Lara is a Crystal of Dynamic Proportion (Tomb Raider: Legend (PS2))

Member Name: Dan_Pentagram

Product:	Tomb Raider: Legend (PS2)
Date:	13/01/09 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Engaging Storyline / Great Voice Acting / Improved Gameplay with varied combat

Disadvantages: Awkward Controls and Camera / Rather Short

Game Info:
Name: Tomb Raider Legend
Released: April 2006, PS2
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Average Professional Score: 8 out of 10
RRP: £19.99 - cheapest online store is play.com at £6.59

You may like Tomb Raider Legend if you liked:

Uncharted: Drakes Fortune (PS3)
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (PS2)

With Underworld released literally weeks ago, I thought it appropriate to take a look back at the last game in the series (excluding Anniversary) and anticipate what fans could expect from a next Gen outing. Lara Croft is a Legend herself so it's a fitting title. Critics were pleased with this game overall following the disappointing Angel of Darkness, but is this one game too many for Lara or is it the phoenix we've always been waiting for by rising from the ashes of obscurity?

This seventh instalment of the franchise follows a much more personal story for our heroine as she is forced to relive the memories of her mother's death. As their plane crashes into the Himalayas, Lara and her mother take shelter in a temple only to discover soon after that it is in fact home to a stone dais. As Lara touches this her mother seems to see into another world and as a result 'sacrifices' herself to save the young girl and she disappears forever.

In present day, Lara hears reports of another stone dais discovery and sets off for Bolivia in search of answers. There she meets a rival hunter called James Rutland and so the race begins to discover the remaining pieces of the dais and what connection they all have to Lara's mother. It is a journey that spans the globe from Cornwall to Peru, from Ghana to Tokyo and if rumours are correct, it could all lead back to the Arthurian legends of Excalibur and who is Rutland's 'co-worker'?

The personal approach most definitely works well here as the story itself is interesting, easy to follow and has the exact right balance of action, emotion and character involvement. It also has a strong sense of purpose which ultimately means that you care about Lara and her quest for the truth about her mother's disappearance. Despite its paranormal and supernatural elements, what perhaps is most beneficial is that it is believable in a down to earth way.

For the most part, it is a very coherent story, one that gels together in an addictive, entertaining and emotional way. You really do want to play on to find the answers, but at certain moments within the story the events seem a little obscure. They either seem out of place or added in for extra playing time not really having the feel that the rest of game has and most gamers will tell you that a game is more successful when its quality over quantity.

For a PS2 outing, visually, Tomb Raider Legend is a rollercoaster of astounding highs and ghastly lows. Perhaps character design is a fitting example of this, with Lara and other main characters looking royalty with realistic line, wholesome features and in depth clothing appeal whereas general enemies look almost rag dollish and animals straight from a child's colouring book. Its effective and a put off all at the same time.

The same goes for backgrounds and location design as well really. Places such as Tiwanku and Ghana all have breathtaking atmosphere with an ambiance of style. Waterfalls plunge to the ground in front of you with expertise finesse and cliffs and heights all transcend an artistic appeal of colour and depth. On the other hand however more compact locations such as Kazakhstan and the rooftops of Tokyo all fall into a pit of blandness and result in being dull and under bearing aesthetically.

Animations works well with fluid movement all with a gymnastic edge, but lets face it, they would have to wouldn't they or the very essence of what Tomb Raider is would have failed. There is nothing more satisfying than diving off a cliff in Africa with flora decorating the precipices as you glide through the air like a swan . . . or looping over outcrops in an underground cavern full of mythological allegory and lore.

There are movements of dud fluidity however, namely the levels where you take control of vehicles. Kazakhstan is a prime example of where upon a motorcycle the frame rate becomes sluggish and gritty often ridden with graphical glitches. All of this doesn't ruin the gaming experience, but they are heavily noticeable and may be of significant let down.

One of the many changes Crystal Dynamics implemented in Tomb Raider Legend was a more action orientated game engine and to match that pace, huge musical scores have been gelled in that create an atmosphere so surreal. Its heavily effective at creating the momentum in some of the levels, especially the more up tempo ones where it also creates a tense situation making the gaming feel more genuine, more remarkable and more concentrated.

Great elements of sound effects within the game are the simple bytes of dripping water and animal howls. This is hugely efficient because with simple echo effects that reverberate around a level such as the underground cavern it really does sound realistic and 3D. This may sound silly and probably will go unnoticed but it is a highpoint of detail.

Keeley Hawes heads the team of voice actors in the game and does so superbly. Many will recognise her from her TV outings such as Spooks and Ashes to Ashes. She also has been renewed for Underworld and the choice is profound. Her voice suits the exact British tone perfectly with poise so charming with an added spice of sarcasm. The dialogue is witty, quick and amusing.

Other noticeable actors are Kath Souice who plays Amanda and Rino Romano who plays Rutland. Souice is a highly recommended Disney Voice actor and many may recognise Romano's role in resident Evil 4. With many exquisite quality actors, Crystal Dynamics have pulled no strings in making sure this game is so packed and polished.

I actually didn't mind Angel of Darkness, but mind you it was full of glitches and a tad bit boring. So it is no wonder a complete re-think was needed to make a great Tomb Raider game. One of the many improvements to this is the change in pace. With a quickened frame rate so many more improvements were added such as bigger and more frequent gun fights, which also brought in a more adaptable combat system creating a more varied approach to the game play.

However, no matter how many changes were made there is one vital element that needed some serious attention, and that was the exploration that makes Tomb Raider games so recognisable. Climbing up a rock face now has never been so thought provoking. Dead ends, crumbling ledges, disguised crevices and gaping holes now litter the scenery making many moments in Legend less linear, tenser, and scarier and requires a more precise timing to make it across those bottomless pits. This is exactly what Tomb Raider should be and it's a fantastic enjoyable relief.

A little disappointing however is the mix of, at times, awkward controls and off camera angles. Is it me or has this always been a plague of previous instalments? Don't get me wrong it has seen a new face lift tweaking bits here and there but there is nothing worse than needing to jump over a pit full of spikes to a ledge the size of your little finger, but the damn camera wont shift from Lara's arse.

Even though some could argue that it adds a variety between some of the larger levels, areas such as Kazakhstan just simply feel a little out of place amongst the backdrops in Africa and South America. It feels a little more like a setting from a James Bond film adding a lacklustre espionage feel, one that could have been left at the drawing board.

What the larger levels do however is transform the game back to its origins with dark, eerie caves, sturdy rocks and lack of lighting takes away some of the technicalities of other levels. With this it strips away some of the level and allows a more focused approach to finding all of the artefacts hidden in each of the areas. And what fun it is . . . as well as frustrating. Puzzles feature throughout each level like a plague as well, some nice and testing but others pointless and easy.

I don't think there has ever been a Tomb Raider game that allowed so many rewards including unlockable cheats, costumes, cut scenes as well as an extra time trial mode. Not forgetting the ever famous Croft Manor side level where fans will no doubt head straight to the gymnasium for an acrobatic delight of challenges. Adventure fans can complete this in roughly seven hours but layman gamers will take no longer than ten. It is on the short side but a sweet slice of pie is better than a thirty hour hindrance.

It is no question that Tomb Raider Legend is a massive improvement upon Angel of Darkness with much better graphics; a more engaging action orientated combat system as well as simply playing much smoother. Hawes really does fit the bill of creating a blockbuster Lara Croft and with a fun entertaining storyline, Crystal Dynamics have placed Lara right back up there as one of the gaming icons. It does have it faults, messy controls, out of place moments and bike rides as well as an awkward camera, but if this is what Crystal Dynamics can do with its first try, I can't wait to get playing the next gen adventure. Bring it on!

Summary: A great game full of addictive levels and an emotional story that everyone of any age will love!