Nearly every active gamer since the late 90's should be familiar with the gaming icon that is Lara Croft. As of the star of Tomb Raider, Lara Croft has been featured in nine console/pc games, three mobile games, two Game Boy games, two (soon to be three) feature films starring Angelina Jolie, and ungodly amounts of unprintable images that come up on a Google image search.

Given the wild popularity of the series when it began, it's understandable why Core Design pushed out near-yearly updates to the franchise. Every new title had a small update (one of the much-hyped features back in the day was the ability to shoot underwater), but the gamaplay and level design in general were stuck in 1996. Core took a longer break before pushing out Angel of Darkness, but it was still the same old stuff that fueled the downward plunge of the series. In fact, Angel of Darkness was so poorly received Paramount blamed it for the failure of the second Tomb Raider film.

It was then, of course, that Eidos removed Core Design from the series, leaving Crystal Dynamics in charge of Lara's new adventure. Crystal Dynamics, with the guidance of Toby Gard, the creator of Lara Croft, had an immense task ahead of them: save the series. Their labor of love is evident in Tomb Raider: Legend, and the attempt is successful for the most part.

Serving as a sort of continuity reset, Lara Croft is no longer the sexed-up solo superstar that goes into every situation with guns blazing. I mean, she still has the physical features, the guns, and is still the only person you play as - but the character is much less the assassin the series turned her into... and more a female equivalent of Indiana Jones. A new street-smart and tough Lara Croft is much appreciated, but what sweetens the deal are her "sidekicks." Instead of continuing the tradition of talking to herself, Lara now has Zip and Allister (a hacker and an archaeologist, respectively) on a constant communication relay throughout the game. Their banter helps flesh out the trio, giving them some personality.

It's because of this and the plot progression that Tomb Raider: Legend feels more like an old-timey globetrotting serial than a game. Each level takes Lara into a new adventure with plenty of action, beautiful scenery, some snappy dialogue, and recurring themes that tie everything to a few central plot threads. The plot moves briskly (the game is around six hours), but the storyline makes it a fun ride that shouldn't be missed.

Level design in itself is vastly improved from the recent chapters of the franchise. Instead of the blocky tunnels of old, Tomb Raider: Legend features a wide range of realistic environments that span the globe. Including the wide-open jungle of Bolivia, the windswept mountaintops of Nepal, and even a rooftop melee in Tokyo in addition to the series' mainstay of tombs, Tomb Raider: Legend keeps you looking forward to what the next visual wonder will be.

Crystal Dynamic seemed to have a greater emphasis on making platforming and fighting more robust and intuitive, and it shows. Taking a cue from Indiana Jones' whip, Lara now has a multi-functional magnetic grapple. The magnetic grapple is a useful little device, able to attach to any shining metal object in the game. Grappling onto objects is essential throughout, as puzzles and platforming necessitate it.

As well, Crystal Dynamics has put in a few melee options to explore. Unlike most games with guns, Lara is not limited to only shooting enemies. With the abilities to jump, kick, slide-tackle, and even do a Prince of Persia-style run up an opponent's front, Tomb Raider: Legend succeeds in making a compelling combat system that doesn't feel as stiff or unwieldy as the previous games.

Between the plotting, level design, and gameplay, Tomb Raider: Legend does an admirable job of rescuing the franchise. Crystal Dynamics have torn down the franchise, consulted with the creator, and rebuilt it from the ground up as something significantly different... Something *great.*

1. Beautiful level design
2. Refined gameplay
3. An intriguing plotline keeps the game fresh

1. A bit short, at six hours
2. Why did it take this long to put competent developers behind the most famous female face in gaming?