How Tomb Raider should be, if only a taster.
User Rating: 8.9 | Tomb Raider: Legend PS2
The Tomb Raider franchise has been dropping steadily in quality since the original game back in 1996. No radical changes have been made to the series, and as a result, the franchise has become stale. However, Tomb Raider Legend is here to resurrect the series. As you watch Lara scale the cliffs of Bolivia (in a cutscene), you realise how much the game has changed since that first episode ten years ago. The first level quickly introduces you to all of the controls, and there are many fantastic (non-grid based jumping!) updates. The jumping system has been changed, finally, to a non-grid based one, making jumping across gaps much less of a perfectionist art, allowing you top grab on from an angle. Lara no longer has flares, but a small torch thing attached to her shirt, which can be turned on and off. Lara also now has a magnetic grapple, allowing her to pull or swing from shiny things. Some actions, such as climbing or shimmying can be sped up by press the triangle button with the right timing (so just constantly bashing it won't always work). The graphics have had a major overhaul, with Lara's body glistening in the sun and her clothes taking a darker colour after she has taken a quick dip. The infinite ammo pistols return, with several other optional weapons, such as the assault rifle, shotgun, smg and Excalibur (yes, the King Arthur sword!). Enemies are decidedly generic, with only two or three variations on the classic henchmen outfit, and there are also four jaguars in the game, just four. Bosses range from the extravagant (a huge serpent and a flying dark entity) to the rather dull, ordinary (two random guys with magical weapons). The eight levels span through four continents, and range from Japanese skyscrapers, to temples in Ghana, to a roadside attraction in Cornwall. However, some of these levels feel as if the ancient civilizations of Ghana, Peru and Bolivia designed their temples for Lara Croft to explore. The routes are far too linear, and far too obvious. The music is suitably atmospheric, with nice sound effects. This game also includes a new standard in gaming, the interactive cutscene. These small cutscenes involve pushing buttons in context with the actions on screen at the right time, to stop Lara from dying in many hilarious ways (it is fun to just lose purposely to see the different funny deaths). It would have been nicer if all the cutscenes contained some interactivity, so the player would have to stay on there toes, but this is just a minor suggestion. The game contains many incentives to replay the levels, such as hidden artefacts and time trials, which when completed, unlock costumes for Lara to wear, including a Classic outfit, and another of the game's villain. Overall, this game is a joy to play again and again and is perfect for die hard fans of the Tomb Raider series or newcomers. 
