Tomb Raider: Anniversary

"Brings back memories..."

I bought this game because I never actually finished the original Tomb Raider, so I was excited to hear that I had a second chance at finishing the game that I enjoyed so much as a kid. I never finished Tomb Raider because I was living in Mexico at the time, so it was difficult for me in the sense that I didn't speak English at all, so the game—hard as it is—was even harder for me. But anyway, let's get to my actual review…

GRAPHICS: 8/10
The graphics are stunning during the cutscenes, and in the overall game as well. I didn't see any problems from this part. I think they pretty much take full advantage of the Wii's capabilities; so no disappointments here.

MUSIC/SOUND: 7/10
The music is well recreated from the original game, but just like in the original, it doesn't stay throughout the entire level; it is mostly introduced at the beginning of levels, or when you fight enemies. However, in the sense that it tried to follow the original Tomb Raider style, the music is the same style but better and “up to date.”

STORYLINE: 9/10
This is definitely what makes all Tomb Raider games shine. The story was beautifully recreated in Anniversary. The cutscenes, like I previously mentioned, are amazing; and this time around, Lara's lips move! (lol). The overall story—if you haven't played any Tomb Raider games before, or at least not the first one—will definitely keep you hooked ‘till the end.

GAMEPLAY: 8/10
The gameplay of Tomb Raider: Anniversary is WAY improved from all the previous series before Tomb Raider: Legend. Expect to finish this game in around 15 hours, twice as long as Legend. The levels are aptly put together, the boss fights are fun, and you just get chills when you play through areas that resemble the original game. However, I do think that the checkpoint feature is too generous sometimes, making you not worry too much about dying. Yet the overall gameplay is good.

REPLAY: 8/10
The replay value is high because of the time trials. The more you beat, the more things you unlock, all the way up to a similar feature in Tomb Raider III… However, some of the time trials are challenging to complete (especially those with the complicated symbol rotating puzzles…), but like I already said, it is overall rewarding.

OVERALL VALUE: 8/10
This game aptly brings back to life the memories of the original Tomb Raider. The price is reasonable for the quality of this game; I do recommend it to both Tomb Raider fans, but especially as an introductory game to people who are not familiar to the series.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/10/08

Game Release: Tomb Raider: Anniversary (US, 11/13/07)