Busy Gamer News

Too busy to devote 12+ hours a day to your gaming habit? Here's a review that's sensitive to your needs: Short and focused on just the things that a busy gamer like you really needs to know.


Busy Gamer Review-
Tomb Raider: Legend

Reviewed On: Xbox 360. Versions also available for GameCube, PS2, PC, PSP and original Xbox. Versions on the GameBoy Advance and Nintendo DS are significantly different.

In a Nutshell: Run around as Lara Croft. Jump, shoot, swing and slide. Pick up treasures. Try not to get killed. Unlock slinky costumes. Unfurl a well-acted, somewhat interesting story that explore Lara's troubled past.

This game is actually quite enjoyable, if you can forgive some minor quirks and confusing puzzles. You'll most likely be running to Gamefaqs.com in search of your next step or a hard-to-get treasure at least a half a dozen times over the course of the game. Motorcycle levels are a nice diversion, though pretty unchallenging. Levels are thoughtfully arranged and include fun diversions such as climbing a Yakuza skyscraper in Japan and rooting around a cheesy, rundown King Arthur museum in England. Small sections of the game require quick button presses in response to onscreen cues - with the penalty of a long reload if you miss a step. The boss battles are remarkably easy to figure out (well, except for one) though most are challenging and fun - except for the final boss, who is embarrassingly simple to dispatch.

Overall, the fun parts outweigh the frustrating parts.

Learning Curve: In-game help will ramp you up on Lara's moves slowly over the first few levels, but it's mastery of these core skills that will get you good enough to beat the game. You'll want to replay the earlier levels once you know your way around - they're actually much more fun when you're not constantly falling to your death!

The Save Game: You can save progress only after reaching a checkpoint. Most checkpoints aren't too far apart, but you may have to sacrifice some advancement (including rewards found since the last checkpoint) if a little one wanders into the room or needs you attention. Once you beat the game, you can replay levels and save rewards as you go.

Family Factor: The rating is T for Teen with warnings about blood, violence, language and suggestive themes. Basically, your standard action adventure fare - if your kids' entertainment includes shooting bad guys and very light swearing, you're OK. In fact, older kids might even help you figure out some of the harder puzzles! The Croft Manor playground section is tame enough that even young ones can watch - you do use guns to blast open a few secret areas, but otherwise there's nothing to disturb a toddler.

Buy, Rent or Skip? This game is a borderline buy. If you find it for less than $30, snap it up. Otherwise, rent unless you're a die-hard Lara Croft fan or you adore time trials and like to earn every unlockable item. The main game can be beat in 10-12 hours easily on standard difficulty, but replaying it at the hardest level and knocking out the timed runs will give you another 10 hours or so of play.