Legend definitely has its share of coolness. As before, you play Lara on a quest to raid tombs and fight bad guys. This time, the relic in question is Excalibur, and the Arthur legend is interpreted in a pretty loose way that spreads the tale across multiple countries. As always, you are required to climb seemingly-impossible obstacles with precise, complex acrobatic moves. You occasionally fight armed goons and supernatural bosses (although, I don't recall many animals in this game). In addition to the main story, you can also explore the Croft manor for bonus collectables, and you can unlock a plethora of bonus material. Overall, the experience is an adventurous rush, much akin to a regular Indiana Jones or Dirk Pitt story.
All that being said, the game had its frustrating parts. I found myself breezing through parts of it satisfactorily, but then I'd be held up with some obstacle or crazy boss fight that just kept me stuck for hours. Part of the problem is that the game has a few iffy glitches (at least on the PS3's HD collection, I'm not sure how this game actually fared when it was first released for the PC and older consoles). Lara would often die an inexplicable, stupid death (especially in the last boss fight, where swinging Excalibur suddenly backfired and caused her to fly off the map). I had plenty of moments where a jump was miscalculated, either by me or the machine. It was never a smooth or fully-enjoyable experience, unfortunately; the game has a pretty even mix of good and bad moments.
The story that's told here is at least most of the way relevant, given that it explores more of Lara Croft's backstory and uses it as a focus for the main conflict. It is still episodic in a contrived way, stringing together exotic locations for the sake of giving you a series of unique levels with unique challenges. The game ultimately hits up some decent character-building points, but the plotting feels like more of the same.
This game boasts some adequate graphics, especially for its time. It is most notable for its animation and movements; Lara's climbing and acrobatics are quite flexible and dynamic, and offer its own array of challenges. The gameplay and control scheme overall is pretty sublime and easy to master. Levels are well-designed, and features okay-looking settings, items, costumes, and creatures. Sounds and voices aren't too bad, and the music is lovely.
Playing Tomb Raider: Legend is pretty fun, but with a few frustrating moments. If you're a casual fan of adventure gaming, it'll be worthwhile as long as you're patient and able to stick with it. Fans should love it though.
4/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Pretty Good | Game: Good)
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