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Lara Croft returns in ‘Tomb Raider Underworld’

Lara Croft is back in “Tomb Raider: Underworld,” the latest chapter in the video game series starring an agile heroine with more curves than a racetrack.

This highly publicized sequel introduces a few new features and high-definition graphics but it also carries over some of the problems found in past games, including awkward camera angles and some technical issues.

In an ancient ruin at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, the famous femme fatale uncovers proof of the Norse underworld and a mythical hammer, but as she attempts to unravel the secrets, she inadvertently puts the world at risk. In true “Tomb Raider” fashion, we also learn more about Lara’s family history and secrets, and how they’re related to Lara’s daring adventures.

After a brief prologue, the game begins under water, where Lara can swim around, ward off predators such as sharks, explore her surroundings to pick up treasures and solve puzzles to unlock new areas. Her first task is to find special keys that fit into an ancient doorway. The discs must then be rotated so that three eyes converge, which opens a passageway leading to treacherous tunnels, and ultimately, an enormous mythological sea creature with deadly tentacles.

This is just the beginning of an eight-chapter single-player quest that takes Lara from the coast of Thailand and Mexican jungles to the Arctic Sea and even to the halls of Valhalla and back again. More so than in past games, the darker “Underworld” does a great job of putting you in varied environments, including vast outdoor levels, caves, temples and under water. Sure there are still “invisible walls,” so you inexplicably can’t walk or swim past a certain point even with nothing blocking your way, but the game does encourage some exploration and relic collection.

Along with environmental puzzle-solving, Lara, who is controlled from a third-person perspective, must use her acrobatic skills to bypass obstacles by jumping, swinging, climbing, balancing, rappelling, shimmying, crouching, rolling, sprinting, dodging and using her Batman-like grappling hook. Weapons are plentiful and easy to use, usually requiring the left trigger on the controller to lock onto a target and the right trigger to fire (and yes, her dual pistols are back). Lara also has access to vehicles again, such as her all-terrain motorcycle, which you’ll need to ride at points in the game by using the left control stick to steer.

“Tomb Raider: Underworld” is quite the looker (on the Microsoft Xbox 360 version we reviewed) and the Hollywood-style soundtrack adds to the drama and immersion, but the game does suffer from a few flaws. For one, the “camera” that follows Lara around can be a real pain — especially in tight environments — as it can obstruct your view of the scene and prove fatal. Often the view will go right behind Lara’s head or back or shake side-to-side until you move around. At other times, half of Lara’s body might get stuck in an object and require some wiggling to get free.

Another issue is, at times, not knowing where to go next. Lara’s personal digital assistant (accessible by tapping the Start button on the controller) does contain a sonar map that is supposed to show you her surroundings, but it’s very difficult to read.

But fans of these games who have forgiven some of these familiar faults should find “Underworld” a gratifying sequel worthy of the “Tomb Raider” name and heritage. It’s bigger, darker and more interactive than ever before — and a high-definition Lara Croft doesn’t hurt much either.