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STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
5 Stars Classic
4 Stars Excellent
3 Stars Good
2 Stars Fair
1 Star Tragic

Packshot
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - Anniversary

Game Details
Released
07 December 2007
Format
Wii
Developer
Crystal Dynamics


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Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - Anniversary

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - Anniversary
Review
As the world goes nuts for the Wii’s motion-sensitive thrills, more and more developers are being seduced by Nintendo’s unique interface and shoehorning gesture-controls into games that really don’t need them. And in the case of Lara’s 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 game’s guilty pleasures.

Reviewer: David McComb

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