All right, here's the deal. Tomb Raider:legend rocks. In fact, this game is sOoOoO much better than any other Tomb Raider, it's safe to say the series has indeed, been saved. Why? Off the top of my head ( as minutes before this online entry I wrapped the game): 1. It's pretty. My only bitch slip is that when Lara is done pumping some baddie or rabid cougar full of the ol' metal injection via her two pistals, shotgun, or semi-automatic, they blip and disappear. Kinda takes the realism out of it, a mistake they should have noted in Angel of Darkness. I know it sounds morbid as more or less I'm demanding the presence of my enemy's corpses, but it's just strange.... whatever. 2. Lara is no longer the stiff, frigid, mechanical, rigid, cubic, movement inclined... OK, you get the point, character from the previous iterations. She -get this-... MOVES! And moves properly! You'll be playing through this game, and the controller literally cradles your every whim with the best controls for this series... EVER! And since this game involves split second button presses, it's an aspect of the game that if not done properly, would have ruined the franchise and damaged it... a lot. 3. The story. What the hell was with Angel of Darkness? You know what, I don't even wanna know. You know what I do wanna know? When Legend will become a movie, it's that good. I loved this story, and I won't spoil it, but wow. It's not the best story ever, not a Final Fantasy or Metal Gear, but it urges you to continue long after an area or puzzle has you stumped, and that's just fine by me. I loved the character of Amanda, and Lara is wicked witty in this game. The ending leads nicely into the next game, unlike Angel which just left me with an urge slathor my game disc with meat sauce and feed it to my dog. 4. TOMBS! A tomb with a view... I love the tomb areas, as... ya know, your raiding again! Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of moments outside the archaic monuments, but nothing even compares to the tomb moments. The puzzles are more organic, and although the "pull the lever crap" is still in this one, it's minimal. So I likey:) A lot! 5.Bottom line, Lara is back. I like where the series is headed. Crystal Dynamics really did their homework for this game. On a personal note, I loved the music as well. The ambiance the music creates is subtle, but just as easily as it can permeate like a whisper, it has thumping moments of bravado, and I love the motorcycle music, of which there are two instances. Yeah for Ducati! This game has restored my faith, and I know it will be successful, as they have retained the essence of Tomb Raider, while importing new ideas ( the grapple mechanism rocks!). I am guessing a movie reprise will surface at some point or another as the games begin to become more refined. Now that Cyrstal Dynamics has stepped into the water, I wanna see what they have planned next. BUY THIS GAME!! * (the mansion you get to explore kicks a lot also!:)*
