Tomb Raider: Legend.(Product/service evaluation)

1UP.COM--Jeremy: Lara Croft's been in exile for the past three years, driven into hiding by the shame of 2003's double-dud combo of Cradle of Life--that's the movie--and Angel of Darkness. Since then she's gotten herself a new wardrobe, some new moves, a little, ah, reductive surgery...oh, and a new development team. Crystal Dynamics has applied its Legacy of Kain experience to the tombs and cenotaphs (and occasional Tokyo rooftops) of Lara's world and come up with the best Tomb Raider since the original.

Legend has the formula down to a science: Lara delves into ancient ruins, evades deathtraps, repairs crumbling mechanisms, and loots corpses in true Prince of Persia style. But unlike the Prince's recent outings, Legend puts far more emphasis on exploration and puzzle solving than on combat. Gun battles are rare; most of the time you're looking for footholds in sheer cliff …