Sometimes a game will come along at a certain point in your life and you just happen to fall in love with it. Normally, you might hate it and curse it's very existence, but for some reason, at this point in time, you love it. This was true for me with Tomb Raider 2. While it's filled with flaws, I was immensely entertained with this game, probably due to the fact that it was the first game of its kind I had ever played. To me, it was the definition of a true adventure. Starting out modestly on the Great Wall of China, the game leads you through classic locales such as the canals of Venice, a sunken ship and the mountains in Tibet. Tomb Raider 2 is epic in it's own way. It may not have a deep plot or much character development, but it has plenty of charm. And for this reason, I have always like this game.
Tomb Raider 2 is the sequel to the original Tomb Raider, starring Lara Croft. Ms. Croft is an English explorer with a taste for danger, and her exploits lead her all over the world. Whether it's leaping from chandelier to chandelier in an abandoned opera house or fending off great white sharks at the bottom of the sea, she is up to the task. Her latest adventure has her pursuing the Dagger of Xian, a very dangerous weapon in ancient China. Legends tell that if this dagger is driven into a persons heart, that person will become a great and terrible dragon. Locked away this dagger was, but no there are several parties interested in reclaiming it. Ms. Croft is one of these. She must contend with the other two if she hopes to keep the dagger from use once more.
As the title implies, this game is all about raiding tombs and other structures. To do this, Lara must leap chasms, shimmy from ledges and perform a number of other seemingly impossible feats. Jumping is a big part of the game, thought it is usually very easy, since the distance of each jump can determined. There are several types of jumps. You can jump straight up into the air, and grab a ledge by pressing the action button. You can do a running jump, which will get you more distance, or you can do a standing jump in any direction without turning around for more precise jumping. Since many of your jumps will be on the fly, you may not have tim to line them perfectly up. This is where the trial and error begins. You might die twenty times at one place before you figure out how exactly you're supposed to do it. Thankfully, the developers included a system where you can save where ever you wish, so you can just load up your game without having to go through the entire level again.
Moving Lara around can be somewhat difficult. The controls are very touchy, so if you happen to press the D-Pad in any given direction, she might veer completely off course and into a wall, which will stop her cold. It's kind of a pain getting stuck on objects, then having to back up and go around them, but as the game progresses, you will begin to get a feel for the controls. The vehicles are just as touchy, which makes traveling at high speeds in enclosed locations a chore. Still though, the vehicles (which include a boat and a snow-mobile) help break up the jumping and the gunfighting.
Lara will come across many foes throughout the game, some human and some not. To defeat them, she is given a rather large arsenal of weapons. She comes standard with her dual pistols, and will find over the course of the game many more, including dual uzi's and even a harpoon gun for underwater combat. It's a shame the combat isn't utilized very well. Taking down an enemy requires a ton of ammunition, and if you aren't quick about it, most enemies will drain your health with only a few shots. But if you keep your distance, you shouldn't have too many problems.
The graphics were good for their time, but really aren't as good as the later generation Tomb Raider games. The game lives off the atmosphere, which is very well done. The canals of Venice are bright and magical looking with the sun setting, and the sunken ship is dark and dreary beneath the sea. The graphics pull you right into the adventure, and never let you go. The character models are decent, though some of them just look strange. They aren't very smooth, and you can see the blocks in them. Lara, on the other hand, looks great. Her design is great, from her dual pistols to the little backpack she wears, it really sets her character apart from the others.
The sound can be very good, and it can also be very bad. There is little in game music, the only time you hear it is during cutscenes or discovering a secret door. The gunshots sound great, and the ambience is cool as well. When in the sunken ship, you can hear a steady pulsing of the weight of the water on the ship. This level is one of the most atmospheric I've ever experienced.
I'll be the first to tell you, this game isn't for everyone. Lara controls pretty bad, and the difficulty is rather steep. Most people will be put off by this, but those who continue on will be rewarded with a great and epic adventure. This is my favorite Tomb Raider game, despite all it's flaws. If it had been given a little more development time, this game really could have been something.
Gameplay- 7-/10
Lara handles pretty bad, but I still found it to be fun.
Graphics- 7/10
Nothing spectacular, but the atmosphere is great.
Sound- 7/10
I would've liked to hear some in game music, but it's not that big of a deal.
Replay- 5/10
Not really.
Final Score- 7/10