Tomb Raider: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: 1996
Genre: Action
Style: Action Adventure
Similar Games: Excalibur 2555 A.D. (PlayStation), Nightmare Creatures (PlayStation), MDK (PlayStation)

Game Description

In Tomb Raider, you assume the role of a beautiful archaeologist, Lara Croft. She is a thrill seeker and is willing to do almost anything that puts her life in danger -- she enjoys it. Naturally, Lara jumped all over the opportunity to recover the powerful Scion, an ancient relic scattered throughout the caverns and temples of the world.

Played from a 3rd person 3D perspective, her adventure spans over 15 levels set in 4 distinct worlds and environments. As Lara, you'll have to solve ancient riddles in the Egyptian Pyramids, discover the Lost City of Atlantis and traverse through Ancient Rome all while looking for the artifact. Each level is laced with traps and hazards that require you to flip, swim and climb your way to safety and success.

Along the way, you'll engage in battle with countless enemies including wolves, bears and the occasional "extinct" dinosaur. Fortunately, you have a slew of weapons at your disposal. Lara's default weapon is dual pistols and as you progress further into the game, you'll come across shotguns, magnums and an Uzi. When the ammunition is running low, you'll have to make good use of her various maneuvers to avoid enemy contact.

Look out Indiana Jones -- Lara's in town.

~ Ben Silverman, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

The character Lara Croft was obviously inspired by Indiana Jones. Instead of going with another male hero, the developers opted for a female protagonist. Her adventures are often times paralleled by the Indiana Jones movies.

~ Matthew House, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

If you consider yourself an action/adventure gamer and you're looking for an experience that allows you to care about the characters and events, then Tomb Raider will sink its claws in you for a good, long while. It contains a wealth of inspired and atmospheric levels (fifteen in all) that are filled to the brink with hazards, traps and danger.

The story unfolds through both computer generated movie sequences and real-time (in game) cut scenes. As you get further into the game, certain mysteries are filled in and you slowly begin to see why you're on this mission. Suffice to say, Core does a great job in telling stories.

While the texturing is wrongfully aligned at times, the attention to detail is staggering. You'll oftentimes feel engulfed by the magnificent architecture found within the non-linear (lots of room to explore) levels. When you're in an Egyptian temple, you get the sensation of being in one because the environment is well detailed. Lighting plays a minor role at the beginning of the game, but as you delve deeper and deeper into a level, the lights and shadows get darker. This puts things on the side of creepy and eerie.

The gameplay consists of solving puzzles and engaging in combat -- both are equally represented and balanced. Though there are fewer encounters than you may be expecting, the fact that you never know when an enemy is going to leap out at you keeps you on the edge of your seat. Tomb Raider is a very tense game and you'll draw your weapon at the slightest hind of an unfamiliar sound.

On the puzzle side of things, you'll have to complete challenging tasks such as retrieving numerous pieces of the Scion and finding keys to unlock certain doors. Most of the puzzles are real brainteasers requiring the use of your mind (which will be exhausted by the time you're through). Certain key items aren't going to be lying on the floor -- they'll be high up on a ledge requiring you to put some thought into the way you approach it.

Surprisingly, Tomb Raider's control wouldn't have benefited much from analog support. With a button to keep you in a walking mode (as opposed to running), there's little reason for analog. You can also stop and rotate your view 180 degrees from Lara's perspective, arm several different weapons and items, and jump, roll, dive, sidestep, and shimmy across narrow ledges. All of this equates to perfect and adequate control.

Last but not least, the music plays an important role in the Tomb Raider experience. Because music does not play all the time, the majority of the game is played in silence. The developers did this in an attempt to create a feeling of tenseness -- and they did a great job. Music plays upon an encounter with a pack of enemies or a specific event, most of which will make you jump out of your seat. The sound effects are equally impressive as gunfire and animal sounds (bears, tigers and alligators -- oh my!) are represented decently.

If you've ever played an adventure/exploration game where the emphasis is on both your wits and your problem solving skills, you should find Tomb Raider at your earliest convenience. It is a truly captivating and mesmerizing experience that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people -- especially those interested in grandiose architecture.