| The first of the now-famous Tomb Raider games is a must-have for every gaming fan. You are Lara Croft, a tough, beautiful, sophisticated female Indiana Jones--think of a British Demi Moore in a fedora. Lara climbs walls, leaps chasms, and generally defies gravity using impressive gymnastics. All of her actions are intricately modelled to produce the life-like athleticism that made Tomb Raider--and Lara Croft--famous. But Lara's got more than good looks and smooth moves to help her on her globetrotting quest for relics. Like guns. Lots of guns. Lara begins her adventures with her trademark pistols, wielded John-Woo-style: one in each hand. She eventually works her way up to Uzis and even adds a handy shotgun to her arsenal, perfect for taking down a troublesome tyrannosaurus found in some steamy Tibetan lost world. Here's the story: having made a name for herself as a finder of antiquities, Lara is hired by a mysterious woman to find an artifact believed to have come from Atlantis. Lara travels around the world, plumbing the depths of long- or best-forgotten locales. As she discovers clues to the artifact's whereabouts, she also uncovers the true motivation behind her employer's search. The intriguing plot is told through gorgeous computer animation movie-cut scenes interspersed throughout the game's episodes. As you venture to and through various ancient tombs, a host of enemies and puzzles await you. In fact, it is the puzzles that will keep players interested even after the challenge of slaying enemies has passed. Also hidden throughout the game are a number of secret rooms and hidden treasures, unnecessary for completion of the game but adding a level of complexity and replay value. Being one of the few video game characters to grace mainstream magazine covers, Lara Croft is part of video game history. --Allen Stewart |
