Tomb Raider: Legend arrives as a fresh start for Lara Croft, and for the most part, it delivers on that promise. The seventh main entry in the Tomb Raider series moves development to Crystal Dynamics, brings back original character designer Toby Gard, and rebuilds Lara from the ground up. It is a reboot, and it mostly works.
The game drops the series’ older, rigid movement model and replaces it with a more fluid system. Lara can now run, dive, swim, climb, shimmy, vault, and perform acrobatic tricks like somersaults and flips. That freedom is the core of the experience, and it is genuinely liberating compared to what came before.
Trailer, via yike.
The Reboot
Crystal Dynamics took over development after Core Design’s Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness flopped. The goal was simple: revitalize the franchise. Lara herself got a redesign, and so did the gameplay. Toby Gard’s involvement ensured the reboot stayed true to the character’s original vision.
The result is a Lara who feels more alive. She moves with grace, and the camera rarely gets in the way. Climbing ladders, swinging on ropes, and sliding down slopes all flow together smoothly. It is a technical improvement that pays off immediately.
The game is a single-player action-adventure set across eight levels spanning seven locations around the world. Each level is built as a linear path, though players are free to explore side paths and collect artifacts along the way. The pacing holds steady throughout, and the difficulty stays manageable.
The Story
Lara is searching for a South American relic, but her adventure takes a wrong turn when Amanda Evert shows up. Amanda is a rogue anthropologist presumed dead after an accident in a tomb in Peru, where Lara was the only one to escape. Now Amanda is back, and she has a score to settle. The two women race, along with the shady James Rutland Jr., to obtain an ancient artifact.
The story is thin, but it works within the game’s bounds. Lara’s past is told in brief flashbacks: she and her mother, Amelia, were the only survivors of a plane crash in the Himalayas. Publicly, Lara was the only survivor, as her mother was apparently killed upon interacting with a magical artifact in a Nepalese temple. Lara’s father, Richard, disappeared and was presumed dead in Cambodia when she was sixteen.
The supporting cast includes Anaya Imanu, an old friend who helps Lara; Toru Nishimura, a media tycoon and investigative journalist; and Shogo Takamoto, a businessman-turned-yakuza boss Lara once confronted over forged antiquities. Zip and Alister Fletcher support her from her manor house in England, where they live with her butler, Winston Smith.
The Gameplay
Combat is solid but not the star of the show. Lara locks onto enemies automatically, and players can switch targets within range. She can move around freely to avoid attacks, and environmental hazards can be triggered to aid her. Two weapon types are available: her default twin pistols with infinite ammunition, and a second type that changes depending on the mission.
Puzzles block progress in the level until Lara solves them by activating switches. These can involve pushing large blocks around the environment. Quick time events appear during boss fights and scripted sequences, requiring players to react to on-screen prompts. The game also includes collectible artifacts that unlock extra features, and Time Trials let players complete any level within a time limit.
Lara can use her grappling line to move and destroy certain objects, swing across gaps, and pull objects toward her. A small torch illuminates dark areas, binoculars identify environmental characteristics, and Lara can pick up a maximum of three Health Packs to heal damage. The inventory system is simple and easy to manage.
The Ports
Tomb Raider: Legend was released in 2006 for a wide range of platforms, including OnLive Game System, PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), and Xbox 360. A PlayStation 3 port was released in 2011 as part of The Tomb Raider Trilogy.
The game’s longevity comes from its design. It is a linear adventure that rewards curiosity, and the movement system carries it through even the weakest stretches. The story is a vehicle for the action, and the action is the reason to play.
Final Word
Tomb Raider: Legend is a solid, if unremarkable, entry in the series. The reboot succeeds where it needed to succeed, giving Lara a new lease on life and making her feel like a capable adventurer again. The level design is strong, the movement is fluid, and the puzzles are fair.
But it is not a great game. The story is slight, the combat is adequate, and the variety of activities is limited. It is a game that is good at what it does, but it does not push the series forward in any meaningful way.
Here is how the pieces stack up:
- Movement: the standout feature, fluid and satisfying.
- Combat: solid but predictable.
- Story: thin but functional.
- Puzzles: fair and integrated.
- Atmosphere: strong, though dated by today’s standards.
The game earns a 6 out of 10. It is a worthy reboot that respects the legacy of the character while moving her forward. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a competent adventure that fans can enjoy without guilt. The best way to play it is to forget the baggage of the past and just enjoy the ride.
For anyone who has not touched Lara in years, Tomb Raider: Legend is a decent starting point. For longtime fans, it is a mixed bag of nostalgia and disappointment. Either way, it is a game worth playing, if only for the sheer pleasure of moving through its environments.
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