Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - Legend

The Good
After the commercial failure that was Core Design's Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness the series was in trouble. Thus, Crystal Dynamics took over the franchise and they hired Croft’s original animator, Toby Gard to consult them in reimagining the series with Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend. Also, BAFTA winner, Troels Brun Folmann won Best Original Score for his compositions in Legend. Additionally, Gard and Eric Lindstrom used elements from the Paramount Pictures Tomb Raider films starring Angelina Jolie. Furthermore, Crystal Dynamics modified Lara's controls by using their Legacy of Kain technology, which made the game run a lot smoother than before. Overall, the story pertaining to King Arthur's sword is entertaining enough and Legend is presented well and offers a good amount of replay-value.

The Bad
The QTE's and on-rails vehicle mechanics in Legend were reminiscent of Tomb Raider's earlier era on Sega Saturn, yet Tomb Raider was never an arcade game. This structure made Legend extremely simplified in its design, with too many in-game prompts and an overly streamlined experience. Also, the game ends on a cliffhanger and is overly short.

The Bottom Line
Legend goes back to the basics of Tomb Raider and Crystal Dynamics played it safe as newcomers to the series. However, with Gard on board, he was able to steer the character in a direction that was more in tune with his original. The bottom line is that Legend plays like an impressive tech-demo showcasing the capabilities of the Legacy of Kain game engine.