Tomb Raider: Legend Reviews

Oh, Lara how I love thee. Only not really. Truth be told, I could never get into the series from day one because of the clunky controls. I appreciated the step in the right direction with the original Tomb Raider but I regard it as a catalyst for what third person games are now as opposed to a great game. The following games all had the same controls, but the gameplay devolved into the horrific Angel of Darkness.

Now, we have Tomb Raider: Legends and man is it nice. Having passed reigns to Crystal Dynamics, the creators of such games as Legacy of Kain and Soul Reaver, the gameplay was scrapped to create an entirely new property that, mostly, washes off any malingering stink. In place of controls that are based on a grid system (creating improper jumping controls among other issues), the new movement feels fluid and is easily manipulated much like the new Prince of Persia games.

Action takes the side seat as the game focuses mostly on Lara and tombs (what a novel concept). When action does take place, Lara can easily lock onto a target and then switch from target to target via flicking the right analog stick. It's pretty simplistic, but it is fun and easy to get into. Sometimes, there are context driven situations where instead of shooting at an enemy, a possibility will open to shoot an exploding can or a precariously balanced ruin that will take out multiple foes. While the gunplay isn't difficult, it does create some scenarios that feel like they would fit in perfectly in an action movie.

The action is also broken up with some motorcycle based missions. These mostly involve getting you from point A to point B, with plenty of chasing enemies in the middle. Again, much like the combat, this isn't the focus of the game. I won't go so far as some reviewers to say its needless, filler and poorly implemented, but I do think it could have been strengthened a bit more. It makes sense, in the context of the game, to be driving. It never feels tacked on. However, if you're going to do it, you might as well make it as exciting as possible.

All of this is dressing for what really counts: the Tombs. They are really fun. Figuring out how to get from point A to point C, with a step at point B, is most of the fun much like it is in Prince of Persia. The game touts "physics based puzzles" and it's true. But, I don't think the physics engine is all it's cracked up to be. A lot of times, items don't feel like they have the weight they should.

A story involving Lara's past and a search for a sword rounds out the action, providing a context for what you're doing. It's pretty decent as far as these games go and of course can't live up to excellent stories like those found in Dreamfall, but it's okay.

As far as value goes, you're spending about $60 for about 10 hours of gameplay. That's a problem in my book, not because of the length (although I do prefer longer games), but because of the HUGE price differences between the systems. If you're looking at just consoles, then yes I would recommend shelling the extra $10 for the 360 version over the others. But, Xbox 360 games are costing us $10s more, blah blah HD age/next gen blah blah, but the game looks better on the PC, has better resolutions and doesn't have as much frame rate issues as the Xbox 360 version. And its $20 cheaper. So, if you have a computer top lay it, plug in a Xbox 360 controller into your PC and you have a game that's cheaper, plays just as well and looks better. You tell me what the best deal is.