Tomb Raidin’ with friends.
The Tomb Raider franchise has had a long standing track record of success. So when Square-Enix decided to give players a side franchise simply called Lara Croft, people took notice. A top down, co-op action adventure game that proved to be better than most expected, it was a surprise hit with a lot of players. Years later we have a new release on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC called Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. Lara and her companions have unleashed a deadly ancient god, and must find all the pieces of Osiris to stop it. Set in an environment fit for a Tomb Raider, does this game have the same magic as before?
The first thing players will notice with this sequel is the updated visuals. While the look and feel is very much the same as the previous title, little added effects go a long way to make this shine even brighter than before. Lighting looks fairly good, especially in little details like shimmering water and steam. It’s not the biggest leap in graphical quality, but considering the point of view for this spin off series, it’s more than adequate. While the game might be set in Egypt and players will spend time in plenty of tombs surrounded by sandy desert, the added weather effects and seasons keep the variety flowing, when players would otherwise least expect it.
That is one big bug.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: PS4, XB1, PC
Time to beat: 5 hours
Multi: 1-4
Price you would pay: $19.99
Of course, game play is the biggest and most important part of any title, and luckily the same style is present here that made Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light such a big hit. The player and friends can tackle the open map and tombs, killing lots of bad guys, solving a multitude of puzzles and exploring for hidden upgrades, gems and chests. To say there is a lot of content to explore and find would be an understatement. Controlling characters with the left stick and aiming with the right works well, as players find and unlock new weapons. Flamethrowers, rifles and double pistols are just a taste of what’s to come.
When not knee deep in fighting, the game will have players trying to figure out various puzzles involving torches, exploding balls and switches, and avoiding various booby traps. This all adds up to make the title “feel” like a classic Tomb Raider game, and now with the new 4 player co-op, players can experience this with even more friends. Racing friends to grab gems, unlock chests and get better loot will lead to some hilarious moments.
Problems do, sadly, appear in this adventure, and that can lead to frustration. Hit detection when traversing and fighting can sometimes seem hit or miss. It works well most of the time, but there were a few times it proved troublesome. One mechanic in the game has players placing bombs down and moving giant balls onto them to then detonating and sending the ball flying to where it has to go. The problem is, with the physics in place, this can lead to multiple retries. When just trying to do this for a puzzle or progression is one thing, but when a boss encounter is designed around this, it can test the player’s patience big time, no matter how interesting the boss battle is.
Explosive game play!
As for the length of the game, most players should be able to complete it in about 5 hours. Not the longest campaign, but with co-op and plenty of level challenges and equipment to unlock, can provide many more hours for those wanting it.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a wonderful downloadable title. For the price of $19.99, it’s hard to pass up. The game performs well on the Xbox One version I played. It doesn’t do anything drastically different than the previous game, but more of the same is never a bad thing when the first was such a hit. For clever puzzles, simplistic yet intense action, interesting boss battles and fun co-op, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
