Tomb Raider: Legend

Tomb Raider: Legend was the game that saved the Tomb Raider franchise. Tomb Raider: Chronicles and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness were so poorly received that Eidos gave the franchise control to a different developer, Crystal Dynamics. Crystal Dynamics preserved many classic features from the previous games, but added new gameplay functions, including much more acrobatic maneuvers. There were updated visuals as well, taking Lara into the PS2 generation with graphics more on par with other PS2 games while maintaining the cartoonish look of the previous games.

Tomb Raider: Legend is important for another reason: it retcons Lara's family history to make her into a countess involved in a plane crash in the Himalayas when she was a young girl that she survived along with her mother, but her mother lost her life in a mysterious incident involving an ancient relic. At age 18, her father died and left her his entire fortune, allowing Lara to pursue her love of archaeology with nearly limitless resources.

Story: 9.5/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Presentation: 8.5/10
Replay Value: 6/10

Average Score: 8.1/10


Tomb Raider: Legend isn't the greatest game in the world and features poor replay value, limited to unlocking more outfits for Lara to wear, but it was a gigantic step in the right direction. The story is excellent, tying together Lara's retconned history to an ancient artifact of immense power split into various pieces throughout the world. The lock-on system of gunplay works, but it would be have nice if Legend had moved to a more traditional style of free-aiming. The graphics are on par with other PS2-era games, but features a cartoonish style trademark to the Tomb Raider series (at least until the new game comes out next year). Tomb Raider: Legend should be easy enough to find at your local Gamestop, so pick it up and try it out, you just might find yourself falling in love with Lara all over again.

Stay tuned for my reviews of Tomb Raider: Anniversary and Tomb Raider: Underworld once I finish each game!