The Platinum Edition: Tomb Raider Legend

Tomb Raider Legend (Xbox 360)

When it came to games I wanted to play this season, Tomb Raider was definitely on my list. I've re-bought games in this franchise so many times, and having replayed the original two games this year, I thought I’d revisit the game that solidified my love for the series.

Story

The story of this game is pretty simple: Lara is on another adventure (as she does), runs into an old friend, and finds some ruins related to her mother's disappearance. Later, we find out the artefact this time around has to do with Excalibur and finding Avalon.

The story keeps things straightforward, with a bit of mystery and intrigue but nothing too deep, which is typical for Tomb Raider games. It's a simple setup: Lara goes to find something, runs into some bad guys, commits a bit of murder, gets the thing, and the game’s over. However, this was one of the few instances where we knew the story had to continue.

As well as the story, this game was a reboot of the series. If you haven't played any of the previous games, you could easily pick this up. They also changed a few things to make it more modern. One of the things I love about this game is it plays out like an action movie, more specifically, a James Bond movie.

Gameplay

The gameplay for its time is so simple; it's easy for anyone to pick up and much more accessible compared to the original release. No more tank controls—everything moves with the joystick. Grabbing is automatic, and the combat is much more fun. Lara can use bullet time, and if The Matrix has taught us anything, bullet time equals cool.

This year, I played the original two games in their re-released forms, and going from that to this was a huge change for me. Having “played” both as a kid and an adult, it was quick for me to adapt. I can see how this control scheme adds more excitement to the gameplay rather than just running around enemies until they’re dead.

One thing I forgot was the quick-time events. The internet remembers these as being overused in most games, but here, there's like one QTE per level, not more than four moves, and it’s over. Personally, I quite enjoyed them as a little shake-up, and I kind of miss them.

Music

The music in this game is quite a departure as well. Keep in mind, I’ve officially played only two games from beginning to end, but unlike those, there’s a constant sense of music as you go around the levels. Each piece feels fitting to the country we are in. For example, Africa sounds great and fits the ambiance perfectly. I even got the soundtrack due to the Anniversary edition but was sad to find out it only had a few tracks.

One thing this game became somewhat infamous for was the dialogue between characters. The internet believed this was nonstop talking, which is a departure from previous games that made you feel alone. However, when I was playing, like the QTEs, the dialogue was there when needed, and most of the time, it was silent. It wasn't egregious; it was just there, and it was fine.

Release

One reason I picked this game back up was it becoming available on PlayStation Plus. I was offered a free trial of the highest tier, and I thought, “I could use this to play Legend.” Then I remembered I have an Xbox with backwards compatibility, so I dug out the disc and gave it a go.

So yes, people can still play this on modern consoles if they want a more old-school Tomb Raider experience (it hurts me to say that). Also, it is available on Steam, so there’s always that.

History

Even though I’ve been sprinkling my personal history with the game throughout, I still remember when it was coming out. I remember watching gameplay videos every time IGN posted one. When the game was about to be released, I recalled all the trailers and the website wrap-around showing Lara’s rear and the grenades. I knew I wanted to play it as I was older and this one seemed doable. And I was right.

I remember when the game came out, it got good scores, and I was like, “sure, I’ll get it.” I wasn’t sure when. Then I remember going to Woolworths the day it came out (or a week or two later, time is weird). I saw it for £30 and thought, “let’s do it.” Then I went home, played with my brother, and a week later, we finished it.

This game gave me the confidence to go back into the original Tomb Raiders, and that's when I knew they were not for me—too hard. But still, I tried, and now I have completed the first two games at least twice. So go me. And well done, Legend, for making me a true Lara Croft fan.

Overall

I was very happy with my time with Legend, even though it was short. I was surprised when I saw the end screen at how fast I got through the game. I was also somewhat pleased that my game save had been lost, as it allowed me to play the game for the first time again. I tried to remember where some of the secrets were, and I remembered a lot of them. While I took my time to look for them in the beginning, towards the end, I was like, “if I see it, I see it.”

Personally, I would recommend Legend to anyone who would like to try a Tomb Raider game. It does a great job of being a decent entry point for new players. If they like it, they can play the next few games and then go back to see the dramatic differences. All I’m saying is, I want more Tomb Raider fans, and this is a good starting point.