Evil Artifact Plunderers beware…Lara is back and better than ever! In the 7th installment of the Tomb Raider franchise, Tomb Raider Legend (PC, PS2, Xbox, Approx. $50), the beautifully proportioned heroine Lara Croft returns to do what she does best…raid tombs and look good doing it.

After the long awaited Angel of Darkness game failed to captivate Tomb Raider fans because of performance glitches, difficult controls, and a less than appealing storyline, the legend seeks to restore hope to the franchise…which it does wonderfully. Several public reviews by critics are already praising the game… and rightly so.

Armed with her trusty pistols, along with a few new gadgets, Lara must track down an artifact so legendary and so powerful that it could be disastrous to humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. She’ll travel to exotic Bolivia, the breathtaking heights of Japan, the gloomy streets of England, and of course, explore plenty of dark, mysterious tombs. Along the way she’ll seek information about the death of her mother, as well as the fate of a former friend. Danger looms at every corner but for Ms. Croft, it’s just another day. Fierce wild animals and odd creatures never before seen will be discovered, but nothing will stand in the famous spelunker’s way.

Although the game goes back to its roots with the traditional flare use, puzzle solving, and swan diving, you can expect Lara to have a few new abilities as wel,l such as leaping from one 3D looking flagpole to the next before it falls, using the new magnetic grapple to reveal hidden passageways and finding secrets to unlock extra “goodies” such as cheat codes and alternate outfits.

The game does have, however, just a few minor flaws. First of all, there isn’t a wide selection of vehicles that you can actually control. The majority of the time spent controlling vehicles is on brand name motorcycles while you can only watch your friends and enemies drive Jeep Wrangler Rubicons and Commanders. (Although in the game’s defense, you can fire at attacking enemies from the bike as well as perform extreme stunts.) Also, swimming beneath the depths of realistic looking water isn’t any easier than it used to be. One of the biggest flaws of all, however, is the amount of actual game play. The content is terrific, but the quantity leaves something to be desired. Players who have been raiding tombs since the beginning are likely to complete the game relatively quickly even with three different difficulty settings. For such a long wait, it seems so short…but maybe that’s because it’s hard to put down the controller once you start.

Despite these few shortcomings, I have no regrets in spending as much as I did on the game. It was worth every penny. Everyone I talk to agrees that it is the best Tomb Raider game yet and one of the most entertaining games of the year. Sorry James Bond. Look out Indiana Jones. Lara Croft has gone from adventurer to Tomb Raider to Legend. Don’t miss out on this thrilling experience. Pick up your copy today. I give it four stars.