Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PS2)

Yes, this time round, Tomb Raider Anniversary really has become the much-loved game that fans have always wished for in the past few years. And after Angel Of Darkness and the fun but short Legend this is EXACTLY what we needed. This game is simply AMAZING!

Lara is back in the tombs but this time round using the Legend engine she has never moved or looked as good. The graphics are just breathtaking and the feeling if isolation so very present. This is a remake in some respects as everything from Tomb Raider is there but it's a different take on the game altogether by bringing it completely up-to-date and offering something completely new.

Difficulty - This game is challenging!! I kid you not, there have been moments when I have thrown the controller across the room and had to take a break in fear of getting too angry and giving up. But don't let this put you off, this is exactly what Legend was lacking which made that game such a dissapointment and I am playing on hard and getting all the secrets and artifacts. You may find yourself having to try things a few times which is what annoys me but if a game annoys me then I know I'm enjoying it because I want so badly to defeat it and see what's next. We all love a challenge now don't we? Lara herself is easy and fun to control and offers a range of new moves which are all cool and some of the levels are so big you will have plenty of free range to run and explore, it's just that there are many many puzzles and difficult traps to solve and maneuver yourself through. The answers aren't there in front of you, you're left to explore and figure it all out.

New features - Lara has some new moves including a new balancing feature, which enables Lara to land on slim structures and balance before proceeding. This is included in some of the obstacles and proves challenging. I've also found that some features that were introduced in the last few games have actually become alot more useful as you will need them more in this game. As for Lara, she's back to her original outfit just over a decade older and looking and moving better than ever.

Music/Locations - These simply never fail to impress and you will be blown away by some of the details and atmospheric views you'll encounter along the way. There are some really tense and scary moments when music builds and beasts attack. I'm playing on PS2 and it's the best looking game I have played on this system to date. I can't imagine how impressed I'll be when Lara moves to the PS3.

Enemies - These have come a long way since the early days. The AI has improved with enemies communicating with each other and looking and sounding more frightening and real than ever before. You will enjoy wanting to move around in stealth more as enemies in this game don't fail to surprise you and the variety and number of enemies is larger. Depending on where you are their number varies and this game never seems predictable. Bosses aren't repetative and predictable either, you may find you have to endure a series of tasks during battle to defeat them.

Overall, this game has really returned to it's original form with so much more on top of that, you will find yourself hoping that the game doesn't end and you'll not be able to leave it alone. Hardcore Tomb Raider fans will enjoy the feeling of isolation and the huge amount of Tomb-like settings and puzzles which the very first game had but everyone should enjoy the game because it has all of this with the best up-to-date feel and look and huge amounts of fun.

The levels are a great deal longer than Legend so don't be put off getting the game in fear of it being too short. Puzzles are challenging and there's plenty of them so this also adds to play time and there's room to explore so you may find yourself on this game all day long.

The only thing I would have to complain about is that personally I love Lara when she's in locations more close to home rather than spending too much time in dusty tombs so I would have loved to have seen her travel further around the globe and more varied but I fully understand this game is a dedication to the original and is pretty large as it is, so that was never going to happen but if the next release combined this gameplay with an added 'remake' of later TR games in certain parts it would probably be the best game ever made.

On the menu is a note to fans saying that Tomb Raider: Anniversary "borrows heavily" from the original two titles, which is spot on as some rooms are the same and others have been tweaked about a bit, which at least keeps this version feeling fresh and not just a straight remake.

The original Tomb Raider was well designed with some great puzzles and a sense of isolation and loneliness, adventuring Indiana Jones-like in exotic locations. Tomb Raider: Anniversary retains everything that made the original fun and exciting to play but brings the graphics up to date and introduces a few new moves and controls to make gameplay easier. I particularly like the cut-scenes and plot revolving around "The Scion" - they are so reminiscent of the archaeological adventure films and stories I enjoyed as a child.

My only criticism is that some of the puzzles feel tedious, involving traipsing all over levels, pulling switches and collecting items from place A to use in place B, repeated ad nauseam. This could get boring even back in the day, but thankfully there are enough elegant and satisfying puzzles to make up for the more simplistic ones. The action (including T-Rexes!) is just as electrifying as it always was, even if it still feels a bit unsporting to shoot all these poor animals, despite them attacking Lara.

If you played the original then this is a superb way to return to the series and remember what Tomb Raider was all about (before the disappointing sequels). If you've never played a Tomb Raider game then this is a great place to start.

It's worth pointing out that the PC version looks a bit better than the PlayStation 2 version and it doesn't require a monster PC so, provided you can play PC games comfortably, it's probably the better version to go for. However, it is also likely that the game will come out on other formats which could be more technically impressive than the PlayStation 2 version so it may be worth waiting to see what the other releases are like before buying this one. That said, it does look perfectly fine - any improvements on other consoles are likely to be minor.

It's difficult trying to figure out what to compare Tomb Raider: Anniversary to - the original, Legend, or to just take the game as it is?

The original Tomb Raider has always been a subject of great nostalgia and was one of the first games I played on the PS. It was scary, full of surprises, but also full of wonderful sights {even though the draw distance obscured some}, namely the Sphinx, the T-Rex, and the sheer scale of St Francis' Folly. I was a little concerned how TR: Anniversary would replicate them, but I had nothing to worry about. All of the little views that I adored from the first game are here, and improved vastly. The graphics have come along way, although there will always be a fondness for the 90s blocky pixels, so now even a simple pool of water becomes breathtaking. The environments look real, and a lot of emphasis is put on the towering structures and huge waterfalls.

To leave out all mention of the music would be a crime. It is beautiful in the right places, and frightening in others. It is not overdone or interruptive, but knows when to move in. Most battles will be accompanied by a sweeping score that will probably startle you just in time for a huge hairy something to leap out, but a soft tune will increase your feeling of awe as you stare at something shiny. Great stuff ^^

Lara herself has been smoothed out and updated, and the old costume is back. She still wields her dual pistols, but will also find some new weapons along the way.

The combat system is the same as Legend's, although now with the inclusion of an Adrenaline Dodge feature, which enables you to finish off enemies quicker if you time it just right. It also looks very cool. The movements are fluid and there is something very satisfying about reloading your pistols after doing battle with a pack of wolves and coming out on top.

There are a couple of new moves; the wall-run and the ability to jump on top of posts. The levels, having been expanded somewhat, now consist of a lot of climbing. They're fun to perform, watching Lara leap around like a monkey, but not without their frustration.

You can spend 10 minutes climbing to the top of a pillar or room, only to slip and end up either plummeting to your death or worse yet, fall back to the bottom and have to begin again. After attempting the same series of jumps over and over it can get boring. Sometimes the camera angles don't help - if it's positioned wrongly, the directions all seem to change which can make for some really infuriating mistakes. At these times, I had to switch off the game and come back to it later.

Aside from some minor fiddly bits with the controls, there are no deadly glitches or bad programming. It all flows well.

There are parts that I recognized from the original game, and many that I didn't. The puzzles, in particular, were new. They're challenging in their own right, and often require close attention to detail, a welcome step-up from Legend's linear gameplay. There is less of the 'go here, find this key, pull this lever, use the key' formula that may have dominated in the original.

I did feel that the game was a lot shorter than the first, despite the fact that only a couple of levels were omitted. I wasn't sure if this was done on purpose, and was necessary for the Time Trials, or if perhaps it was because I played it for too long each day. =P Still, there's plenty to do once you've beaten it once. There are secrets to look out for in each level, which in turn unlock special rewards. Some of the requirements to get these secrets are fiendish and may have you trying for ages. Which isn't really a bad thing.

There is also the return of Croft Manor - a visit to Lara's home, where you can practice your moves and generally be nosy. This isn't all, however; Croft Manor is a level in its own right, and you may find your snooping uncovers some interesting puzzles.

Some plus points, in comparison to Legend, are that the terrible headset has gone. This means the isolated atmosphere is back, which is particularly apparent in some of the twisting, empty corridors, where the only sound is the wind whispering and the growling of some unknown beast in the distance ... O.O

There were some scares in Anniversary. I don't think the enemy placement was as ingenious as in the original, but the clever use of bats on high ledges is always something to smile at {if you can smile when falling fifty feet off a platform}. There is an ample variety of creatures to do battle with, about the same as in the first game, but some of the bigger opponents are classed into boss battles. They're more intelligent than the average shoot-them-to-death idea. You have to often utilize the things around you or discover weak spots for yourself.

I think in comparison to Legend, TR: Anniversary is a definite and vast improvement. The graphics and moves are all but the same, but now they've been mixed with more substance and more of the old Tomb Raider style it makes for a better game. In comparison to the original, I believe it accomplishes what it set out to do. It is a neat commemoration of the first game, including some of the most beloved parts and adding new surprises too. If Anniversary was a stand-alone game, it would still be an enjoyable experience. People new to the Tomb Raider series should have as much fun playing TR:A as the veterans.

I'm pleased with the work Crystal Dynamics have put into the game. They did everything right. Maybe a TR2 remake could be next...?