Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

The ubiquitous Lara Croft is back. After multiple appearances on the PlayStation, the aging icon is back to face her "last revelation" before moving on to the PlayStation2. This installment has everything that earlier Tomb Raider games had: physical puzzles, a sufficient arsenal, and lots of exploration, but this time in Egypt.

Lara returns with her old slate of moves plus a few new ones. She can climb, crawl, dangle, swing from ropes, and leap. Revolvers, crossbows, and Uzis are Lara's weapons of choice, and she can combine these with ammo she picks up along the way. Lara also will take control of speedy vehicles for some sweat- wrenching chases through the desert.

The story reveals Lara's roots as a young protégé of Professor Werner Von Croy. A training level puts players in the role of a pigtailed child Croft, getting newcomers accustomed to the controls, after which Lara regains her distinctly grown-up form. While Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation doesn't do much that's new, the old formula works well, although the pace still might be a little too slow for action fans. --Robb Guido

Pros:

• Rich desert graphics
• A nice mix of action, adventure, and puzzle solving

Cons:

• Maybe you've played a game like this before