With Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, the agile aristocrat returns in an all-new co-op arcade-inspired isometric adventure, available for digital download this summer. Forget what you’ve seen and heard of Lara’s previous outings. Tomb Raider this certainly isn’t. Read on for our hands-on impressions.
If you’re a die-hard Tomb Raider fan chances are you’ve been wondering what happened to Lara since she had us perusing time-ravaged ruins in Tomb Raider: Underworld. Well, having had a much needed refresher she’s back. But not as you’ve seen her.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is unlike previous Tomb Raider games. In fact developer Crystal Dynamics will have you know that it’s not a Tomb Raider title at all. Crystal Dynamics is secretly beavering away on an entirely new, proper Tomb Raider game. But that’s one for the future. Till then we’ve got Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light to satisfy our Lara lust.
Swapping the usual behind-the-bum third-person camera angle for an old school arcadey isometric angle, it features the same treasure hunting antics, puzzles and booby traps of previous games but in an all-new faster set-up with simple combat and nimbler controls.
Lara isn’t alone in her quest. Tagging along in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is Totec, a Mayan tribesman. The story revolves around the duo as they find themselves in a battle against Xoxolt – an evil doing spirit released from a mysterious mirror and annoyingly possessing the ability to control fellow spirits. This means having to go up against all manner of nasties including undead tribesmen and oversized lizards.
During our hands-on time at Square Enix HQ we took the reigns in the game’s second level where things really spring into action. The aim was to collect three ‘Sun Discs’ to progress onto the next level. What you have to do in each level varies as the game progresses.
From controlling Lara’s first tippy toes it’s abundantly clear that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is an entirely fresh Tomb raiding experience. It’s very arcadey. Think arcade classic Smash TV style arcadey and you’ll get the idea.
Playing on an Xbox 360 the left control stick makes your character walk, the right sees Lara prime her twin pistols in 360-degree fashion. It’s a control scheme that hints at the myriad of monsters set to come at you from all and every direction. Tapping or holding down the right trigger for rapid fire lets you spray bullets like a rotating garden sprinkler.
It’s not all pointy shooty bang bang. Lara can also grapple, plant unlimited numbers of bombs and lunge away from danger. The grapple mechanic is particularly handy, letting you hook onto objects, wall walk across chasms and pull her co-op buddy Totec (more on him later) out of a perilous spot.
Equally helpful is the use of bombs. Press ‘B’ to plant one, then press it again to detonate. An unlimited supply lets you explode enemies, hidden crates and other objects to locate gems and power-ups. It also comes in handy for solving puzzles. One puzzle in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light had us and our co-op buddy having to simultaneously destroy two large stone statues blocking the entrance to some hidden ruins.
Playing co-operatively is key to solving said puzzles. This is where Totec, Lara’s sidekick comes in. Many of his moves are designed to help Lara out. He can throw spears that stick into walls so Lara can reach high ledges, shield her from bullets and also use it to let her hop onto. Making Lara jump onto his shield and then jumping again unlocked a “Jump Jump” Achievement. Play with another online player and you’ll both simultaneously unlock Achievements, assuming you both play a part in helping each other solve said puzzlers. Stand idly while your partner figures it out for themselves and they’ll get rewarded, not you.
Lara is just as helpful to Totec. During some of the game’s jumpy set pieces she can use her grapple tool to pull Totec up across high walls. Should your partner die, either player can revive each other in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. With enemies flooding the screen at times things can get pretty hectic. We found ourselves regularly giving our partner the peck of life, leaving us free to blast more baddies. We predict it’s something co-op fans will be forced to do a lot later on as the enemies increase in number. And size.
As you progress throughout we were told players will be able to upgrade their weapons, grab new ones and increase the amount of ammo they can carry with them by collecting goodies. From what we’ve seen it sounds as if fans are in for an all-action treat during later levels.
Visually it looks top-notch. With so much going on on-screen at times it’s easy to forget about taking in the scenery. The abounding stony ruins have just as much detail as you’ve seen in Tomb Raider: Underworld. Explosions look fierce and bullets glow like a flurry of deadly fireflies. This is no rushed in-between Tomb Raider spinoff. A lot of care has clearly gone into making sure Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light looks as good as it plays.
Ahead of its summer release we’re clearly impressed with what we’ve seen and played of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light so far. The action-heavy gameplay is fast and addictive. Add mind-bending puzzles to the mix and there’s plenty of reasons for ardent Tomb Raider fans to pick up Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light when it arrives on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PC this summer.
Out Summer | £TBA | Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
