TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND (PSP ESSENTIALS)

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PLATFORM: Playstation Portable

EDITION: Essentials

STUDIO:

RELEASE YEAR:

CONDITION: Used

GRADE: Excellent

Legend was announced in April 2005. An important part of marketing Lara for Eidos was that she be treated respectfully. The series had become negatively associated with promotional partnerships and publicity gimmicks during its initial run. Crystal Dynamics' positive association and communication with Eidos' marketing department was also a key part of development. This allowed the team to focus entirely on completing the game while Eidos helped promote the game to the press and at trade shows.

The game was initially announced for PlayStation 2 (PS2), Xbox and Windows personal computers (PC). Legend marked the Tomb Raider series' debut on Microsoft game consoles with versions for both the Xbox and its successor the Xbox 360 (360). The 360 version acted as the Tomb Raider series' debut on seventh generation consoles. The 360 version incorporated new visual effects and lighting mechanics. While the base engine was carried over from the other versions, the lighting system needed to be entirely rewritten. The 360 version was given equal development priority with the PS2 version. After the success of Lego Star Wars: The Video Game on the GameCube, Eidos decided to port Tomb Raider: Legend to that platform, marking the series' first appearance on a Nintendo home console. The GameCube version was a port of the PS2 and Xbox versions. Despite the Nintendo versions being released close to the Wii's launch, Crystal Dynamics could not consider developing a Wii version of Legend because they did not obtain software development kits for that system until they shifted efforts towards developing Anniversary.

Crystal Dynamics developed the original PS2 and 360 versions, with team members both from the PS2 version and new staff. Nixxes Software created the Xbox, PC and GameCube ports. The PC version included a "Next Gen Graphics" option which upgraded the game's graphics to appear similar to the 360 version. Buzz Monkey Software ported the PSP version, creating their port based on the PS2 with a few platform-exclusive features. Human Soft developed versions for the GBA and DS. Legend was the first Tomb Raider released for the DS. The DS version used a combination of 2D sprites and 3D graphics while incorporating the original cutscenes. The GBA version was fully 2D using parallax scrolling to simulate distance and telling the story using slideshows of still images. While the PSP version used the PS2 source code and launched close to the home console versions, the other portable versions needed to be built from scratch. Creating the combined 2D/3D engine for the DS version was challenging for Human Soft. A version for mobile phones was also created. Developed by Fathammer and Sixela Productions, the game broke away from earlier Tomb Raider mobile titles by using full 3D graphics and emulating the gameplay of its console counterparts. With a large team of 20 people working on the port, the game was developed in close collaboration with Crystal Dynamics so it would scale to a variety of mobiles which could support 3D graphics.

Demo versions of the PC and 360 versions—covering the game's opening level—were made available on 3 and 4 April respectively. Following the game's release, the PC demo was updated to include the Next Gen Graphics options. Legend was released in Europe on 7 April 2006 for PC, PS2, Xbox and Xbox 360. These versions were released in North America on 11 April, and in Australia on April 13. The PC version received a patch a few days after its European release to address stability and technical issues. The PSP version was released on 9 June in Europe, 13 June in Australia, and 21 June in North America. Spike published the PS2, 360 and PSP versions in Japan on 7 December. The DS and GBA versions were released on 10 November in Europe, 14 November 2006 in North America, and 17 November in Australia. The GameCube version was released first in North America on 14 November, and in Europe on 1 December. The mobile version was released in December 2006, initially exclusive to Europe's Orange network until the following year.

Tomb Raider: Legend is an action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the seventh main entry in the Tomb Raider series and a reboot of the series that reimagined the origins and character of series protagonist Lara Croft. The game was released in 2006 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and mobile phones. A PlayStation 3 port was released in 2011 as part of The Tomb Raider Trilogy.

Legend details Lara Croft's quest for the mythical sword Excalibur, racing across the world against her former friend Amanda Evert. Gameplay features Lara navigating linear levels, fighting enemies and solving environmental puzzles to progress. The DS and GBA versions share the game's story while sporting gameplay adjusted for the platforms. The mobile version adapts locations from the game into on rails command-based platforming and combat scenarios.

Following the critical failure of Core Design's Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Eidos transferred development of the next Tomb Raider to American developer Crystal Dynamics, who began production in 2004. The aim was to revitalise the franchise, with both the gameplay and Lara herself being redesigned. Lara's creator Toby Gard was brought on board to help with this and was deeply involved with the project. Composer Troels Brun Folmann designed the music to change during levels as the player progresses.

Legend received generally positive reviews, with many praising the game as a return to form for the series, and either won or was nominated for multiple gaming awards. The GBA and DS ports received lower scores due to the impact of hardware limitations on the gameplay. Selling over three million copies worldwide, Legend helped revitalise the Tomb Raider brand and re-established Lara Croft as a gaming icon. The game was followed by two further games set in the same continuity; Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a remake of the first game in the series that released in 2007, while a direct sequel to Legend, Tomb Raider: Underworld, followed in 2008.

Tomb Raider: Legend is a single-player action-adventure game in which the player controls Lara Croft, from a third-person perspective, through eight levels set across seven locations around the world. As Lara Croft, the player can jump, climb and shimmy along ledges and vertical poles or ladders, crawl through small spaces, swing on ropes and horizontal poles, interact with objects and switches, use a grappling line to swing across gaps and pull objects towards her, and swim and dive underwater for a limited time. Different button combinations can create more moves such as a roll and swan dive. Some levels have Lara on a motorbike racing through that part of the level while fighting enemies.

Puzzles can block progress in the level until Lara solves them by activating switches within the area. These and other objectives such as avoiding or jamming traps can involve pushing large blocks around the environment. In some sections, the player must pass quick time events by reacting to control prompts that appear on screen. While exploring, Lara can use her grapple to move and destroy certain objects, use a small torch to illuminate dark areas, identify different environmental characteristics using her binoculars, and pick up a maximum of three Health Packs which can heal damage suffered during gameplay. Collectable Artefacts hidden in each level can be found and unlock extra features, while Time Trials challenge players to complete any level within a time limit.

During combat, Lara automatically locks on to enemies, with the player able to switch to another target within range. She can move around freely to avoid enemy attacks and trigger environmental hazards to aid her in combat. Lara can access up to two weapon types; her default twin pistols with infinite ammunition, and a secondary weapon, which is picked up during a level and has limited ammunition which can be replenished from defeated enemies carrying the same weapon type. Lara can also carry grenades to throw at enemies, perform melee attacks when she is close enough, and use her grapple to briefly stun them. When close to a targeted enemy, Lara can perform a jump attack which slows down time while she is airborne, allowing her more time to dispatch her enemies. If Lara's health is depleted she dies and restarts at a previous checkpoint.

The home console, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation Portable (PSP) versions share content and level design. The PSP version includes exclusive "Tomb Trials". These missions have players either navigating a series of obstacles within a time limit or hunting treasures within one of the game's levels. Tomb Trials can be completed both in single-playing and multiplayer mode, where two players can compete in one on a local network. The Nintendo DS (DS) version uses a hybrid of 3D environments and 2D sprites. Lara moves through levels as in the main versions and players use the DS's touchscreen and mike functions in gameplay. The Game Boy Advance (GBA) version is a 2D side-scroller. The mobile version uses three of the locations and splits its gameplay into two types per location. In platforming sections players must guide Lara through environmental hazards. In combat sections Lara must dodge enemy fire and kill all enemies to move forward. The gameplay in each stage plays out on rails with limited movement and input from the player.

Lara Croft (Keeley Hawes) heads into Bolivia on a tip from Anaya to find a stone dais in the ruined city of Tiwanaku. Lara believes the stone is connected to her mother's disappearance following the plane crash. A flashback shows young Lara activating a similar dais in a Nepalese monastery, creating a magical portal; Amelia vanishes upon drawing an ornate sword from the dais after hearing voices from the portal. Fighting through mercenaries exploring Tiwanaku, Lara confronts their employer, James Rutland, who has a fragment of a sword identical to the one from Nepal. Before leaving, he mentions Amanda Evert (Kath Soucie) as if she were still alive. Lara meets with Anaya in Peru near the site where Amanda died. In a flashback, Lara and Amanda are seen as part of an archeological team investigating a buried tomb. A powerful "Entity" guarding the tomb killed everyone but them before vanishing when Amanda pulled a stone from a door to open it. The tomb flooded, and Lara was forced to abandon Amanda after she was seemingly crushed by falling debris.

Lara drains the flooded tomb and proves that Amanda survived and is now working with Rutland to find the sword. At the tomb's heart, Lara finds a statue of Tiwanaku's last queen—whose life strongly parallels the common legends of King Arthur—and a replica of her sword. The tip resembles an artifact stolen by Takamoto from Waseda University. In Tokyo, Lara's negotiations with Takamoto break down, and she storms his offices before facing and defeating him in a final duel. The stolen sword fragment, which has destructive magical abilities, was discovered by an 11th-century crusader said to have been a knight of Arthur. Lara then pursues Rutland to a Ghanaian temple hidden behind a waterfall that Richard Croft explored during his career. Rutland is searching for the Ghalali Key, a talisman which can reforge the sword. During her explorations, Lara finds a pendant belonging to Amelia. Confronting Rutland, who assumed Richard found the Ghalali Key, Lara takes his sword fragment, having learned that Amanda has ransacked her home in search of it.

Lara pursues Amanda to Kazakhstan, where she discovers a 1950s-era Soviet research base that unsuccessfully tried to weaponise the sword's energies. Amanda, now bitter about the events in Peru, races her to the artifact. She eventually unleashes the tamed Entity on Lara using its control stone. Lara avoids the Entity and retrieves the sword fragment as the ancient facility disintegrates. Lara also discovers the shield of the knight who had the fragment, bearing an ancient map. The decoded map leads Lara to Cornwall and a King Arthur-themed tourist museum built over a hidden complex housing the tombs of King Arthur and his knights around a broken dais. She realises that the sword she is pursuing is the legendary Excalibur—one of many swords forged by an unnamed civilisation that have created a monomyth within multiple later cultures—left in pieces and scattered across the world by Arthur's knights.

Retrieving the fragment left with Arthur, she escapes the tomb and the sea serpent protecting the sword. Back home, the group realise that the Ghalali Key was found in Ghana by Richard and given to Amelia to replace the pendant she lost; it now lies with the crashed plane in Nepal. During a talk with Winston, Lara reveals her determination to salvage her father's ruined reputation by using Excalibur to prove his theories about the daises. Returning to Nepal, Lara recovers the Ghalali Key, then travels to the monastery holding the original dais and reforges Excalibur. The broken dais splinters when she tries to use it, forcing her to return to the intact dais in Bolivia. On reaching it she is forced to kill Rutland during a fight with his mercenaries and destroys the Entity when Amanda summons and merges with it. Placing the sword in the dais, Lara activates a portal and sees a vision of Amelia. Realising that the portal is a time rift, Lara tries to warn Amelia, but Amanda panics and shouts to remove the sword before the dais explodes, triggering the events of Amelia's apparent death. An enraged Lara almost shoots Amanda, but Amanda says that Amelia was transported to Avalon. Lara knocks Amanda unconscious and sets out to find Amelia.

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