Could it really be ten years since we first saw Lara Croft’s ample bosom? Amazingly enough, it’s actually eleven and that makes us seem ridiculously old.
To celebrate this significant anniversary, Eidos has reworked the original game in the series. It broke new ground at the time, but play it now and Ms Croft seems pretty rough round the edges.
Thankfully Anniversary isn’t a simple update. Instead they’ve taken the bits everyone remembers (the T-Rex clash for one) and fashioned a completely new game around them.
The graphics engine is the same that powered Legend so that’s half the battle won for a start. This title will sell and sell.
They say:
EDGE: “Anniversary may not raise the bar as Tomb Raider did upon its release, but it does make good on the mistakes of previous titles.”
IGN: “Lara is back on great form, and re-imagining a ten year old classic has clearly been a risk worth taking.”
We say:
There’s few sights in gaming as memorable as spying Lara Croft’s shapely figure for the very first time. It’s right up there with pill popping in Pong and clearing the screen in Space Invaders.
The eleven years since the original haven’t all been kind to Lara though. The first two sequels were top notch, but it all started going a bit pear shaped after that. Ms Croft’s first outing on PS2, Angel of Darkness, looked great but endless noodling around the streets of Paris showed how far the franchise was off the pace.
Many thought that was the end for Lara, but the switch to US developers Crystal Dynamics led to last year’s ‘back to basics’ Legend instalment and a clutch of glowing reviews.
Anniversary is more of the same third person puzzling action. The ‘in your earpiece’ back up team of Zip and co are gone and you’re on your own against the elements. Which is just the way we like it.
What strikes you first are the graphics. The PS2 may be five years old, but Anniversary looks pretty special. Just wait until you come across the T-Rex this time around. If you thought the original was terrifying, be prepared for pure fill your pants scariness.
Unfortunately it's one of the few battles that'll get your pulse racing. Tomb Raider’s never been about going in all guns blazing, but some of the smaller creatures are ridiculously easy to beat.
What's back is the feeling of being alone against the elements and the fear of leaping from platform to platform when the ground’s way below. One slip sees Lara let out a heart wrenching cry as she turns to red coloured mush at the bottom of a huge cavern.
Anniversary boasts the key moves from Legend and a few more besides. You can perch on top of columns, use the grappling hook to run across walls Prince of Persia style and ‘Adrenalin Dodge’ lets you take a head shot as a fired up dino charges you. Add in the beautifully designed sets and you’ve got a game that feels more, well, real than it’s predecessors.
Unfortunately, one major bugbear of ours makes an unwanted appearance. The bloody camera system. Most of the time it works to perfection, giving you an ample view of the tomb you’re raiding. One slip though and you end up looking up Lara’s shorts. Nothing wrong with that you’d think, but it doesn’t help when a bear’s just about to pummel you. It’s at this point you start to wonder whether staring at her arse is worth it.
Invariably you realise that yes, it blooming well is. Anniversary may be based on an ancient relic, but this title is anything but retro. Plus the bargain price means you’d be a fool to miss out on reliving those childhood gaming days all over again.
Like this? Try these:
Tomb Raider, Legend – Xbox 360, PS2, PC
Crackdown – Xbox 360
Canis Canem Edit – PS2
FORMAT REVIEWED
PS2
OTHER FORMATS
PC, PSP, Wii
POSTED...
Sun 3 Jun 2007 at 5:01pm
