Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light

Playing:
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
(PS3)

Not really much of a review since the game has been out for 8 months or so now, but I figured I’d post a few thoughts on this one after getting it off of the PSN store on sale for $7.50 a couple of weeks back. I’ll go ahead and call it my second favorite Tomb Raider game in the franchise (behind Tomb Raider II, which remains a sentimental favorite of mine), though you’re free to make of that what you will, as I only really played Tomb Raider through Tomb Raider III on the original Playstation before skipping every PS2 incarnation and jumping all the way to this one.

Although Crystal Dynamics has completely redefined the gameplay mechanics, Guardian of Light is a good deal of fun, providing tons of challenging puzzles in true TR fashion, as well as a multitude of treasures and weapons to collect as you make your way through the game. It plays nothing like the original trilogy, but manages to retain that “Indiana Jones with boobs & automatic weapons” vibe that we all fell in love with back in junior high. Combat feels more like Contra than TR, but the arcade-style shootouts mesh oddly well with the rather contrite puzzles that are scattered throughout the levels. A local co-op mode is also an option, as Lara teams with a spear-wielding God of War-ish warrior of sorts. I managed to beat the game over the course of a few days, although I imagine that a more dedicated gamer could conceivably plow through the whole thing in one sitting. The adventure is a tad on the short side and somewhat easy, but definitely a deal at $7.50, and probably worth the full $15.00 price tag as well if you’ve enjoyed a Lara Croft game in the past. Solid recommendation.