Lara Croft GO

My first session with Lara Croft GO lasted about two hours, and I genuinely did not notice the time pass. That is not something I say about puzzle games often. What Square Enix Montreal built here is a kind of board game logic applied to classic Tomb Raider iconography: boulders, spike traps, ancient ruins, and yes, a very large snake that wants you dead. The twist is that everything moves on your terms. Lara takes a step, the world takes a step. Every snake, spider, and lizard on the grid shifts one space in response to your move. That rhythm turns what looks like a simple grid puzzle into something closer to chess, where you have to think two or three moves out before committing. The five main chapters, with names like The Maze of Snakes and The Maze of Spirits, each introduce a new mechanic before layering it into harder configurations. Early on you are dodging stationary serpents and pulling levers to shift walls. By the later chapters you are herding salamanders into pressure plates, timing saw blades, and holding a fire torch to change how every enemy on the board behaves. The game introduces all of this without a single text tutorial, just smart level design that teaches you through trial and restart. Each enemy type has its own movement rule: serpents stay put until you step in front of them, lizards trail you by two spaces, spiders advance one grid after each of your moves. Learning those patterns and then exploiting them - leaving a creature alive specifically to use it as a tool later - is where the real satisfaction lives. The aesthetics do a lot of work too. The isometric art style draws from the low-poly look of the original 1996 Tomb Raider, rebuilt with clean geometry, layered fog effects, and a remarkably good ambient soundtrack. It creates a contemplative pace that feels deliberate rather than slow. Collectible relic fragments and hidden vases scattered across levels unlock classic Lara outfits, including nods to the Angel of Darkness and Catsuit looks, which is fan service done with actual restraint. On Steam, hints are included for free, and the Mirror of Spirits bonus chapter adds extra levels for players who want more after the main run. The two honest criticisms are the ones critics have been raising since 2015: the core campaign is short - somewhere in the three to five hour range depending on how much you hunt collectibles - and the single linear solution per puzzle means there is no room for lateral thinking. You are looking for the one correct sequence, not improvising. Some players find that satisfying, others will want more freedom. The mouse-based control scheme on PC is functional but clearly a port of a swipe interface, and it takes a few minutes to stop fighting it. Neither issue is a dealbreaker, but anyone expecting an open puzzle sandbox will be disappointed. For the right player - someone who wants a focused, low-stress puzzle session, or a Tomb Raider fan curious about a genuinely different take on the formula - this delivers cleanly on its own quiet terms.

Alex · Scout Team

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