Tomb Raider: Anniversary Review

By Kristan Reed Published 23 October, 2007

Better late than never.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Whatever the ins and outs are of Tomb Raider: Anniversary's protracted passage to the Xbox 360 [where's my house, Eidos?], there's plenty to celebrate about this tardy conversion. First up, Eidos has been smart enough to release the game at mid-price, with most UK retailers pricing it at just GBP 24.99 for the boxed version. Interestingly, owners of last year's Tomb Raider Legend also have the option of downloading the game in four separate 'episodes', each priced at 600 points. The latter option, in particular, offers superb value for the kind of gamers who never get beyond the first few levels - but forcing Eidos to restrict sales of the downloadable version to owners of Legend seems like another of those illogical Xbox Live rules that ought to be shot in the head. Like a bear.

Apart from being able to get it on the cheap, there's another good reason for Tomb Raider fans to feel upbeat about waiting five months for a 360 version - Buzz Monkey has pulled off a solid conversion which manages to feel right at home on the format, despite the game's humble PS2 origins. No one who played the surprisingly excellent PC version should be too shocked by that fact, though, and it's this sumptuous-looking version that serves as the template for the 360 release.

Visually, it seems that the developers stopped short of providing us with the ultimate version, with a few of the graphical bells and whistles apparent on the PC version (like Lara's glistening skin as she emerges from water) shorn from this version. There's also a sense that the game doesn't really take full advantage of the 360's high definition capabilities - instead upscaling rather less ambitious resolutions, perhaps to ensure the game runs flawlessly. That the conversion team hasn't even rendered the game's front-end font in high resolution perhaps tells its own story, but fortunately, once you dive into the game itself, there's really nothing to get hung up about for more than five seconds. Tomb Raider: Anniversary might not be pushing the boundaries of visual excellence on the 360 (nor did Legend, thinking about it), but it's still a great looking game - mainly because the peerless level design throughout conjures such an eerily evocative atmosphere.

Death of a party

If you've joined the party late and are wondering why we're gibbering on about conversion quality and just want to know whether the game's any good in general, read on. Essentially, after mucking about with the series for years and ending up the frankly disastrous Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Eidos knew it had to take the series back to basics and recapture what people liked about Lara games in the first place. The first step towards that was 2006's Tomb Raider Legend - a game with terrible combat, dreadful boss monsters, cringeworthy motorbike sections, but enough action adventure excitement overall to remind people what the fuss was about. But if Legend was the hand that saved the series from the abyss, Anniversary hauls Lara Croft back into the fray in some style.

'Tomb Raider: Anniversary' Screenshot 1

Ever wondered why Lara's thighs are the same width as her calves?

But for all the acclaim lavished upon Anniversary this year, isn't it just a remake of the 1996 original with Legend's game engine and control system? Yes, but it's an update that just happens to work fantastically well - due in no small part to incredible level design which has barely dated in 11 years that have elapsed. Even if you played the game back when it came out, it's a game that you might enjoy even more now than you did then. Although it uses largely the exact same geometry as you might dimly recall, the way the levels play out make it feel like an entirely new game. Whatever solutions worked then, the fact that Lara's now blessed with a grapple gun changes the way you approach the puzzle fundamentals completely. No longer is Lara just pulling switches, pushing boxes and making leaps of faith, now you'll supplement those basics by swinging across gaps, running along walls, hopping daintily from pole to pole and pulling loose scenery down.

Underpinning all of this is one of the most finely honed control systems we've ever come across in an action adventure. Right from the beginning, it's a game that just feelsright, thanks, in no small part to the 360 pad itself. Even the most punishing-looking feats of athleticism are handled with aplomb by a set of simple control rules that govern the entire game - such as auto grab when you fall off a ledge, or the ability to recover easily from a slightly mis-timed jump or ledge grab. Being able to string together complex manoeuvres with confidence is part of what makes the game like this fun, and in that department, we cannot stress how much the control system has been improved since the old days. Back then, Core's tile-based approach to jumps tended to punish the player for minor slip-ups, and lining yourself up just so would invariably take multiple attempts to get right, whereas now the game gives you far more leeway, evidently reading your intentions far more intelligently. Rather than fighting against the controls and camera angle, Anniversary just lets you get on with adventuring - for the most part, but more of the niggles later.

Stick to the plan

Another thing all long-term Lara fans will be grateful for is that Crystal Dynamics resisted the temptation to shoehorn in all manner of unnecessary extras, such as more combat or extra narrative sequences as some sort of concession to modern trends. In terms of atmosphere, the team has recaptured the hopeless isolation of a lone explorer, carefully exploring its complex innards with wit and athleticism. It's a deliberately lonely game, with only the odd bear, bat, or lion to do battle with, and it's all the better for sticking to the platform puzzling elements for the most part. The best Tomb Raider games always used combat sparingly, and that ebb and flow between painstaking gymnastics and taking out some giant mythical beast gave the game a wonderful quiet-loud-quiet dynamic.

The one major concession to modern Quick Time Event (QTE) trends, unsurprisingly, doesn't really work that well. Every major game under the sun seems to have them, presumably because they allow developers to pull off really dramatic action sequences with crazy camera angles without the need to worry about control nuances. By simply reducing player input to a series of Simon-Says button presses, anything's possible in the world of interactive cut-scenes. The problem with them in Tomb Raider: Anniversary is that not only are they brainlessly easy to follow, they reduce some of the most iconic sequences in gaming history (in particular, the discovery of the T-Rex) to a series of button presses. The action that follows the QTEs often makes up for this tedious approach to framing the action, but we can't be the only people to see them as a negative addition to the series. It is perhaps just as well they represent a tiny fraction of the game, then.

Another modern addition that does work reasonably well are the Rage Attacks. Basically, when enemies get pissed off at Lara shooting at them, they charge at her in earnest - but for a split second the screen blurs and allows you to perform an Adrenaline Dodge by hitting the left stick in any direction and hitting B when prompted. If you pull it off, you go into slow motion, and two targeting reticules appear from opposite sides of the screen. If you time your shot at the point of their convergence, you can pull off a headshot and take off an even bigger chunk of damage than usual. Quite often, these tactics become absolutely essential during boss encounters, and add a palpable degree of skill and tension to these already fairly dramatic sequences. Put it this way, compared to some of the frankly dire 'circle-strafe and fire' boss sections in Legend, the ones in Anniversary are leagues ahead in variety and execution. Evidently someone was listening.

Curtain twitcher

'Tomb Raider: Anniversary' Screenshot 2

Lara, unconcerned that her head's next on that spike.

As for the more sedate portions of the game, as we keep saying, Anniversary is generally a hugely absorbing exercise in poking your nose in where it's not wanted...retrieving odds and sods, bits of broken mechanisms, and giving a big switch a big yank when it's all done to open up another big door to another dusty, ornate, deadly tomb. It might well be the least original blockbuster game released all year, but with big, lonely, platform-action adventures now curiously out of fashion, it feels fresh by virtue of being different to almost everything else cluttering up the shelves.

Unfortunately, as with Tomb Raider Legend, the game goes briefly off the boil towards the end - as if playtesting efforts perhaps weren't quite as focused on the climax as they might have been. How else do you explain the patently ludicrous difficulty spike that spoils the penultimate level? Admittedly, a smallish percentage will ever get to that point on level 13 to ever reach the painfully exacting sequence of wall runs and jumps and winged demon fighting that we refer to, but it takes the shine off what is, until that point, one of the most satisfying and enjoyable games of the whole year.

'Tomb Raider: Anniversary' Screenshot 3

It's amazing the lengths some people will go to on an Easter Egg hunt.

Of course, one added incentive to see the game through on the 360 is the curious added lure of Achievement points. But however much of an achievement it might be to get through some of these fiendish levels, Anniversary is probably the most tight-fisted 360 game since FEAR, and will require a serious investment of time to prize those 1000 points from its cold dead hands. Unlike Legend, you don't just get points for merely finishing levels, but actually have to find all the artefacts in any given level to even qualify. Further punishment is meted out on players by ensuring that extracting the rest relies on hugely taxing 'speed runs' - which is, obviously, the complete opposite approach to scouring for treasure. If you play it normally - i.e. taking your time finding treasure, but probably not being thorough enough, you'll end up with barely any points at all. Replay value or just being mean?

For the price, and for the quality of offer, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is easily one the best games released all year. Blessed with an excellent control system and chock full of masterfully designed levels, as far as puzzle-based action adventures go, there have been none finer for years. Sure, it's only a PC port, and doesn't have the lavish production values of the biggest titles currently out there. But if you can get beyond such trifling gripes, you'll find a game rich with intrigue and as satisfying a set of challenges you could ever wish for. Now, let's have a proper next-gen Lara game, please Eidos.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (57) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ecureuil #1 4 years ago

    I love this game. \o/

  • Murbal #2 4 years ago

    /wonders what happened to the PSP version

  • oneiros #3 4 years ago

    "Admittedly, a smallish percentage will ever get to that point on level 13 to ever reach the painfully exacting sequence of wall runs and jumps and winged demon fighting that we refer to..."

    Sorry; who what with the where now?
    Edited by 2 at 23/10/07 @ 14:11

  • BBIAJ #4 4 years ago

    PSP version has been out for months much?

  • Machiavel #5 4 years ago

    Why the bear hate? :(

  • ecureuil #6 4 years ago

    /wonders what happened to the PSP version

    It has been out for ages.

  • ecureuil #7 4 years ago

    Why the bear hate? :(

    /issues a Threat Down

  • Killerbee #8 4 years ago

    I've had this sitting waiting to be played (on my PS2) pretty much since it was released - I really should get on with it...

    Is a Wii version still planned?

  • krudster #9 4 years ago

    PSP version also comes out this week. Wii version early December I believe.

  • ecureuil #10 4 years ago

    PSP version also comes out this week.

    Wha..? I've seen the game case on the shelves of a local game store for the past month. Perhaps they were just placeholders, although they had price stickers on them.

  • Paukl #11 4 years ago

    After reading the review I wasn't expecting such a high score, didn't really read like a 9, but I guess the price plays a factor there.

    I still can't see myself picking this up, enjoying Half Life 2 far too much, and with the rest of the orange flavoured delights to munch through, and Pro Evo on Friday...well, sorry, Lara :(

  • krudster #12 4 years ago

    Trust me, it hasn't been released yet - PSP disks only came last week.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #13 4 years ago

    Too much at the moment to buy. Still I loved Legends and there is no way that I will not buy this. Just don't know how I will find the time to finish PGR4 and still start with Metroid, Orange Box, Tomb Raider, Phantom Hourglass and Phoenix Wright. And before you know it Super Mario Galaxy will be out as well.

  • ecureuil #14 4 years ago

    Too much at the moment to buy. Still I loved Legends and there is no way that I will not buy this. Just don't know how I will find the time to finish PGR4 and still start with Metroid, Orange Box, Tomb Raider, Phantom Hourglass and Phoenix Wright. And before you know it Super Mario Galaxy will be out as well.

    Yep, same here, and quite why publishers STILL insist on releasing their big titles at Christmas and ignoring the summer dry spell, I'll never know.

    krudster - I believe you! Is it going to be reviewed?

  • krudster #15 4 years ago

    I think we'll include the PSP version in a roundup of some sort. I think a third review would be overkill, don't you?

  • Oceadge #16 4 years ago

    Does this have the nice music from the original?
    What's the save system like? Can you save anywhere like the original on PC or do you have to save at those blue crystals as on the PS1?

  • krudster #17 4 years ago

    Save anywhere - no, but checkpoints very very regularly to the point that you don't need to (though this mechanic renders the health system rather irrelevant, because as soon as you die, you're respawned with full health.)

    It also has lovely music. There.

  • Monkey_Puncher #18 4 years ago

    Definite buy at some point, but as other people said it'll take a back seat while I try to find the time to play Orange Box, Mass Effect, COD4, Assassins Creed etc etc

  • miiiguel #19 4 years ago

    Can I ask for a review too ?

    Clive Barker Jericho!

    Please.

    By the way: how does the "1st time try" Achievements work ? And the time trials (as..., can one die ?)?
    Edited by 2 at 23/10/07 @ 15:20

  • Oceadge #20 4 years ago

    Cool, thanks Mr Krudster and nice review - I'll be getting this!

  • ecureuil #21 4 years ago

    I think we'll include the PSP version in a roundup of some sort. I think a third review would be overkill, don't you?

    Fair enough. Would be nice to know how it stacks up to the PS2 version, as Legend was a bit rough on the PSP.

    I don't understand the level 13 comment either...

    Not wanting to give anything away to those who haven't played it, but there's a very noticeable difficulty spike on level 13 that's rather infuriating, although many people may have been put off by the game by then as it takes a dip in quality. It's a shame they couldn't have reworked it for this version, it seemed a little like they rushed the end section in order to meet the deadline.

  • moggsy #22 4 years ago

    but forcing Eidos to restrict sales of the downloadable version to owners of Legend seems like another of those illogical Xbox Live rules that ought to be shot in the head

    Isn't this down to the fact that the Legend disc contains files required to play the downloadable Anniversary levels i.e. that would be too large to consider as a download?

  • morriss #23 4 years ago

    So is it cheaper for me to re-buy TR:L for £10 and download the content or buy the game full price?

  • Thorpe #24 4 years ago

    Terrible combat in Legend? Meh, it was ok. Not terrible. The reviewer should get out and play some more games if he or she thinks that was "terrible."

  • krudster #25 4 years ago

    Errr, any idea how many reviews I've written for this site since 2002? ;)

  • miiiguel #26 4 years ago

    Thorpe... it was/is pretty bad. Well above average game, though.
    Edited by 1 at 23/10/07 @ 15:42

  • Dr.Mott #27 4 years ago

    @ krudster

    It's still not enough! ;)

  • ecureuil #28 4 years ago

    @ krudster

    And you still have time to prattle with us pond life? Get writing already! :p

  • nickthegun #29 4 years ago

    So.....how many achievement points are up for grabs?

    Is it considered a live arcade game or the first volley in a cunning new digital distribution model?

  • Lionheart #30 4 years ago

    The mansion sucks :(

  • JayeM #31 4 years ago

    I want.

  • miiiguel #32 4 years ago

    nickthegun: It's not an Arcade game, it's just available through download, so the 1K rule applies.

  • _Price_ #33 4 years ago

    I preferred Yahtzee's review. It had more pictures.

  • cools #34 4 years ago

    "In terms of atmosphere, the team has recaptured the hopeless isolation of a lone explorer, carefully exploring its complex innards with wit and athleticism. It's a deliberately lonely game, with only the odd bear, bat, or lion to do battle with, and it's all the better for sticking to the platform puzzling elements for the most part."

    FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!

    A purchase soon methinks.

  • nickthegun #35 4 years ago

    @ miiiguel - Interesting......Thanks.

  • Feanor #36 4 years ago

    It would be a shame if anyone's put off getting the game by the Level 13 part of this review, because I don't think that bit is much more difficult than earlier sections, not with the generous checkpointing.
    Edited by 1 at 23/10/07 @ 18:00

  • menage #37 4 years ago

    I actually completed the first one, that last level really put me off though, especially the theme.

    I think a 9 is a bit high though. This hasn't aged THAT well.

  • sheldipez #38 4 years ago

    @ moggsy RE : downloadable version requires Legend to play

    No it's another Microsoft Rule I've been desperately trying to find the URL to the page where i read this. Pretty sure it was the same rule to as why the Halo3 beta was built into the menu of Crackdown and not a completely seperate download.

    Either way the game is going to be a refreshing change from the pile of FPS shooting out.

  • davisorle #39 4 years ago

    Game's the best TR since.. lots of years now.. Since angel of darkness that was a complete desaster this was needed... I loved it..

    @ reviewer
    Tomb Raider: AnniversaryReview
    " Better late than never. "

    This should be Sony's slogan since most games that we most played on 360 came out the least a year later on european PS3s.. Not that i care but it should really fit in that kind of an article more.

  • byron_hinson #40 4 years ago

    Got this on the 360 myself last week for review. Think it is great especially for the price, only let down is that there are a number of bugs that can crash the game that didn't get mentioned. Still a very good game.

  • ecureuil #41 4 years ago

    @ byron_hinson

    Which bugs are those? I sold my PS2 version because it kept crashing, and I was waiting on this version in the hope that it would be more reliable.

  • bonker #42 4 years ago

    Is this coming out on the PS3??

  • krudster #43 4 years ago

    Never experienced a bug in the entire PC game, and haven't so far in this version.

  • squeakyg #44 4 years ago

    You say: "The game doesn't really take full advantage of the 360's high definition capabilities - instead upscaling rather less ambitious resolutions."

    So... what pixel resolution does the game run at, if not 1280x720? Isn't 1280x720 the minimum requirement from Microsoft? And it's odd if there's no wet skin effect -- even the PS2 had that effect.

    I played the PC version. Excellent game. Except that when I reached a certain part on level 13, I knew that it was exactly the part Eurogamer said was a nightmare, and I tried the section a few times, and thought, "Screw THAT." And I downloaded a PC save game file that bypassed the section.
    Edited by 1 at 23/10/07 @ 23:12

  • dryden555 #45 4 years ago

    the low polys and fuzzy bitmaps in the PC version where disappointing. And animals couldnt navigate around rocks and ledges so it was easy to pick them off. If this is a port of the PC version as EG's reviewers says it is, I'd give it a low-ish 7

  • Darren #46 4 years ago

    Squeakyg - Tomb Raider Anniversary probably runs at 600p like Legends (the giveaway is the badly scaled typeface on the main menu screen), which is a bit disappointing considering how well the PC version runs on my mid-range machine at 1680x1050 with 4X AA and 16 X AF. According to FRAPS it seldom drops below 60 fps (v-synced by the way) and it feels silky-smooth all the time. That the 360 version doesn't even manage to run at 720p is quite frankly unforgivable in my opinion.

  • Triggerhappytel #47 4 years ago

    I love this game on PS2; Game of the Year for me so far. Assuming the 360 version is much the same as the PS2, this is essential – particularly at just £25. I know it’s a busy time of year for great games, but please don’t overlook this if you like the classic Tomb Raider games.

    It's also a very beautiful game on PS2, and I assume only moreso on 360 - although Lara's skin also glistens with water on the PS2 version.

    ”that point on level 13 to ever reach the painfully exacting sequence of wall runs and jumps and winged demon fighting that we refer to”

    I know this bit; it’s where you have to ascend the huge tall room near the end by wall running and jumping between ledges. It’s really bloody difficult but not impossible thanks to the checkpointing (and no small amount of trial and error).
    Edited by 1 at 24/10/07 @ 09:23

  • krudster #48 4 years ago

    If the game wasn't so damned good, I'd have railed against the game's inabilty to look as good as the PC version a lot more. For shame. I guess it wasn't a big priority for the conversion team.

  • huxathon #49 4 years ago

    Played this on the PC and it was one of the most satisfying games I've ever played, although the checkpoint system makes picking up health packs utterly irrelevant. sometimes it's easier to kill yourself and start at the beginning of a room then to tackle it with low health.

  • bushwod #50 4 years ago

    Will you review again when the wii version comes out? I want to see if the added motion sensing content bumps it up to a 10, or wrecks the whole thing.

    Then I've got to decide whether to get the Wii, 360 or PSP version. Decisions, Decisions.

  • BBIAJ #51 4 years ago

    Why on Earth has this been downgraded visually from the PC version!?

    That's just inexcusable!

    Stupid lazy assed conversion dev-team...

  • SeesThroughAll #52 4 years ago

    Why on Earth has this been downgraded visually from the PC version!?

    That's just inexcusable!

    Stupid lazy assed conversion dev-team...

    They did this so that PS3 owners can now hammer your head about how the 360 is shit. ;)

  • Darren #53 4 years ago

    BBIAJ - "Why on Earth has this been downgraded visually from the PC version!?

    That's just inexcusable!

    Stupid lazy assed conversion dev-team..."

    Maybe it's because this is also intended as a download to played from Legends, where keeping the file size down is critical and which, as I mentioned earlier, uses an engine that ran at 600p? Perhaps if the game had been designed as a standalone game only, it would have ran at 720p and looked as good, if not better than the PC version? Only the devs will know the answer to that but my money's on this being cutdown because it will be a download as well.

  • Feanor #54 4 years ago

    "I actually wish it didn't have the save anywhere feature, it removes a lot of the fear and challenge from the game in my opinion. Its still brilliant though, I loved it."

    You can save at any time, but when you load that save you will be at the last checkpoint you reached, so it's not a true save anywhere feature.

  • Gaol #55 4 years ago

    Played and completed on PC a while back I have to agree with this review; this game is bloody terrific; the improved controls combined with the original's level design = joy.

  • VMerken #56 4 years ago

    It's not really the 'old' level design. It was revised to accomodate miss Croft's new Parkours moves and as in any modern game, motion and battle have been dumbed down to simplistic levels. Creature combat is ridiculous and fundamentally broken in some places (why they even left it in, I don't know), the checkpoint system is broken (medkits? why bother getting those?) and pathfinding is easy since the Parkours elements painfully stand with respect to the background.

    It's Legend all over again, only bigger, more beautiful, it has solid music and (I will certainly give it that) with some new, interesting puzzles. The mansion "tutorial" is a lot of fun. But, with the above flaws, I really can't see this game earning anything over 8, honestly.

    rant mode off.

  • BBIAJ #57 4 years ago

    Okay, I haven't played the PC version of Anniversary, so I don't know if its wet effects are the same as Legend on the 360, but Lara definately does look different when wet in Anniversary on 360.

    Not Legends wet, but she's clearly shimmering and glistening, and her hair and clothes darken too.