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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Game Review

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix. I played the Windows version.

A hit when it was released, this game also garnered some very strong reviews. And that’s because it really is a terrific game that would spawn a sequel, though overall it’s not considered to be a part of the Tomb Raider franchise. But we really need more puzzle-oriented, simpler games like this one.

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I will talk about the graphics later, but let’s first comment on its camera. The game is non-linear, somewhat arcade-inspired and most importantly it is presented with an isometric camera. This camera angle always produces an intriguing quasi-3D effect that in this instance really works. I very rarely play games with this type of presentation, but here it’s done in such a smooth, pleasing style that it’s bound to convert even those who aren’t usual fans of it.

This is one of those games that are just perfect for cooperative gameplay. And they give you that option as you can either play as Lara herself or her Mayan friend Totec. Unfortunately, I do not have anyone to play games with and/or who likes cooperative games (Sad, right?), so I did miss out on this experience that I am positive is amazing. It was just ripe for this treatment. The game also has a multiplayer mode, but again I did not play it, so I cannot comment on it.

When it comes to the puzzles, this is an action-adventure game, not a true puzzle game. Still though, there are an abundance of puzzles given to the players to solve and they were so much fun. They are on the easier side of things, but because some levels are vast and non-linear, some of those puzzles were in relation to that quite complicated. Still however, none of them were too difficult to solve, so they offered a perfectly enjoyable time to be had for both younger and older gamers.

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The enemies in this game vary from very weak to quite powerful. The larger monsters are much more difficult to beat as they require the usage of different weapons and dodging and running away throughout. This game isn’t for those who favor closer combat as it’s meant to be played with more tactics employed. The difficulty level overall was too low for me personally as I favor harder games, but still there is a lot of enjoyment to be found from a game like this as it’s entertaining throughout and continually versatile.

I am talking about the level design that is very diverse. You go from smaller levels to those that are more expansive in the area’s length to the levels that aren’t even exploration-oriented, but more arcade-like. Those are running levels where you have to run away from an impending threat, usually some type of machinery. These were a breath of fresh air for sure, but the exploration is also terrific as you can find hidden areas with artifacts that were so well hidden and obstructed by devices that you first have to activate. These puzzles were some of the best in the game.

Going back to the enemies, those demons that throw fireballs at you were the biggest nuisance for me personally while the smaller enemies were disposable and the larger monsters were too slow and clumsy, though obviously resilient. Most of my issues playing this game were due to the controls that were not intuitive at all. Couple that with the fact that playing it on a laptop is not the best choice and you’ve got a game that is difficult to control, but the overall difficulty is rather easy, so the end result was still a breezy game for me personally.

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The bosses in Guardian of Light were so much fun. They were superbly designed as levels and fights, but my problem is that they weren’t much of a threat as you quickly realize their weakness and with the right tactics you will beat them rather quickly. The final boss really needed to have been harder. On the other hand, I really appreciated the game’s save feature as it thankfully never forced you to play the entire level all over again.

As for the weapons, I used the spears more than the guns, which is my personal preference, but most of the weapons in the game are superbly utilized and each corresponds to a different monster or threat accordingly. The grenades and flamethrowers were the most powerful weapons while the spear remained the reliable staple for me personally.

The plot here is very simple and highly mediocre. The voice acting and dialogue fared the worst as they were one-note and even silly at times, but the decision to show the biggest action set pieces in these panels instead of cutscenes was ridiculous as it made the game feel too cheap. The Central American setting and Mayan mythology were intriguing, but hardly utilized properly within the story that was too weak itself. The gameplay mechanics were superb throughout and the different modes that it offers are great, but the short length of the game and its low difficulty level were my main gripes with it.

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Visually, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is fantastic. It makes great use of its isometric camera and the result is surroundings that can be seen in their entirety allowing you to observe secrets that you would otherwise miss in the distance. It was a terrific choice for this game to have that angle. It’s also a very polished adventure with some gorgeous backgrounds and offering a particularly beautiful view from afar. The score itself is rather forgettable, but the sound is super evocative and absolutely incredible. Each sound of objects moving or shattering is extremely realistic and consequently very immersive.