Some may find gun accuracy to be an issue as well, though that was clearly a design decision to simulate more realism with the weapons as well as the characters’ lack of special training. After struggling initially I came to embrace the aiming. Also of interest, there’s no melee attack for close quarters combat — instead, pressing (B) has you grab an enemy and use him as a human shield.

Developer Crystal Dynamics has handled Lara’s foray into the isometric realm beautifully. Using the dual analog sticks to move (left) and aim (right) allows for elusive movements and strafing with “X” executing a roll for quick escapes. The functions needed for solving puzzles are smartly mapped to the bumpers, allowing your hands to concentrate on the sticks, triggers and face buttons during combat — plus, you can assign up to four weapons to the d-pad for switching on the fly. Jumping can be a bit imprecise, though part of the blame for that falls on the camera angle.