Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Who would have guessed when we met her that Lara Croft - assertive, independent, self-assured, and a phenomenal shot - would prove to be such a tease? Having virtually defined a new genre of third-person action-adventure in 1996, the Tomb Raider franchise lures us back each holiday season much like an old relationship trying to rekindle itself with promises that "it has grown" and that "things will be different and even better this time around." However, with the last two games, developer Core and publisher Eidos have disappointed even some of Lara's most devoted fans. The series refuses to evolve beyond the basic yet beguiling formula: leap around ancient tombs, shoot foes (animal, human, and superhuman), and unravel the elaborate puzzles and traps that guard these premodern mysteries. Lara does have some new moves in Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, but in the end, none of them takes her far enough in any new direction.