With Tomb Raider Underworld, Lara Croft is back at her best

Under the aegis of developer Crystal Dynamics, Lara Croft is back on top with Underworld.  The franchise may have had its knockers, but this sequel to Legend is a sure-footed and confident adventure.

In a plot that could actually work well as a live-action outing, our pistol-packing princess uncovers proof of the existence of the Norse underworld and the hammer of Thor, inside a ruin on the Mediterranean sea bed.

Underworld recaptures much of the excitement of the very first Tomb Raider – only this time around our heroine has (literally) never looked better. The hi-def visuals of the game are pure eye-candy. Much like Angelina on the big screen, you just can't keep your eyes off this pixel pretty and the locations she explores.

The scale and design of the game is impressive. Indeed, the scene-setting cut sequence, in which we watch Croft Manor leveled, in reverse slo-mo to a multi-channel symphonic score, is immediately more startling than anything seen in Lara’s two movies. Not only are the HD visuals excellent, the in-game audio throughout is exceptional, with plenty of forceful LFE. If you're looking for a demo-quality game to challenge your sound system, then this is a peach.

Ignore the guns
While Underworld isn't a full-on shooter, there's no shortage of gunplay. Unfortunately, it's during the shootouts that the game's at its weakest. Early on there's a battle on a sinking ocean liner, and it's a frustrating encounter.

The best advice I was given is to enter the Game Tailoring mode in the Options menu, and set your opponents’ health to Low. This allows you to get through mundane confrontations with the minimum amount of fuss. Then you can concentrate on what makes this title fun: exploration. It really feels as if you can take this girl anywhere, although how is not always obvious.

The real meat of the game can be found rotting in the Mayan tombs, freezing in the Artic and lurking in the catacombs beneath Croft Manor. Lara is nothing if not agile. The range of moves available is considerable, and the controls are reasonably intuitive. There are a few uncooperative camera angles to contend with, but who cares when the puzzles are so fiendishly difficult?

While the game successfully gets Lara back to basics, there are some new elements to freshen the action, like a sonar map which gives you a 3D model of your surroundings. This can reveal topography not obviously visible when looking.
You'll also have 'adrenaline’ moments, during which the game slows down giving you get a better chance to take out an enemy or rethink the best course of action before calamity strikes.  And if you get really stuck you can whip out your PDA for some ‘Field Assistance,’ a forgiving tip system for when you need some extra help to get out of a sticky situation.

Overall, Tomb Raider Underworld is an adventure of mythic proportions. Polished and engaging, it’s a superior diversion.

PS3 (tested), Xbox 360 , PC, Wii, PS2, Eidos, £49.99, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 4/5