Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is an isometric arcade platformer. How about that? Didn’t see that one coming, did you? Tomb Raider may be responsible for helping to craft the third-person action/adventure, but it seems that she’s given up trying to be relevant to the genre, and has taken a dramatic turn for the retro.
The arcade atmosphere is crucial to Guardian of Light, with replay value and high scores being the primary focus. Lara and new buddy Totec race to find the Mirror of Smoke and keep its mystical Mayan powers away from nefarious evildoers, as well as defeat the evil spirit Xoxolt, who sends undead warriors and the like against our intrepid heroes.
The story thankfully takes a back seat to the action though, with Lara and Totec using their unique weapons to take on waves of enemies and their acrobatic skills to navigate a series of platforming obstacles. There will also be puzzles dotted around the various tombs that players encounter throughout the game. Oh, and co-op will be part of the fun.
Not what anybody was expecting, really. But strangely compelling.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light First Look [GameSpot]
