Tomb Raider 2

by Eidos Interactive

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002SA3S
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,874 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

GameSpot Review

It was only a year ago that Eidos Interactive released Tomb Raider, a game that had such innovative flare that it defined its publisher as a formidable force in the gaming industry. With its cavernous 3D environments and charismatic protagonist - a hip English jet-setter named Lara Croft - Tomb Raider pioneered new territory in gaming. But can Tomb Raider II, which seldom strays from the original formula, stand up to the new generation of action games on the shelf? Definitely.

Taking its cue from the previous game, Tomb Raider II sees Croft becoming embroiled in a brand new globe-trotting hunt for treasure. Again, levels are lushly appointed with colorful textures, taking you on a visual voyage from the waterways of Venice to eerie subterranean catacombs, this time in search of the Dagger of Xian, a relic that supposedly bestows great power upon its bearer.

Once again, plot has little bearing on the Tomb Raider experience. Most of Lara's activities still consist of finding a key to open a door to find another key, with a lot of puzzle solving in between. For example, in one level a switch is thrown and a door opens in another part of the level. When the door is finally reached, it's shut. Solution: Drive a speedboat up to the door as soon as the switch is thrown. There are also a host of "timed" traps, where Lara will find herself having to charge desperately through a labyrinth of encroaching spikes and collapsing floors when she least expects it. It's the process of finding the key, of getting to that particular door that just opened, that makes Tomb Raider II a truly engaging adventure.

Complaints about the original, such as the tedium of levels and Lara's sometimes erratic control, have definitely been addressed in the sequel. Basic moves such as running leaps and grabs are slightly easier to perform with the new and improved heroine. Most importantly, this helps the levels stay interesting. From the very beginning, each trap or physical obstacle poses an extreme challenge, forcing you to control Lara with the utmost adeptness. More often than not, getting Ms. Croft from one ledge to another requires that two or more specific moves are executed in series. Performing a Hail-Mary leap only to cling successfully to a far-away wall; figuring out how to execute that perfect double-gainer back flip to get around a seemingly impassable trap: These kind of activities become the most rewarding part of playing the game.

Apart from being larger, the levels in Tomb Raider II are also more geographically interesting. Lara is exaggeratedly dwarfed in her surroundings, scaling the enormous walls of a gangster hideout's vestibule during one adventure, swinging from balcony to balcony in a surrealistically proportioned opera house during another. When dropped into these extremely spacious environments, Lara becomes a sort of modern Alice in Wonderland with you ultimately acting as guide. Featuring 18 massive levels, it's probably safe to say that Tomb Raider II represents more of an adventure than Alice ever had.

Tomb Raider was all about looks, and Tomb Raider II continues that trend. When running the game with a 3Dfx card, it's often tempting to simply sit back and take in the view. Combining breathtaking landscapes, fluid, Disney-like character animation, and (most importantly) a nicely balanced procession of obstacles, traps, and puzzles, Tomb Raider II is an excellent continuation to the Lara Croft saga.--Tim Soete

--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She's a bad-ass, November 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tomb Raider 2 (CD-ROM)

This game is ridiculously addictive and excellent. I literally can't stop playing the thing. However, there are places where you could put yourself into a situation in which you have to go back and repeat the previous level in order to avoid a non-correctable error. Overall, very enjoyable, and even entertaining to watch someone else play. Graphics are fabulous.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the TR series, February 12, 2000

By 

"slrmercury" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tomb Raider 2 (CD-ROM)

If you don't own this game and you like the TR series, I recommend buying it. It is such an improvement over TR (which is a great game) and it is much funnier than TR3 (too hard.) Lara kicks butt in this game and I love playing it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sequel the Overshadows the Original, June 17, 2002

By 

Chris W. (Kansas City, Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tomb Raider 2 (CD-ROM)

From the Great Wall of China to the canals of Venice, Tomb Raider II is the rare case in which a sequel is better than an original. In fact, I find this game to be my favorite of the series. In it the legendary Lara Croft sets out to find the Dagger of Xion. In her quest she navigates the globe, and even takes a couple of trips to strange and magical new worlds.

Tomb Raider II offers significant improvements over the original, and its game play exceeds the other games that follow in the series. The game has drastically overhauled weapons and artificial intelligence. Though the puzzles are not as hard as later versions, they still are quite difficult. Lara has new moves, many new weapons, and more dangerous foes. What more could a Tomb Raider fan - or even the casual gamer - ask for?

I highly recommend this game, whether you are an avid Tomb Raider fan or somebody new to the series. I don't believe you will be disappointed - in fact, you will probably find many hours of action filled entertainment. And if you do enjoy it, I strongly recommend other games in this series.