Tomb Raider: Underworld [Essentials] - Boxed - PS3

Tomb Raider: Underworld concludes the story of Lara's search for her mother, who is allegedly trapped in a place called Avalon. It follows on from the events of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary, taking her search once again to locations around the globe, from the cold deserts of the Arctic to the stunning landscapes of Thailand. This time, even the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea is not safe from Lara's exploration. At the same time, the game continues to engage with the idea of the monomyth, this time drawing on influences from Norse mythology in its narrative.

The core gameplay remains the same as in most previous instalments of the series, with the focus on exploration, puzzle-solving and daring climbing sequences rather than fast-paced action and shootouts. To make up for this, Lara has once again learned a few new moves, including wall-jumping, which was introduced in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

To help players with the puzzles, the game not only features a sonar map that displays Lara's immediate surroundings as a 3D grid for better orientation within the levels. In addition, Lara gives general but helpful hints on what to do next when asked.

Among the differences from previous Tomb Raider games by Crystal Dynamics is the complete absence of QTE events. Instead, time slows down at critical moments, but the player still retains full control over Lara's movements. Another new feature is the non-linear level design, which is more reminiscent of the traditional instalments of the series.