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XBOX 360
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2006
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CRYSTAL DYNAMICS There’s no denying that Lara Croft is as much a showbiz icon as a videogame heroine, but the problem with showbiz is that you’ve got to move with the times or get left behind.It was a truth that her creators at Core Design learned the hard way, as the relentless annual schedule theTomb Raiderseries followed in the late-Nineties burnt out developers and left little room for meaningful gameplay updates.Tomb Raider: Angel Of Darknesswas supposed to fix things in 2003, but Lara was busting out the same old moves, looking for all the world like a Spice Girl in the age of Girls Aloud. There was only one solution – the reinvention of Lara Croft. Eidos brought in Crystal Dynamics as the new development team, Lara Croft’s creator Toby Gard was brought into the team, and Lara received a visual makeover and a new voice, Keeley Hawes. Most importantly, Lara’s control was totally revamped – where her earlier games had demanded precision and measured movements reminiscent of the originalPrince Of Persia, Tomb Raider: Legendwas closer to the fluidity of TheSands Of Time. It was a success, leading to two further games before a second reboot in 2013.
When I watch my colleague Aiden play the Nineties games, it’s evident that Lara can move with the athletic grace she’s supposed to have, but that requires you to take plenty of time to master the controls. Tomb Raider: Legend feels rather less rigid and far more forgiving, which allows an impatient person like me a greater opportunity to focus on the puzzles and combat, and I appreciate that the game still feels closer to the original concept of the series than the most recent Unchartedinspired games. So while I can appreciate the excellent work Core Design did in establishing the Tomb Raider series, I’d say that this era offers my personal favourite Lara Croft experience so far.