Tomb Raider – Anniversary begins in 1996, where the British explorer Lara Croft is sitting in her office when she receives an offer from the mysterious businesswoman Jacqueline Natla, the head of Natla Technologies. The mission is to find an ancient artifact known as the Scion of Atlantis, said to hold great powers that originated in Atlantis, the forgotten, sunken continent. Lara does not hesitate for long, as her passion for adventure and uncovering the secrets of ancient civilizations drives her to set off immediately for Peru, where the first stop of her thrilling journey awaits.
Amidst the snow-covered Andes mountains, Lara ventures deep into an ancient temple, but she is not alone. Savage creatures, deadly traps, and ruins that tell the stories of lost civilizations stand in her way. Every step she takes reveals a new secret until she finds herself face to face with the remains of the famous adventurer Pierre DuPont, who had been searching for the same artifact before the mysterious forces of the temple ended his journey. After successfully retrieving the first part of the artifact, Lara continues her quest to Greece, where the traces lead her to the abandoned Temple of Poseidon. There, she discovers that this artifact is just one of three pieces scattered across different locations around the world. The closer Lara gets to solving the mystery, the more dangerous enemies she encounters and the more complex the secrets become. Each time she finds a new piece of the artifact, she delves deeper into understanding its true power, ultimately realizing that it is a legendary weapon capable of granting its wielder unparalleled strength. However, the journey does not end there. As soon as she collects all three pieces, Natla betrays her and reveals her true intentions—not to revive Atlantis or restore the ancient civilization, but to use its power to dominate the world. In a decisive battle within the heart of the ruined Atlantis, Lara confronts Natla in a final showdown, using her intelligence and agility to defeat her and destroy the Scion of Atlantis before it falls into the wrong hands.
The game offers an immersive experience that combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat challenges requiring high skill. Players control Lara Croft from a third-person perspective, allowing her to run, jump, climb, and swing on ropes to reach high places or avoid deadly traps. The puzzles in the game vary from mechanical panels that need to be activated, hidden doors that require finding secret keys, and environmental puzzles that rely on physics and creative use of tools. Some puzzles are inspired by the original version but have been significantly improved to make them more fluid and seamless.
The combat system is dynamic, allowing Lara to shoot while jumping, quickly dodge, and even perform acrobatic moves to evade enemy attacks. The game features four main weapons: the dual pistols, which are the classic weapon with unlimited ammunition; the shotgun, ideal for close combat; submachine guns, which offer a high rate of fire; and the magnetic pistols, which can deliver precise and devastating shots.
The game is a reimagining of the original 1996 release, but it is not just a graphical upgrade—it is a complete rebuild using the Tomb Raider Legend engine. This has resulted in significant improvements in graphics, artificial intelligence, and controls. Compared to the original, Anniversary PPSSPP features dramatically enhanced visuals, with detailed environments, more realistic character models, and lighting effects that enhance the mysterious atmosphere of the adventure. While the original version suffered from difficult controls, Anniversary offers smoother and more responsive controls, making it easier for players to perform complex moves without frustration. The enemy AI has also been improved, making battles more challenging and exciting. Instead of simply reintroducing the original puzzles, the game updates them to be more diverse and challenging, adding new ways to solve them that require strategic thinking.
Overall, the game is not just a remastered version of the original but a brand-new experience that revives one of Lara Croft’s greatest adventures in a modern style, blending action, exploration, and puzzle-solving. It is a must-play experience for both longtime fans of the series and newcomers alike.