1 player action/adventure
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Buzz Monkey Software
Release: June 5, 2007
ESRB: T (mild suggestive themes, violence)

“LIVING IN THE PAST ISN’T USUALLY A GOOD THING”

Unless you happen to be Lara Croft, of course. Lara’s back, reliving her first adventure in celebration of the original game’s ten year anniversary. The folks at Crystal Dynamics threw her one hell of a party too, plucking the best moments from the first game and combining them with some new features spawned over the decade. The result is one impressive combination of nostalgia and innovation, even on a platform that’s been dwindling away in the shadow of its successor.

So how are these two elements balanced in Anniversary? The plot is parallel to the first game: Lara is contacted by Jacqueline Natla to recover one of three pieces that comprise the lost Scion of Atlantis. Lara accepts, prompted by the research she and her father had done on the Scion, and sets off for Peru.

As the story unfolds, Lara travels to the other three original levels; Greece, Egypt and the Lost Island of Atlantis. The sub-levels remain almost identical to the original’s layout, with the only exception being that the Cistern and the Tomb of Tihocan are now merged together in the Greece levels. There are also some very minor changes in the titles of a few of the sub-levels, but it’s doubtful that anyone except the hardcore Tomb Raider fans would notice them.

To get the full scope of how much the game has evolved from its humble beginnings, you don’t need to look much further than the legendary Croft Manor. We saw a stunning overhaul to the Manor in Legend, yet Crystal Dynamics felt the need to do it again for Anniversary.

It’s gone way beyond being just the training level, even though it is advised to give it a quick run-through before diving into the real game. It’s packed with enough puzzles and gymnastic feats to keep the hardened Tomb Raider fan busy for at least an hour. It’s a delightful sneak peek of what’s to come in the game.

And the game does deliver. With the addition of a few new moves, the developers expanded upon the levels in a way we could only dream of while playing the original. Lara can now perch on top of poles, and the grappling hook made a comeback from Legend.

If you wished you could able to swing along a wall with a great view of the Sphinx in 1997, it may have taken a decade, but your dream has come true. The introduction of the adrenaline dodge system is interesting, but takes some getting used to. It’s a fantastic device to use against bosses; however against regular enemies it seems rather pointless.

The levels themselves are shorter than the original’s, but you rarely see games the length of the ones released in the late 90’s anymore. It’s a lot longer than Legend though (a reason for rejoicing for those who felt Legend ripped them off a bit). The most notable levels of the first game—St. Francis’ Folly and Midas’ Palace—were completely revamped, yet still inspire the same breathtaking moments of the original’s.

The best example of this is the fire room in Midas’ Palace. What used to be a room that required well timed jumps on top of igniting pillars has become a truly hellish environment that pushes Lara to the full extent of her physical capabilities. Even though some things were left out for the sake of streamlining gameplay, you’ll be hard pressed to find a level that disappoints.

What the game boasts in content however, it lacks somewhat in visuals. There’s no getting around the fact that the PS2 is a last-gen console, and it’s just not up to what the PS3 or XBOX 360 can do. That being said, the graphics aren’t horrible, it just feels at times that they could be better. Quite often they feel muted, almost as if a slight haze is hanging around.

The camera is also an issue with quite a few people. While the camera angles felt smooth and updated in Legend, it feels as if they have taken a step backwards in Anniversary, feeling shifty at times, and being way to close to Lara at others. It’s nothing that a few seconds of adjustment won’t fix, but you have to stop and wonder why the option to have it fix itself like it would in Legend was left out. Luckily, after a level or two you will have adjusted to it.

People who like nitpicking games might notice that some of the textures and floor and wall tiles are a bit repetitive at times, though it’s doubtful if this will affect anyone’s overall opinion of the game. The one area where graphics have improved without question though is Lara herself.

Ms. Croft has come a long way since we first met our favorite video game heroine, leaving behind her polygonal body in Angel of Darkness and never looking back, and with good reason too; she’s never looked better.

Even though the game isn’t perfect, it’s simultaneously a huge step in the right direction for the Tomb Raider series, as well as a great tribute to its groundbreaking past. People who have played the series since its debut and newcomers alike will enjoy this game for months to come after purchasing it since the levels are so interactive there are many ways to get to point A to point B.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary has given a bit of new life to the aging workhorse that is the Playstation 2, a nice thing for both the series and the console.

Final score: 8.5

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