Lara Croft returns to the Xbox 360, bringing along with her one of the best adventure games revamped and renewed. The puzzles, the grappling, the way Lara effortlessly mounts those poles; Tomb Raider Anniversary does Ms. Croft and the series proud. Built on the same engine as Tomb Raider Legends, the graphics, controls and foxily remade Lara Croft all reflect her triumphant return to the world of gaming while paying homage to her original adventure.

The puzzle element in Tomb Raider has always been a staple, and while the constant element of room after room of puzzles can get stale, there still remains a complete thrill at safely guiding Lara through the perilous ruins of ancient cities. Anniversary features engrossing puzzles, particularly when you use Lara's sweet grappling, jumping and climbing moves. There's something to be said for climbing to the top of a beautifully designed room, surveying the territory, flipping a switch and doing a swan dive into a lake presumably hundreds of feet below. (The fact that Lara comes out soaking wet doesn't hurt either.) These environments are larger than life; you feel the gloom of the tomb, the isolation of a forgotten city, and the mood brings you even further into the game.

Puzzles aren't the only thing you'll enjoy. You've also got your fair share of running and gunning. To be fair, the artificial intelligence isn't the smartest kid in the class, but hey, at least it puts up a fight. We mean, it makes sense to run into a wall in a different direction when someone shoots at you. Combat isn't all bad though, as there are sweet time-sensitive moves where if Lara jumps out of the way just at the right moment, the action slows down and allows her to administer the killing shot to her adversary. While it's not the newest innovation, it still manages to be fun and satisfying, and you've got to master it if you want to take down the big bosses. Furthermore, it's great to shoot down bridges and grapple from the middle to swing yourself to completely new, unreachable place.

Tomb Raider Anniversary is a wonderful present to the world celebrating Lara's 10 years in our gaming lives. Ms. Croft is better than ever, running around in her booty shorts and tight top, all the while kicking ass and taking names. There are some downfalls, but those little squabbles can't touch this game's quality. Happy Anniversary, Lara. Happy Anniversary indeed.

Our Final ScoreExcellent

What did you think of this game? Post Your Own Review