Video game number two hundred and forty: Lara Croft: Guardian of Light

Video game review number two hundred and forty in my 365 Games in 365 Days project is "Lara Croft: Guardian of Light"

I've never been a big Tomb Raider player in the past. I skipped all the PC games and although I played one on the Playstation, I don't think I've played one since....until today. Guardian of Light is getting all sorts of good reviews, and so I tried it out on Xbox Live Arcade.

First of all, this isn't your standard Tomb Raider. It's all done in a top down viewpoint, which is pretty cool..and the graphics are really smooth. You're running around trying to collect artifacts and fight mummies as usual, but this game feels fluid and fun. You start out with your patented double pistols that you're always carrying around, and eventually you unlock better guns.

Some of the puzzles you encounter in this game are simple jumping puzzles, but I found myself getting a bit stuck on even the most basic "escape this maze" puzzles in the first level of the game. Not in a frustrating, glitchy way...just stuck like "What the hell do I do next?". Luckily, the most difficult puzzles in the first level seemed to be located in challenge rooms, which were completely optional. I beat them both anyway...but I'm glad I could have left if I had wanted to.

The game scores you on a number of things. How many enemies you beat, coins you collect and hidden artifacts you find are a big part of it, but then there's the time factor. I'm not sure I've ever been a fan of this, but you can only get the primo score for the level if you zoom through it in 6 minutes or so, preferably without dying. Supposedly this adds replay value, though it's always pissed me off (unless I REALLY love the game). Those are some achievements I don't think I'll be getting.

Combat is pretty good, very simple to control. There's a co-op system, but I haven't tried it yet. I hear that the puzzles and combat change a bit if you're playing in co-op, which sounds pretty cool. There are also a bunch of achievements you can get for playing it, so maybe I'll find someone who wants to run through a level with me one of these days.

Overall Score? 7.5/10 This is a very solid arcade game so far, and I think I'm probably going to end up trying to finish it. I don't think I'll try to get all 200 points, but I'll at least see if I can make my way through the game eventually.

Achievements: Here's what I earned today: