Lara Croft was already a household name by 1997, but the Tomb Raider 2 game changed the stakes entirely. It wasn't just about finding dusty artifacts anymore. Honestly, the jump from the first game to the second felt like moving from a quiet indie film to a summer blockbuster with an unlimited pyrotechnics budget. Core Design took a massive gamble. They swapped the lonely, isolated tombs of Peru and Greece for the neon-soaked streets of Venice and the claustrophobic corridors of a sunken luxury liner. People often forget how controversial that was at the time. Fans wondered if the "Tomb" was being taken out of Tomb Raider.
It worked.
The game became a cultural phenomenon, selling millions of copies and cementing Lara as the undisputed queen of the PlayStation era. But looking back now, it's easy to see the cracks and the brilliance side-by-side. It was harder. Much harder. The combat shifted from dodging slow-moving bats to surviving waves of gunmen with hitscan weapons that felt almost unfair. If you didn't have your finger on the "Roll" button, you were dead in seconds.
The Great Venice Debate and the Shift in Gameplay
Most people remember the Venice levels vividly. The music, composed by Nathan McCree, is still some of the best in the series. Hearing those violins kick in while you're jumping a speedboat over a canal is a core memory for anyone who grew up in the 90s. But from a design perspective, the Tomb Raider 2 game was a radical departure.
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The focus shifted toward "human" enemies. In the first game, killing a human felt like a boss fight or a major story beat. In the sequel, Lara basically became an action hero mowing down endless goons working for Marco Bartoli. Some critics, like those at GameSpot back in the day, noted that the heavy emphasis on combat sometimes overshadowed the puzzle-solving. Yet, the puzzles were still there, just hidden behind more aggressive level layouts.
Take the "Barkhang Monastery" level. It’s arguably one of the greatest levels in gaming history. Why? Because it introduced a faction system. If you didn't shoot the monks, they’d help you fight the thugs. It was a moment of sophisticated AI design that most games in 1997 weren't even attempting. It rewarded the player for restraint, a rare thing in an era of "shoot everything that moves."
The Maria Doria: A Masterclass in Atmosphere
Then you have the Maria Doria sections. After the bright colors of Italy, you're suddenly dropped into a rusted, upside-down shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean. It’s eerie. It’s quiet. It’s terrifying.
The environmental storytelling here was years ahead of its time. You weren't just platforming; you were navigating a graveyard. Navigating the "40 Fathoms" level—where you start deep underwater and have to find an air pocket before your lungs burst—is a masterclass in tension. It’s the kind of level that gave kids nightmares but kept them coming back for more.
Lara's moveset expanded too. She could climb ladders. She had flares. She could drive vehicles. These seem like tiny additions now, but back then, being able to light up a dark corner with a flickering red glow changed how we explored. It made the darkness feel like a physical obstacle rather than just a graphical limitation.
Technical Leaps and the "Lara" Phenomenon
Technically, the game pushed the Sega Saturn and PlayStation to their absolute limits. The engine was essentially the same as the first, but the developers stretched the geometry to create massive outdoor spaces. This led to some notorious "wobble" in the textures, but the sheer scale of the Great Wall of China or the Tibetan Foothills made up for it.
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- Weaponry: The addition of the M16 and the Harpoon Gun changed the tactical approach.
- Outfits: For the first time, Lara changed clothes based on the environment—a small detail that added massive immersion.
- Save System: On consoles, you could finally save anywhere. This was a godsend because the difficulty spike was real.
Lara Croft herself became a weirdly polarizing figure during this release. The marketing was everywhere. She was on magazine covers that had nothing to do with gaming. The New York Times was writing about her. But inside the game, she remained a stoic, somewhat cold professional. Toby Gard, her original creator, had famously left Core Design before the sequel's production because he wasn't happy with how she was being sexualized in advertisements. You can feel that tension in the game; the gameplay treats her as a rugged survivor, while the box art treated her as a pin-up.
The Mystery of the Dagger of Xian
The plot revolved around the Dagger of Xian, a relic that could turn its wearer into a dragon. It’s campy. It’s over-the-top. But it fits the 90s vibe perfectly. The journey from the Great Wall to a secret base in the mountains felt like a James Bond film.
One thing people often get wrong is the "Butler in the Fridge" trope. In the Croft Manor training level, you could lure Lara’s butler, Winston, into the walk-in freezer and lock him in. It became a universal experience for players. It wasn't a scripted event; it was just something the physics and AI allowed you to do. That kind of emergent gameplay—even if it was just for a laugh—is what made the Tomb Raider 2 game feel alive. It wasn't just a series of corridors; it was a playground.
Dealing with the Difficulty Spike
Let's be real: Tomb Raider 2 is punishing. The "Temple of Xian" level is a gauntlet of traps, spikes, and giant spiders that requires pixel-perfect jumping. If you play the remastered versions today, you'll realize just how much we relied on "save-scumming" to get through it.
The game doesn't hold your hand. There are no waypoints. No "detective vision." You either figure out the jump or you die. This "sink or swim" philosophy is why the game still has a dedicated speedrunning community. There is a purity to the movement mechanics—once you master the "grid," you can fly through levels that took you hours as a kid.
Legacy and the Remasters
Recently, the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection brought these games back into the spotlight. It highlighted something interesting: the level design holds up even if the "tank controls" feel alien to modern players. Playing the Tomb Raider 2 game with modern camera controls makes you realize how much the original difficulty was tied to the limited perspective.
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But even with modern bells and whistles, the core appeal remains the same. It’s the sense of discovery. When you finally find that secret Jade Dragon or figure out the timing for the swinging spiked walls, the rush of dopamine is identical to what we felt in 1997.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
If you're looking to revisit this classic or try it for the first time, don't just jump in blindly. The game will break you if you treat it like a modern third-person shooter.
1. Master the Backflip
In combat, Lara's most important move isn't shooting; it's the backflip. Most enemies have a specific "tell" before they attack. By backflipping while keeping your guns locked on, you stay out of reach while dealing constant damage. It's the only way to survive the high-damage thugs in the later levels.
2. Use Flares as Breadcrumbs
In the dark underwater sections of the Maria Doria, it's incredibly easy to lose your orientation. Use flares not just to see, but to mark where you've already been. If you see a flickering light on the floor, you know you're heading back toward the start of the loop.
3. The "Safety Drop" is Essential
To avoid unnecessary fall damage, walk to an edge, turn around, and hold the action button while backing off. Lara will grab the ledge. Drop from there to significantly reduce the distance of the fall. It sounds basic, but it's the difference between having a full health bar and wasting a precious Large Medipack.
4. Respect the Save Game
Since you can save anywhere, do it often—but never in the middle of a jump or while falling. There is a notorious "death loop" bug where you can save a split second before dying, effectively ruining your save file. Always keep at least two rotating save slots.
The Tomb Raider 2 game represents a specific moment in time when gaming was transitioning from niche hobby to global powerhouse. It’s loud, it’s difficult, and it’s unapologetically ambitious. Whether you're dodging sharks in the Mediterranean or exploring the floating islands of a mystical void, it remains a testament to what developers could achieve with limited polygons and a lot of imagination.
Stop treating it like a museum piece and actually play it. Turn the lights down, crank up the Nathan McCree soundtrack, and try to get through the Great Wall without using a walkthrough. You’ll quickly understand why Lara Croft became an icon. It wasn't just the marketing; it was the fact that her games were genuinely, brutally brilliant.