game review: Tomb Raider Anniversary (PS2)

Lara Croft has appeared in 10 games and two feature films since Tomb Raider debuted on the Playstation in 1996. At that time, 3D gaming was in its infancy, and Tomb Raider helped set the standard. But as much as Ms. Croft's blue tank-top and khaki booty shorts may be iconic in the eyes of fanboys, it's been years since a Tomb Raider title actually wowed the gaming public. Recent installments have shown improvements in the curvature of the heroine's breasts (she no longer appears to be wearing Madonna's old cone bra) and not much else. Now after a long line of missteps, publisher Eidos has gone back to the series' roots with Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a liberal remake of the original that marks a step-up from the franchise's recent output.

As in the first game, Anniversary finds Lara traversing the caves of Peru, Greece and Egypt in search of a magical relic called the Scion of Atlantis. Absent are the vehicles and RPG (that's Role Playing Game, noobz) elements of the past few releases, and thus Anniversary is somewhat less ambitious in scope. This, however, focuses the action squarely on what Lara has always done best, naming scaling cave walls and gunning down wild animals. Anniversary's greatest strength is the fluidity of its controls, as Lara bounds from one ledge to the next like a nimble chimp. If only manipulating the camera was so easy--wrestling with the game for the best viewpoint quickly grows tedious.

Although the Playstation 2 can't compete with the graphics of the next-gen systems, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a handsome game. The water and lighting effects are especially well done, as are the level designs. The tombs look fantastic and are expansive enough to allow for a great deal of exploration without overwhelming the player. Some locales from the original Tomb Raider have been lovingly recreated (longtime fans may wax nostalgic over the T-Rex battle in the Lost Valley), while others have been amalgamated or made from scratch. Music is used sparingly but to great dramatic effect, as it's cued suddenly when you enter a new area or are ambushed by enemies.


Lara has a few new abilities which enhance the gameplay, such as the use of a grappling hook, but the bulk of the action still lies very much in a methodical repetition of finding switches that open doors. The combat, too, is overly simplistic, with one button to target and another to fire. Loading times are another concern. Every time Lara plummets to her death (which is quite often) or is mauled by a bear, expect a good 30 second wait.

Nevertheless, these are fairly minor gripes with a fine tuned game. Anniversary is challenging but has a gradual learning curve. It features 20 hours of gameplay and considerably more for perfectionists hoping to discover all the well-hidden artifacts. Tomb Raider: Anniversary breaks little new ground, but is a worthy addition to the Playstation 2 library in its twilight years. What remains to be seen is whether Eidos can create a truly new Tomb Raider experience on the next generation consoles.