In a world where
tough marines take down hell’s minions in a Mars outpost and in a Duke Nukem
universe where brute force and corny one-liners are the order of the day,
Lara Croft was a shining example that characters can be more than just
one-dimensional and of the opposite sex. Tomb Raider was a different kind
of adventure and its hero, Lara, became a pop culture icon that not only
inspired game sequels but also movies, comic books and even an upcoming animated
series. Having come from a major PS2 disappointment like Angel of Darkness,
Lara’s return in Tomb Raider: Legend revived our love for this courageous
adventurer. This brings us to Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a
remake of the original that started it all.
Following the
same plotline from the PC and original PlayStation game, Anniversary
takes place in 1996 as Lara is relaxing in a Calcutta hotel lobby only to be
disturbed by a messenger. It seems a mysterious woman is offering Lara a job to
locate an ancient artifact connected to the lost city of Atlantis. The item
known as the Scion of Atlantis is very familiar to Lady Croft seeing as it’s one
her father has taken an interest in for a long time but never found. So she
takes the job that will take her across the globe while discovering the secrets
of the Scion and the power it possesses.
You’ll quickly
find that this update has been given a complete makeover without really altering
the original’s overall level design or situations. The game still begins in Peru
and like the original you’ll still watch your guide get mauled by carnivorous
wolves and once inside the Incan temple you’ll encounter many of the original’s
puzzles and other familiar locales. The visuals, of course, have been improved
(but we’ll get to that a bit later) but the real changes comes in the form of
Lara’s moves, a new gadget and some gameplay mechanics introduced in Lara’s last
adventure Tomb Raider: Legend. In fact, you’ll find Legend’s
influence throughout Anniversary, which is a really good thing.
Like Legend,
you’ll have the grappling hook from the very beginning, adding the ability to
swing to places you couldn’t get to in the original. You can also pull objects
that are hard to reach as well as use it to practically wall walk to a new
platform. Lara’s other moves have improved as well and her acrobatic skills will
have her making some tough jumps to other platforms and even try to keep her
balance as she steps on the tips of poles placed strategically near other
platforms. Lara can even hang from a ledge and push herself up to grab a higher
ledge above her.
Combat has
changed as well but not by very much. Sure the targeting system works just a tad
better but oftentimes you’ll find that when your targeted enemy runs off screen
your gun will still be fixed on the target in another room or chamber of the
tomb. When an enemy manages to knock you down, Lara can attempt a quick recovery
and there are moments when you can deliver a headshot when you go into the new
Adrenaline Dodge move. Basically, Adrenaline Dodge allows Lara to perform a
last-minute dodge when an enemy is barreling towards you and you can evade the
attack and respond with a headshot. This feature works rather well but much like
the classic original it still takes an entire clip to kill a lowly wolf and even
more to take down a bear or a vicious raptor. Unfortunately, the enemy AI is
still as wacky as ever and you’ll still find that the enemy can sometimes get
caught in a corner and try desperately to try to twitch its way out of a corner
or a narrow passageway.
Another major
flaw that also makes a comeback is the camera. Sometimes the camera doesn’t
offer the best view of another platform and if you know your Tomb Raider
games this means you’ll be falling to your death quite a few times throughout
the game. While it’s not as bad as the original game, you’ll often dive to your
death thinking you were facing the opposite ledge when in fact you’re off a few
inches. Yet technical flaws aside, Anniversary does justice to the level
design and scenarios of the original perfectly. There are still plenty of
interesting puzzles to solve that – despite the dated concept and pull-a-lever
puzzle solutions – will still get you to stop and think. Even exploring Croft
Manor can prove to be challenging thanks to a number of Tomb Raider: Legend-styled
puzzles. There are even many of the original’s great moments scattered
throughout the game. Remember the moment your jaw dropped when the T-Rex made
its appearance? You’ll find yourself doing the same thing here.
Overlooking the
flaws for the great level design and story is easy and even more so thanks to
the great number of extras you can unlock along the way. There are plenty of
goodies to unlock in this game and most of the treats come in the form of
artwork, interviews, and different outfits for Lara. The game also includes
developer commentaries for each level and you can even listen to the soundtrack
while reading through the character bios you can unlock for each character in
the game.
The game, of
course, has also been visually upgraded and while they’re nowhere near as
beautiful as those seen in Legend, the graphics will not fail to impress.
Lara has always looked good even in the early games but here she sports softer
features and she actually has some realistic expressions that are evident
throughout the game. The game’s backgrounds and locales are also good to look at
and while they’re not in the same level as the last game in the series it still
looks really good for a current-generation title. Yes, the PS2 is still able to
give us some great graphics.
As for the
game’s sound, Anniversary has a great soundtrack that still manages to
make you feel like you’re playing an epic adventure. With a sweeping score that
plays well throughout the game, it’s the sound effects that add something new to
exploration. Unlike the original when you’ll hear bats once they’re just mere
inches away from you, this game uses sound effects to let you know when
something will spring up and try to bite you. You’ll know you stepped on a trap
in this game and you’ll know when you’re nearing a cavern because you’ll hear an
extra echo. Your weapons will now sound realistic as well. There’s also some
good voice acting in the game that sounds convincing.
Lara Croft
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
takes this timeless classic and adds a fresh coat of paint as
well as some new bells and whistles to a game that’s still just as fun now as it
was back in the day. Surprisingly enough, many of the flaws from the original
also make a comeback but with some new moves for Lady Croft and upgraded
visuals, it’s easy to overlook these problems. If you’ve played this game the
first time around you are in for a treat and if this is your first time playing
Lara’s first adventure, well, you’re in for a treat.
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Gameplay: 8.2
Taking several
pages from Legend, one of Lara Croft’s finest adventures to date,
Anniversary introduces Legend’s cool moves as well as the grappling
hook. The game’s levels will feel familiar in a good way but why does the bad
camera and weak enemy AI return as well?
Graphics: 8.5
The updated
graphics are stunning and Lara, as always, looks amazing doing what she does
best. The environments are certainly better than the original but somehow it’s
not as gorgeous as the exotic locales seen in Legend.
Sound: 8.7
Caverns echo
with the sounds of vicious bats and in the distance you can actually hear a body
of water nearby thanks to water trickling down in echoing drips. Even the voice
acting is good in the game’s few cut scenes and the sounds of the beasts like
the T-Rex are top notch.
Difficulty:
Medium
There are
familiar and not so familiar challenges aplenty and there are even puzzles that
will have you really thinking hard. Still, there’s nothing here that will stump
veterans of the series. Gunfights are still a bit tricky thanks to the aiming
feature and the fact that it still takes half an ammo clip to take down a wolf.
Concept: 8.5
Part of the
charm of the Tomb Raider series has always been the locales and the tombs
you’ll visit in this game are handled beautifully. The new moves and gadgets add
something new to the classic and Croft Manor is a lot more fun to explore now
than it was back when the game was first released. Oh, and Lara is still one of
the toughest girls in gaming. You go girl!
Overall: 8.5
Even if you
played this game before a long while back, Tomb Raider: Anniversary does
bring some new features to make this a worthwhile remake of a true gaming
classic. It’s easy to ignore a few faults that still manage to pop up seeing as
the game’s levels and extras do justice to such an iconic figure that gamers
will remember for a long time to come.
