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Tomb Raider: Anniversary Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Friday, August 17, 2007
Great gameplay; Nice looking visuals (for the most part).
Slight camera and frame rate problems; Same game as the PS2 release with no extras; No nude code.
It's been HOW LONG? Ten years. That's right, ten years ago, Lara Croft made her voluptuous (if somewhat blocky) debut on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn with Core Design's Tomb Raider, a game that stands the test of time as a dynamic 3-D action adventure. Of course, an upgrade doesn't hurt, especially considering that the old model of Lara Croft resembles something along the lines of an ex-girlfriend who's undergone horrific plastic surgery. So, Crystal Dynamics took it upon themselves to recreate the experience from scratch, creating a game that felt and looked like the original but offered something along the lines of Tomb Raider Legend. The result is Tomb Raider Anniversary, a game that doesn't break the mold of Tomb Raider but certainly deserves a welcome.
Like the original TR, Anniversary has Lara Croft globe-trotting in search of a vast treasure, while outdoing all kinds of unnatural enemies and avoiding traps to keep her life bar from diminishing. A pair of powerful handguns doesn't hurt, along with a physique that would make Jane Fonda cry in her sleep (well, this decade, anyway). Lara can flip, jump, grab ledges, and perform other kinds of moves, including a fun little flipping handstand thrown in merely for gaining style points. Who doesn't like seeing a curvaceous woman like Croft doing her thing up on the ledge?
Graphically, the game has survived the translation from the PS2 to the PSP quite handily. There are a few frame rate issues here and there, along with minor camera operating trouble. Past that, the game looks great, with its fine graphical detail and numerous locales to run through as Lara shoots at everything to stay alive. The camera locks on to enemies with ease, so no worries about having to wrap it around to shoot at them on a constant basis. The sound works pretty low key, with only a few voice samples and dramatic music cues to choose from. Still, at least it works and doesn't step into vaudeville-like music numbers that would throw off the dramatic scale of the game.
As far as gameplay goes, it truly delivers. Players will have no trouble pulling off Lara's vast move arsenal, grabbing onto upper ledges, swinging on ropes and shooting at enemies. Occasionally, one puzzle may come along to tax the brain a little bit, but that's OK. You didn't want an adventure game such as this being a cakewalk anyway, right? For those interested in doing a little exploring, the game also offers up Croft Manor, where players can tool around Lara's house and do almost anything -- except change clothes. Sorry, kids, there's no nude code here. Guess you'll have to go back to ogling Playboy or searching the web for those "modified" Lara Croft pictures. Or, hey, why not obtain a girlfriend instead? That works, too.
In all, Tomb Raider Anniversary scores points for not taking the lazy route. Sure, it seems like a straight-up conversion of the PS2 game with no bonus modes or multiplayer of any kind, but at least it wasn't a half-assed port with no brain power put behind it. Crystal Dynamics put some thought and effort into this game to make it feel just like its other counterpart, a rare feat for companies handling ports these days. Kudos, guys. Let's see where Lara can go from here, shall we? Maybe if she hit China Beach in a bikini...
posted August 18, 2007