A Closer Look at Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Crystal Dynamics had a surprise hit on its hands in 2010 when it released Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, a lighthearted, isometric take on the beloved Tomb Raider franchise. The just-released Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a return to that style.

For those who never played Temple of Osiris‘ predecessor, you should know that these games have a very different tone than the main Tomb Raider titles. This is not the gritty, realistic Lara Croft from the 2013 series reboot, but rather, a swashbuckling adventurer in the vein of Indiana Jones. And this time around, Crystal Dynamics lets her bring her friends along for the ride. Here are some things to look forward to in this new chapter of Lara Croft’s adventures.

Team Lara
You can play it solo, but you’d be missing out on Temple of Osiris’ wonderful cooperative mode – which allows up to four players to join up either locally, online, or a combination of both. In addition to series mainstay Lara and new guy Carter, Egyptian deities Isis and Horus are playable, each armed with special magical powers.

Multiple Heads
You’ll need to coordinate to survive Temple of Osiris. Switches, spiky walls, and catapults will all require groupthink: One of you will chuck a grappling line to a hook across a moat, for instance, letting the others climb across it hand-over-hand. Another player casts a bubble around themselves, to allow others to bounce from it and reach higher elevations.

Loot Drops
The game’s loot system includes items ranging from common to legendary. A range of gear lets you customize your character, and you’ll keep your earned gear if you swap between characters, giving you maximum freedom to find your favorite style of play.

Mischief-Making
Players can nudge each other into deadly situations by tossing a bomb in their path or pushing them onto spikes, but there’s no real punishment for each death – you respawn within a few seconds, so long as one player remains alive. It’s playful and fun, not entirely unlike the LEGO titles of recent years. The game’s chase sequences involve coordination and competition as well, whereby teammates are tasked with leaping to optional platforms to grab loot, while their cohorts rush forward to avoid death-by-spiked-walls.

Armed to the Teeth
You need to fend off plenty of creatures in Temple of Osiris, and you’ve got the weaponry to do it, ranging from pistols to grenade launchers. Oh, and all that firepower is for a good cause: The evil Egyptian god Set is your primary enemy, and your goal is to restore him to his former captivity by finding scattered pieces of a statue… which you’ll almost certainly be able to sell on eBay once you put it back together.

Jump into the action! Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is available now for Xbox One.