Game Review - by Dan Piparo
In Tomb Raider II, the beautiful Lara Croft is back in this highly anticipated sequel from the people at EIDOS Interactive. This new and improved Tomb Raider II is complete with the classic gameplay that made the first Tomb Raider the game of the year! The unstoppable Lara Croft returns to combine the classic gameplay of Tomb Raider with new enemies, moves, weapons, puzzles and much more!

Storyline:
Lara's back as she searches for The Dagger of Xian: an artifact hidden in an ancient Emperor's palace within the Great Wall of China. The legend has it that whoever drives the Dagger of Xian into their heart, acquires the power of the Dragon. Three parties covet this dagger, but for many different reasons. Lara Croft, forever the adventurer, is one of these. On her travels she will encounter the other two . . .

The game begins at The Great Wall of China as Lara searches for the doors to the Emperor's palace. As the doors open, the plot unfolds sending Lara to the far off locations of Venice, Tibet and a sunken ship in search of clues. Lara must fight and explore these enormous new worlds.

Explore New Worlds:
In Tomb Raider II, you get to explore awesome new worlds. Some of the new worlds that Lara gets to explore include: China, Tibet, Venice, and an underwater ship. You can ride a boat through the canals of Venice or even be chased by Great White sharks in the ocean depths.

Sound FX:
The minimalistic approach to music works wonderfully. The game uses its score in a cinematic sense to foreshadow the action and increase tension. Walking around a corner and hearing a sudden slash of percussion or a rush of strings did as much to get my heart pumping as the hard-driving rock so prevalent in other action games.

Realistic New Moves:
Lara looks incredibly real-like when she is swimming through the water, or climbing up ladders, and swinging from the chandeliers and ledges. These movements will definitely shock you while playing this game. Lara is so realistic, you might forget that it is actually a game.

Arm Yourself with New Weapons:
Lara's amazing arsenal will make this game top on your list. The very realistic looking guns are fun to shoot and even to look at. Lara's weapon arsenal includes: Automatic Pistols, Shotguns, Uzis, M-16 Rifles, Rocket Launchers, Harpoon Guns, and Flares.

Kill or be Killed?
This game separates the Novice from the Professionals. In this game you have to be alert because you can die at the most unexpected time and place. Lara can also be killed by the Warrior Monks, Yetis, Jaguars, Great White sharks, Killer Eels, Rabid Dobermans, Rats and more!