Lara Croft is one of those tricky games characters with massive brand awareness, who has spent the years since her debut giving birth to ever more disappointing offspring (see also: Sonic The Hedgehog, whose games apparently get worse as he becomes increasingly smug in his promotional artwork).
Aside from just how groundbreaking the Tomb Raider games were, there was something utterly unique about the series' first couple of instalments, that all those subsequent sequels and reboots have failed to recapture.
Somehow, the more technically accomplished and cinematic the games get, the more diluted the atmosphere. Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider 2 had a sparseness to them - the soundtrack was virtually empty, barring the occasional orchestral swell, and the sound design seemed to reflect the design of levels.
Limited draw distances made the spaces feel more mysterious, more terrifying, and more empty. Rarely since has a game made us feel more alone and vulnerable. And rarely since have we ever felt that same sense of discovery and awe as we did crawling through a narrow shaft, before stumbling out onto a massive, subterranean amphitheatre. With a dinosaur in it.
Aside from just how groundbreaking the Tomb Raider games were, there was something utterly unique about the series' first couple of instalments, that all those subsequent sequels and reboots have failed to recapture.
Somehow, the more technically accomplished and cinematic the games get, the more diluted the atmosphere. Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider 2 had a sparseness to them - the soundtrack was virtually empty, barring the occasional orchestral swell, and the sound design seemed to reflect the design of levels.
Limited draw distances made the spaces feel more mysterious, more terrifying, and more empty. Rarely since has a game made us feel more alone and vulnerable. And rarely since have we ever felt that same sense of discovery and awe as we did crawling through a narrow shaft, before stumbling out onto a massive, subterranean amphitheatre. With a dinosaur in it.
The recent Tomb Raider reboot did a decent job of returning us to Lara Croft's roots, but we still miss the eery and singular ambience of those first couple of games.
LARA CROFT AND THE MEMORY LANE
Do you remember Lara Croft & The Guardian of Light? You'd be forgiven for sort of ignoring it - as a four-player isometric spin-off of the Tomb Raider franchise it was precisely the type of thing one would "meh" at.
It more or less hit at a time when the guardians of the Tomb Raider franchise seemingly didn't really know what to do with Ms Croft. However, it was cheap, cheerful and respectably playable; hardly something to set the world aflame, but a decent enough stopgap to keep the series alive until they could blue-sky a better idea.
The Temple of Osiris is its sequel, and is the proverbial 'more of the same'. And that same is this same: L.Croft breaks into an old tomb, accidentally unleashes some ancient evil crocodile dude - whom we shall henceforth implore you all refer to as Crocky The Crook - and spends the remainder of the game trying to put the nasty back in his box.
This being a co-op game she has brought a special friend with her - the amusingly named Carter Bell - and swiftly meets a couple of supernatural types, whom she enlists for a four-way; Horus and Isis (no relation to the real bad terrorist guys, presumably - although that might've been one option for ensuring the game didn't get overlooked...). Depending on which character you're playing you'll either be shooting at monsters and clay pots with guns or with magical sticks.
LARA CROFT AND THE MEMORY LANE
Do you remember Lara Croft & The Guardian of Light? You'd be forgiven for sort of ignoring it - as a four-player isometric spin-off of the Tomb Raider franchise it was precisely the type of thing one would "meh" at.
It more or less hit at a time when the guardians of the Tomb Raider franchise seemingly didn't really know what to do with Ms Croft. However, it was cheap, cheerful and respectably playable; hardly something to set the world aflame, but a decent enough stopgap to keep the series alive until they could blue-sky a better idea.
The Temple of Osiris is its sequel, and is the proverbial 'more of the same'. And that same is this same: L.Croft breaks into an old tomb, accidentally unleashes some ancient evil crocodile dude - whom we shall henceforth implore you all refer to as Crocky The Crook - and spends the remainder of the game trying to put the nasty back in his box.
This being a co-op game she has brought a special friend with her - the amusingly named Carter Bell - and swiftly meets a couple of supernatural types, whom she enlists for a four-way; Horus and Isis (no relation to the real bad terrorist guys, presumably - although that might've been one option for ensuring the game didn't get overlooked...). Depending on which character you're playing you'll either be shooting at monsters and clay pots with guns or with magical sticks.
Its arcade-y, simple puzzles - rolling giant stone balls onto switches and that - rarely get in the way of the explore 'em up action.
There's stuff with grappling hooks, and a token RPG element - being able to upgrade stats by collecting gems - and you can collect new gear, but let's not try to pretend that this is anything but a shoot 'em up at its core. A shoot 'em up designed to be played online, with online weirdos.
It's hardly brilliant, and isn't going to push your hardware beyond the lightest of sweats. But on the plus side, for purists it does at least boast Lara in her classic Tomb Raider vest and hot pants.
SUMMARY: Cheap, cheerful, perfectly playable, but hardly essential.
OVERALL: 60.4341%
There's stuff with grappling hooks, and a token RPG element - being able to upgrade stats by collecting gems - and you can collect new gear, but let's not try to pretend that this is anything but a shoot 'em up at its core. A shoot 'em up designed to be played online, with online weirdos.
It's hardly brilliant, and isn't going to push your hardware beyond the lightest of sweats. But on the plus side, for purists it does at least boast Lara in her classic Tomb Raider vest and hot pants.
SUMMARY: Cheap, cheerful, perfectly playable, but hardly essential.
OVERALL: 60.4341%
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