Tomb Raider: Anniversary

As you can see in the preceding graph, the original Tomb Raider was a fantastic game. Indeed, it was more than one of the first games to show off the benefits of a 3D world; the raiding of tombs that had been undisturbed for centuries was a truly captivating experience.

Unfortunately, as you can also see from the preceding graph, the series only became worse with each progressive sequel, with the exceptions of a slight increase with Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation and the salvation that was Tomb Raider: Legend.

And while Tomb Raider: Legend was not up to the standard of the original, it certainly proved something: Lara Croft isn’t finished. The new and improved game mechanics were fun, enjoyable, and relevant. However, it was rather linear, and lacked that sense of exploration.

Now, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series, Crystal Dynamics (who has had the license since Legend) is going back to revisit Lara’s first outing, but with all the features that made Tomb Raider: Legend so great. That’s right; you can have your cake and eat it too.

The game features an improved version of the Tomb Raider: Legend engine, meaning that it will deliver a similar experience while looking that much better. Crystal Dynamics has also promised that while it will recapture the spirit of the original levels, it will also shake things up so the game isn’t merely a rehash.

The game will also feature the acrobatic excitement that features in Legend, and will also include the quicktime events – a feature that is slowly becoming a staple of video games. Ultimately, this means that there will be a balance between exploration and action, which should please everyone.

The bottom line is that Lara looks ready to set the world alight once again. Some people might feel she’s had her day, but Tomb Raider: Anniversary looks ready to prove those people wrong. Promising to capture the feeling of the original while offering something new, Tomb Raider: Anniversary looks like it could be a great parting gift for the PlayStation 2. Stay locked to NZGamer for a full review in the near future.