Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light Hands-on

by Daemon Hatfield - IGN.com | 17 May 2010 12:00
 
The tomb raider is bringing a buddy on her next adventure.
 
We got our first look at Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light back at GDC this year, but at the time we weren't allowed to play the isometric co-op game for ourselves. That was then and this is now, as developer Crystal Dynamics recently brought the game by the IGN offices and let us raid through a couple levels. We came away impressed with this very different installment in the franchise.
 
You know what Lara Croft is all about by now, right? This girl raids tombs. Up until now she has done so under the Tomb Raider brand, but Crystal Dynamics is rethinking how it delivers her adventures. There will still be full-priced Tomb Raider games at retail that present the more traditional Lara Croft experience, but the developer wants to take more time to ensure their quality. In between these big retail releases will be smaller efforts like Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light, which is still a Tomb Raider game at heart. However, the lower risk of downloadable games gives Crystal Dynamics more leverage to try some new ideas -- new ideas like co-op play and arcade-style leaderboards.
 

Lara can attach her grapple to far away objects and create a tight rope for Totec to cross.

The story here is an isolated adventure that isn't related to any Tomb Raider game. Lara is looking for the Mirror of Smoke in a South American tomb. She encounters Totec, the Guardian of Light, who protects the mirror. Of course, there is also a bad guy trying to get his hands on the artifact, and after he steals it Lara and Totec must work together to get it back. That is probably the most notable feature of this game: it's really designed for co-op play. You can play it solo (and get a different experience with tweaked storyline and puzzles) but the puzzles are mostly designed for two people to tackle together. Co-op can be played both locally and online, and it seems like it will be a lot of fun working problems out with your partner. You'll definitely want to use your headset when playing online – communication is key.
 
Another major departure for the series is look of Guardian of Light. Tomb Raider games have traditionally been third-person action adventures with the camera situated behind Lara. Here we have an isometric view with the camera looking down on our heroes from above. The characters are much smaller than usual, giving the game a style that is similar to Gauntlet or Diablo. The makeover and downshift to a downloadable game doesn't mean the visuals are lacking, though – the Guardian of Light is looking very pretty. It runs on the same engine that Tomb Raider Underworld (Lara's last retail adventure) did and the environments here are expansive and detailed. Plants will sway as Lara runs by them, structures can be destroyed, and some nice lighting effects cast ominous shadows in the catacombs.
 
Along your journey you're constantly earning points for defeating enemies and finding treasure. If your health drops to zero you can simply respawn next to your partner, but your score will take a significant hit. After each level your score is posted to the leaderboards, so we expect a lot of competition for the biggest loots and fastest times once Guardian of Light is released this summer.
 
Totec has two main abilities that can be used to get himself and Lara where they need to go. First, he can throw a spear into a wall that Lara can use as a stepping stone. He also has a large shield he can hold over his head for Lara to stand on (there are also situations where he'll need to shield Lara from enemy fire). Lara has been made a little "sticky" so that if she's jumping to a spear or Totec's shield she will snap to it if you get her close enough.
 

Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light might be a smaller game, but the environments are still enormous.

Lara has a trick of her own she can use to get to those hard-to-reach places. She now has a very handy grapple technique that can be lowered down for Totec to climb up or shot across a chasm so she can pull herself across. One puzzle we encountered required Totec to take a leap of faith across a large gap in a bridge while Lara shot her grapple and caught him in midair. Fun stuff.
 
We're gonna go ahead and add Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light to the pile of upcoming downloadable games we're anticipating. Sure, the most recent Tomb Raider games haven't engrossed us as much as Lara's early adventures, but this new take on the series is looking like a lot of fun.
 
Supplied by IGN.com