Visually, this game is an obvious improvement over the original series. And it's even a slight upgrade over last year's Tomb Raider: Legend. But the visual prowess still falls short of what I had hoped for. Ms. Croft looks excellent as always, and there's not too much to complain about with the environments. But there's not anything graphically that's really going to "wow" you either. And the lack of HD-support really magnifies this shortcoming. Perhaps I expected too much, but I really wanted Tomb Raider: Anniversary to look cutting edge in this gen, like the source material looked cutting-edge ten years ago. But it does receive a passing grade for the visuals, which is good enough for most.

Sound quality delivers pretty well. Voice acting is spot-on in most situations, and while the music is so-so, you can't really fault it because this is supposed to be a vintage experience. And the music definitely does a great job of alerting you to an enemy and inducing the frantic shooting frenzy that comes with enemies. I just wish they would have beefed up the individual level scores. There's so much done with the sound in modern games, and I feel that this would have been a perfect opportunity to give this classic an upgrade. But much like the graphic, the sound in Tomb Raider: Anniversary receives a passing grade for being true to the series and delivering an experience that is good enough for most people who are fans of the original.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary is definitely an experience. For most of us, it hearkens back to the days when the PlayStation was the console to have, and Tomb Raider was the best game ever. Playing the original Tomb Raider game through this new lens also reminded me that sometimes less is more. There's such a simple premise to the game, yet it has lasted ten years. Playing it today felt just as new and exciting as playing it ten years ago did. And that is this game's main strength. I suspect that gamers who played the original and those who have only recently been introduced to the Tomb Raider mythos will find something to love in Tomb Raider: Anniversary!

By Amanda Kondolojy
CCC Freelance Writer

Features:
racing action is captured in cinematic style and players are rewarded for showing off their skills a