Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

My first hour with Temple of Osiris told me exactly what kind of game this is: a compact, isometric arcade romp that borrows Lara Croft's brand and Egypt's mythology as dressing for a co-op puzzle-shooter that moves fast and never overstays its welcome. If you walked in expecting the sweeping survival-action of the mainline Tomb Raider series, you will be briefly confused. If you walked in wanting a breezy afternoon with up to three friends and a pile of ancient traps, you will have a good time. The core loop alternates between twin-stick combat and environmental puzzles inside tombs that connect through a hub island. Lara and rival treasure hunter Carter Bell wield dual pistols, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and a grappling hook; the god characters Isis and Horus carry magic staffs that fire laser beams, raise platforms, slow down bombs, and form climbable light spheres. The clever design twist is that puzzle layouts scale to your party size, so solo runs and four-player sessions are structurally different experiences. Boss fights punctuate the pace nicely, including a memorable encounter atop a rolling burning sphere, and per-level challenges (finish under a time limit, avoid hits, collect enough diamonds) add light replayability once the credits roll. There is also a loot system built around gems and artifact rings that modify weapon stats with ice or fire effects, though most reviewers and players agree it feels bolted on and never essential. The "co-opetition" framing is where the game finds its real personality. Loot is not shared: every gem and ring you grab is yours alone, which creates a low-stakes competitive layer on top of the cooperation. Watching a teammate yank the grappling hook back across a gap at exactly the wrong moment is the kind of chaos this format thrives on. The puzzles themselves are the strongest argument for the game: mirror-deflection lasers, timed platform sequences, and tomb-specific mechanics give each dungeon a distinct identity even when the story (evil god Set, collect Osiris body parts, save the world) is purely functional. The weaknesses are real and worth knowing upfront. The campaign runs roughly four to six hours depending on pace and party size, which is thin even at a budget price point. The loot system introduces RNG grind that feels out of place for a game this casual. Camera readability in four-player sessions can get messy, and the Steam review score sitting at a mixed 69% reflects a version of the game that also launched with online co-op technical hiccups. The story has zero ambition and the villain barely registers. Solo play is workable but clearly not the intended mode, even though the puzzle scaling does a decent job compensating. Where Temple of Osiris earns genuine respect is focus: it knows exactly what it wants to be. The action is tuned, the puzzles are smart without being obtuse, and the isometric adventure feel lands closer to Raiders of the Lost Ark than a loot grind. It does one thing exceptionally well, which is delivering a chaotic, lighthearted co-op run that moves at a pace where the short runtime feels like a feature rather than a flaw. Solo players on the fence should temper expectations. Anyone with two to three willing friends is looking at a genuinely fun session game.

Alex · Scout Team

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