Tomb Raider II (PlayStation)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 2.5 stars OK
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 5.7 (2.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Jeff Gerstmann
• Reviewed on: 01/20/1998
• Updated on: 05/02/2000
• Originally published on GameSpot: Tomb Raider II (PlayStation) Review

When Tomb Raider came out near the end of 1996, it was considered by many to be fairly groundbreaking. It was, essentially, a combination of the classic Prince of Persia and an Indiana Jones movie. An "attractive" female character was tossed in, and the game sold like gangbusters. But more so than that, a virtual star was born. The game's main character, Lara Croft, broke out of the confines of the game industry, garnering mainstream press that no other game enjoyed. Tomb Raider II capitalizes on the hype (going so far as to say "Starring Lara Croft" on the box), and delivers a game that makes it seem like the developers were scared to mess with the formula of the original game. As a result, most of Tomb Raider II's improvements are cosmetic, and even those aren't really anything special.

The graphics have been bumped up a bit, but the environments are still terribly pixelated. This is forgivable, however, considering the sheer size of some of the levels. The enemy characters are a bit smoother looking (and there are definitely more of them), but it's obvious that most of the development cycle was spent making Lara look better. This year's model is a lot more curvy, a bit skinnier, and sports a fully functioning ponytail (I shudder to think how many hours were spent getting her hair to move "just right").

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