The sequel to the ground-breaking Tomb Raider has arrived, and it packs all of the cool new stuff, but remains close to the original in gameplay. Lara is back, and now she is looking for The Dagger of Xian. Lara is packing some new firepower, and she is going to need it in this tough-as-nails game. The new weapons in her arsenal include the M-16, Grenade Launcher, and Harpoon Gun. Her newest enemies include Spiders, Tigers, and Great White Sharks. Lara will also face many more human foes than in the original. While most sequels don't require you to have beaten the first game, only Tomb Raider veterans need apply here.

The graphics have gotten a boost since the original, especially in the lighting department. You now have flares at your disposal to light up otherwise dark areas. One complaint I have is that even though Lara is rounder and more photo-realistic, I'm getting sick of the extremely sexist way Lara dresses, just look at the cover of the game, "Tomb Raider II, Starring Lara Croft". Lara has become way too much of a sex symbol, she is not real! Daisy Dukes are adventure wear? My ass. Please just keep in mind that not all gamers ages 13-30 are perverts. But really, the graphics have been lifted a few notches and are really nice to look at. The long and detailed cinematic CGI sequences are also pure eye candy and really help to flesh out the story line.

The sound of Tomb Raider II is much like the original. The music is almost non-exsistant, except when something bad is going to happen or you find a secret item. The sound effects are done well. The blast of the guns are clear and sound realistic. The use of CD tracks for the dialog was a smart move on the developer's part. Overall, the sound effects and music don't drown out the action, but adds to it.

The control is as frustrating as ever. Jumping will still cause you more deaths than any trap or enemy. You can use the training course to improve your skills before actually going into the game, which I recommend, especially if you are a little rusty. The same problem has remained since the original, you know you pushed the jump button, but she just ran right off the edge. Remember, press and hold the jump button just a little bit before the edge to improve your odds of her actually jumping. One high point in the control area is the control of the vehicles. The turning is sharp and responsive, too bad the rest of the controls couldn't be like that.

If you never even touched the original Tomb Raider, buy it and beat it before you play this one. Even though you may just want to go right off and play this one because it is "better", beat the original first, it will save you a whole lot of frustration. But if you are a Tomb Raider veteran looking for some new challenges, you should have already bought this game by now, so what are you waiting for?

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