In an attempt to revitalise the series Eidos have jettisoned Core Design, creator and programmer of the previous six games, and brought in Crystal Dynamics instead to give fresh perspective and idea. However there is always the nagging feeling that Legend has been inspired by another recent revisionist offering, namely Prince of Persia. Whilst this is far from a bad thing, in fact Legend is easily one of the best games in the series, the parallels between PoP and this are hard to ignore in terms of the way Lara must negotiate each level and avoid the nasty traps and pitfalls.

She is still a nimble little minx, and each of the levels will have her leaping and diving about like nobody's business as only she can. The actual design and scope present are imaginative, creative, and at times incredibly beautiful to look at; one of the key targets for Legend was to bring it back to basics and in this respect, it succeeds. It also occasionally shows some teeth in an attempt to get the player thinking about what they need to do next, though the level of challenge is below that set by the first two games in the series all those years ago.

And that is really the most obvious stumbling point of Legend, its brevity. There are only eight levels to traverse and a redesigned Croft Manor to explore, and each of them is not that long. Not so much Tomb Raider at times, more like Cavern Raider. Whilst each is exquisitely laid out, planned and routed to perfection, with each step taken needing calculation and consideration, the puzzles themselves are head-scratching at times and require some lateral thinking but are nowhere near as mind-bending as before. Is this seen as a good or a bad thing? Fanatics are liable to be disappointed but it makes it easier for those unfamiliar with the series to start out.

Having said that, a degree of previous knowledge about the series will be required to understand the plot as it involves Lara's family and what happened to them. Whilst some of the dialogue is the predictable hammy affair, there is plenty to digest and think on, the storyline actually having some mystery and intrigue about it, bringing together issues of the present and the past. The random comments from Lara's assistants may often make you smile as well, especially those during the disused tourist attraction level.

With a game such as this, the control scheme is probably the most important aspect to consider, for a lousy configuration only brings frustration and anger. Thankfully Legend had one of the most intuitive and self-reliant mechanisms in place for a long time - it always seems to know exactly what move you want to make next and prepare for it. Sometimes the camera angle will need to be brought back into line, as it is wont to wander, but almost every time you screw up, it's going to be your fault. The only real looseness of note is during the driving sections, but these are few and far between and not worthy of being a negative aspect overall.

The other important feature of the Tomb Raider series has been the combat, and in Legend there is quite often a lot of freedom available about how to take out the enemies facing you. Stealth, all-out attack, explosives and flanking positions are all possible options, along with the ubiquitous destructible scenery to assist, and you are quite free to mix and match as need be. Occasionally the targeting cursor refuses to move to the next victim, but for the most part, it's as natural and simple as the leaping-about sections. Enemy AI is also fairly impressive, taking cover frequently and attempting to manoeuvre around your position, but oddly your range of vision tends to extend farther than theirs and you can often shoot them before they spot you in return, even out in the open.

Regardless of its foibles and quirks Legend has no major notable faults, no gamebreaking or anger-inducing bug lurking in the shadows to spring out unexpectedly, it is a highly competent and playable game that in summation is a lot of fun to experience, especially if one takes their time to explore everywhere and attempt to locate all the hidden bonuses. It won't be heralded a classic but it is certainly a welcome return to form for a franchise that was beginning to appear languid and certainly promises a lot for Crystal Dynamics' next game which is a reinvention of the original Tomb Raider.