A new Lara, nothing like the old Lara….
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a new direction for one of gaming’s biggest icons. Leaving behind the full 3D of previous titles, GOL instead utilises an isometric view and a lower budget to try out a fresh approach to a series which has arguably gone stale in recent years.
The plot sees Lara searching for a mystical mirror in Central America. Upon finding it, an ancient evil known as Xolotl is awoken, with an intent to destroy the world. Luckily, at the same time, an esoteric light guardian called Totec is also restored to life to help guide Lara on her journey. And so begins the first important point of GOL: multiplayer lets two gamers play side by side as Lara and Totec, solving the puzzles in tandem and working together, or one player can go alone as Lara. Multiplayer absolutely wins out here, as the co-op play is intuitive and clever. Puzzles require players to really rely on each other in ways few games manage to convincingly pull off.
GOL is an action platformer of the old style, blending a good dose of combat, head scratching puzzles and jumpy goodness we have come to know and love. However, the title actually benefits from the viewpoint: no longer do you have to scope about for the next obvious handhold. Instead, gameplay becomes a series of large, interlinked rooms with the objectives obvious from the moment you walk in. The skill lies in the layering affect of the way the game is presented: not only does the gamer have the straight forward objectives to complete, but each level is packed with hidden goodies, and a wide array of objectives, from collecting objects to time based puzzles.
Control is easy: left stick to move, right stick to aim, right trigger to shoot, x to jump, and a few other fripperies besides. The player has a wide array of tools at their disposal, ranging from a spear that can be used to climb, to a variety of guns (although they are a bit of a variation on a theme…), and triggered explosives that can be used in combat and puzzles. The blend of abilities is crucial to the title: each dungeon comes up with new and complex ways of combining the simple tools at your disposal, and even the most mundane of tasks can get you planning a clever solution for a cheeky bonus.
Presentation is a corker as well: despite the simple layout, many scenes are told in-engine, and the game stands up well to close scrutiny. Aspects of the story are also portrayed using a comic-book style, which doesn�t detract from the game at all – if anything, it adds an extra layer of Saturday-serial sheen to a well polished title. Sound also works, with guns having punch, explosions having weight and dialogue steering clear of cheesiness by a cat�s whisker.
Single player is good, but the game comes alive in multiplayer. Simple traversals become frantic exercises in pace and skill, as one slip up from one of the players can ruin an entire sequence of events. There really is little co-op gameplay that is as much fun as this: one player may be firing pinpoint shots to create a pathway for the other mid-jump, and the slightest lapse can bring several minutes careful work to a halt. It feels as though this title was built for two players, rather than the multiplayer being a last minute addition.
GOL is a fantastic addition to a legendary series, and one which really reinvents one of gaming’s great legacies – Lara�s tomb raiding benefits hugely from the “one step back” approach employed here. Simple, slick gameplay, coupled with a low price make the title quite a bargain – a few more levels would be nice, but there is so much to do and go back for, you should be kept busy for a good amount of time, and this only grows with the excellent multiplayer offering too. Definitely worth a few notes while you wait for the next Call of Duty……..
The Bad: Can feel a touch old fashioned; slight lack of variance with the weapons.
Gold Y Award