The team managed to reinvent the series while staying true to its roots with Tomb Raider: Legend, while Tomb Raider: Anniversary built on solid foundations to reimagine Lara Croft's original adventure. Tomb Raider Underworld is Crystal Dynamics' third game in as many years, and the high work rate is starting to show. Tomb Raider Underworld offers an enticing new adventure, but if you're a fan of the series you'll find that Lara is starting to show her age.
As the "Underworld" suffix suggests, this Tomb Raider covers darker territory than its predecessors. Things start out badly for Lara; a prologue of her racing to escape her lofty mansion as it burns to the ground. Add all this to an incredibly unruly camera, and Tomb Raider Underworld is still just as frustrating as its predecessors.
There's an impressive mix of locales in Underworld, and the environments boast greater scale than ever before. Thankfully, the tedious quick-time events have now disappeared completely, while Lara can kick enemies that get too close for comfort.
It helps that Lara can now access a tips system from her PDA, with two levels of assistance available to clarify any befuddlement. Tomb Raider Underworld is an enjoyable adventure, but it's one that's just too familiar for anyone who's played the previous games. The basic problems with clipping and the unruly camera are still annoying, and while Lara's new abilities add to her impressive athleticism, the route through most levels is still rigidly linear. Ultimately there's still life in the Tomb Raider series, but as the title suggests, it may be in need of another resurrection.
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