First look: Tomb Raider: Anniversary

The original lady of PlayStation is brought up-to-date with a remake of the original Tomb Raider.

This year sees the release of Tomb Raider: Anniversary from Eidos. The game is a remake of the original Tomb Raider game featuring Lara Croft, an archaeologist who uses her problem solving skills, athleticism and feminine charm to uncover ancient artefacts and worlds. Eidos is looking to achieve what Peter Jackson did with King Kong in modernising the look and feel of a classic piece of entertainment.

Looking Back

The original Tomb Raider game was a third person adventure that gave something new to the gaming world in the mid 90s. The game introduced a strong female character, a gripping storyline and 3D interactive environments that marked it out as a milestone in game development.

The last ten years have seen Lara gain a team and an array of gadgets as the Tomb Raider franchise has grown, including many game sequels and movies. Lara has successfully jumped from PS one to PlayStation 2 and on to PSP(PlayStation Portable). Now, Tomb Raider: Anniversary looks to bring the true essence of Lara into the modern day, as she returns in her original guise as a lone figure, with no gadgets but a lot of elaborate puzzle solving to do.

First Look

As an early introduction to Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Eidos revealed a first look at the caves and lost valley in the Peru level of the game. Realistic environments are standard in today's games and Eidos has invested a lot of effort in updating these from the original including realistic sound effects and fluid animations; Lara is no longer fixed to a grid system for her movement as in the PS one version.

The new game score is from BAFTA winner Troels Brun Folmann and includes his updated interpretation of the original music, which retains a special place in the hearts of Tomb Raider purists.

Back To Basics

The main updated elements of the anniversary version are the sense of space and the clever use of environments for classic puzzle solving. The combination of enhanced sound and animations give the caves a real sense of depth. The player will want to make every jump, as a plunge to the depths of a cave will make you catch your breath.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary will be both an introduction to a classic game for those who missed the original, and a modern look back at a first love for Tomb Raider veterans.

Look out for more information about this game on au.playstation.com in the coming months.