Customer Reviews:
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 Beautiful graphics, but... April 16, 2006
6 out of 18 found this review helpful
I was at first very impressed with the great graphics, and the interaction with the beautiful scenery.
But the main problem with this game is the 3rd person camera view. You are stuck with it. After an hour of playing I got tired of the unreliable camera angles. So many times, you try to make your character (Lora) make certain smart moves, only to wind up with the dumb camera engine deciding that it is best for to view a close-up of Lora's hair. I only wish that was a joke. Other times, it is ok, but only because I'm a guy. For example, I'll figure out a puzzle then almost complete it when the dumb camera engine decides that it is best to view a close-up of Lora's [...]. Yeah, it's a nice one, but it ruins the flow of the game.
I hope next time they give a first person camera engine to this game.
BY THE WAY: WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH HALF OF THESE REVIEWS THAT GIVE THIS GAME 5 STARS?? THEY SOUND LIKE THEY ARE JUST PROMOTIONS FROM THE COMPANY THAT MADE THE GAME. IF YOU WORK FOR, OR HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE COMPANY THAT MADE THIS GAME, THAT IS ONE THING. BUT IF YOU ARE TYPING IN AN ADVERTISING SALES PITCH IN YOUR REVIEW, CUT THAT OUT. The graphics in this game are great, but the game play is just average... or below average. The camera angles are so random that it ruins what would otherwise be a great game. Oh, that, and the AI of the enemies that just stand there while you shoot at them. The AI is also way below average.
 Fun gameplay, but far too short for its price April 15, 2006
39 out of 45 found this review helpful
Lara is certainly back in top shape in this newest game. Tomb Raider: Legend may be the best in the series outside the original game, returning the focus to exploration and puzzle-solving, although there is certainly some gunplay. But it's far too short, with a story that literally ends midway without resolving major plot elements, leaving you feeling a little cheated once it's all over.
First the positives: The graphics are gorgeous even without the next generation content turned on -- the tombs themselves are very well realized -- and the game will run well even for those of us that lack a supercomputer. The voice acting is terrific, and the story is involving. The gameplay also is top notch, relying less on quick reflexes than on brains, with smart level design.
But there are several negatives that detract from the game. The levels are short and not nearly as large as in some of the other TR titles. You'll find yourself often saying "That's it?" The game itself can easily be beaten in two or three quiet evenings, even at normal difficulty, with not much replay value after that. The controls are clumsy, lacking the fluidity and responsiveness of the Prince of Persia games. Many times you know what you want to do, but can't do it because Lara won't respond the way you want her too. The bosses are unimaginative -- with the exception of one encountered outside a medieval castle -- and there are too many of them. And, in what may be the worst sin of all, the story ends without any sort of resolution to the mysteries it raises. Legend is obviously meant to be the first chapter in a larger story, like the first Lord of the Rings film, but when you've invested so much time (and money) in a game title, you're entitled to a well-rounded story experience.
The plus for PC owners is that Legend is cheaper than its console counterparts at $40, although $30 would be more reasonable given how short it is. If you own a console, this is a renter. Too bad the company didn't spend a little more time investing in a longer gaming experience - I suspect poor sales will finally spell the doom of Lara Croft, which is a pity.
 An awesome game, supported by an talented voice cast! April 11, 2006
29 out of 34 found this review helpful
I was lucky to experience this game a few days early, and I have to say I have not had this much fun in a long time.
Tomb Raider is back, with a vengeance. Forget the used Tomb Raider Chronicles, forget the botched Angel of Darkness. What Crystal Dynamics is giving us here is a completely rethought franchise.
Depending on the quality of your hardware, you'll either be amazed by the graphics, or completely bedazzled. Tomb Raider now actually looks good, and not just the lush curves (and expressive face) of its archaeologist heroine. The environments are masterfully crafted, and (thanks to an game engine completely rewritten since the past episodes) manage to successfully break from the cube-geometry we've all been used to.
But, but, but-Tomb Raider doesn't only *look* good, it also sounds wicked!! I would never have imagined how big a difference the audio voice-over makes. Indeed, Keeley Hawes is excellent (*excellent*!! "I haven't the foggiest."), and gives Lara some added depth and class. I promise you'll come to love the witty banter exchanged by Lara and her faithful geek team.
The obvious aim of the designers was to make this feel as much as a movie as possible-hence the "action sequences", sort of interactive cinematics. While I have to confess they do not always succeed (and, having to play through the same, at the beginning of a checkpoint "interactive cinematic" over and over, is maddening!!), they are none-the-less a commendable attempt to diversify the action. On the other hand, the vehicle sequences were always fun (if sometimes a bit long), and the race behind the Russian built train in Kazakhstan was a memorable one.
Now, as for the controls, they are exceptionally fluid-think Prince of Persia-, and make controlling Lara one of the most exhilarating experiences. Even though sometimes I cursed the complexity of them (in one boss, you have to shoot, then put your gun away, then throw the hook, then the pull-this is not particularly easy, and I was swore quite distinctly under my breath before I finally got a hang of it). While frustratingly, the camera on occasion has a mind of its own, I think you'll find this to be, at the worst of times, not much more than a nuisance (it does a great job the rest of the time). The grapple hook is reminiscent of Indy's whip, and adds an extra element that was much needed to make the puzzles interesting.
The weapons though, are a bit disappointing. Well not disappointing, because I was completely happy using Lara's trademark dual guns. They have unlimited ammo, and are so efficient that there is never really a need to use anything else. The grenades, I found, were particularly useless. (But to be honest, I *never* have any luck with grenades, ever.)
The plot and locations. Well, as I said above, this game is like a movie. Never a dull moment, and the plot motivates you to go along (you'll play the game as much to see what happens, than to shoot down bad guys). Supernatural is very efficiently mixed with real-life myths, ? la Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (in which the designers blended several versions of the myth of the Lost City to produce their own interpretation), to create a believable (well, at the very least, not so far-fetched as most) story.
You begin your journey in Bolivia. This is the tutorial level, that eases you into the game. Then you go to Peru. Peru is good old fashioned tomb-a real tomb, in which you do some digging to discover a friend you thought was dead, actually isn't either (isn't a friend, and isn't dead). You then discover elements that point you to a mafia boss in Japan. Japan in one of the most fun levels, I found, because how often to you get to swing (and occasionally motoride) through the skyscrapers of Tokyo?! (That, and Lara's outfit is pretty smooth!)
Then you go to Ghana in West Africa, in a tomb that is mostly a big giant puzzle (well, it's much more fun than that). The puzzles in this game, by the way, is not the old trademark "Push a bunch of cubes around until you feel like jumping out the window." The puzzles here are actually interesting, never illogical, and never impossible to figure out. In doubt, you can always use the R.A.D. mode of your binoculars to discern what you'll have to move, what you'll to shoot, etc. After Ghana, there's that Kazakhstan level that I *really* enjoyed (I'm a sucker for Soviet experiments awry) ... and then England (in an odd King Arthur museum), Nepal and Bolivia again for the final confrontation. The ending practically announces the next installment! (and yes, perhaps the game is a bit on the short side.)
I have to confess I've never been as much a Tomb Raider fan as I am now. This is one of the most enjoyable and gripping games I've played in the past two years, and I highly recommend to all action game fans (regardless of whether they've enjoyed the previous instalments).
[PS: the disk space requirements for this PC version are unheard of, but well worth it--I promise.]
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