Tomb Raider: Legend

"Lara makes her way onto next-generation and proves that the franchise is still continuing to grow."

So, here we are with Lara's first adventure onto the Xbox 360. It proves pretty good and you'll notice some bits look much better on this console than the other consoles. Tomb Raider: Legend on the Xbox 360 proves that she will keep on exploring tombs in the future.

Learning the controls is easy and shouldn't take that long. In Bolivia (the first environment) you should pick up some moves from the tutorial such as jumping, swinging and grappling. You'll also be facing enemies bigger than your house and dozens of men. Tomb Raider is all about climbing and working out how to progress through the level. You'll need to work out how far it takes to jump from one ledge to another. The puzzles will probably puzzle you at first but after a while you should get the hang of them. Boss battles are good as each one is different. You don't just keep shooting the boss until they die. You will need to work out how you can destroy the boss. Like for example, one boss requires you to drop cages on its head in England.

The environments are impressive. I think the hot environments look the best. When you play through the first environment you'll probably be amazed to see how they have evolved. My favourite environments are Bolivia, Ghana and Nepal. You won't be avoiding traps and enemies in tombs all throughout the game, though. One level set in Japan will have Lara Croft in a totally different style. There is one level I do remember in Tomb Raider II where she had her own mansion. This is where you could practice your moves and climbing skills. Well, in Tomb Raider: Legend there is an enormous manor. There are loads of rooms to explore (and some hidden too). The swimming pool looks very pretty and in general, the whole manor looks outstanding. If only it was real?

The main differences in terms of graphics (compared to the other console games) is the water. It just appears more realistic and you will come to notice that in Bolivia. Of course, Lara is looking great on this game too. She seems more tanned and whenever you see her face close up you should notice more detail in there. Some of the costumes you unlock will also feature sunglasses which are exclusive to next-generation versions of the game only. Other notable differences include the walls and floors of the tombs. There is much more moss and weeds growing out and more details can be notice on the walls. Reflections are superb too and it's great to make it more realistic by reflecting the sun from the ground.

The voice acting is clear and fits in well. Lara will also reply back with sometimes sarcastic comments and saying she isn't afraid of anything when she is on top of a cliff too high for me to believe. This commentary doesn't really get in the way and can often help you progress through the level.

The soundtrack is like something from a movie. The main theme song on the user interface is probably my favourite. It is like an adventure themed soundtrack. Each environment will have background music suited for it. I noticed that it gets intense at different parts. So, whenever you are in a quiet part of the level you will notice the music is calm but when you have several men after you it will get very intense.

If you have not played Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend yet then I highly recommend you do. I think you'll enjoy it as a Tomb Raider or no Tomb Raider fan. If you have played the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube version of this game then don't expect to much difference. Of course, you'll see even better environments on this version but that's about it. There are also many achievements you can try and get. This includes you playing through all the time trials and going through the levels on "Tomb Raider" difficulty. You are looking at less than ten hours of gameplay here. It may take you a bit longer depending on whether or not you can solve the puzzles. Some of them left me puzzled for quite a while. Some may say ten hours is a bit short and I agree. You may probably play through some of the environments again to get 100% and for the achievements. I suggest playing on at least normal difficulty. Easy is a bit too easy I think.

Great game that shows how Lara performs on next-generation. Hopefully she'll continue to grow for generations to come.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/12/06