Tomb raiding
Some of the puzzles have been upgraded and the levels have been broadened, offering a wider scope for adventure - cave exploration certainly feels less linear than before – but, anyone who’s familiar with the platforming antics of old will recognize the same old Tomb Raider-style adventure. I'm sure that if the tried, tested and successful gameplay style of the franchise had been radically changed, for what is essentially a game that celebrates all that is great about the series, then thousands of Lara fans would be up in arms. So, Tomb Raider Anniversary does what it says on the tin, nothing more and nothing less.The fact that Tomb Raider Anniversary is merely an enhanced version of the original , rather than a total revamped version, is given away by the generous retail price-tag of just £24.99. For that price you also get Croft Manor, the level from Tomb Raider: Legend, which has been enhanced and can be accessed separately from the main story. Despite the Croft Manor story and the Anniversary tale having a few faults and lacking in next-gen oomph, there’s no denying that, for this low price, it’s an absolute bargain.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageTomb Raider Anniversary begins when Lara is introduced to a syndicate who ask her to embark on a dangerous mission to Peru in the search for a mystical artifact known as Scion. Lara relishes the challenge and can't wait to wriggle into those tight shorts and get her hands dirty exploring the bat-infested caves, hidden cities and lost villages of this mysterious part of the world. Lara soon discovers that the people who have hired her are not all that they seem, so without further ado, and armed with only a couple of pistols, a backpack, a grappling hook and – I suspect - a lady-shave, Lara sets off to Peru to unravel the mystery behind the ancient artifact.
The gameplay begins when Lara arrives at her Peruvian destination, where she meets up with her guide at the foot of a snow-capped mountain. This is Lara's first introduction to the deluge of ledge climbing puzzles, which appear in every mission in the game. The premise is very simple; you search around to discover the correct route to the top of the cliff by leaping upwards and sideways to grab onto ledges. You’ll discover that with these ledge puzzles there's usually only ever one way to reach the top, but in the levels themselves there are often multiple ways to reach your destination
The bland design of some of the locations often means that textures appear too flat, so sometimes you can search around for ages until you find ledge, when it has actually been there all along.
