Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris Review

When Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light released in 2010 it was the game that Tomb Raider fans had no idea they even wanted. A game traditionally about platforming and exploration suddenly became an isometric perspective multiplayer shooter with a healthy dose of puzzles and collectables. It was fantastic and featured more actual tomb raiding than a majority of games in the series, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the sequel – Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris – is also pretty good.

Continuing directly from the story of Guardian of Light, Lara finds herself and her small cast of companions attempting to resurrect an old God by literally assembling pieces of his fractured body; all in order to defeat Set, a murderous deity. Of course all the pieces of Osiris’ body are located at the end of treacherous tombs where you will have to fight through swathes of enemies and solve some clever puzzles.

 

One of the strong points of Temple of Osiris is in the flexibility of the combat and movement. Lara and her compatriots move at a fairly brisk pace and the roll of your dodge is quick and can be used to move quickly. These elements aren’t always necessary; when there’s two or three enemies standing in place and blasting away will do the trick, but if a large group of enemies show up you might want to start ducking and weaving through the crowd to stay alive.

That’s not to say Lara is helpless – her arsenal is a force to be reckoned with. Remote-detonated bombs can destroy environments, uncover hidden treasures and be used to destroy enemies, whilst powerful weaponry such as your standard Automatic Rifles, Submachine Guns, Pistols, Shotguns can all be powered up even further through equippable items, such as an Amulet which will make your shots burst-fire, becoming more effective against larger groups. The combat remains enjoyable throughout the experience, thanks to a blend of immediacy in the controls and challenge when faced with unique or large crowds of enemies to topple.

Timing is essential throughout the entire game – timing when faced with enemies, timing when being chased through obstacles by a boss, timing when hopping between moving platforms… A misjudged jump will have you falling to your death and detonating that bomb too soon will ruin all your plans in the heat of battle.

A staff which emits a beam of light (which you might recognise from Guardian of Light) can be used to hurt enemies, solve puzzles and even interact with platforms that raise from the ground which can identified by symbols that you might miss your first time through – these can often lead to Red Skulls, several of which are hidden within each level – usually pretty ingeniously! Whether it’s hanging off a precarious platform by your retractable abseiling cable or hopping across tiny pillars whilst being chased by a giant demon they’re always rewarding to collect.

 

Bosses are a highlight in Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. They’re rarely visceral in combat, you’re more likely to be solving some sort of puzzle with their body (almost like a mini Shadow of the Colossus) or being chased down by a giant creature while navigating through obstacles – the latter can be a real heartstopper!

When finishing a tomb you are rewarded by a body part of Osiris (an arm? A foot? It’s all possible…) and a selection of treasure chests, although the chests are a challenge to open up. The treasures and collectibles you find throughout tombs can be used to purchase your way into the chests at the end, with bigger chests having better equipment and costing an awful lot more – usually more than you would collect in a level, meaning if you want the best rewards you might have to start saving your gems instead of buying every treasure chest you can afford. It’s a delicate balance between saving your earnings and risking a new rare equipable item…

But without a doubt this game is more enjoyable with friends. While playing solo it’s still a fun experience with plenty to offer, but the game definitely is at its best with a total of four people play, either locally or online – PS4 owners can even use Share Play! The rare moments where the game can feel a bit tedious or long winded entirely disappear when with a decent group of friends, so it’s undoubtedly the best way to play.