The most admired adventure game of all time returns, but obviously it isn't the last. Tomb Raider comes back in style with more adventure than ever. Considering how the series has not done to well with its release of the fourth game, The Last Revelation.  Core is setting the stage straight adding a new few tricks to the adventure and adding new enhancements to the most unforgettable character in gaming history, Lara Croft. Developers are finally intent to putting the series to its limits on the three consoles and looking at the early production, it looks amazing! 

The 10th tomb story starts with the mysterious death of Lara weeks after her "last revelation". Relatives and friends come to discuss Lara's death at the Croft estate. All return including Larson, Pierre, and the evil Werner Von Troy. Each person will tell a history about the explorer and after each story is said you will play as Lara in that event learning about her past. The story has been cleverly done mixing stories together making it more interesting than no other Tomb Raider. Each tells a story about Lara's life, from her teen years and when she became an explorer. Their stories involve around on how Lara found various artifacts collected in her estate. 

The stages obviously again do not evolve around any type of tombs nor does it center in Egypt. Lara will appear in about four missions each involving what her friends are saying. The first four announced were Rome, a German U-boat, a dark island, and a block tower.  Each story includes different looks and outfits for Lara too. Some consists of controlling the 16 year-old Lara again (with no weapons). Others also comprise even sexier and revealing outfits such as an all-new glossy cat suit with hip sunglasses and a headset, a new camouflage gear supported by a hood, and the original blue tang-top and short shorts. 

Lara will have more partners this time around including new characters like "ZIP", a computer expert. She also has a new set of moves and obviously more animation like an all-new tight rope she can maneuver on, parallel bar swinging, an all-new grappling hook to get in higher places, and the skill to snoop around consisting of opening, cabinets, shelves, desks, and lots more. She will obviously still have her basic moves: walk, jump, swim, crawl, etc. They also have added a brand new inventory system for combining more items and a more intelligent AI system for more clever enemies. 

Probably the most innovated feature is the ability to design your own environment. Asked by many devoted fans, Core has added the ability to create your own world. Using the tools provided in the options you could finally create anything you want in the game. Once you finish, you take control of Lara in your world! Developers will have an on-line website that includes any questions or troubleshooting you might have. In addition they will also let you download new tools and environments. Though this unique option is confirmed for the PC version, the Dreamcast and Playstation are yet to be announced. Another innovated feature is the skill to sneak and conceal yourself much like Metal Gear Solid. Instead of barging into rooms and shooting everything you see, you must now hide and sneak cleverly to catch your enemies off guard. Lara will have an array of many new stealth attacks and hand-to-hand attacks as well. 

This could hopefully be the best Tomb Raider. Even though there are still many questions to be answered. 

I still wonder if they will ever fix the camera, repair the clipping problems, clean up the shoddy controls, and patch up the frame rate that has plagued the series year after year. Eidos has said that this is their "Clean Break" in their Tomb Raider series, yet companies and magazine editors complain that quote to be gimmick to sell this Tomb Raider and to fool gamers (again) into wasting their money. Be aware that some gamers still will feel uninterested in Lara likely because the disappointment in her fourth adventure or have given up the series because its frustrating game play and outdated graphics. Others may perhaps feel they don't care for Tomb Raider games any more being that the series has been here for more than 5 years with more than 6 mediocre sequels. Lastly, this marks the last Tomb Raider game to hit the Playstation but don't be upset, Core is already working on a Tomb Raider on Playstation 2, recently announced as Tomb Raider: The Next Generation. Core said that it would revolutionize the genre and put it the series to a new level but some videogame website staffers thought it was "fishy" to state that because they still haven't released this Tomb Raider yet. 

And still expect to see more add-ons to be released on the PC (TR: Gold, TR2: Gold, and TR: The Last artifact) In the mean time Chronicles will simultaneously be released to the Dreamcast, Playstation, and PC on November 14. And once again only time will tell.