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An awesome game, supported by an talented voice cast!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 29 / 36
Date: April 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

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.]

Best of the series, can't wait for next one.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Tomb Raider Legend is by far the best the the series. The graphics, the story, the music, the action, the puzzles, the cinematics and the extras all are just spectacular while playing the game. It took me 3 days to beat the whole story mode, but then once you beat it, you realize you only have a certain percentage of the whole game completed. Finding the the secrets in the game and earning extra features such as new costumes, codes, weapon upgrades, pictures, and extra videos are a whole extra adventure to completing the game. And earning Lara's bikini costume is worth the trouble :P Lara's mansion is also a playable level but is not in the story, finding the secrets in her house is a challenge, but fun. Overall, this game was excellent and i would recommend it to anyone who liked the other Tomb Raider games, or anyone who is just looking for a great adventure game. I'll be waiting for the next one to come out.

A++ Legend

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I just want to say, this game is amazing, is simple one of the best Tomb Raider games I have ever played, compared to the previous ones, this one definitely goes far away with the graphics quality.
And of course Lara looks so real into this one, that I guess I will fall in love once more!!!

Triumphant return for Lara and Tomb Raider

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Tomb Raider:Legend returns the Tomb Raider series to its original glory by giving players what originally made the game fun and interesting, namely - absorbing gameplay involving a blend of exploration, acrobatic movements, puzzle solving and combat. The game takes adavantage of modern processors and graphics cards, Lara herself looks absolutely amazing and the game levels are beautifully rendered and look better than any other Tomb Raider game to date, actually as good as the more recent Myst games.
The controls are different now, and take some getting used to. Basically, the mouse is used to move the camera in relation to Lara, while the keyboard controls how Lara moves with respect to where the camera is aimed i.e. left, right, towards the camera or away from it. It sounds confusing, but turns out to be actually useful, as the player can put the camera exactly where needed to insure proper alignment before attempting a difficult jump.
The game can be played at several levels of difficulty, and will sometimes offer hints for which keys to press in order to make a particular move or accomplish some other task.
The levels themselves are very large, and involve a mix of various ancient ruins in tropical and desert settings, and modern cityscapes. Some of the vistas are simply breathtaking. Great attention to detail has been given, with lots of small things like rocks crumbling, plant stems waving in the breeze, insects crawling or flying around, etc, which add to the immersive atmosphere.
Speaking of breathtaking, Lara herself looks absolutely stunning. I have no idea how many polygons she is composed of, but the number must be in the thousands. She isn't quite photorealistic, but primarily because real women in photographs don't look quite so good. Details are amazing, if you look at her eyes, they appear to be moist. After she swims, her clothing looks wet for a while, then merely damp, then dry. Her skin similarly has a sheen of moisture which slowly evaporates. Her abilities have always been a bit above those of most humans, in that even in the first game she could push or pull a cubic stone block taller than herself, which must have weighed tons. She still does such things, now sometimes jumping vertically along a sheer cliff face or wall to the next handhold a distance of three or four feet, or diving off a cliff to catch a handhold on a precipice across a chasm. Because Lara executes her moves with the grace of an Olympic gymnast, it is astonishing to watch as these events unfold in front of your eyes, and thrilling to be a part of them.
I liked the game very much, and will be looking forward to more like this!

"Tomb Raider" review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have bought and played each and every "Tomb Raider" PC game, the latest being "Tomb Raider-Legend". The "evolution" of Lara Croft from adventure to the next adventure is amazing. Once I've learned the keyboard commands,the game becomes more "fun". I DO use walkthroughs,however, but the gameplay itself is still VERY challenging, especially the "timed" sequences.

The Best Game Of 2006!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: June 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is the only Tomb Raider that really reflects what the game really was meant to be. Lara is great! and better than ever by the way... Buy this game on PS2 or PC (you'll have to get a strong graphics card)

A long expected come back of Lara's Tomb Raider adventures

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

After years of disappointing games the Legend finally brings the pleasure of playing Tomb Raider.

Good game, great way to revitalize a franchise

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game was fun, all the way through and pretty gentle on the hardware. Graphics look awesome, and there's lots of replay chances with awards and extra outfits. Solid title, especially with the price. Nice to have played a good game, that's actually a game, not a murder simulator.

BUY THIS GAME! IT IS AMAZING!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: June 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I am a huge fan of the Tomb Raider series, and and avid gamer in general. This has been the BEST OF ANY GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED AND I HAVE PLAYED ALOT! It's beautiful for starters, full of action, puzzle solving and fun motorcycles. It has something for everyone. IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY SPENT AND THEN SOME. In general the entire series is a blast and super addictive, but this is the best yet. Eidos even has you play in Lara's "memory" at one point and she's wearing her original Tomb Raider cloths. They have catered to every aspect of pleasing the gaming community. (Though we always have the complainers no matter what, don't pay attn: to those in this case) THIS GAME IS ALMOST TOO FUN, WHEN YOU DO BUY IT- DON'T PLAN ON GOING TO SLEEP ANY TIME SOON! GREAT JOB EIDOS!

Great Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This new outing is one of the best and breaths life back into an old franchise. At twenty dollars this game is a steal.

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