PSP

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend

Over the past few years, Lara Croft went from the gaming equivalent of the girl that every guy wanted to date to the one that people avoided because of her bad reputation. Fortunately, Tomb Raider: Legend was a return to form, as the console game focused on what people originally loved about the series. Sticking as closely as possible to the console template, the PSP version of Legend is nearly as successful, with only a few expected concessions to make it function on the handheld.

The whole package is quick fun that makes you feel like a true believer in the magic of exploration.

Anyone who loves Lara Croft (some of you know what I mean) or like action/adventure games, you really can't go wrong with "Tomb Raider: Legend" for Xbox360 and PSP. “Angel of Darkness” scared a lot of us into thinking it was all over for our dream girl, but developer 'Crystal Dynamics' really did a great job with this total new game. They have developed it for a whole new generation of fans to enjoy while also pleasing the hardcore crowd. With tight controls, great gameplay, and some extra goodies, Lara is definitely back! And believe us, we couldn’t be more happy !

So adventurers step this way. With perfectly executed controls, combat and design, Tomb Raider - Legend is a must buy.

If you've read our review of the home console versions of Tomb Raider Legend, then essentially you should know what to expect from the PSP version.

Graphically there are very few differences between the PS2 and PSP versions of the game. The resolution is naturally lower and the frame-rate occasionally slips in graphically intense areas, but overall it is a testament to the little handheld's technological muscle that it can keep up with its big brother, the PS2.

Videogame fans had almost given up hope. After a string of lackluster sequels, it seemed like the Tomb Raider series had caved in on itself. There it sat, buried underneath layers of mediocrity. It almost became like one of its own fabled artifacts - something you might see, someday, if fate decided to bless you with a little luck.

It has been a few rough years for Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise. After opening the series with two stellar titles in the late '90s, the three that followed were little more than assembly-line rehashes, each less interesting and impressive than its predecessor. Still, expectations were fairly high for the first next-generation version of the series, 2003's Angel of Darkness. Upon release, it was panned by the press and gamers alike, ending up as one of the biggest disappointments of the last few years. By that point, you couldn't blame someone for having given up on the series.

Folk might've done a lot of standing around at E3, but the queues were nothing next to the ranks of hacks lining the internet earlier this year waiting to have a pop at Tomb Raider. Who could forget Angel of Darkness, after all?

Earlier this year, gamers (and, we're assuming, Eidos executives) rejoiced as gaming's first lady made a triumphant return to the small screen. Tomb Raider: Legend marked Lara Croft's first videogame adventure in three long years, and longtime fans were happy to see that developer Crystal Dynamics wasn't afraid to take the series in a more adventurous new direction. After Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness nearly buried the franchise forever by focusing more on urban environments than dank temples, we were all ecstatic to see Lara heading back into the tombs for Legend. Now, Eidos is bringing the game to the PSP, and while it features the same great story and action found in the console game, it's not without its issues, many of them due to the hardware's limitations. Still, if you didn't play the game earlier this year, this is a must-play for fans of the buxom brunette.

Auf der einen Seite bin ich wirklich froh, dass es auch mal ohne drastische Schnitte (Hallo 007 !) geht: Auch auf der PSP ist Tomb Raider Legend immer noch Tomb Raider Legend, und nicht nur Lara light. Das neue Abenteuer geht intelligente neue Wege, spielt sich flott, sieht auch in klein gut aus und klingt vor allem toll – die englische Sprachausgabe ist nach wie vor spitze! Auf der anderen Seite bekommt man hier eine schöne Lehrstunde zum Thema »Warum nicht alle Spiele auf allen Plattformen gleich gut funktionieren«: Die Steuerung, und da speziell die Kamerakontrolle, ist sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig, das selbst bei kleinen Schießereien auftretende Ruckeln hemmt den Spielfluss, die generelle Dunkelheit ist bei einem Game, das in sehr vielen dunklen Levels spielt, wohl kaum von Vorteil. Die PSP-Version wird ihrem großen Vorbild nicht gerecht, schafft es einfach nicht, die Faszination des Themas würdig zu präsentieren – jede andere Variante ist in jeder Hinsicht empfehlenswerter.

Laura Croft sure has it rough. Not only is she tasked with bringing back a franchise that could arguably be said has become outdated and unoriginal, but she has to do it all while avoiding using her biggest "assets" as the main attraction. Even with such a tough job, she did great with the release of Tomb Raider: Legends on home consoles, proving that a fresh approach, good graphics, and improved controls can make a world of difference.

Lara Croft made a triumphant return in early 2006 with the release of Tomb Raider: Legend for home consoles and the PC. But that's not enough for Lady Croft, as now she's making her debut on the PlayStation Portable. The game is essentially the same on the PSP as it was on the consoles, so if you've played it before then you can expect to visit the same levels and solve the same puzzles all over again. Unfortunately, the biggest difference between the PSP version and the others is also its biggest downfall, and that is the often cumbersome, imprecise, and downright frustrating control. But if you can learn to live with the control, you'll find that Tomb Raider: Legend is a mostly competent action adventure with more than a few enjoyable and exciting moments.

Quoi qu'il en soit, Tomb Raider Legend réserve une belle aventure, mais difficile d'oublier le manque de fluidité qui pénalise parfois lourdement la maniabilité.

Tomb Raider: Legend is an amazing game. In a single move, Crystal Dynamics overwrote the mistakes of the past couple games and took things back to the roots of the series without abandoning the newer elements that kept it from all being a rehash. Moreover, they made Lara more than just a very agile set of boobs and gave her a personality, made her worldly, made her sophisticated and, for perhaps the first time, made her seem real.

Aside from the control problems and some occasional frame rate dips, it's hard to knock this portable effort. After all, this is a brilliant video game. It's one that simply requires a proper control set up, and this system cannot make the accommodations. If it's the only possible way to experience this one, then it's worth picking up. If you have other means, this will only ruin the proper versions.

L'adaptation de Tomb Raider Legend a de quoi étonner sur PSP malgré une absence totale d'optimisation. Techniquement impressionnant, une durée de vie rallongée à l'aide de trois mini-jeux, jouables en solo ou multi, le résultat semble être à la hauteur de nos espérances. Malheureusement, ce n'est pas vraiment le cas, car si les développeurs ont jugé bon de reprendre à l'exact ce qui avait été réalisé sur consoles de salon, ce copier-coller génère de gros problèmes de jouabilité qui doivent faire face à d'énormes ralentissements plombant la progression. En l'état, on pourra s'en accommoder, d'autant que l'aventure est toujours aussi passionnante, mais supporter ces baisses de framerate d'un bout à l'autre de l'aventure devient de plus en plus difficile à mesure qu'on avance. A vous de voir si vous avez les nerfs assez solides pour tolérer tout ça.