When I first heard of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, I confess I was not impressed. The series Miss Croft is associated with is well-known for its exploration, gunplay and platforming. Creating a game that would be downloadable didn’t seem practical to me due to the nature of the gameplay. I didn’t expect to get so excited after playing the demo at E3.
Guardian of Light follows our heroine after she attempts to “retrieve” the Mirror of Smoke from a tomb. Unfortunately for her, one of her rivals grabs it before her and starts wrecking havoc by releasing demons. This activates Topec, an ancient warrior who was released from his stony “prison.” His job is to retrieve the Mirror. So now the two have forged an unlikely alliance to put a stop to the madness.
The game plays out like any other isometric shooter. Lara and Topec fire (in Topec’s case, he throws spears) at enemies while aiming with the right analog stick. They can jump, dodge, and intuitively push metal balls and other such objects to conquer whatever lies in their path. The game requires you to explore the environments in order to advance forward, though it looks like you can conquer challenges in any order to advance to the next.
Where Guardian of Light truly shines is the local multiplayer. Each player controls either Lara or Topec. Lara is equipped with her hookshot, which allows her to swing from place to place. She can also throw it at Topec, who will hold it while Lara descends cliffs. She also can pull him up if necessary. Topec can throw his spears against walls so Lara can reach higher locations. He can also use his shield for traps, such as arrows. Lara can also jump on top of his shield. Solving puzzles successfully depends on your and your family/friend’s understanding of how they complement each other. If you do play alone, the puzzles change. The basic idea remains the same while the location of items may change. For example, there is a cliff that holds a health power-up. In the single-player scenario, it is right off the edge of the cliff. In multiplayer, Lara will need Topec to hold the hookshot as she descends.
Graphically, the game looks great. Although it doesn’t not look as fancy as its traditional siblings, it looks great. Characters are easy to identify and move around smoothly. The heads-up display is on the bottom portion of the screen and out of the way. One would think that the camera placement would not work, but it does. Everything you need to see fits on the screen.
To me, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light feels ready to conquer the downloadable market. Everything feels natural and intuitive. In fact, this could be the best adventure Lara has ever starred in. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is to be released this summer. For more information, visit http://www.laracroftandtheguardianoflight.com/.
