Metareview - Tomb Raider: Legend

April 13th, 2006, 00:32 Posted By: wraggster

Since Tomb Raider II, Lara Croft's adventures have been on a steady decline, almost to the point where reruns of Relic Hunter were a better use of time. The last entry was so weak, many thought Lara had raided her last tomb. This actually turned out to be the case at long-time developer Core Design.

Enter Crystal Dynamics. Now it's time to forget about Angel of Darkness, the umpteenth Lara Croft model, the Guinness Book induction, and all the hype that has surrounded the rebirth of one of gaming's most famous franchises. Tomb Raider Legend is finally here, Lara is as irresistible as ever, and the game is worth the $40-60 you're about to shell out for it.

IGN (82/100) on all versions: "Crystal D's fresh approach, erudite design and execution, and its focus on good controls, smart puzzles, and competent combat, do the trick. They've resurrected an icon and a legacy from its tumultuous past by making the best and most definitive Tomb Raider yet."

TeamXbox (80/100) on the Xbox 360 version: "Lara looks mighty fine. Even on a non-HD television, the increased clarity of the bump mapping and lighting effects add to the entire Tomb Raider feel."


1UP (80/100) on all console versions: "Where Legend truly excels is in its sense of pacing. Gun battles are used as a sort of punctuation, bookends to the exploration and puzzle-solving at the core of the game. Legend's designers have an excellent sense of how a game should flow, and the result is an adventure that never becomes dull and rarely feels forced."


GameSpot (78/100) on all console versions: "Legend looks great on each of the consoles, with convincingly dark and decrepit environments and plenty of detail and lighting effects. The controls are a lot more fluid and responsive than they have been in previous Tomb Raider games, which makes Lara movements feel much more natural than before."

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/12/me...raider-legend/

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