I must admit that I have never got too into the Tomb Raider series.  The earliest entries in the series were Playstation exclusives, and I was always more of a Nintendo 64 guy.  It wasn’t until the release of Tomb Raider: Legend two years ago that I played through one of Lara Croft’s adventures in its entirety.  I really enjoyed that game, and Eidos has actually done a pretty decent job recreating the fun and excitement found in that adventure.  Though there are still a few small problems that may plague the hardcore gamer, I feel that this is the definitive success in this storied franchise.

The story of “Underworld” takes off after “Legend,” making this the first time (much like the recent Bond film) Eidos has made a true sequel.  Lara believed that her mother was killed and had lost all hope.  After being told that this was not the case, she commences her quest to find this woman and finally feel true happiness.  Obviously, Lara’s searches in far off lands poses unique gaming situations for the gamer, and this is where the game really shines.  Sure, the story is actually pretty good and the writing seems top notch, but in the grand scheme of things, gamers want to have fun controlling the character- this game does not disappoint.

Once the game loads and the first level starts, gamers will immediately notice the meticulous attention to detail and stunning graphical presentation.  The first level starts you out underwater, and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed.  Between the animal life below the surface and the first castle you discover, it’s tough to decide what looks the best- and this continues throughout the entire game.  This time around, the developers have introduced more of an open world feel to the game.  This was sort of hit and miss with me.  For example, on one hand, you could swim around underwater exploring every inch of the ocean floor and killing various sharks, essentially wasting endless time.  But on the other hand, the game sometimes put you in precarious situations with no idea of how to start what you need to do.  Sure, the pause menu has a new “hint” feature that comes in handy sometimes, but if the clue is “I need to reach the top of this room”, some people may need a lot of help simply beginning this objective.  What was a good idea will surely be accomplished a little better in the following games and I applaud them for the effort.

The levels in this adventure are simply breathtaking- from the ocean vistas, to the motorcycle rides through the Mayan temple, there were many instances where I actually complimented the game out loud.  Some of the environments seemed very short and simple to get through, while others seemed to take hours.  In particular, one of the middle missions took me well over two or three hours.  The last three sections of the game really made it worth the money to me, as the puzzles got more challenging and the story more intriguing.  The only major gripe I had about the level design was the lack of bad guys.  Now, this does tie into the story pretty well, but I get tired of shooting tigers and vicious bear-like creatures.  In “Legend” you squared off solely against gun-wielding henchmen, and I just wished there was a little more of that in this game.  A small complaint that many (especially fans from the original titles) won’t have a distaste for, but a complaint nonetheless.

For some reason, the “Tomb Raider” franchise has always had a problem with two things- finding the perfect camera, and implementing some kind of multiplayer.  Sure, the game may not be designed for competitive multiplayer, but everything seems to have online co-op these days- it obviously couldn’t hurt this series.  Imagine teaming up to each accomplish half the puzzle at the same time, or using team acrobatics to reach high or distant levers and doors.  Maybe I’m dreaming, but I have a feeling the next entry in the series may take this idea seriously.  Since this is more of a positive criticism, I guess the only real problem is the camera.  It just seems weird that after this many games, the camera still can’t seem to function properly at given times.  There were several times that I had no clue where Lara’s body was aiming or what ledge she was looking at.  Sometimes, you find yourself jumping and hoping for the best.  It was the best it’s ever been this time around, so let’s hope they finally nail it soon.

I feel that this game was actually a great success.  The story actually made sense and could keep even a hardcore gamer amused for the duration of the amazing campaign.  Long time fans of the series will not be disappointed, and those searching for a great adventure game will enjoy the puzzle-based gameplay.  I hope they continue to improve on the franchise like they have recently, because the future entries are now actually worth looking forward to.  There are tons of items and statues to collect, so the game actually warrants a second playthrough for the hardcore gamer.  The only real technical problem with the game seems to be the camera, but it’s not overwhelming.  Do yourself a favor and pick this game up today.

Game Rating: A minus