Story
Defeat the darkness
Two thousand years ago in Central America, a battle began between Totec, the Guardian of the Light, and Xolotl, the Keeper of Darkness. Totec's army was defeated when Xolotl harnessed the power of the mirror of smoke to unleash hordes of ghastly creatures on the ancient world.
Fortunately, Totec survived the battle and found a way to defeat Xolotl by imprisoning him in the mirror of smoke and guarding the mirror disguising himself as an immortal stone statue. Fast-forward to the present day and Lara Croft, explorer extraordinaire, discovers the story behind the legend and sets out on a journey to find the mirror. She succeeds, but the mirror is quickly snatched from her by a band of mercenaries led by a tyrannical local warlord.
In a moment of foolishness, the warlord inadvertently breaks the curse that binds Xolotl and frees the ancient evil from his stone prison. Now, with the help of Totec, Lara must destroy Xolotl before dawn, or the world will be plunged into an eternal darkness and all humanity will be lost forever.
Gameplay
Lara or Totec?
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is an interesting departure from the Tomb Raider series on PlayStation 3. For one, it is the first wholly downloadable Lara title that's available to buy now on PlayStation Store (alongside the original Tomb Raider classic, if you're feeling nostalgic). It's also played from an isometric perspective and is more of an arcade style adventure than any of the Tomb Raider games that have come before it.
You play as either Lara or Totec, depending on which character you chose at the outset of the game. Playing as Lara you get to wield her trademark pistols, which have infinite ammo. There are other weapons up for grabs in the game including a spear, machine gun, flame thrower and shotgun. The spears are extremely useful for reaching areas normally out of range because they can be used to pierce some walls or soft terrain and then used as leverage.
Lara also has a grappling hook she can use to shimmy up and down walls or swing across huge chasms. As you explore the vast map there are plenty of treasures and power-ups to be found hidden in secret areas, as well as urns and special rooms that present brain-teasing puzzles for you to solve. Some require completion in an allotted time limit whilst others involve battling large waves of enemies. It's worth seeking these rooms out because they often reward you with ammo, health and special upgrades that enhance your combat abilities and chances of survival.
Multiplayer
Tomb raiding teamwork
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light features a two player co-operative mode that enables you to drop in and out of a friend's game at any point in the campaign via PlayStation Network. In co-operative mode, the game places a heavy emphasis on teamwork between Lara and Totec and the puzzles and maps differ from those found in the single player campaign to reflect this.
Totec's shield can be used to hoist Lara up onto ledges and Lara can also balance on spears that he sticks to walls to cross certain gaps. To return the favour, Lara can clasp her grappling hook to objects and Totec can then walk along the tightrope to cross over into new areas. The more you play through the story Totec will learn from Lara and can then use her modern day weapons on enemies.
To add a competitive edge to the whole experience, every time a player takes down an enemy they are awarded points which are tallied at the end of the level and rewarded with unlockable treats. The catch is that there are only a limited number of foes in each mission, so be sure to get to them before your friend does if you want to win.
On |
