RipTen Review: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (iPhone)

When the guardian of light hit XBLA a few months ago, it was a huge hit. While the game represented somewhat of a departure from the series norm, the isometric co-op puzzler was well received. Lara is again exploring new territory with a full port of the game to iOS.

The game remains almost completely unchanged in the transition to mobile device.  10 of the original 14 levels are there, as are the various puzzles, weapons, enemies, etc. The co-op is still there, with up to two players able to play together either locally or through Game Center.

As with the console version, the level design is stellar in this game. Each level not only features a main objective, but several challenges to complete along the way for achievements. There are also relics and artifacts to collect that help level Lara up in her quest.

One of the biggest disappointments of this game are the controls. The console version was known for tight, precise controls that made the otherwise unforgiving environments fun to navigate. As is the case with many console-to-touchscreen transitions, however, that precision is lost on the touch joystick. Precise targeting seems nearly impossible most of the time, and jumps that should be easy to hit instead lead to frustration.

The co-op experience leaves a little to be desired as well. During our tests, we were never able to successfully connect to another player through Game Center; it just kept timing out. Playing local games was a little more successful, but we still had several crashes in the middle of a level. When it takes on average 30 minutes to complete a level, the game crashing 5 minutes from the end is downright infuriating. Co-op should be one of the best features of this game; it’s a shame it seems so broken.

The graphics have been dumbed down a bit from the console version to accommodate the mobile device; this is understandable, but the game still looks pretty great.  There are a few pixels showing up on the screen, but the textures are high res and the models are still reasonably complex. The cutscenes have been reduced to slideshows, though they still get the point across pretty well; and to be honest, the story is pretty secondary in this game anyway.

It’s awesome that Square was able to get such an amazing game to run on a cell phone.  While it is not without its shortcomings, the Guardian of Light is defnitely a fun and rewarding mobile experience.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ Excellent Level Design
+ Feels like a console game on a mobile platform
- Controls hard to use
- Broken Multiplayer