Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris Review

Richard Walker

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was something of an unexpected pleasure, the Tomb Raider spin-off providing a neat little adventure of its own. A twin-stick shooter that placed an emphasis on co-op gameplay and puzzle solving, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a sequel cast in the same mould, except you can now play with up to four players rather than only two. Suffice it to say, Lara's also in trouble again, disturbing an ancient artefact that bestows a curse upon her. Silly girl.

Temple of Osiris feels instantly familiar, albeit without the aid of Totec and his funky javelin. This time, Lara or fellow explorer Carter Bell can call upon awakened Egyptian gods Isis and Horus for help, using their supernatural powers and magic staff to close portals and form protective bubble shields. It's only a slight departure from what's gone before in Guardian of Light, albeit relocated to a cursed Egyptian temple, with a few new mechanics and a fresh cast of characters.


Co-operation makes it happen.

As a logical progression from Guardian of Light, Temple of Osiris makes perfect sense, although introducing four players into the mix can make for more than a few rather chaotic moments. Even playing solo, some enemy encounters can get a little bit out of hand, with the game's final boss battle in particular proving somewhat manic, making it difficult to see what's going on. Having four players all trying to coordinate can be a logistical nightmare at times.

When it does all work, Temple of Osiris can be a great laugh, particularly with a good bunch of friends. Lara and Carter lay explosives and can shoot their guns, while Isis and Horus provide the projectile deflecting bubble shields and magical staffs, able to manipulate certain platforms, close evil enemy spewing portals and blast baddies. Crystal Dynamics has ensured that it all works as a solo experience too, granting Ms. Croft the Egyptian gods' staff and all of the abilities she needs to survive.

And while anyone who's played Guardian of Light will find the spike traps, blow darts, ball-rolling puzzles and grappling hook traversal returning in a variety of different ways, these mechanics are all served up in their own unique guise, with time bombs, pressure plates, mirrors and switches providing plenty of scope for some head-scratching conundrums. None are overly taxing, however; in most instances, the penny dropped and I'd figured out the solution almost instantly. Of the game's five extra 'challenge tombs', only one provided something genuinely complex. The rest I was able to solve pretty quickly. That's not a boast, by the way; more an observation.


See: everyone's doing their bit.

As someone who relishes a well put together puzzle, playing solo falls short of offering complete satisfaction. Roping in co-op comrades makes things more interesting, if only due to the additional steps each puzzle requires, as you and your fellow adventurers strive to communicate one another's roles to reach the solution. It can get hectic, to say the least. That said, whether playing alone or with other players, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is never anything less than unbridled fun.

While a basic playthrough might only take a few hours, as you complete each of the dozen or so levels, there's also a large hub environment connecting them all to explore, with a crank allowing you to manipulate the time of day and weather to open new areas. Each zone in the hub has its own collectibles to unearth too. Add to that lot the five aforementioned challenge tombs (we'd have liked to have seen more of these, to be honest) and a great deal of added longevity in the time challenges and various other unique tasks to undertake in each and every level, and Temple of Osiris represents fairly decent value.

Couple this with the ability to experiment with a range of weapons as well as power-buffing rings and amulets, alongside a competitive aspect in fighting to collect gems that act as currency for opening loot chests, and Temple of Osiris offers plenty of scope for replayability. Post-game combat challenges and the ability to replay levels to complete goals or scoop up missed collectibles ought to ensure you're playing for a fair few hours beyond what the narrative portion of the game has to offer.


"Um, can we talk about this?"

Naturally, this all ties in to the game's achievements too, which reward you for attaining every challenge on each level, meaning you'll need to beat every gold medal time challenge, collect every red skull and achieve every unique goal. No small task, this alone will take you a good few hours and then some. The rest of the list is devoted to simple progression through the game, while playing co-op online both locally and online with four-players is an essential requirement if you want to gain that all-important 1000G. Overall, it's a solid list with good spread, if not exactly all that imaginative.

A worthy successor to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Temple of Osiris does a great job in providing more of the same twin-stick shooting, platforming and puzzle-solving, with just enough fresh twists on the formula to keep things interesting. A simple 'A to B' playthrough might not last all that long, and most puzzles fail to strain the grey matter all that much, but Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is nonetheless an enjoyable adventure regardless. Get past the hokey story and slightly patchy voice acting, and there's plenty of tomb raiding fun to be had.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Huge fun with friends and enjoyable on your own, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a strong follow-up to Guardian of Light. It might retread a lot of old ground from its predecessor, but it also offers enough twists and interesting puzzles to keep you playing for a good few hours, making it well worth excavating and dusting off.

Form widget
75%
Audio
80%

A sweeping score with a nice dose of orchestral noodling, the only thing that's slightly jarring is the overblown, slight daft voice acting. Then again, perhaps that's what Crystal Dynamics was going for.

Visuals
70%

Atmospheric, ancient dusty tombs are right on the money, and although character models aren't the most detailed, they're nicely stylised, which gives them a certain charm.

Playability
80%

If you enjoyed Guardian of Light, then you're going to get a kick out of this too. Playing in 4-player co-op can be hectic, but it's also raucous fun. Play solo, and you'll still enjoy the ride.

Delivery
70%

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris isn't exactly huge and can easily be completed over a weekend. However, the range of challenges and collectibles add ample replay value, while co-op is always worth delving into.

Achievements
70%

A solid, workmanlike list that covers all of the right bases, and ensures you'll play the game to death in pursuit of the full 1000G. A simple playthrough still rewards over 500G, but only dedicated players who put in the time and effort will attain 100%.

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