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    Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend

    Game » consists of 19 releases. Released Apr 11, 2006

    Lara travels across the world in search of a legendary artifact. Legend is the first entry in the 2006 reboot of the series and is the first Tomb Raider game developed by Crystal Dynamics after they took over the role from Core Design.

    derelict's Tomb Raider: Legend (PlayStation 2) review

    Avatar image for derelict

    Not too complex, but everything it does, it does very well.

    Tomb Raider Legend was my first venture into the world of Lara Croft, and I think it was a good choice. I kind of knew what to expect in terms of game-play, but had no worries of being upset with seeing old tricks reused.

    I wasn't expecting much going into the game, so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered how fun it really is.

    TR:L seems to be a game that focuses on keeping things simple, but fun. Nothing about the game is overly complex, which makes for a good way to simply kick back and play. At the same time this also means that there's not much variety in some of it's aspects.

    Combat for one example. You get your choice of a few different guns, although you can only carry one gun in addition to your standard duel pistols. The foes you'll be using your weapons against stay pretty standard as you progress.

    The lock on system to fight these bad buys works well and if you can get close enough to them you have a few melee moves that are fun to unleash. In fact, once you get past what initially feels a little cumbersome, the controls in general work well. Although I do seem to have trouble making Lara turn quickly and precisely. It's also too bad the camera doesn't co-operate as well as you'd like all the time, but for the most part you do have complete control over it.

    A couple gadgets have been included such as binoculars that can tell you if items can be operated, moved, or broken, and a grappling line to assist with negotiating large gaps, and pulling various objects.

    The locations you'll visit do offer up some different scenery, as you visit desert areas, lush environment, city sky scrapers, snowy industrial building, and more. They try to mix up puzzles you'll encounter as you traverse the terrain, and they make them fun enough to keep the enjoyment level up. You'll have to stop and think about what needs to be done, but you won't find yourself frustrated with overly complicated or ambiguous situations to wrestle.

    The boss battles continue this method, by not letting you simply shoot them down (well not all of them), but not driving you crazy with trying to learn how to take them out.

    You'll also find yourself on a motorcycle in a couple of levels, which helps add a little bit of variety, even though both instances of this are almost identical, except for your location. An ATV or even a snowmobile the second time would've been nice to have seen, just to mix it up even more.

    Even though the game also services up some quick time events, which I'm not always a fan of, they managed some of more frustrating parts of QTEs in general by making the on-screen symbols big, and giving a reasonable amount of time to respond.

    The biggest disappointment in the game for me was the ending. The last level seemed to be over too quick, without a enough closure in the story. It felt like there should be one more level. But this was only a minor set back. When you complete the main missions, you can go back to collect all the treasures you may have missed the first time to unlock bonus features and weapon upgrades. These bonus goals may encourage a second look through the levels.

    This game follows a classic formula of simple but fun. There's no much more to say than that. You shoot guys, beat them up, and solve switch puzzles. Not a lot of depth, but a fair share of entertainment, that doesn't overstay it's welcome.

    Other reviews for Tomb Raider: Legend (PlayStation 2)

      Tomb Raider Legend Review 0

      Poor Lara Croft has had some pretty dismal games as of late. We had our hopes up for Angel of Darkness only to be crushed after countless delays. This time around Lara is starting off fresh with a new developer, Crystal Dynamics, and they have been able to breathe new life into the dying franchise.First off, Legend looks great. Lara looks fantastic, and her numerous animations are smooth. Her skin glistens when wet, and you can even see creases and folds on her clothing. The outdoor environments...

      0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

      Tomb Raider Legend 0

      GraphicsThe graphics in the game are truly amazing and in places nothing short of breath-taking. This comes as no surprise seeing as the game has been developed by the same people responsible for the Legacy of Kain series which has always maintained a high level of visual quality. Everything about the game meets a very high graphical standard from the character models to the environments. Lara herself looks incredible and thanks to some great animations , looks very natural while she moves...

      0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

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