Tomb Raider: Underworld Critic Reviews

So while it's got enough faults to keep it from being a GOTY contender for most, it's still the best Tomb Raider title I've ever played, and I'm really curious to see what's next for the franchise once again.

While the camera is still iffy at times and puzzles not as challenging as I would have expected, the fascinating storyline provides enough twists and turns to keep you engaged.

In tone, Underworld hits the target dead center, delivering the perfect mix of isolation and discovery with larger dramatic encounters. No modern cities mar Lara’s excursion this time – this is tomb raiding from beginning to end. Remarkable visuals sell the experience, and a moving score deepens your involvement. The formula behind the game is ready for some fresh ideas, but as a wrap up of old ideas, Underworld hits the sweet spot.

Old school fans and new tomb raiders alike should find lots to love in Lara's latest (and best in years) adventure.

An impressive game with beautiful environments, excellent platforming, and superb puzzles.

Despite its failure to move the series forward, Underworld is still fundamentally an incredibly enjoyable experience and a real return to captivating tomb raiding on a grand scale. It might be the same Lara we’ve enjoyed over the years but there’s no denying the lady’s still got style.

Don’t let Tomb Raider: Underworld go under your radar, there is plenty of things to do with Miss Lara; including a future promise of exclusive downloadable content for the Xbox 360.

Tomb Raider Underworld is a fantastic proposal for fans of puzzles and platform gaming. Sadly its camera and control issues let down its many virtues. Nevertheless the new adventure of Lara Croft is brief but intense, and has plenty of good puzzles and great environments.

Tomb Raider Underworld was far more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be. The expansive environments, solid platforming sequences, challenging puzzles, and adventure-filled storyline should appeal to anyone who loved the Prince of Persia games and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Disappointingly, combat is fairly mediocre, and a lot of technical inconsistencies are troublesome. Nevertheless, Underworld is a very good game.

A stunning adventure for gaming's first lady...which is still far more flawed than it should be.

One of the finest adventure games you're likely to find on the 360.

While it’s occasionally fiddly, it has pace and spectacle and style to spare. Underworld is that rare game that manages to provide a real adventure to go along with its action.

A visually stunning, epic adventure that continues Crystal Dynamics' excellent run. We reckon it's the best completely original Tomb Raider (Anniversary was, of course, a remake) we've had in years, and is only let down by the odd control quirk and camera issue.

Tomb Raider Underworld is one of the best entries in this long-running series. Lara Croft is back with her best abilities in a game that combines the spirit of the first adventures and the innovation of later iterations. As a result, Underworld is a great game that, unfortunately, has a bad camera system and is not very long.

Like her previous two games, Underworld is a welcome, if slightly flawed, addition to the franchise.

Epic without ever pushing boundaries for the series, Tomb Raider: Underworld is a game that fans of the franchise will no doubt relish.

Underworld is impossible to actually dislike, as at its core you know this is what games should be about, pure escapism, discovery, immersion. This doesn't stop Lara's latest failing to be greater than the sum of its parts, however, and while this is unquestionably a step forward for the series, Crystal Dynamics could perhaps have gone a few inches further still.

Tomb Raider: Underworld is a concise, consuming and meritorious addition to the franchise, which is well worth playing for fans of adventure, puzzle solving and action (despite a lack of cohesiveness in the action department).

You could almost call this game a flawed genius, for fans of the series it’s a must have, for everyone else it’s a maybe.

Okay, the new Tomb Raider adventure is not really innovative. But Lara has never looked so good before. The gameplay is smooth and the puzzles are great. But the stupid motorcycle trips, the camera and the senseless gadgets are fun-killers.