Tomb Raider: Legend
Review
It doesn't reach the class of the original Tomb Raider, but it's better than the in-between games
by Magus
reviewed on PC
Princess of Persia (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 various acrobatic evasion techniques 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.
8.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
