TOMB RAIDER 2: A Full Game & Level by Level Review

[Danjo86]

As a huge fan of the Core Design era of Tomb Raider, I have recently returned to my first experience of the franchise which, for me, was Tomb Raider 2. That it stands tall to this day is testament to what Core Design achieved, and so I have decided to post a review of each level and then finally the game as a whole(!)

I am aware that Sheepman has previously posted Tomb Raider 2 level reviews - they are superb and I have read over them a few times as well in appreciation of a fellow fan reflecting on their experiences.

However, I felt it was time to also give my own take and so I invite any of you reading this thread to comment and let me know all your perspectives!


1: HOW GREAT IS THE GREAT WALL?

What becomes immediately obvious when playing Tomb Raider 2 for the first time is the level of creative competence, ambition and confidence that oozes from the screen following its predecessor.

Lara starts her second adventure with a Shotgun in addition to her pistols, as the game advertises and promises a more challenging and epic outing than the first jaunt. As Lara begins the first level by dropping onto a rocky slope, the game itself literally hits the ground running.

In many respects, The Great Wall is both a preview and a starter pistol for Tomb Raider 2. And what a starter pistol it is.

Within mere moments, Lara is tackling tigers and negotiating platforming ascension of intricacy that the first game took far longer to build towards. On passing the halfway point, Lara enters an adrenaline-inducing gauntlet of traps that few players would have expected any time before the halfway point of the game.

This unashamed brashness and confidence is by no means without finesse or balance however. The pacing of the level is judged to perfection.

Standing atop the Great Wall for the first time after the sequence of platforming and tasks to arrive there feels like something of an initiation moment. On the one hand, it´s a moment of reward for having broken into the game, and yet on the other its also the precursor and a moment to dwell on the anticipation of what yet lies in store once the first key is collected and put to use.

The transition from the lofty, stunning and relatively calm outside battlements, to descending into the darker and more enclosed tunnels, chambers and gauntlets within the remainder of the level more than delivers on the promise of any trepidation the player may have felt.

Forcing the player to remain on the move at pace through a variety of encroaching hazards which includes slashing blades, crumbling floors, rolling boulders and enclosing spiked walls in the very first level of the game is a clear statement that in this sequel, Lara Croft and Core Design have truly arrived.

The secrets of the level reflect this transition of pace and style as well. Whilst the first dragon statuette on the ascension to the top of the wall is barely off the beaten path, its second two are placed perilously within the path of closing spikes and buried deep within a chasm accompanied by not one, but TWO t-rexes. This is perhaps the clearest statement of intent that things are going to be bigger and bolder than first time around.

This style and tone has distinct advantages and perhaps some subjective downsides. On the one hand, it grabs the attention of perhaps even those most cynical of what Tomb Raider can throw at them and disabuses handlers of Lara from any misplaced notions of a gentle difficulty curve.

On the other hand, The Great Wall is an unforgiving and merciless experience for complete beginners. I, for one, don´t resent that however - Lara has a very ample mansion and grounds for training, and this approach to literally having the player jump in at the deep end bodes well for future replays.

The Great Wall does also serve as an excellent preview to the game as a whole however. We have just about every style of Tomb Raider experience here. There´s combat, platforming and traps and there´s some underwater exploration in addition to the predominantly land based environment for much of the level.

It´s fair to say that the level leans more toward action than puzzles however (going back to the starter pistol analogy) - apart from two keys and a switch, the entire level is about movement, combat and agility. For a first level, this is arguably not poorly pitched but a slightly more engaging puzzle might have just lifted this level a little higher.

Nevertheless, the Great Wall is a triumph and lives up to its name in more ways than just the one.

VERDICT: 87%

[perryloo]

To me TR2 was the best of the classics as it was the first TR game played by me. I had to go back and play TR1 where the graphics were not quite as good.

You are going to be doing a lot of reviewing as there are so many levels in TR2. But your doing well so far

I just love the classic games as you can get to all the hidden areas of the game map, either by flying (cheat) or using position editor. All areas are there.

The later games like AOD, and TRL, TRA and TRU had limited maps to save on memory as the graphics were in higher resolution, ie, not many hidden areas outside the general game paths that Lara took, and thus exploration was limited, compared to TR1-TR5.

looking forward to your next review

[xtimz]

TR2 was also my first TR game. The demo came with the driver of my video card in 1997. The only level I played (at that time) was the Great Wall, but from that moment I love the TR games.

[Danjo86]

Originally Posted by perryloo

To me TR2 was the best of the classics as it was the first TR game played by me. I had to go back and play TR1 where the graphics were not quite as good.

You are going to be doing a lot of reviewing as there are so many levels in TR2. But your doing well so far

looking forward to your next review

Thank you for the encouragement!

I think I agree with you on TR2 being the best of the classics - I´m probably a bit biased there as well since it was my first experience but it felt like something of a pinnacle for the Core era.

When reviewing subsequent levels especially, it´s intriguing to come at them in hindsight (although I am currently replaying them to ensure I have a refreshed perspective) because I find there´s the need to balance the context of the experience they presented at the time, as well as the context of how they stand distinctly across the franchise of the first 5 games.

[tlr online]

Thank you for sharing your review.

[Danjo86]

Originally Posted by xtimz

TR2 was also my first TR game. The demo came with the driver of my video card in 1997. The only level I played (at that time) was the Great Wall, but from that moment I love the TR games.

To be honest it´s a great place to enter into the Tomb Raider experience, albeit a challenging one first time around.

On my first ever attempt as a youngster, I kept having to phone what was then a (not inexpensive) phoneline for walkthrough information just to get out of the starting cavern(!)

[Danjo86]

2: VENICE - VICTORY OR VIOLINS?

Whilst Tomb Raider 2´s opening level, The Great Wall, fired the starting gun for a bigger and more challenging adventure than the debut game, it also trod relatively consistently for the most part in the path of what had come before.

The first level certainly capitalised on some advancements since the first game and introduced us to a credible and immersive outside environment for the first time, as the addition of a Sky Box for a brief segment when atop the wall provided an entirely new visual experience from the previous game.

For much of the level however, platforming within rocky chasms, breaking into an ancient and forbidden environment and negotiating harrowing traps to then be presented with the name of a key antagonist in the game, a certain Marco Bartoli, was all customary Tomb Raider fare.

It is in part for this reason that Venice as Lara´s second mission in Tomb Raider 2 and evidently Core´s first opportunity to show off more of their new tricks, stands as one of the game´s most iconic and memorable pieces.

Far from being in a dark or interior ancient wilderness or structure, Venice takes Lara to a more modern and urban setting, albeit a largely abandoned and very picturesque one. Set mostly outdoors in a sunny environment, the visuals of Venetian gothic architecture furnished with glistening canals and wooden decking practically sing from the screen. It´s a stark contrast to anything seen until this point in the Tomb Raider universe.

Venice is also the first level in any Tomb Raider game to introduce Lara to her own transport with not one, but two speedboats. Far from being just a gimmick, the motorboats also play a crucial role in two key puzzles within the level. Despite being Tomb Raider´s first foray into this tool of movement, I would argue the speedboat handles as good as, if not better than any vehicles that have come Lara´s way under Core´s stewardship since.

Rather than simply serving up a sprawling map in which a fast-moving vessel makes progression more tolerable, we have gondolas to smash, water mines to detonate and a serious ramp to scale as we race toward a timed exit. James Bond, put down your vodka martini and hold Lara´s beer, would you?

In the second game´s reach for a more action-packed experience, Venice is also the first level to introduce us to what would become ubiquitous to Tomb Raider 2 as a whole; substantial human enemy resistance. This is also an element that it´s fair to say invites divided opinion.

Whilst Tomb Raider had some human foes to tackle, the experience was very distinct from the sequel in three main ways. They were both few, and generally reserved until later in the game. Furthermore, each human enemy in that game had a distinct identity of sorts – meeting and killing other people then was exceptional rather than routine for Lara.

By contrast, Venice introduces human enemies as fodder rather than as sparse distinct characters, and that arguably changes the nature of Tomb Raider itself in a one-way direction. This is of course correlated with Tomb Raider 2´s more expansive hardware, as Lara acquires a substitute for Tomb Raider´s magnums (the automatic pistols) to accompany the shotgun before we´re even halfway into the level.

Critically, this penchant for frequent human hostility disrupts the full sense of calm isolation that a setting such as Venice may otherwise emit and detracts from the scale of immersive wonder and cerebral exploration and puzzling that had so far defined the franchise more exclusively.

Subjectively, however, this dynamic also creates a new and distinct experience from Tomb Raider 2´s forerunner and exchanging gun fire with numerous sniping thugs entrenches and builds a growing sense of something more epic and menacing.

When it comes to Venice, I am quite divided on the inclusion and quantity of human enemies within this level.

Contextually it’s the first level of the game to introduce this mechanic which supports their presence, and from a narrative perspective it does make some sort of sense to be encountering Bartoli´s henchmen as we close in on his headquarters.

On the other hand, I feel that the following level where we reach Marco´s residence, would benefit from standing more particularly and appropriately as the first level with a heavy human presence. In that context I feel Venice would have benefitted from just a smaller number of goons and canine sidekicks, leaving more space to soak in the atmosphere.

For me, Venice also suffers ever so slightly from being a little flat compared to many other levels of the game. Notwithstanding the new experience of human enemies, speedboats, and a couple of noteworthy puzzles, there´s not a whole lot more when you scratch beneath that admittedly enticing surface.

For one thing, the two signature puzzles (raising the water level before opening the lock-gates and the timed run to the exit) can be bypassed, and the entire level can also be completed without going near a speedboat.
As compelling as this may be for one or two replays, it slightly detracts from what are arguably key elements intended to define the experience.

These tasks aside, the level then falls almost entirely on the collection and use of keys and levers. It´s very bread and butter, but there´s very little jam.

In summary then, Venice is a new, fresh, somewhat exciting, and visually stunning affair that contextually fits an important and iconic slot in the expanse of Lara´s second quest. Those points aside however, it´s impossible to get away from the feeling that, taken alone, the level does also feel a little one-dimensional.


VERDICT: 69%

[Danjo86]

3: BARTOLI´S HIDEOUT – HIDDEN BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Following on the heels of a speedboat dash in Venice, Lara´s third mission of her Tomb Raider 2 Quest takes us to the residence that serves us Bartoli´s main headquarters.

Whilst Venice offered us a generous display of Venetian scenery and architecture, most of the activity and accessible environment was confined to outside locations, with only a few very confined interior spaces.
As a result, there´s both a distinct suitability and a satisfaction associated with this level allowing us to explore and progress through a substantial, albeit somewhat derelict residence and its connected outbuildings within the
same setting.

Maintaining the same ambience and general location as the previous level, Bartoli´s abode keeps us firmly within the same context as Venice, but also introduces a more varied experience than its immediate forebear. With more elaborate platforming and puzzles, and some creative traps laced within, the Hideout has a richer and somewhat more dense substance to the gameplay compared with the previous mission.

Combat is slightly heavier as well, with human and canine foes now more often appearing in small groups. Combined with a more enclosed and labyrinthine environment than Venice, this creates a subtly more menacing aura than the previous level as well. This complexion is further enhanced by the level´s layout affording slightly more strategic combat opportunities, whether hiding behind bookshelves or peeking out onto balconies with guns at the ready.

Yet despite the modest abundance of violent conflict bestowed, an understated but gently impactful elegance and serenity is maintained. Longer periods of explorative assessment are often required to solve slightly more challenging platforming puzzles and obstacles than Venice exposed us to. Examples of this include a convoluted path to an opening above the canal and forging a path into a hidden area behind a fireplace.

Against the soothing ambience of waterways and softly chirping birds, the slower and more involved evaluations and platforming necessitated here create a uniquely sophisticated if slightly unsettling atmosphere.

From the tall, shelved walls of books in the library, to the ornate Chandeliers of the abandoned ballroom which form an integral part of an innovative and satisfyingly complex puzzle, the Hideout´s aesthetics also fit seamlessly into this tone.

For all its calming aspects however, the level manages to perpetuate a gentle but steady tension and sense of jeopardy to an arguably higher degree than Venice. Aside from the obvious presence of homicidal residents, both sparingly placed traps and the inevitable hazard of more often landing onto hard floors than into canals from many of the game´s lofty ledges create an additional layer of peril.

In many ways therefore, Bartoli´s Hideout is a necessary and welcome counterpart and follow-on chapter to Venice. It subtly but pleasingly fills in many of the gaps left by its more iconic but less diverse antecedent. In some ways it can also be regarded as one of the most rounded and complete levels of the entire game, given the range of gameplay styles indulged here.

Despite these impressive credentials, Bartoli´s Hideout is perhaps paradoxically one of a small number of Tomb Raider 2 levels which struggles to establish an identity or iconic presence in quite the same way as a good number of other levels do. This is due to a combination of two reasons; that it shares the same location and ambience as Venice, and despite its elegant and innovative design and experience, it doesn´t have any significantly unique aspects that set it apart in an especially memorable way.

In some ways this may perhaps seem a little iniquitous, especially when replaying it afresh. After all, Bartoli´s Hideout is the first level to introduce some iconic staples within the game. This includes it being the first level in which we can acquire the Uzis and, notably, the first level to introduce what will become a penchant for Core in Tomb Raider 2; a row of hazardous burners.

It´s also host to one of Tomb Raider´s most iconic puzzles which requires reconfiguring the heights of 3 large chandeliers to explore an expansive room, and debuts a unique and stunning version of the theme music in Nathan McCree´s “Vertigo” to accompany the experience.

These qualifications aside however, rightly, or wrongly, Bartoli´s Hideout sits as one of Tomb Raider 2´s more eclipsed missions, a fact that even a small building explosion in the level´s closing moments is unable to dent.

Nevertheless, however obscure it may be, it shines gently but brightly as an example of tasteful competence in level design, and an understated gem in Lara´s quest for the dagger.

VERDICT: 88%

[perryloo]

I personally would have given Venice more than 66%.

Visually it is stunning, its one of my favorite levels.

I am one of those players that has to go back for more, and by using the fly cheat and/or position editor, you can explore the whole level map, especially getting onto roofs and high level verandas where you should not be, and see Venice in all it splendour.

Good writeups

[Scottlee]

Some excellent work here, Danjo