Tomb Raider -- turns into a weakness -- it's another Tomb Raider. Nothing new to see here, move along. Push-button cut-scenes and the explorable Croft Manor give the game some class, but at a time where multiplayer is becoming king, Lara shows her age. It's over quickly, and you might not want a second date; renting for a weekend will show you much, if not all, of what Tomb Raider: Legend has to offer.

Overall: 7/10

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Game Zone Legend Review

Having had taken a detour for the worst for quite sometime now, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend for the Xbox is certainly a step in the right direction.

Several years ago creator Toby Gard brought to life a beautiful female adventurer with impossible curves and a thirst to explore the deepest reaches of ancient tombs. She has since made her return on the original PlayStation (let’s not forget the Sega Dreamcast) as well as a forgettable return on the PS2 and, of course, made it to the big screen twice. While her adventure began to lose steam long before it reached the fourth chapter, it was Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness for the PS2 that made fans believe that the series was now way off course. Ah, but thanks to Crystal Dynamics, Lady Croft is back doing what she does best in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend. Not only is the game good but now she’s on the Xbox.

Legend’s story is an interesting one that takes Lara Croft across the globe as well as deep into her past. We learn in the beginning of the game that Lara and her mother were in a plane crash and later, while accompanying her mother in an excavation, watch her die. Now Lara finds herself searching for the very artifact, the fragments of a stone sword that is connected to her mother’s demise. Her search brings her to Bolivia, Peru, Himalayas, Japan and even Kazakhstan. The story also recounts an expedition to a tomb where Lara’s friend Amanda seems to have perished. Add a connection to the legend of King Arthur and we have a story filled with mystery and adventure. The sad part is that the game is on the short side and thus cuts things when it’s just getting interesting.

Much has changed under the care of a new team and while a few of the better elements of the flawed Angel of Darkness have been used here, the changes are certainly for the better. The new additions, though, come in the form of newer moves as well as additional new gadgets and items. Instead of the flares she used to carry back in the early games, Lara now carries a personal light source. The best new gadget, however, is the magnetic grapple that Lara can use to pick up collectible pieces, swing to another locale or drag enemies closer to you. While Lara still packs her twin pistols, she can pick up weapons dropped by the enemy. Using the D-pad to access each item, you can switch weapons and gadgets on the fly.

Lara’s other new moves make her a more acrobatic character. Aside from returning features like swinging, mid-air back flips and pole sliding, Lara can climb certain areas as well as manipulate unstable objects, move crates and topple physically unstable objects. Control-wise, moving Lara is handled nicely as is her combat moves. She can unleash a set of interesting combos that have her leaping off the bodies of her enemies or performing sliding attacks that knocks them to the ground. There’s a manual aim and it works perfectly when you want clean headshots and the manual targeting isn’t bad either. What is bad, however, is the fact that it still takes more than a dozen bullets to bring down your enemy both animal or man. This, unfortunately, makes for fierce one-sided battles that get even more brutal if Lara is outgunned by multiple enemies.

As I mentioned above, your quest takes you to various exotic locales and has you exploring those tombs that brings back elaborate puzzles and dangerous traps. The puzzles are the familiar open-door-to-next-area-by solving-the-door-puzzle variety and many of these puzzles are actually well conceived and quite challenging at times. While the puzzles won’t have you completely stumped thanks to Lara’s new RAD device that examines the area and gives you an idea of what to manipulate, the real fun comes in coming up with your own way of solving the puzzle.

Yet the good news is that you won’t just be spending most of your time in a tomb, you’ll be facing off against enemies in a Peruvian village and then attempt a rescue mission while driving a motorcycle. There are also events where you’ll have to press certain buttons on time much like in the Quick Time Events in Shenmue or Resident Evil 4. You’ll even get to relive Lara’s old days complete with her original Tomb Raider outfit. Making its return is the ability to visit Croft Manor, although this time Croft Manor is less a training ground and more an area to unlock extra outfits and find new items to use when you want to replay certain missions.

Visually speaking, Tomb Raider on the Xbox looks fantastic. Long gone is the cartoon-like quality that made Lara seem like an unrealistic caricature. Caricature or not, Lara still became an iconic figure so it was good to see that Crystal Dynamics didn’t give her a completely dramatic new look. Sporting a softer look with realistic curves, our hero looks and moves more naturally. The Xbox version of the game just adds plenty of details in the environments. Unlike the PS2 version, the Xbox sports better lighting effects and less of a framerate problem. The cut scenes look great as well.

As for the game’s sound, the game’s soundtrack, voice acting and sound effects make this a satisfying cinematic experience. The eclectic score, for one, changes with each situation and area. In Peru, for instance, the score mixes in pan flutes fitting of the region’s music. The dialogue, thankfully, is well written and thanks to the solid voice acting it makes the story all the more better. Detailed sound effects just add to the overall audio experience.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend is not only a return to the classic form we have all loved from the beginning but it’s also a much deeper adventure that is engrossing from start to finish. While there are some small sore spots here and there, Legend succeeds where Angel of Darkness has failed. With gorgeous visuals, plenty of extras, a solid story and interesting new features, this is a Tomb Raider long-time fans of the old girl will certainly enjoy.

Gameplay: 8.2
As far as the controls are concerned, Lara is a dream to control and her moves come off as more natural and more acrobatic. The puzzles are not too difficult to solve, which might be good or bad depending on how challenging you like your puzzles. The new gadgets are great and so is Lara’s manual aim but why does it take two fresh ammo clips to kill a jaguar?

Graphics: 8.5
Much emphasis has been placed on making Lara look more natural and realistic and the result is a character that looks great in action. From Lara’s expressions to the way water drips off her slender yet still curvy frame looks mighty impressive. Even the environments look amazing.

Sound: 8.5
The game’s soundtrack is wonderfully cinematic and more eclectic and the sound effects are beautifully detailed. The voice acting, particularly when it comes to Lara, is handled well thanks to good acting and even better dialogue.

Difficulty: Medium
The puzzles aren’t incredibly difficult to solve and the good news is that many of them are actually quite clever. Combat leaves a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to the damage you deal to the enemy both animal and human. Really, you will have a harder time killing just one well-armed enemy than solving a trap door puzzle.

Concept: 8.5
Legend adds various secrets and collectible items to unlock various features you can use when replaying the game. The game mixes vehicles, shootouts and puzzle solving perfectly and the story is actually good. The only major downside is that the game is a little too short.

Overall: 8.5
Having had taken a detour for the worst for quite sometime now, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend for the Xbox is certainly a step in the right direction. It’s good to see Lara back in top form and while her adventure is a bit on the short side and combat could have been handled a lot better, it’s hard to say no to a pretty girl that still has what it takes to show us a really good time. Fans of the series will certainly not want to miss this one.

Overall: 8.5/10

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Hooked Gamers Review

Another date

From the dark a curvy figure appears. I know her all too well; I became quite fond of her tight shorts and green top when I first met her back in 1996. Unfortunately, the only recent memories I have of her are a couple of brief, shallow dates which went awry, leaving me with a broken heart. This time she swears she has changed for good. I just wonder.

Good looks

The intro video and the main menu are impressive. The starting screen shows Lara in more or less the same way the Godfather shows your character in the loading screen. I really like the animations (she plays a little with her gloves, crosses her arms, looks around), it gives the game a live feeling. The interface looks very clean and bright, and depending on the level you are playing Lara will be dressed in different outfits (some of them very suggestive) and the background will be different too. All the options, the secrets and the level selection are organized under menus which don't always respond to the mouse. For example, there's no way to enter the control configuration with the mouse, but with the keyboard it works like a charm. Fortunately, this is the only strange error that I found while using the interface.

History class

Throughout the first few levels, you will be treated to a lot of flashback movies which are loosely related to what is happening in the game. These cut-scenes look great but they really don't help you to get an idea of what are you playing for. Once and again, you will be confronted with strange memories which appear to have no relation to the game and may confuse you more than give you an idea of what is going on and what the purpose of the game is. After a while, the game starts to actually offer videos that tie everything up (loosely) and everything starts to making some sense. The voice acting in the videos is sub-par, mainly because someone decided that using special effects which don't let you hear the voices would be great for storytelling (NOTE: he was dead wrong).

The story revolves around King Arthur's sword and how its pieces, which should grant their owner amazing powers, were split around the world. It also includes some stuff about Lara's mother and a friend called Amanda, but I really didn't get it. All of the above may make it sound like I didn't like the game but while the storytelling is horrible, it's Tomb Raider! The last thing you should worry about is the story!

Mission briefing

The gameplay has been notoriously improved; before beginning a mission you will be able to see which outfit Lara will use (she changes frequently and she looks quite good in every single outfit). Then you will start to play the first level and you begin to notice that they are divided into several sub-levels. There are some acrobatic sections which play a lot like Prince of Persia, but with less running and more thinking. Then there are some gunfighting scenes where you take on dozens of enemies, using grenades and Lara's guns - sometimes you will have to actually twitch on the control buttons to save Lara from a certain doom. And then there some classical Tomb Raider box puzzles (only marginally more interesting this time around).

Princess of Perisa (or London, whatever)

My favorite sections by far were the platforms where you have to advance using all of Lara's moves plus some new gear that she comes equipped with. These sections are very similar to Prince of Persia, only with slightly less polished controls and some very strange collision detection with ropes (sometimes you will go right through the ropes without grabbing them, sometimes you cannot reach a rope half a meter away). These sections are closely related to the puzzle sections. For example on one level you have to push a ball to a button on the floor. This ball will then open a set of stairs which you can climb in order to drop another ball, which, in turn, will let you climb to a mountain. There, you will find yet another ball that you have to use to open a door which will lead to the next room.

One of the things that I liked the most was the new grappling hook that Lara carries. You can throw it to some shining objects and this lets you start swinging to reach new heights. I really liked the feeling of jumping from one platform and throwing the grappling hook to be able to swing up to the next platform. It would be much better if you could swing freely instead of using connectors (think Ultimate Spiderman) but nonetheless it's something that I enjoyed about this game.

Lara's guns

Gunfights are hardly anything new. Lara carries her usual two guns and you can also use one of four or five different weapons that the enemies carry (it really doesn't matter, you won't be switching much because you need the faster guns to make up for Lara's horrible marksmanship). Lara also carries fragmentation grenades which you can use to make a lot of noise, and of course she can use varous acrobatic evasion tehcniques to get our of danger.

One of the most intriguing aspects of gunfights is that the environment also plays a role in them. You can choose to shoot the bad guys directly, or you may decide to shoot at some loose rocks on a mountain-side to cause an avalanche that will take care of your enemies for you. There are also lots of barrels everywhere that can explode and sometimes you can drop your enemies from a cliff to be quickly rid of then.

On some levels you have to face and fight a big boss. Each boss has a different strategy and you have to figure out how to defeat them. For example, certain Chinese guy who stole a piece of the Excalibur begins to fly and throw green fireworks (or something) at you. The winning strategy is to walk right in front of him and shoot while he just speaks without moving a single muscle. Some other bosses aren't as dumb, though, and you will have to repeat the fight once or twice before finding the right tactic.

The last boss fight, on the other hand, is downright cheap. First of all the guy has about ten thousand hit points and, second, he will regenerate every time you get close to killing him. Also, once you have nearly killed him, he will start attacking faster and faster and you better not get hit because he will continue attacking and won't let you get up. I like some challenge in my games but I would rather have challenging enemies with great AI than cheap enemies who can sap your energy to half with a single hit and won't let you get up and fight.

Take one

Tomb Raider is also filled with secrets and extra collectibles. Each level has about 15 different collectibles. If you find them, you will get more ammo for your guns, or you will unlock a different outfit for Lara or some concept art. While this isn't a very creative way to extend game time, it at least adds some depth and some replay value to the title.

Conclusion

There are a couple good reasons to play Tomb Raider (and they aren't the ones half a meter above Lara's waistline): The platform elements make the game really fun. It may not as fast-paced as Prince of Persia but it sure is enjoyable. The gunfights offer nothing new, but after a good dose of jumping you will enjoy shooting someone. And while the story is really weak and the bosses' difficulty ranges from nonexistent to cheap you will have a good time playing. Maybe it's not the classic cult hit that Tomb Raider once was, but this game is quite good and might be the turning point that the franchise needed. There's a demo out there, so at least give it a try.

Overall: 8/10

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USA Today Review

She's back - and this time, she won't disappoint. Lara Croft, once one of the world's hottest video game vixens, stumbled in her last quest (2003's forgettable Angel of Darkness), but the femme fatale regains her cool in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend.

Consider this new adventure a rebirth of the 10-year-old franchise. Now under the care of developer Crystal Dynamics, Legend proves there is plenty of heart and soul left in this once-coveted series.

Returning to her roots, the explorer again travels to some of the world's most exotic locations, such as Nepal, Bolivia and Peru, in search of ancient artifacts.

But in doing so, she uncovers an international conspiracy, which is eerily tied to her mother's death in the Himalayas when Croft was 9 years old.

Viewed from a third-person perspective, Croft is an agile adventurer who can perform moves such as scaling cliffs, swinging from ropes across chasms, sliding down precipices and swimming through rough currents. She also can fire two pistols at once at enemies - even while jumping through the air - or use her grappling hook to lasso a bad guy so she can finish him off with a swift kick.

If you see a vehicle in your travels, chances are you can drive it, as well.

While Croft's capabilities may seem overwhelming, controlling her is a breeze. The first level of the game serves as a comprehensive tutorial with plenty of onscreen instructions to familiarize players with the controls.

Croft also can walk over and pick up items such as health packs or collect three different "reward" icons that unlock extra game content, concept art and other bonuses. Once one full level is complete, players also can unlock access to Croft Manor, as seen in past Tomb Raider games.

Pressing the Select button on the video game controller opens your PDA (personal digital assistant), which lists your objectives, outlines which rewards you've collected and provides a thorough description on how to use Croft's gear.

Aesthetically speaking, Legend is the best-looking Tomb Raider yet - even on the aging Sony PlayStation 2. Naturally, a lot of effort went into making the heroine look gorgeous, but all the environments look spectacular, as well. The game can be played in wide-screen mode or with progressive scan using the proper video cables and an HDTV for even higher-quality visuals.

The only graphical issue is a sometimes finicky camera that makes it difficult to see what's going on, such as when you're behind a waterfall or in small rooms.

Audio is top-notch, however. The enjoyable orchestrated soundtrack makes Legend feel more like a motion picture than a video game, as does the professional voice acting.

Legend isn't a long game, nor is it difficult to play, so seasoned gamers may be a tad disappointed in this regard. But it sure is a memorable ride as it manages to recapture the magic that made this series a beloved one.

Croft is back, and better than ever.

Overall: 4/5

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Review from The Age

Gaming's cover girl is back to her best in this rollicking adventure, writes Jason Hill.

Such is Lara Croft's star power that even the risible Angel of Darkness could not stop her from raiding another tomb. Fortunately, Legend is a big improvement on its dreadful predecessor and a welcome return to form for one of video gaming's biggest stars.

Lara fans will appreciate the emphasis on tomb raiding rather than city escapades, with players using the heroine's athletic and versatile skills to scale great heights and avoid ancient and deadly traps.

Her movements are fluid and the controls effortless, enabling players to quickly scale walls, swing on ropes, somersault from bars, cross tight ledges, perform daring leaps and swim vast depths.

The best addition is a magnetic grappling device that allows Lara to move faraway items and swing across chasms. It features prominently in the game's finest conundrums.

Puzzles are beautifully integrated into the environment, and prove satisfying to conquer, particularly those with multiple solutions.

Wisely, you are not excessively penalised for missing a tricky jump. After a brief loading delay, Lara is soon back to where she met misfortune, minimising player frustration.

Motorbike riding interludes are uninspiring but provide a change of pace. The combat will also divide opinion; there are plenty of mindless goons to shoot, but the automatic targeting and Lara's health supplies are so generous the battles do not represent any challenge.

Legend's plot revolves around a mysterious sword linked to King Arthur and provides new insight into Lara's background and character. It also offers an excellent excuse for globetrotting to exotic destinations including Peru, Bolivia, West Africa, Kazakhstan - and you have a chance to scale a Yakuza-owned skyscraper in Tokyo. It's not a long adventure but artefacts hidden around the levels and a time-trial mode encourage replay. Rewards include art galleries, movies and additional outfits.

Endgame: After a long wait, Lara finally has a game worthy of her high status.

Overall: 4/5

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Amped IGO Review

It's been ten years since globetrotting Lara Croft vaulted into the gaming world with a resounding bang. Saddling the curvature to bring men to their knees with brains, determination and a penchant for the daring has endeared the back-pack-adorned Brit to the hearts of many. In fact, it's likely down to the immense popularity of Ms. Croft that the Tomb Raider games have remained a gem in the public's eye for so very long.

Tomb Raider: Legend sees a return to the roots of the series, distancing itself from the ambitious elements of Angel of Darkness that ultimately signaled the death-knell for Core. What with original Lara Croft co-creator Toby Gard working on a Tomb Raider game for the first time since the original, he and the rest of the Crystal Dynamics team prove that the basics need to be concretely in place before loftier goals seep into the groundwork. As such, Legendproves to be the accessible creation many were hankering for, married to an improved camera and superb visuals.

Legend's boxart bodes well for the ensuing game, depicting a sultry, husky-faced temptress with the form of a backpack in the background. You realize it's Lara, but she's looking wholly more lifelike than before. In game, she sports a fairly realistic mug too with tinges of anime, while moving like the athlete we're accustomed to, with the opening cutscene dually depicting the adventurer dangling from a cliff-face. In time-honored fashion, we're drip-fed all the characteristics of the Lara we know and love, with the suitable voice and confidence emanating from the heroine.

Legend sees Lara in familiar explorative mode as she searches various archeological sites in the quest to unravel the weaves of mystery shrouding the King Arthur "myth" which, if the game is to be believed, may not be a myth at all. Do away with those snide smiles and rolled-eyes however, for the story is a gripping one and is a testament to the fact that action games need not solely concentrate on the aspects cited in the genre's title.

The plot unfolds via cutscenes and in game dialogue between Lara and her couplet of informers, Alistair and Zip. These two live in the Croft manor and occasionally accompany Lara on an expedition. No matter their positioning though, they're always on hand to relay pertinent information and you'll be given full exposure to the dialogue between the informers and the adventurer herself. In logical terms, it all works thanks to a headpiece and microphone attached to Lara's head, and this simple gameplay mechanic effectively translates the characteristics of the trio across to the player. Despite the one-dimensional nature of the threesome (though Alistair seems to be particularly concerned for Lara in times of trouble...) you'll likely enjoy the notion that you're not solely alone during your treks.

If anything, Legend succeeds in assuaging frustration. Puzzles never encroach on the aggravation of yester incarnations due to a RAD ("Remote Analysis Device") that identifies objects of note. It's reminiscent of Grim Fandango in the sense that you're not left to hunt around wildly for the key elements in a conundrum. That said, even identifying the role-players in a brainteaser doesn't ensure an easy passage, with climbable crevices obscured from the unwary eye. Thankfully, acrobatic trickery is less fraught with danger as the game often reads your intentions, and ill-attempted jumps can still be rectified at times. The gist of what we're saying is this: you don't need to get the jump perfect to be successful. Most pleasing of all is the way Lara subtly shakes her when instructed to interact with an object that is unable to have the heroine's hand hoisted upon it.

Aside from the RAD, Lara's now able to administer health-packs, suitable in times-of low-health scenarios and activate a torch, slyly named a "Personal Light Source".

Should Crystal Dynamics have been a writer penning the final novel in a trilogy after the untimely demise of its creator, you'd be impressed at how fitting it is. In short, this is a Tomb Raider game through and through and its set apart from its forebears through the inclusion of worthy, feasible features rather than an underlying feeling that it simply doesn't "feel right". Because it does feel right - It feels like a worthy increment in a long-standing, highly popular series and proves that a new team repeatedly breathes life into a series of games verging on the mundane.

That's not to say that Legend is entirely on the mark, with every version of the game suffering from camera difficulties. Depending on your familiarity with the mouse, it might be a good idea to invest in the PC version since operating the camera with this device is a simpler task provided you've worked with the tool in past years. The console controls are adequate themselves though and in comparison to Lara's previous outings, the game handles positively well.

Legend's gunfights certainly seem suited to the Xbox, Xbox 360 and PS2 however. Sadly, the eventual shooting is no more interesting than with a mouse in hand. Across the board Legend lacks the ability to deliver exciting shootouts, and they're usually a case of stabbing away at the trigger whilst locked-on. On the Xbox 360 version, for instance, the left-trigger is held down to initiate a lock-on of the nearest, most convenient enemy whilst the right-trigger is used to shoot. Sadly, the game often makes a bad choice of who to lock-on to, and this can result in many a frustrating moment.

Enemy AI is a disappointment too with rudimentary routines displayed and inane comments spoken that serve to compile an image of dimwits working together without an ounce of compatibility. Still, if the game saw swarms of enemies flanking Lara from all sides, we'd probably complain it was too difficult. As it stands, the AI is no good and there's not enough of a challenge, especially early on. Upgraded gear sees the mercenaries a tougher proposition in later levels, though Lara's array of acrobatic ass-kickery means that even a riot-shield is no obstacle for the multi-faceted game-character. She can slide-kick, jump-kick and even perform a leap of the back of an enemy that sends her into slow-motion. Not exactly a novelty trick, but it seems Lara's brilliance knows no bounds. At least, in the eyes of Crystal Dynamics. Furthermore, the British inheritor knows how to pilot a motorbike or two, and these driving sequences serve to break up the on-foot exercises, though they usually last too long and reveal the inadequacies of the developer's in terms of creating an enjoyable two-wheeled experience.

If truth be told though, the biggest challenge you're faced with during the game is working out to continue, a task never resolutely difficult in Legend anyhow. Effectively, you have the easiest installment in the sevenfold series and despite escapades all around the world (leading to new backdrops) the re-appearing need to perform jumps, grapple onto objects and move blocks, boulders and bricks onto mechanisms wears thin eventually. Perhaps if the combat had been more satisfying, and there was a significantly larger arsenal to work with (rather than the four or five on offer) we'd be able to overlook this affliction.

Still, Crystal Dynamics throw up a cacophony of locations with reckless abandon. There's a slice of variety on offer too, with dusty, icy and rural locations thrown into the melting pot, and majestic architectural iconography for all to see.

Disappointingly though, the console's version looks significantly less impressive than the PC's one, with the latter standing as the sure-fire winner in this regard. The Xbox 360 and co. are also saddled with jerky framerates that, while never as dreadful as those experienced with the PC's next-gen effects on full throttle, serve to annoy. In essence, anyone with a powerful PC and a console should consider the former considering the insurance of finer visuals and the distinct possibility of smoother frames per second. On every incarnation however, Legend suffers from the cut-and-paste look of the enemies, an affliction most common in games of this ilk. Fortunately, foes don't crop up overly often.

As the norm seems now, Legend's ride is a nine-hour one devoid of multiplayer. Unsurprisingly, the game is laden with unlockable content with the clear intention of enticing you back for more. Playing into this line of thought is Lara's manor, accessible from the menu. It's not new to the series, but you're unable to proceed outside, a considerable disappointment. Moreover, the sole purpose of the manor is to provide coins and statuettes to retrieve so as to unlock content such as cheat codes and outfits for Lara to wear during a second running of a level.

In this respect, a time-trial mode is unlocked once the story-mode is finished, regardless of the number of coins and statuettes you've retrieved from Croft Manor and regardless of the number collected during the singleplayer escapades. But really, the game doesn't house the idea of a second-play-through very appealingly; considering the tried-and-tested nature of Legend, you'll likely find no desire to repeat a game whose main challenge - solving the puzzles - is nullified.

Sonically however, there's much to appreciate. Lara sounds suitably charming and despite a few corny lines from her entourage, you'll doubtlessly be impressed by the sound effects and musical tones lightly emitted from sound system. Music is never thrust upon you, but its there, complementing the gameplay well and rounding off a solid audio package. In fact, production values are solid, though you'll wish the Xbox 360 looked markedly more "next-gen", rather than a PS2 game with alluring lighting and an improved resolution.

The choice of which console version to buy is a moot one. The Xbox 360 looks best, though it's not backing the visual prowess accustomed of the platform. It's also more expensive than its counterparts. Either way though, you're getting an excellent addition to the series. A title that, while succinct, provides much enjoyment.

Overall: 8/10

Source

Sydney Morning Herald Review

After a long wait, Lara Croft finally has a game worthy of her iconic status. Legend is a massive improvement on its dreadful predecessor.

Longtime fans will appreciate the emphasis on tomb raiding, with players using the heroine's athletic and versatile skills to scale great heights and avoid ancient and deadly traps.

Lara's movements are fluid and controls effortless, enabling players to quickly climb, swing on ropes, somersault from bars, cross ledges, perform daring leaps and swim.

The best new addition is a magnetic grappling device that allows Lara to move faraway items and swing across chasms. Puzzles are beautifully integrated into the environment and frustration rare.

Motorbike riding and combat interludes are uninspiring yet provide a change of pace. It's not a long adventure, but hidden artefacts and a time-trial mode encourage replay.

Overall: 4/5

Source

Decko Review

The infamous Lara Croft returns for the seventh time and amazingly this title doesn't suck. Pack your gear and double pistols as we take a look at Crystal Dynamics vision of the Tomb Raider universe.

Lara Croft is an icon in gaming, whether you love her or hate her. "Busting" onto the scene back in 1996, she was the female embodiment of Indiana Jones, but packing a lot more...guns. Combining puzzles and shoot 'em up action while making your way through ancient ruins and the traps they contained, Lara became one of the most popular female characters in the gaming realm. Though things today are slowly becoming more balanced gender wise in the gaming community in regards to players as well as characters, over a decade ago it was mostly men who worshipped the 500 blocky polygons that made up Miss Croft, proving just how much sex sells. The series' formula remained unchanged for years, making small improvements through four subsequent sequels, each becoming more mediocre than the last since Tomb Raider 2. Finally in 2003, Lara made her way to the PS2 in Angel of Darkness. Instead of taking the opportunity to redefine the series on the next generation of consoles, Core Design, after numerous delays, succeeded in releasing a title, full of bugs, glitches and gameplay that was abysmal on every level. It effectively became one of the most hated games of all time. Three years later, Crystal Dynamics, the team responsible for games like Gex and the Legacy of Kain series, have brought the the Lady Croft back for another adventure in hopes of recapturing lightning in a bottle.

The latest adventure for Lara centers around two things, old friends and her mother. As we begin the seventh trek with Lara, we are thrown back to the past of Lara's youth and a life altering plane crash...except things are slightly different than how the story was told in the beginning of the franchise's life. Lara's past has been changed and parallels more of the aspects from the movies, with her experiencing a plane crash with her mother in the middle of Nepal. Being the only two survivors, they made their way into some ancient ruins. It is there they discover an alter of sorts with a sword embedded within. Lara accidently pushes the sword deeper into the alter, causing a rift to appear and a voice, that only her mother can hear, begins to speak. Fearing that her daughter would be punished for disturbing the sword, she yanks it out of the alter.....and disappears. Years later, Lara discovers a similar alter in Bolivia with fragments of the very sword littered about. Thus begins Lara's quest to find the pieces of the mysterious sword, an artifact that is also being searched by an old friend she thought had long since passed. A much stronger story than seen in previous installments, coupled with numerous cutscenes and dialogue, it's safe to say this is the most story and narrative driven Tomb Raider to date.

Gone are the clunky controls that plagued Angel of Darkness in it's attempt to be more of a stealth/MGS/Splinter Cell type game. Instead, most of the controls feel back to their roots, but with some new added elements. To compliment these improved controls are much better animations for Lara's movements. Running, jumping, flipping and climbing all have a more fluidity to them this time around. Sometimes the controls do cause a few minor irritations and it is definately much better playing with a controller than a keyboard, but for the most part it feels smooth and much more polished. One really nice feature that really tops it off is the fact that you can speed certain actions up by repeatedly pressing the Use button, giving Lara the ability to climb and shuffle along a ledge much faster than before.

Of these new elements, one of the most noticable aspects is the grapple which plays a great deal into solving puzzles and getting around. Consider it Croft's answer to Indiana's whip. Use it to swing, pull large objects out of the way, snag hidden items (which I will touch more on in a second), even snag your enemies and pull them towards you. Enemy variety is pretty shallow in this game and usually fall under one of three categories: soliders, dogs, and jaguars. The AI is certainly nothing to write home about either, it's neither good nor bad - just there. Legend has several boss battles and they are a nice change of pace from the usual run and gun action, but since they are somewhat short and unchallenging, they feel a bit tacked on. The camera still has the same issues it's always had; decent for the most part, but at certain angles and within close, cramped spaces it becomes more erratic and almost acting as if it has a mind of its own.

The combat itself is much stronger, allowing more than just the run 'n gun from before. Now you can sweep the enemy into the air, jump off of them with a backflip while you fill them full of lead, deliver a straight kick to the chest, and more. While much of the combat is more automatic in nature, you do have the ability to switch to a focus view that is near identical to the feature found in Resident Evil 4. While this is a nice feature, it has the same issue that RE4 had - you can't move at all when in this perspective. Considering how agile and dynamic Lara usually is during combat, you will most likely not bother with this mode during the majority of gun-heavy battles. Puzzles throughout the game also help break up the action. While not incredibly difficult to figure out, they do help round out the other side of what Tomb Raider is known for.....raiding tombs.

Players familiar with the series will be glad to know that "crate pushing" puzzles are kept to a minimum. Also to change the pace a little are event button prompts, simiar in nature to Shenmue's QTEs. Miss one and you'll die in some painful and sometimes amusing fashion. The only problem with these is that they are too short, especially with how many of them there are. Speaking of dying in amusing ways, Legend does include some rag doll physics which are always fun. You might get pissed that you missed a jump, but then you can't help but be amused when you watch Lara hit the ground like a sack of bricks with her limbs flailing everywhere. Ah, good times. Ed. note - That'll teach her to leave the seat down.

Remember those hidden items I mentioned earlier? Well, each level has treasures that are hidden (although sometimes right in front of your face) and usually require some thought of how to get to them. Obtaining these treasures unlock extras and there are numerous extras to make you want to go back, especially in the costume department. Costumes; which come in many varieties, once unlocked, can be selected when you go back to any level you beat. Many of the outfits are still the standard skin tight and provacative in nature. In this case you'll probably fall into one camp or the other, those who love her outfits and those who think they are offensive and way over the top. Can you actually believe that Lara wears clothes comprable to her surroundings? No more shorts in winter for this lass. Other teasure unlockables include upgrades for your pistols, concept art, game models, cinematics and more.Sadly, acquiring all of these extras will only extend your playing time by a few hours. With that in mind, the game is not very long, taking about 7-10 hours blazing through the seven levels without worrying about the extras. The Croft Manor itself can be considered an eighth level. While it still serves as a sort of training ground, there are also puzzles and hidden items to obtain here as well.

One of the weakest aspects of this game lies in the vehicle sections. From time to time, players will find themselves operating a motorcycle. While this sounds cool in theory, the end result had me reaching for the NoDoze. It's nothing more than aim and shoot while contaolling a vehicle, which is nothing we haven't seen a thousand times before. The camera seems to struggle even more during these sections and the controls feel a little stiff. Couple that with the fact that these sections drag on over time and don't offer much of a challenge, you wish you could just bypass these diversions altogether. I'll take the boat in Venice from TR2 any day over this. I did notice a few glitches every so often with Lara having a tendency to get stuck in certain tight spaces. For the most part though, any issues were minor and rare and if something happened, you usually could just load up from the most recent checkpoint and continue. Not something you want to do, but at least it's a work around.

Like I said, I played this game on the PC and to fully enjoy how pretty the game is, you need to have a monster video card. You could buy a new card or you could just buy a 360, it's going to cost you about the same. Regardless, even without the perks of the next gen/high end PC, this game looks very good. Character models actually tend to make me think of Beyond Good and Evil or No One Lives Forever 2, but the environments are a step above for sure. Lots of detail that is appropriate for the various settings and the lighting is extremely well done, especially when you have all the bells and whistles going. Now when you do have the niceities of hardware power, the game looks even better. Much better. The lighting and shadow quality increases tenfold and the bump mapping adds more depth to the environment. Croft herself has undergone a makeover. Oh, don't get me wrong, she is still shapely, but its certainly a much more visually appealing model than the past ones.

The audio overall is pretty solid and much higher quality than its predecessors. Voices are appropriate and well done for the characters, accents and all, but sometimes the dialogue comes off a bit cheesy. Music is very well done, not exactly memorable, but certainly adds to the feeling of adventure and action. The sound effects are meaty and pack that punch you expect from the explosions and gunfire to the more subtle things like ropes creaking and footsteps. The presentation overall is of a much higher calibur than in the past and definitely above average in today's market.

Overall, Legend does a good job at returning the series to credibility. It's certainly not a perfect game nor does it completely break new ground in the series, but it's nice not to smell the stench of failure as soon as you open the box. For Lara fans, Tomb Raider: Legend is a step in the right direction.

The Deeko Minute

• Fairly short, extras help extend the time, but not enough.
• Decent story and much heavier on narrative than Tomb Raiders of the past.
• Nice voice acting as well as music and sound effects to help enhance the gaming experience.
• The lower version graphics look good, but next gen really makes the game shine.
• Difficulty: Easy

Overall: 8/10

Source

XBox Addict Review

One of the most successful video game series of all time returns from the dead with Tomb Raider: Legend. This is the latest adventure starring modern day adventuress Lara Croft (Oh and by the way, Lara has recently been awarded a Guinness World Record for "Most Successful Human Videogame Heroine"). Brains, Beauty and Smoking Guns; Tomb Raider has always been more about deliberately paced brain teasing adventure than run n gun action, and Tomb Raider Legend is definitely no exception, you'll have quite a fine time solving the game's many intricate puzzles. If I were to describe this game I would say (and I know this may sound a little weird) but if Prince of Persia we're to get down a dirty and have a baby with Splinter Cell the baby's name would be Tomb Raider Legend. It's basically all the cool maneuvers from PoP but with guns, hence the splinter cell factor. Now it's been about three years since the last installment, the dust has been left to settle and gamers are once again intrigued to see what the new creators have in store for all of us 360 owners. This time around, Lara has more personality and abilities, all blended with a darker and more in depth story than before, far more enthralling than the same old "find this and discover that" gimmick from all the previous games. Eidos has worked hard on re creating Tomb Raider in the manner it was originally supposed to be handled: Lara Croft is a beautiful, athletic female Indiana Jones with the uncanny knack of surviving the most amazing potential catastrophes. Only, under the helm of Crystal Dynamics, Lara is growing out of the cardboard shell of the past with a deeper, more involving story incorporating a ghost from the past.

Right off the bat Tomb Raider: Legend feels drastically different to its predecessors (in a good way). Crystal Dynamics appear to have taken a simpler, more traditional approach to this 3rd person action-adventure. Yet they were not shy to add a handful of subtle innovations such as rhythmically tapping a button to climb and swing across ledges quicker and with more momentum. Camera control still has the customary loose feeling at present, often requiring a lot of effort to maintain a correct angle; however generally Tomb Raider: Legend looks likely to put the series back to where it belongs: Lara back to doing what she does best while letting gamers observe her every jiggle (Hey what can I say, these next gen graphics are VERY realistic). The opening section provides the chance to reacquaint yourself with the basics. Jumping across gaps now has Lara making a swaying motion and requires players to jump while she's swaying forward to achieve the safest jump. Conversely if you miss a jump slightly a button appears on screen ("Y") that you have to tap and attempt to grab a more secure hold on near by ledges. Combat appears to be a little bit too basic, but fits the fluid nature of the game, leaping into areas and laying down the fire with dual handguns. It's just what you want from Tomb Raider.

Not only has Lara learnt a handful of new tricks and techniques, but also has a new belt of gadgets that would make even Sam Fisher a little jealous. A magnetic grappling hook is the most significant addition, which enables Lara to interact with the environment and swing across huge canyon-like holes. A personal light provides illumination in the many dark situations Lara finds herself in, along with a waterproof PDA that provides essential mission info and inventory information.

Scattered across levels are environment sensitive actions that can be performed, such as pushing a group of boulders to create a landslide on unsuspecting victims below or making a pillar collapse to the ground. This is rather handy and provides a good sense of interaction with the environment. Tomb Raider: Legend continues the resurgence of the series, with the reappearance of classic traps. These range from swinging over a chasm full of spikes to pushing a crate between crushing wall, etc. If you're a fan of the series it's exactly what you're after from a Tomb Raider title but with sweet, sweet 360 graphics. You also can't forget the thrill of accomplishing substantial amounts of thought provoking puzzles and the satisfying moments when their solutions become clear.

Now on to the stress test! On the default difficulty setting, I've played the first five levels and nothing really posed much of a challenge, though that's certainly not a criticism. The first two are basically just action packed tutorials which are pretty useful if your not a fan of the series. The most obvious explanation for the ease with which I was able to get through the first five levels is the large number of first aid kits that I found, combined with the fact that Lara is able to carry three of them simultaneously for use later. Again, this isn't a criticism, because given that the game's gymnastics and puzzles are unlikely to change according to your chosen difficulty level, it stands to reason that the main differences between the easiest and hardest settings is the strength of enemies and the number of first aid and ammo pickups available. The game also becomes progressively more difficult as you get further into it (obviously!). Now for something new: Can you say vehicles? This is one component of the game that proves that Eidos is trying to mix it up a bit. Early on in the game you will have the opportunity to test some of these babies out in the wide open desert. Mechanics for the vehicles are nice and tight, and the models are beautiful. Missions incorporating them are not necessarily hard, all the missions do is change the pace of the puzzle monotone of the game and for people who know and love Tomb Raider I think you will accept it with open arms. Also for all of you that love gamer points on the 360 Tomb Raider Legend has 23 achievements with 1000 points to be collected. These range from typical stuff like time trials throughout levels to beating the game on the hardest difficulty and to collecting medals.

I don't know what intrigues me the most with TR:L's visuals. Perhaps it's the excellent level structure, architecture, or artworks in each of the Tomb Raider levels. Eidos did actually examine real archeological digs and modeled the level structure and design after them. That shows you that Eidos was really serious about Tomb Raider this time around. They put in the time, and did the research, to make a great product and it certainly paid off. Or maybe it's the amazing level of attention paid to the small stuff that intrigues my eyes. For example when Lara is under water the motions look flawlessly real and then once she gets out you can see drops of water dripping from her hair. The majority of this game will amaze you. Quite often, the various scenery looks more like a static computer render than a fully interactive 3D environment. The texture work and use of bump mapping reaches new heights, with a very wet, organic feel. You'll almost feel hot and sticky just by making your way through the lush temple areas. Light beams cast realistically on the terrain, providing a beautiful feel. Obviously this is due to the Xbox 360's high def capabilities. When combined with the excellent animations, the game feels incredibly cinematic. Each level is a grand set piece in which players stylishly accomplish their goals. The entertainment industry loves to speculate on the convergence of video games and film and visually, TR:L is a very good example. The coolest part of the game is the graphics when Lara is swimming. You actually feel like you have jumped in the water with her and are swimming inside her polygon body. From pulling yourself up a wall to jumping across a broken bridge, just snagging the ledge on the other side and hoisting yourself to safety, Tomb Raider goes the extra mile (or two) to make all animations look as a real person would. There were times when I was so caught up in the game that it was almost like watching a movie. It takes some real kick !&%$@#* graphics to pull me that far into a game. There is, however, a problem with break up when you get too close to a wall. There were a number of times that the camera angle was not pointing in a helpful direction, allowing enemies to attack unopposed. Overall, the graphics are well above average though.

The tracks set the mood for the dangers that await around the corners, and then dynamically change to forewarn of approaching enemies. Sure, it's nothing new to games, but the music arrangement provides the extra ambiance of a movie like feel. The sound effects receive similar praise. The environmental effects are incredibly detailed and include radio chatter, raindrops, wind, and mechanical hums. With the exception of the frequent and annoying grunting from Lara, the sounds and music are simply amazing. The deep soundtrack compliments the overall dark mood of the game. And the voice-overs are awesome, too! There is no delay in the speech and animation which is to be expected with next gen video games. Lara's dialogue is as strong as her character, in game motions are aggressive, and together they make for an acceptable offering. Fans of the series will not be disappointed. And Oh yeah! I forgot to mention that this game features the voice of Spooks actress Keeley Hawes as Lara.

Suggestions: Tomb Raider is a challenging game that takes a lot of mental ability. It can be frustrating at times, but is always engrossing. I found that I could not wait to see what secret was lurking behind the door I'd just opened. If you ever want to unlock all the secrets of this game, I suggest you go out and get yourself a good strategy guide. Don't look at it unless you are really stuck. After playing Tomb Raider, you will quickly realize what felt like ten minutes was actually an hour and a half. The tedious maneuvers required in some areas are quite frustrating. It really makes me mad when it takes me 10 minutes to climb up a wall, just to step off the edge at the top while trying to line Lara up to make a jump, or to jump and have her fall a fingernail short. Oh well, I guess it is worth another 10 minutes to climb the wall again, because I am dying to know what is on the other side! Intense is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Tomb Raider Legend. A definite thrill ride from beginning to end that relies heavily on its Hollywood style presentation but equally true gameplay. Hindered ever so slightly by repetitive enemies and puzzles, Tomb Raider Legend still provides plenty of bang for your buck. I don't really have any suggestions. I'm not saying it's a perfect game that has no quirks but it's everything you can ask for in a next-gen Tomb Raider game!

Overall

Gameplay: 4.3
Graphics: 4.4
Audio: 4.3

Overall: 4.4/5

Source

EuroGamer Review

Almost three years on from the Angel of Darkness debacle, Eidos knew it had a mammoth task on its hands to restore public confidence in a brand that had suffered the most humiliating critical backlash in years. Only Driv3r came anywhere near close in terms of a public mauling, and the indifferent commercial performance of Parallel Lines suggests that consumers aren't as forgiving as publishers might hope. What are the chances of Crystal Dynamics' debut Tomb Raider offering of turning the tide of ill will?

Wisely, the Californian developer has gone for the 'safety first' policy of taking the gameplay back to basics, back to the late '90s vintage when Lara's improbably proportioned torso bestrode every other magazine cover. Almost everything that made AoD a painful, hateful experience has been ditched, with much of the old-style Tomb Raider II-era globe-trotting, Tomb Raiding that so many of us loved brought back to the fore. Right from the opening section of the Bolivia level, it's immediately obvious how much homage to past glories that Legend pays, but this familiarity largely breeds warm, lasting nostalgia, rather than instant contempt.

No one should expect any kind of gameplay revolution here, though, and rightly so. Legend is full-on old-style Lara adventure, complete with its fair share of levers to pull, pressure pads to activate, traps to avoid and neuter, blocks to push and ropes to swing.

I feel stronger now

But (wait!) it's not the tired, cynical retread of the past you might expect, with the obligatory New Gadgets and Equipment(TM) increasing the interaction with the environment like never before. Chief of these is the Metallic Grappling Device, which not only plays its part in many of the puzzles, but also helps as a jump aid to help you swing across huge gaps, and a means of dragging enemies towards you in combat. To avoid the potential frustration of trial and error, all items you can grapple with have "visually distinct surfaces" (i.e. they look shinier than everything else), and once you've attached it, you can then drag it towards you, allowing you to yank pillars, boxes, switches and the like as a means of getting from A to B. Sometimes it's simply to provide a means to block the slicing blades of death from ripping your limbs asunder, other times to give you a means to avoid being roasted alive, or even to weigh something down. In many ways, Legend would be more aptly summed up as Tomb Raider Grapple, such is its reliance on this new gizmo, but it's definitely one of the better new additions. As a result, there's actually far less switch-pushing and pulling during your adventuring, and much more time spent wondering which cunning way you can use your grapple next.

Elsewhere, Lara's also been kitted out with binoculars and a Metroid Prime-style scanner, known as the Remote Analysis Device which allows you to scan the environment and find weak spots, or whether items can be moved or operated in some way - though most of the time it's pretty self-evident anyway. In addition, you also have access to a Silent Hill-esque chest-mounted torch (a - get this - Personal Light Source), which shows off the lovely dynamic lighting effects rather nicely, but - annoyingly - runs out of batteries if you leave it on for more than about a minute and then quickly recharges, begging the question, why not just let you switch it on and off? Why frustrate the player for no reason at all? Game designers, eh? Cuh.

Another item in your 'gear' is a stock of health packs (up to a maximum of three), which you can administer yourself (with a quick push of 'up' on the d-pad) when you're about to die. It's certainly a useful addition but in terms of New Things About Lara, that's about your lot. Sure, the game also tries its hand at new ideas in other areas, such as punctuating the general action at key points with some short 'cinematic' slo-mo action sequences where you have to press a specific button when prompted, but they're hilariously basic, more than a little bit pointless and not worth dwelling on, to be honest. Even less worthy are the game's two motorbike driving/shooting sections, which come across as a feeble attempt at variation, but merely serve to illustrate that Crystal Dynamics should stick to what it is best at.

Pixel imperfect

Aside from silly novelties, though, perhaps the most significant - and welcome -change to the gameplay is that Lara has been set free from the old grid-based control system, which is both a Very Good Thing, and occasionally a Not So Good Thing, as you'll discover. Old hands will notice immediately that her movements definitely feel slicker than ever. Every acrobatic somersault, every ledge shimmy and death-defying leap can now be pulled off with an assurance and a confidence that makes the game instantly feel more responsive and more enjoyable to play. The previous pixel-perfect precision that dogged some of the older games has been replaced by a system that - more often than not - reads the player's intentions. Leaps of faith to and from ropes, for example, work the way you always wanted them to, with a certain amount of invisible 'assistance' from the computer to make sure you connect. No longer does scaling crumbling rock faces and vaulting from one wobbly ledge to another require such a testing degree of "whoops, one pixel out" trial and error, with mis-timed jumps often resulting in a one-handed grasp, where players have to quickly press the Y button to steady themselves. This all makes the game feel a whole lot easier than Tomb Raider veterans might remember. It's certainly more forgiving in many respects, although there are occasions where not having a grid system means you can't just take the required number of steps back and do a run-up like before, but we can't say we missed that approach.

The combat controls certainly make things pretty straightforward for the most part, too, with a simple system that tasks the player with little more than holding down the left trigger to lock-on and fire with the right trigger. Thanks to a combination of generous controls, infinite pistol ammo and some pretty dim enemy AI, the occasions when you're heavily outnumbered pass off without incident at every stage of the game. Enemies obligingly stand around waiting to be killed (sometimes, gasp, moving behind cover), and even the ones that wield riot shields can be dispatched with a single well-placed grenade. As a nod to the past, Legend even throws in a few Leopards (and Pitbulls) throughout the game, but even they can't be bothered to put up a good fight, and the bosses - almost without exception - are unimaginative in the extreme and incredibly easy to dispatch, and only tend to hold you up via some illogical puzzle element. That said, it's just as well the combat amounts to a tiny portion of the overall gameplay - if it was a remotely important part of the experience we'd be more bothered by how utterly useless it is, but we're prepared to be slightly more forgiving than we might be because we enjoyed the main adventuring element.

A special mention has to be made about Legend's sensible checkpointing system. Often the difference between a satisfying game and a hugely frustrating one, Legend gets it right here by stopping short of the hideously forgiving quicksave method, and keeps you wanting more by never forcing the player to redo more than a few minutes of gameplay. But with several 'second chance'-type mechanics, and an unprecedented degree of hints and prompts flashing up to remind you which button to press, most experienced players will romp through the seven main levels in no more than 11-12 hours. While this undoubtedly makes the game feel somewhat shorter than previous epics, the payback is that frustration levels are kept to a minimum as a result, entertainment levels are generally high and you might actually feel compelled to see Legend all the way to the end.

Once around the block

If you do, though, don't expect an awful lot in the replayability stakes. Fair enough, there's the Time Trial mode (which is nothing more than the same level again, against the clock), and the temptation of earning more achievement points through completing these (on the 360, at least), or via the Hard Mode. But the various other unlockables (like costumes, art, pistol upgrades, cheats and the like) are pretty underwhelming compared to, for example, games like Resident Evil 4, and at the end of it, you'll wonder exactly why you spent so much time scooping up all those hard-to-reach artefacts.

But as much as we've laboured the point at how straightforward and easy Tomb Raider Legend is, there are a few memorable moments (towards the end) where it feels like the team completely neglected to adopt the same 'always make it fun' mentality. Inconsistencies creep in. Levels suddenly seem chock full of red herrings. Control prompts fail to appear. Suddenly you'll be running around wondering what the hell you're meant to do. You'll try everything. Shoot everything. Leap off everything 29 times. Grapple everything 134 times. You'll swear 97 times. And then, almost by accident, you'll do something that works. Something you swear you tried the very first time you arrived in the room. Something so simple that you feel shame-faced with stupidity. And then the same thing happens in the next room, and then the easy-as-pie boss stumps you for the same reason. It's crushing. The fact that the exact same things happened to a colleague made us feel slightly less idiotic, but even so, it highlights the fact that there's a fine line between forgiving game design and being frustrated to death by the lack of signposting (that appears in every other instance in the entire game) and presence of numerous red herrings (which haven't appeared anywhere else). Just so you know. Maybe the game's delay was to try and make it more accessible? They so nearly got it right, too.

Assessing Tomb Raider Legend's technical merits is a bit of a cloudy issue. If you're expecting its arrival on the 360 to herald some kind of next-gen dawn for Lara, then you'll be sorely disappointed. Much like so many of the early 360 games, it's an obvious port that's essentially been given the next gen 'treatment', for what that's worth. This means that, yes, it's by far the best-looking console version, but one that bears all the hallmarks of 'last gen' game and level design, albeit with the added benefit of some nice lighting effects, and, of course, high definition resolution. There's also the issue that some levels are far better than others, so the quality actually varies quite significantly between downright bland and delightful. Some of the more traditional Tomb Raiding levels seem to work best, with lush foliage, crumbling ruins and nice water effects to admire. Even the Japan level, stood on the rooftops, works well, but then you'll be wondering what on Earth went wrong with the Russian level, with its sub-GoldenEye surroundings. With only eight levels (including the Croft mansion) in the entire game, it's strange that Crystal Dynamics couldn't pull all the stops out for what is, after all, quite a short game.

Cruddy frame

But one thing that's simply unacceptable is the sludgy frame rate that seems to follow the game like a bad smell throughout. If the game could be seen to be pushing the mighty 360 beyond its means, then you'd accept that this was a small price to pay. But although the normal mapping, intricate texturing, lighting and particle effects help make this by far the best looking Tomb Raider adventure yet, there's really nothing outstanding or amazing on view to suggest that this should cause the game's frame rate to chug so noticeably for much of the time. It's not as if the levels are exactly epic in scale or ambition. Indeed, for the most part, they're tight, intricate and focused, and there's nothing on the scale of some of the more memorable ones in the original, ten year old Tomb Raider. Not even close.

That said, Lara herself is wonderfully animated, and can now pull off some remarkable acrobatics with grace and style. Climbing, swinging and vaulting around looks incredibly slick, and there's a real sense of foot tingling momentum as you pull off the more improbable feats. However, as detailed and delightful as Lara looks these days, much of the effort invested in her suite of new attacks has been wasted. For example, thanks to the ease of the gun combat, almost all of the new melee moves (slide attack, power kick, aerial attack, grapple attack) are completely redundant, as is the ability to do endless somersaults.

Also, Crystal Dynamics seems to have inherited Core Design's tendency to make all of the enemies look totally generic. So, as great as Lara looks, the baddies you're facing off against look almost identical throughout the game. Yawn. The bosses certainly look quite impressive, but their attack patterns are so limited that any sense of excitement soon dissolves. Overall, there's this lingering sense that the game has been primarily designed with the PS2 in mind, and as such the limitations that places on the game design is really transparent. 360 owners should be advised that they're only getting a shinier version - and one that doesn't even run as smoothly as it should.

Almost nearly there

Panning back to the bigger picture, there's no doubt that Tomb Raider Legend is, overall, a pretty entertaining game that long-term fans of the series will be reasonably satisfied by. The way that Crystal Dynamics has, on its debut for the franchise, managed to recapture a large chunk of what made the game such a hit in the first place is truly commendable. The adventuring, exploration, atmosphere and puzzling essence that we've been hankering after makes a stylish return, and with a control system that's - for the most part - slick and well implemented. After the shock of Angel of Darkness, getting the series anywhere close to being back on track feel like a victory.

But let's be realistic: Legend is not all that it could have been. It's justifiably irksome that the combat is so utterly lame from start to finish, and that there are some truly awful driving sections and pointless slo-mo action sequences that boggle the mind with their spellbinding rubbishness - and were it not for their fleeting appearances, the game could have easily been a disaster. There's no doubt, too, that the game could and should have been much more impressive on a technical level. In 2006, on a machine as powerful as the 360, we should absolutely not have to put up with creaking frame rates and silly clipping issues (where metal jaws can apparently go through giant fish monsters and Lara can walk on air). It's fairly obvious that Legend game wasn't designed for the 360, but even against the best action adventures of recent times (like God of War or the Prince of Persia trilogy) it falls some way short of matching the standard we've become accustomed to in recent years - both on a gameplay and on a technical level.

Tomb Raider Legend is not the stunning return to form we were hoping for, but is certainly a leap in the right direction that clings on by its finger tips to being generally solid, and mostly very entertaining addition to the series. Legend bodes well for future releases, and the Welcome mat may be out for Lara this time, but there's only so long Eidos can trade on past glories.

Overall: 7/10

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Yahoo Legend Review

She's hotter than ever, but can the sultry Lara Croft get back in the good graces of the globe's gamers?

Who said the more attractive you are, the easier life is? Lara Croft has become the whipping girl for the video game industry over the past few years -- and not in the leather and lace sort of way, either. Eidos went overboard in terms of PlayStation sequel frequency, and PS2's Angel of Darkness was an absolute abomination best forgotten altogether. Lara was experiencing breakdown of Anna Nicole Smith proportions, which anyone would struggle to overcome.

Funny thing is, she actually comes roaring back to life in Tomb Raider: Legend. With the jump to Xbox 360, Lady Croft feels right at home in a more beautiful world with better control and the same brain-twisting puzzles and level designs that made you drool over the series in the first place. Oh, and she's still smokin' hot.

The series returns to what made it such a big hit in the late '90s, while adopting some of the better game design philosophies that have surfaced since. As a result, Tomb Raider: Legend will appeal to most anyone with a taste for adventuring. The massive rooms with ledges and poles have returned, but the geometrically remedial way Lara used to navigate them has not. Now, there's a much more free, analogous vibe to everything -- which makes exploring that much more satisfying. You'll thrill to each new area and challenged placed in front of you, as Lara scales unbelievable heights and battles impossible odds.

You don't have to as meticulously set up your jumps or push blocks into place anymore. The puzzles have advanced to include physics, but still have the right amount of challenge to them. Lara moves faster and smoother, and you can speed up things like shimmying or swimming when need be. She's basically leaner and meaner. A grapple wire gives you yet another gadget to play with, and rest assured that it's used often.

The old twin pistols and their unlimited ammo return, and the lock-on targeting is near where you'd hope it would be (it's sometimes tough to switch targets mid-firefight). The helpfulness of manual targeting is negated a bit by the fact that you remain still while using it. Lara's added some up-close attacks to her arsenal; things like leaping off of shoulders or kicking foes. Overall, combat is better, though not as deep as some titles.

Dragon's Lair-style interactive cutscenes are excuses for Lara to earn more cool points doing things that are basically physically impossible. How else could she keep up with protagonists like Kratos and Dante? Riding a motorcycle isn't as effective at doing this, due to some rather weak driving mechanics; it's not horrible, but is one of the weaker portions of Tomb Raider: Legend.

As a nice throwback, you can once again explore Lara's manor. Instead of the tutorial level it once was, it's a clever little exploratory section filled with secret pick-ups and a few roommates. The only bummer is you can't lock your butler in the freezer, a la Tomb Raider II.

Tomb Raider: Legend is most definitely a pretty game, using the 360's muscle to display some breathtaking scenery. These are the types of environments we've always dreamt of exploring with Lara Croft -- with lighting and shaders running rampant -- and it's even better that she's better at what she does now. It is a little surprising that Lara's character model isn't more stunning, however. She looks good, but lacks some of the detail we've seen in other games like Dead or Alive 4, and her famous chest is pretty understated. The lady does look right at home in the real-time cutscenes, though, so there isn't much reason to complain -- unless you're that much of a pervert.

It bears noting that this game may be the shortest in the entire Tomb Raider series. While we didn't expect an 18-level epic, you can complete the whole thing in around eight hours. This is both good and bad. More people will actually finish the game this way -- and you'll definitely want to -- and it's the first TR that leaves the audience wanting more rather than stuffing them to the gills. On the negative tip, when you're spending $60, you want to feel like you got your money's worth. Sadly, some gamers may feel a little gypped. Everyone will welcome the save-anywhere