She's back--Tomb Raider: Legend featuring everyone's favorite video game heroine Lara Croft brings the series back to life after the past few ho-hum titles. Available for PC, PS2, PSP, and both Xboxes, this video game is blanketing all the consoles out there. And it's a worthy title to own for any fans of the Tomb Raider series--or action video games in general.

The story is similar to previous games: Lara is tracking down an ancient artifact across the world, although there are more supernatural elements here than in previous games. But it's the gameplay that really brings this video game to life. The controls are intuitive and easy to pick up. And Lara feels extremely nimble and quick--you can have her scamper up a rope extra fast if you're in a hurry, for example.

And you just might be. The game is filled with unlockable extras--some that you can just find, and others that require you to make it through a level quickly and with few errors. It adds some replayability to this single-player video game that feels a bit too short.

Graphically, the video game looks stunning on any platform, but especially on the Xbox 360. There are some frame rate issues on this new console, but the visuals make it well worth it. Lara looks fantastic, with fluid movements and animations, and the background sceneries from Tokyo to Africa really add to the photorealism of the video game.

The puzzles, a ubiquitous part of the Tomb Raider series, are for the most part straightforward and rarely annoying. Two motorcycle levels add some variety to the gameplay, and you have to pay attention during the video game's cut scenes because they often require your input or it's a quick death for Lara.

Our only real complaint about the video game--besides its length--is the fact that in the Xbox 360 version the health pack button was too easy to hit when activating a weapon switch or Lara's flashlight, so we tended to waste the packs.

But apart from this minor nitpick, Tomb Raider: Legend is a welcome return to Lara Croft greatness. It's got humor, beautiful graphics, fun gameplay and great characters--what more do you want from a video game?


Pro: Fun and easy to play, excellent graphics
Con: A bit short, health pack button misplacement