One of the most iconic video games characters ever is celebrating a milestone event in her history. 2021 saw the Tomb Raider franchise reach its 25th anniversary, and with this, fans of the legendary Lara Croft have been given the chance to celebrate in numerous ways.
With a live-action Tomb Raider experience in London, fans have been given the chance to live the Lara lifestyle, along with the chance to replay some of her most famous adventures. In early January 2022, the three rebooted Tomb Raider games were available for free via the Epic Games store, giving gamers the chance to reminisce on some of those games - and the series most memorable levels.
Tomb Raider 2: 40 Fathoms
40 Fathoms lives up to its name as Lara is plunged into the center of the ocean. Searching for this sunken cruise ship would be easier without being dragged down by a crashing submarine, a lack of air, and a school of sharks searching for a meal, yet this is the peril facing Lara here.
40 Fathoms is born out of the most devious designers' imagination. Getting lost is easy and the feeling of bewilderment appears from the opening seconds. Earlier levels give an indication of a direction of travel, yet 40 Fathoms just throws Lara literally in the deep end with no signs of where to go. 40 Fathoms is claustrophobic and intense with time-sensitive puzzles, wrong turns, and rooms that look so similar, they're impossible to tell apart. Short, but not sweet.
Tomb Raider: Natla's Mines
From the original (and best Tomb Raider, according to Metacritic), this finale is a difficult challenge. Putting Lara at a disadvantage - having been ambushed by the game's antagonist Natla and her crew, who steal every weapon and collectible at Lara's disposal - the scales are tipped from the moment the cinematic ends.
Natla's Mines feature three separate mini-bosses along the way, yet the biggest roadblock is one of the most complicated puzzles in the game. Three fuses, a large amount of doubling back, and the feeling of making several wrong turns, this level tests memory recall and more. The final boss fight ramps the difficulty up forcing a 'shoot first, search for items later' strategy ahead of the relief from getting that elusive pyramid key.
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation: Lost Library
The Last Revelation saw Lara free the God of Chaos and head to some of the lushest locations in the series to date. Despite the exterior locations being awe-inspiring to look at, the Lost Library was without a doubt the finest interior level in the franchise.
One of the best examples of Tomb Raider going back to its roots, it's all tactics and thought process, bringing with it a difficult globe puzzle to solve. Yet it is the army of armored soldiers on horseback that causes the most problems. Having to back off with each shot can lead Lara into a corner and then it's game over. One wrong move anywhere makes gamers pray for a recent save so as not to repeat the trauma again.
Tomb Raider Underworld: Helheim
A divisive entry, as many gamers had unpopular opinions on Tomb Raider Underworld. Final level Helheim, though, ticks all the boxes that make up a difficult finale. Journeying through the Arctic Sea, Lara swims towards a rematch with Natla, only this time Lara is carrying an equalizer: Thor's hammer Mjolnir.
A puzzle solver, with a twist - it's underwater. The opening ten minutes set the tone as opportunities to get lost are plentiful. With foreboding statues, switches to flick in a certain order, and the occasional shark, the need for good memory is as important as the mythical hammer Lara carries. Throw in a perilous journey across a number of platforms with enemies swinging around. Balance and timing are essential as to not cursing saving sooner rather than later.
Tomb Raider 2: The Deck
A level with a misleading title. There is a deck, but there's actually more than one of them! Clambering through the upper deck of a ship that has somehow become moored in a cave, Lara's search for another Seraph stretches multiple levels of this vessel - along with the sea.
More of a maze than a deck, this level places Lara in all sorts of trouble. With flooded ageways leading back underwater, perilous platform edges leading to a spiky demise and the first encounter of henchmen with flamethrowers causing issues, it's actually the make-or-break jumps that are the worst. Missing these can send Lara back to the bottom causing stress levels to head in the opposite direction.
Tomb Raider 3: Luds Gate
Tomb Raider 3 took Lara to one of the most iconic locations in the world, just not through the front door. Luds Gate has Lara breaking into the Natural History Museum, which is simple enough. However, making the exit is where the level really dials up the difficulty.
Not a stealthy mission, but another full of guards, spikes, and slides. Once Lara's mission indoors is complete, the level goes from Hitman to Mission Impossible. Escaping the Museum isn't as simple as walking out the front door. The search for switches tests the memory as a further trip underwater through poorly lit tunnels, - as alligators snap at Lara's heels and that familiar sound of air running out make for a heart-pounding affair.
Tomb Raider (2013): Summit Forest
Bringing with it a new style and look for Lara, Tomb Raider was rebooted in 2013 and quickly gained praise from fans ranking it highly in another list of the Tomb Raider games on Metacritic. Re-establishing her origins, Lara faces danger early on, however, Summit Forest provides perhaps the most difficult challenge of Tomb Raider's comeback.
Keeping silent is the key here. With henchmen and the local wildlife to contend with, heading through Summit Forest is a hard task. Silence is essential as Lara gets into positions that provide strategic cover. Getting through this level undetected is a worthy achievement alone, the amount of restarts after being spotted and swarmed by enemies - some bringing hunting wolves with them - racks up fast.
Tomb Raider: Sanctuary Of The Scion
Leading to the first game's finale, Sanctuary of the Scion is a long, winding level that truly brings the danger. Heading through an Egyptian scene taken straight from a movie, Lara's search for the final part of the Scion provides plenty of obstacles in the way.
Enemies are sparse - but they are deadly. The majority fly, are difficult to target, and will burn through ammunition. Luckily some of the best weapons in Tomb Raider are placed throughout the level - however, getting to them can be hard. One set of uzis is placed on an invisible platform that needs precision jumping to get to. The traps may just be the worst part of this level. Fire breathing dragons, blades, and underwater blades all mean that timing every run and jump is essential, and ensuring that there's no way Lara can fall when encountering flying enemies adds to the danger.
Tomb Raider 3: Lost City Of Tinnos
Named by many gamers as the most difficult in the early series. Throwing a virtual brick wall up near the end of the game, The Lost City of Tinnos is one of the longest levels in the and one hindered further by a number of bugs in early editions.
The Lost City throws up the usual pitfalls, yet the most difficult aspect here are the monsters. The charging mutants that attack off the bridge, forcing Lara to unleash heavy fire power, coupled with a lack of save points and large swarms of wasps - attacking and respawning at will - making it to the end with at least 50% of the health bar intact could be an early PlayStation trophy!
Tomb Raider V: Red Alert!
Red Alert has gone down as one of the series' most difficult levels. A final level that can take hours to get through. Situated in the techno-palace of antagonist Werner Van Croy, Lara starts off in the worst possible position.
With Lara's unlimited pistol ammo and saved items removed, conservation of ammo and med packs that can be found is paramount. However a lack of ammo isn't Lara's biggest issue, nor are the amount of soldiers or the horrendous targeting system, but it's the Mission Impossible style traps that are dotted around - normally with lasers to dodge that cause Lara the biggest headaches.
