Tomb Raider: Anniversary

Can’t keep your woman under control?
And now for the bad.

As with every Tomb Raider game to date, Anniversary has some severe control and camera issues. It’s just one of those things that seems to go with the genre. Jumps occasionally require split-second direction changes as you switch from running along a wall to jumping onto a pillar, and a dynamic camera that decides to change focus just as you jump will result in the kind of constant deaths that will have you on the verge of putting your G5 through your 2407WFP. The camera itself is also very restrictive in what it lets you see. A Prince of Persia-style “alternate camera view” option would have been nice for moments that otherwise require you to literally take a blind leap of faith, hoping that the level designers intended you to jump in that direction. Seasoned Raiders will be expecting this, and for some it will just add to the challenge. Frustration is part and parcel of the Tomb Raider experience, whether trying to find that last secret, or just jumping across a gaping chasm without dying. If you can take it in your stride, and battle through with controls, getting to the end of each level becomes all the sweeter.

Screenshots just don't do justice to the scale

Combat, too, can be quite frustrating, and quickly becomes more of an annoyance than a challenge. A close-up camera as you jump around trying to avoid the wolves and mummies can easily result in you jumping off a cliff, or into a second pack of enemies, and it’s entirely possible to get trapped between an enemy and the corner a room, such that you have no choice but to hammer the left mouse button and hope you have enough health packs left. With no auto-fire option, these battles will also leave your mouse finger aching. If you have any Prednisone left from that bout of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that Diablo 1 left you with, it might well be time to break it out again.

You know you want to...

In the end, it’s all about Lara
Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a game for Tomb Raider fans. The levels, the enemies, the music, the moves – all of it harkens back to a time when 3D new still fresh and new, and will trigger instant nostalgia in anyone who became immersed in chasing Lara’s Gouraud-shaded posterior across the world over decade ago – or, indeed, any time since. However, the camera and control issues will dramatically dampen the fun factor for anyone unused to the quirks of the genre. Nevertheless, this game gets scored for what it is: a game that banks on the power of nostalgia, and does so in a most satisfying manner. If you’ve never experienced Lara before, knock a couple of points off the score… then play it anyway. For shame!

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary is due for release in Australia on June 6th. If you just can’t wait, you can also grab it online via Steam. A limited Collector’s Edition should also be available.

Luckily, Lara has more lives than a cattery...