Tomb Raider 8 (AKA: Tomb Raider Legend 2)
As much as we dug Legend, it was always an uncomfortable halfway house between old gen and next gen - both in graphics and gameplay. Still, execrable bike riding sections aside, at least new developers Crystal Dynamics managed to thoroughly nail those platforming mechanics which, let’s be honest, were slowly driving a stake between Lara’s heaving, voluptuous... Well, yes.
But what’s the next step? Truthfully, most Raider fans would be chuffed to bits if this eagerly-awaited eighth installment simply melded the perfectly poised, cerebral genius that comprised Anniversary’s level design with - say - the state-of-the-art animation flaunted by Altair in Assassin’s Creed. The reality? Legend’s idea of a higher-octane Lara, who dived with relish into large-scale pitched firefights, bounded around like an adrenaline-junkie during chase sections and went in big-style into the occasional skyscraper-sized boss fight, will be continued in the next game. But, puzzles will also play a bigger part, in a nod to the classic Lara games of yore.
The first game was slick, but lacked the epic feel of the previous games in the series, so Crystal Dynamics will be looking to God of War and Prince of Persia for inspiration. Rumour is, there may even be some messing about with gravity when Lara makes her inevitable journey to the dreamy Isle of Avalon in her search for her missing mom.