Tomb-raiding heroine Lara Croft must often chose between two paths, but publisher Square-Enix faces no such restrictions. While the main Tomb Raider series was rebooted in last year's cinematic prequel, Croft herself had already been revived in 2010 with a top-down game that mixed action and puzzle-solving into an arcade-style download. Osiris is the sequel to this side-series and, while lacking the gravitas and production values of its big sister, is plenty of fun in its own right.
Designed as an up-to-four-player co-op game that scales its difficulty accordingly, it involves Croft entering an Egyptian temple and teaming up with a rival archaeologist and two actual gods, Horus and Isis, to take down the evil set. Realism is clearly not the endgame here.
The isometric perspective and twin-stick controls take some getting used to, but the puzzles are satisfyingly, rather than frustratingly, complex. It all combines into a treasure well worth seeking.
(Crystal Dynamics/Square-Enix)Designed as an up-to-four-player co-op game that scales its difficulty accordingly, it involves Croft entering an Egyptian temple and teaming up with a rival archaeologist and two actual gods, Horus and Isis, to take down the evil set. Realism is clearly not the endgame here.
The isometric perspective and twin-stick controls take some getting used to, but the puzzles are satisfyingly, rather than frustratingly, complex. It all combines into a treasure well worth seeking.