Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light
Crystal Dynamics takes a risk and reaps the reward
Gameinformer Game of the Month
Gameinformer Gold
Full disclosure, I love Lara Croft. It's no secret, but worth putting out there all the same. My allegiance to the industry icon, however is just that - to the character herself. I've played all the Tomb Raider games over the past decade, and Lady Lara always helped me trudge through the franchise follies, even when convulted narratives and questionable gameplay decisions disconnected from the roots I found endearing.
My waning enthusiasm for the property halted when Crystal Dynamics reinvigorated the series with Tomb Raider: Legend, which promised a new direction for the seasoned franchise. The studio's commitment to the IP and willingness to take risks is apparent in Guardian of Light, the first downloadable title in the franchise's stable.
With a new isometric view viewpoint, amplified combat, and co-op play. Guardian of Light's many departures from traditional Tomb Raider gameplay are obvious. Despite the changes, the first downloadable game feels more like a Tomb Raider experience than anything I've played as of late. Bursting with exploration, puzzles, and platforming, the pace isn't encumbered with unecessary narrative, dialogue, or even character development. We know who Lara Croft is. We know what she does best. The shrouded forests of Central America are her playground, and we're lucky enough to go along for the ride.
If you're worried about this being a downloadable game, don't fret. This isn't the case of a franchise being reduced to a skeleton in the name of fun. Lara's library of moves isn't truncated; the addition of artifacts and relics that augment Lara and her sidekick Totec's stats encourages careful exploration. Some are rewards for completing challenges, while others must be forced and located in dangerous enviroments. This allows Lara to evolve in a measurable way unlike past Tomb Raider games.
The level design is epic as ever, with puzzles spanning entire vistas littered with tunnels, tombs, torturous traps, and more. Challege rooms are a new addition to make the game much more accessible. The more taxing experiences in the game are reserved for these optional tombs, but Lara will be rewarded with a bigger payout for besting them. Some challenge rooms require logic to solve puzzles, while others test your reflexes and shooting skills with deathly obstacles and waves of powerful foes.
Nothing surprised me much more than how much I enjoyed co-op play. The mode opens up new gameplay avenues with tools such as remote bombs and cooperative grapple moves. Many puzzles require cooperation, but the competitive elements make the adventure memorable. Though you and your partner share the same goal, a prominent score counter keeps both of you scrambling to to get your hands on more gems and other objects of value than your partner. Speed runs, challenge tombs, and level-specific achievements each encourage replayabiltiy.
Despite the well-deserved accolades, a few problems remain. One would think the higher vantage point provided by the isometric camera would by default give you a better lay of the land, but the legacy camera problems occasionaly return. I met my demise several times by falling off a hidden cliff after getting ambitious in my exploration. Sometimes I had a hard time making a jump because of an object obscuring my view. These issues are few and far between, though, and the punishment for death is a little more than a reduced score.
In taking a chance with Guardian of Light, Crystal Dynamics rediscovered Lara's latent potential. For those of you concerned with the direction this ancillary title has taken, rest easy. We know Lara is as versatile as she is flexible.
>>Score
9
>>Concept
Dropping the Tomb Raider moniker, Crystal Dynamics changes the equation with a new camera and co-op play neatly wrapped in a downloadable package.
>>Graphics
Employing the Tomb Raider Underworld engine, the enviroments, lighting effects, and character renders are polished as their big-budget counterparts.
>>Sound
Populated with both iconic and original music, the former grounds the game in familiarity while the latter plays up the new, action-centric direction. Some of the voice acting could use a once-over, though.
>>Playability
Despite the arcade influences, Lara's moveset isn't reduced in the slightest. Co-op play allows for more diversity in puzzle solving, and the analog shooting lends itself nicely to the frenzied combat.
>>Entertainment
Balancing the franchise - exploration, puzzles, and platforming - with the new combat-centric focus is both engaging and entertaining. Even when solving puzzles, downtime is rare.
>>Replay Value
Moderate
