Tomb Raider II: Only for Tomb Raider fans.
teh2Dgamer
100% score
Though many people say that this is where Tomb Raider lost it's focus, Tomb Raider II is probably my favorite game in the series. Tomb Raider might be the best, but Tomb Raider II was my first introduction to the series, and is therefore my favorite for that reason. So what new does this game bring to the table over the first one? Well, It's got a more epic adventure, Lara Can now climb (yes that's right she couldn't climb up things in the first one), She now has the ability to ride in a few different vehicles, and this is the game in the series where she became less of an animal murder, and more of a mass human murderer.
Though it has word Tomb in the name, you'll spend very little time in the tombs. This adventure takes Lara across the globe from The Great Wall of China, to Venice the city on the water, to even the wreck of an underwater ship, and etc. Yes, the locations might not be tombs, but Lara is the Tomb Raider, and this is her adventure, so the tombs really aren't missed. Sure that might make for puzzles that don't make sense, but Tomb Raider has always been essentially a puzzle/adventure game. I think too much emphasis has been put on having realistic puzzles over having well though out, and well designed puzzles. It might not make sense for there to be pull switches and booby traps in ancient mansions in Venice, but if it's still engaging gameplay, it doesn't have to.
The game also strikes a good balance of puzzles vs action. It doesn't throw enemies at you all the time, so you never quit know when they're going to pop up thus keeping the player on their toes at all times. this means that Tomb Raider II is just as capable of creating an air of suspense as it predecessor. Lara also has a bigger more varied arsenal to deal with the game's bigger more varied cast of baddies. Lara will need to use every weapon at her disposal to take out her new Human, animal, and the "whatever" opponents that the game throws at her.
The game's controls are what turn most new Tomb Raider players off to the game. Tomb Raider II's controls are typical for the old Tomb Raider games. That means they're tough to learn, and tough to master. Ms. Croft might move like a tank, but the controls work great for the square grid that the levels are designed to. For the many jumps that Lara has to make, the controls allow the player to be able to make jumps even when the often bothersome camera doesn't give the best angle for the jump. However, the controls mixed with Lara's auto aim make the camera issues that killed many of the games in that era less of a problem, because you can have confidence that you can make a jump without even seeing it, or even shoot at an enemy that isn't in your view. Often times Lara's auto aim will be the first to alert you that there is an enemy present which will can be a life saver at times.
Another complaint that people might have with the game, and the series in general is that it's not always clear what to do next. This complaint is understandable, but it just means that finally figuring out a though puzzle is all that more rewarding (that is if you don't give up on a though puzzle first) to the player, and in this Tomb Raider, you have to option to save anywhere, so the many and often frustrating deaths no longer mean a lot of backtracking for the player. Tomb Raider purists criticized the game for allowing player to save anywhere saying that it made the game too easy. Believe me, the game is plenty challenging regardless.
Bottom Line: This is my personal favorite game in the Tomb Raider series. It's still more of the same, but if you're a fan, or have never played the old Tomb Raider series, then it's worth checking out this lengthy and challenging adventure. However, if you hate Tomb Raider, then this won't change your mind about the series.
