Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend (PS2)

Description

Indeed a legend in her own time, Lara Croft returns to consoles in 2006 with a new look, a new game, and a new developer. Revamped physics and an enhanced control scheme allow for more free-flowing action, while graphical improvements present a redesigned Lara who is immediately expressive, more believably proportioned, and as strikingly attractive as ever. Lady Croft’s new look in Legend is based in part on 20-year-old British model Karima Adebibe. Lara now boasts smoother animations, a more realistic deportment, and a number of costume changes. The original Tomb Raider games were popular for their innovative blend of gaming styles as well as for their distinguished female lead, however, and this game is designed to return fans to the winning combination of 3D platforming, environmental puzzle-solving, and third-person shooting found in the blockbuster originals. PLOT: Heroine Lara is searching for a South American relic, but her adventure takes a different course when rogue anthropologist Amanda Evert shows up. Presumed dead along with a team of graduate students after an accident in a tomb in Peru, where Lara was the only one to escape, Amanda is back with a score to settle as they both race, along with the shady James Rutland Jr., to obtain an ancient artifact. Many other characters, both friends and foes, will stir things up. The story takes Lara through locations all over the world, from the Himalayas to Ghana, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Japan and England, including her famous mansion filled with secrets and collectibles. Aside from current events, Lara’s past is also revealed, through flashbacks. Among other things, you will get to know how she lost her mother and why it is such a burden. GAMEPLAY: Legend is told around the series’ traditional ‘tomb raiding’ action, Lara must also adventure through modern city levels, proving her acrobatic skill set is as applicable to skyscrapers and cement as it is to unforgiving wilderness and ancient architecture. New equipment, such as the grappling hook and communication device, offer new abilities. A number of vehicles become available along the way, as well, for special gameplay sequences. For the first time in the series, stalwart Eidos studio Crystal Dynamics (Gex, Legacy of Kain, Project: Snowblind) was developer of this Tomb Raider game, instead of the franchise’s creator, Core. The designers at Crystal Dynamics have endeavored to apply their extensive experience in the 3D action genre toward reinvigorating one of gaming’s most recognizable and beloved characters. Enemies are still rather scarce. Both humans and animals will attack you, and the game retains the auto lock-on mode, but now with a slide attack and close combat with both kicks and punches, plus bullet-time actions to get behind enemies quickly. Lara carries her trademark dual-wielded pistols, but can also pick up new weapons along the way, such as a shotgun and grenades. Missions take place in both indoor and outdoor environments, with arcade motorcycle and jeep sequences in between. As usual, Lara has a fancy outfit for each location. Features: * Explore jungles and scale city buildings all in the name of archeology * Lady Croft’s new look is based partly on 20-year-old British model Karima Adebibe * Change Lara’s outfit, take her on a motorcycle ride, or send her swinging on a grappling hook MANUFACTURER’S DESCRIPTION: LARA CROFT IS BACK! In a race against time, Lara must travel across the globe to unearth history’s greatest weapon. A legendary artifact of such immense power it could threaten humanity’s very existence.