The first Crystal Dynamics game in the Tomb Raider series was the one that shed light on a series that descended into hell.
Video game heroine Lara Croft won the status “legend” for many good reasons. Already in its infancy, it has become a true icon of video games., stand out in a world which until then was also dominated by men. However, as often happens in life, not everything was light, because there were also moments of shadow. In 2005, the studio that created the Tomb Raider saga, Core Design, had to take a step back, due to poor sales obtained with Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, and pass the baton to by Crystal Dynamics, a developed company with which he again achieved the status he should never have given up.
Thus, the first title developed by Crystal Dynamics in 2006 was this Tomb Raider: Legend. In this episode heLara’s motivation was much more personal than before, as he strives to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of his mother after a bizarre plane crash. It’s basically an origins story, but it still retains most of the elements that made Tomb Raider great.
Also, Lara’s quest to uncover the mystery of Excalibur take her back to places like Bolivia, Tokyo, among others. Tomb Raider: Legend has struck a faithful balance between wild and urban places, so Lara can display her full skill set. Whether climbing or exploring a King Arthur themed museum, the classic combination of exploration, puzzle solving and combat he was more than present in Tomb Raider: Legend.
Lara also had new characters that the they served as helpers: Zip and Alister. These two served as a narrative resource providing radio conversations while Lara continued to search for the truth. This, combined with the in-game cutscenes, some of which quick events contenían, created a fluidity in the game that was underpinned by a much stronger narrative than before.
In Tomb Raider: Legend, Lara kept a few new tips to herself, like her hook, flashlight and binoculars. Yes, far from using her pistol’s unlimited ammo to light up dark areas in the first game, Lara was now properly equipped. with a small flashlight. He could also use his binoculars to analyze the environment looking for clues and points of interest. However, its most useful new tool it was definitely the hook. With it, he could move and destroy objects, as well as momentarily stun enemies during combat. As for combat, in addition to having the usual variety of weapons in her hands, Lara now offered an efficient and fun melee combat system.
However, the biggest change came in the way Lara moved around the environment: it was even more agile than before. This was quite noticeable in puzzle solving or combat, providing a real feeling of complete freedom of movement. Lara’s own design has also been changed, while remaining true to its original incarnation, which has helped improve the game as a whole, do justice to Lara as a character.
Tomb Raider: Legend also had a direct sequel to Tomb Raider: Underworld years later. It marked the return of the classic villain Jacqueline Natla, from the first game. This further underscored the commitment to upholding the legacy of the series, as it evolved for future generations. A commitment that Crystal Dynamics continues to uphold with the trilogy of Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Tomb Raider: Legend had the important but difficult task of restart a series that he had lost his way. Since then we’ve seen that Lara Croft is an amazing character and still matters 25 years after entering our lives for the first time.
If you want to play You’ll find Tomb Raider: Legend available in the Xbox Store to play on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S.
