Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary First Look Preview

In case any of us had forgotten that gaming’s female figurehead of the PlayStation generation is still going strong, Lara Croft is back again, this time bringing the anniversary edition of the first Tomb Raider game to the Xbox 360.

In most ways a direct port of the PSP, PS2 and PC versions of Anniversary, Eidos’ 360 edition again revisits famous locations and themes from the original game and expands them into vast levels filled with new puzzles and networks of artefact strewn corridors to explore.

While it is a pleasure to see the world famous treasure stealing archaeologist return to the 360 to indulge in a little more glamorous tomb desecration, it does feel a little odd to see a game from a handheld and a near-redundant Sony console leap to the new generation almost unchanged. Lara may be the kind of girl with looks that can let her get away with murder (usually of endangered animals), but her infamous bust and generous curves are rather old news now.

However, Eidos has decided to release the game primarily as a download, available in two instalments each priced at a very reasonable 1100 MS points. A boxed copy available at a similar price has been confirmed, but the emphasis here is on virtual purchases of what proved itself to be one of Lara’s better adventures on previous formats. If nothing else, Eidos’ confidence in releasing a title at around twenty pounds as a download is encouraging. If online services like Xbox LIVE and PSN, which has already seen Tekken 5 and Warhawk as downloadable content, continue to provide both budget and mid-range games, the consumer can only benefit from the variety on offer.

There have been other changes too. The various teams behind Lara Croft have always taken great pride in understanding the importance of the opinions of what has established itself as a very vocal fan base. As a result of this there have been a few subtle tweaks. Gone are the rather patronising glinting surfaces that guided the player’s eye to grappling points, and as an addition an apparently sizeable number of achievement points have been added.

There has also been a slight graphical overhaul; though its merits are so understated they are barely noticeable. The large scenery elements and backdrops that give Anniversary its epic feel remain largely untouched, but some clear lighting improvements have been made, adding a sprinkling of additional atmosphere to proceedings. Lara herself has also enjoyed something of a makeover, though she barely needs it.

Other than that, this is looking like the same brilliant Anniversary. If you do not own one of the previous versions and feel like a bit of classic Tomb Raider action at an affordable price this is one to watch out for. Anniversary warrants little in the way of fanfare, but it is still deserving of praise, and if you have never experienced Lara at her best, it should certainly be an ideal place to start.