As the world goes nuts for the Wiis motion-sensitive thrills, more and more developers are being seduced by Nintendos unique interface and shoehorning gesture-controls into games that really dont need them. And in the case of Laras Wii debut, forcing motion controls on a game best suited to a traditional pad makes for a clumsy, often frustrating experience.
While the majority of the game sees players prancing through elaborate environments and leaping between perilous ledges, the basic acrobatics are often unnecessarily awkward as the camera is manipulated using motion controls, which never feels as natural or speedy as using a normal pad. Using the Wii Remote to aim at targets also feels clumsier than a familiar lock-on especially when pestered by multiple, fast-moving targets and the gestures you have to make to save Lara in interactive movies are often unclear, leading to many untimely, teeth-grinding deaths.
Aside from the motion controls, the game is just as gripping as it was on rival consoles, returning to the imaginative locations and ingenious traps that charmed gamers over a decade ago. But while other versions of Anniversary made it feel good to retread old ground, the Wii interface adds an extra layer of stress that often interferes with the games guilty pleasures.