Tomb Raider: Anniversary

This was a rare case in which I finished a game that I had started years ago. I really enjoyed the Tomb Raider reboot that Crystal Dynamics did back in 2006 with Legend. I played that game as a freebie back when Game Tap was in its hey day and started Anniversary shortly thereafter but only got about 2/3rds the way through before it was taken off the free list. I only recently got it as a $1.99 game on Steam with the goal of finally finishing it.

Technically this is a re-imagining of the first Tomb Raider game using the newer game engine. Having never played the original, I am not sure how close it is to the source material. It feels a lot like Legend but there really is not much of an attempt to craft a story around the puzzle-platforming. The levels are pretty empty (especially when compared to the 2013 re-reboot). This feels more like a level pack than a major release. The game-play mechanics are well-established and solid, so it works simply as a fun diversion. I enjoyed most of it despite the lack only driving narrative motivation and I assume this is much smoother to play than the original. But I don’t think I will be going back and trying to get 100% completed on the entire game like I did with the last Tomb Raider.