Tomb Raider: Legend

""I'm falling in love all over again.""

Introduction

Published by Eidos Interactive, Tomb Raider: Legend is the seventh game in the series. It marks the end of Core Design's involvement (the people who created Tomb Raider), and TR's new home with Crystal Dynamics. While Legend was released a nearly every console of 2006 (Gamecube, Playstation 2, PC, Xbox and Xbox 360), I will focus solely on the Xbox 360 version.

Story

With a new developer comes a new story. Tomb Raider: Legend is part of the Tomb Raider movie story line (played wonderfully by Mrs. Angelina Jolie, if I might add). Basically, forget everything you know about previous Tomb Raider games, this is a different universe. If you haven't played any previous TR games, this is the place to start.

Since it has such a great story (as in, it all fits together- miles ahead of most other games these days), which truly compels you to finish the game, I'll try to avoid spoilers as best I can. Years ago, at the age of 9, a plane carrying Lara Croft and her mother crashed into the Himalayas. They were the only survivors. After stumbling into the ruins of an ancient temple seeking shelter, they discovered an "ornate stone dais holding a sword." Mistakenly activating it, Lara watches in disbelief as her mother disappears in a ray of blinding light.

Years later, Lara (now an expert adventurer and treasure hunter) receives a tip that a similar stone dais is in Bolivia. She promptly travels there, which is where the first level takes place. Intrigued? The story only gets better. Unfortunately, saying any more would spoil more than I want to. This is something every player should experience for him/herself.

Sound

No sound is out of place in this game. Everything sounds exactly as it's supposed to, and the vice acting it top notch. This isn't to say, though, that it's revolutionary, because it's nothing to write home about. It does everything right, the guns sound like guns, and the footsteps sound like footsteps. It's just that there are games that do it better. There are some ambient noises that truly immerse you into this world, however, and for this, Crystal Dynamics has my thanks.

Graphics

Ah, now this is what really separates the different versions from one another. While the PC Legend is fully capable of looking as good as the 360 version does, you'll need one hell of a machine to do so. The 360 Legend is simply insert and play, and it's completely blows the last gen versions out of the water.

Speaking of water, this game has some of the best water I've seen. It looks fantastic, and it even reacts to your movements realistically. Anyway, everything is bump mapped to look it's best, and the lighting is definitely "next-gen" (Lara's personal light source will even create shadows). Lara is beautiful as always as well. She looks much more realistic in this game than any previous game (this time, she's complete with skin pours :) ) There are also things like smoke and dust that really add to the atmosphere. It's hard to describe simply how good the game looks on an HDTV (it looks great on a standard as well, but if you're looking for an excuse to go spend the money on a new TV, let it be this game). Picture Perfect.

Gameplay

The gameplay will make or break a game. Thankfully, Tomb Raider Legend plays great. The game has abandoned the decade old grid system, and now Lara moves much more fluidly. In fact, Legend plays more like Prince of Persia than previous installments, so anyone that's played the PoP games will be instantly familiar with the adventuring aspect. You'll run and jump, grab and climb, and swing on ropes and vines. Through these actions, the game portrays it's magnificent level design. Like the sound, everything is where it should be, and nothing is out of place.

Then we come to the combat in the game. Unfortunately, it isn't perfect, unlike much of the game. While it is much better than the previous installments, it still feels rather bland. You simply lock onto the enemy with the left trigger, and hold down the right trigger to shoot untill it's dead. While this may seem to be the basic format of most third person adventure games, there's something here that is simply not too interesting. You can, however add in acrobatic moves like dodges, rolls, and flips, which add a lot of variety and make the combat much more interesting.

Tomb Raider Legend is one of those rare games that lets you decide how it is played. It can be as easy or as hard as you want, it can be as long as you want (if you rush through it, however, you can finish it in 7 or 8 hours. Unfortunately, it isn't very long), and it can be as bland as you want it to be. Once you get the hang of the controls and combat, there is so much fun to be had in this game.

Value

Like I said, it isn't a long game. At 7 or 8 hours if you rush it, you can easily finish it in a weekend. Thankfully, there are collectibles. Lots of collectibles. There are a number of bronze, silver, and one gold treasure in each level, which act as the collectibles. These are things that you will actually want, too, as they unlock concept art, character bios, and costumes for Lara. You will love revisiting the levels in different clothing, and there's even the mansion for you to explore, which easily adds another 2 hours of gameplay.

The achievements are balanced as well, so by just finishing the game, you are only getting about a third of them. You'll have to play through it again on hard (some boss fights are really hard, prepare yourself), collect all the treasures, and finish all the time trials (which can be pretty challenging), if you want 1000 points. If you savor it, the game can easily last you for a solid week.

Overall

At $30, you simply can't go wrong with Tomb Raider: Legend. If you enjoy adventure games, this is one of the best games you will ever play. If you're a Tomb Raider fan, this is a must own. Unfortunately, it leaves you wanting more in the end (which games should do), and unsatisfied story-wise. It's short length means there's an obvious cliffhanger like ending. All in all, though, Crystal Dynamics has more than proven themselves worthy of the Tomb Raider franchise. Look forward to Legend 2.

Score

Story - 9/10
Sound - 7.5/10
Graphics - 9/10
Gameplay - 9/10
Value - 8.5/10
Overall - 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/07