Lets take a look at Lara's 'new' adventure!
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (TRA) is the 8th game in the series, but it's actually a remake of the original Tomb Raider, which was released more than 10 years ago. It's not a 1:1 copy, a TR1 dressed in new clothes, there's a lot of new content in here. So how did TRA turn out? Crystal Dynamics managed to balance the various elements that make up the experience: game mechanics, atmosphere, story and characters, graphics and length. The story is pretty straightforward: Lara is looking for three pieces of an ancient scion that holds precious information about the mythical Atlantis... knowledge that is not meant to be uncovered by the wrong people. It's not the best story ever told, but it does a good job of being clear about what your end goal is. You're not just chasing wind.
But the best thing about TRA are the puzzles. Some are more difficult, some are easier and some are really sprawling, branching off into smaller sub-puzzles. They all share the same trait: they're very well crafted. Level design plays a crucial part in the impact and feel of these puzzles, so the people who made this game had some careful planning to do. And they succeeded admirably. It's also fascinating to explore these ancient places, with their ancient devices and death traps, and prehistoric creatures. It's like being transported to another world. Indeed, TRA has great atmosphere while you're at it, solving all the puzzles. And other things aside, the game's every environment looks beautiful and detailed, without stressing your computer's hardware too much.
Another great thing about the game is its sound. The music is always fitting, it's low-key ambient stuff, and it gets more noticeable only during combat. Sometimes there's no music at all, only the sound of wind and dust, or Lara's footsteps, which in many places are going to be your only companion. So sound-wise, TRA is rock solid.
I also found this game satisfying in terms of length. You can play about two times through it without feeling that you know the solutions to puzzles; plus you can use that second play-through as an opportunity to collect all the artifacts and relics, and unlock extras, like concept art, music, character bios, cheats, weapons upgrades, outfits, and even the original low-poly Lara Croft model from the first game. And when it's all said and done, you can try the Croft Manor level, for another nice set of puzzles. These might not seem like much, but unlockable extras can provide a good incentive for a second playthrough, provided they are cool enough. And in TRA's case, they are.
As good as TRA is, it also has some problems. Number one on the list is the camera. Most of the time it will not bug you, but sometimes it will become quite the deadly enemy. Some people have also claimed that the combat is lackluster. Well, it's partially true; yes, it could be better but the fact of the matter is TRA focuses a lot more on solving puzzles than combat... plus, the adrenaline dodge, once mastered, makes most fights easy.
So overall, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is an excellent game. It's fun, it has superb atmosphere, a large variety of puzzles, some really great interactive cutscenes that punctuate the story's main moments, and it's accessible to any type of gamer, but without being a walk in the park. I say try it, it's definitely worth the time and money.