Crystal Dynamics’ information policy makes it really hard to understand what’s going on in Croft Manor. As an positive effect CD made some big headlines, though almost every Tomb Raider fansite i saw only stated unconfirmed or wrong information – including mxm.

Even most professional online game magazines still post wrong facts about Tomb Raider 9 and LCatGoL! This leads to a disappointed fanbase and big loads of comment trolling. Lady Croft won’t be amused.

I hope the following statement will help to stop the confusion:

The game announced as “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” IS NOT “Tomb Raider 9″.

Crystal Dynamics has not pushed out any information about Tomb Raider 9 yet. They only speak mysteriously about a second project they are already working on.

I might be right that LCatGoL is more or less a side product to build a bridge between Underworld and TR9, make the waiting time more entertaining for the fans and help Lara to jump onto the front pages more often.

If you have a TR-Fansite or even are a pro magazine editor i highly recommend to follow CrystalDynamics on twitter (of course you should follow me as well).

Some new screenshots and a First-Look post on gamespot have been released in the meantime. Thanks to @fylaracroft for mentioning it.

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It seems that LCatGoL is not meant to be the next real Tomb Raider sequel. To me it looks more like a promotional mini game or something like that. Hard to believe that i shall open my purse for it…

Back to the 80′s!

This is how gamespot describes it: “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (…) is an arcade-inspired action romp with a fixed isometric camera and a focus on high scores and replay value…”

After the first shock is over it becomes clear to see that this piece of bits and bytes really has nothing to do with Tomb Raider. It seems to be a side-product and reminds me on some 80′s Jump n Run games…

I mean fixed isometric camera, high scores and arcade-inspired… really not my genre. And when i want to play such stuff i’m sure i can find Mario in the forgotten box underneath the bed.

Maybe not that bad!

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light probably isn’t that boring. Nobody played the game yet. It can happen that it’s an entertaining, nicely done game for a lazy weekend or two.

After all, such an unexpectedly strange looking Lara Croft game is better than nothing. Maybe it’s the perfect thing to shorten the waiting time until the true Tomb Raider 9 comes out.

Still a remaining questions is about the platforms. I still don’t believe that it comes for the PC, but anyway, everything is possible, even that “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” is available for free download (Huh, have i really said that?).

I’m sure the Games Developers Conference will bring more news.

If you are a Tomb Raider fans as well you can follow developer Crystal Dynamics on Twitter. The guys trying hard to satisfy the needs of Lara’s fans. Check them out.

First-Look post on gamespot.com (The game is sorted under “xbox 360″ there)

So it’s about time for a small fun post that’s dedicated to Lara’s best-known body part (from the gamer’s angle of view): Her wonderful and sexy butt!

The designers at Crystal Dynamics did a great job, they created the most beautiful Lara Croft so far. She’s looking hot but not in a cheap way.

Anyway, i don’t want to get too serious here, so just let’s have a look at that back part…

Nothing’s better than a sexy back…

Lara Croft is going to move her sexy butt into a secret chamber

From the first sequence of the game. A fine start guaranteed.

Running through the Kraken-Level. Love to see how it moves...

Lara is balancing across a deep chasm. She's perfect with that...

Another balancing photo, this time in my favorite Level: Thailand

Really, you should see how she moves that butt in this scene! Fantastic.

It wasn't easy to climb this way and position the camera...

Okay Lara, just stay up there for a while.

I hope you like this small gallery of Lara Croft’s wide butt.

Apart from the well-designed main character, the whole game “Tomb Raider Underworld” is worth every cent.

Especially now, after they reduced the price!

I hope you enjoyed this butt post. Feel free to leave a comment…

That´s the dirtiest Lara Croft ever :)

I finally found a little bit time to play the Tomb Raider Underworld Demo that’s still out since 2 weeks or so.

Though the final game will be released next Friday i couldn’t wait to have a small demo trip with Lara Croft. In fact, the trip neither was small nor short…

To describe the quality of the Tomb Raider Underworld Demo – and probably the whole game itself – i only need one word: Superb!

I can recommend the demo with no exceptions. You will have a nice walk with Lara through the Thailand-Level, meet a few enemies, learn all about the new moves and control keys, have to figure out the right way, find some secrets and other stuff, and all the time you will be speechless about the great look, the super-stunning graphic of Tomb Raider Underworld.

Oh, you’re still not sure if you should download the 1,15 GB? That’s fine, because i’ve made many screenshots during my first underworld trip with Lara!

The Tomb Raider Underworld Demo!

This is no go-through, just a view inside the demo. But don’t worry, it’s easy to find the right way. I really played many Tomb Raider Levels that were much harder to tackle. Just follow the hints and Lara’s looks…

OK, the demo starts on Lara’s boat that softly is swinging on the sea…

On her boat Lara is talking to her partners...

Lara spots out a small rocky platform where she could climb out of the water. So i wanted to jump into the sea but then noticed some sharks in the clear water…

Are they dangerous? Who cares, Lara needs to swim anyway...

The sharks have been peaceful to Lara and she reaches the platform, wet but healthy...

Lady Croft is an excellent free climber. And so are the controllers: Excellent...

On the way to this place i even spotted a secret...

Now i had the first contact with some enemies: Little scary bastards with 8 legs who first hide in the shrubs and then jump on Lara! Fortunately those beasts don’t need much bullets.

Tomb Raider Underworld is nothing for people who are afraid of spiders :)

OK, further on the way…

Lara often looks into the right direction by herself. Just follow her...

Again, those blood-sucking killer spiders attack Lara...

A minute later, after climbing higher, Lara is standing in the salad...

Here i must say that the plants (and every single stone) appear to be very organic and realistic. The leaves move when Lara runs through. Everything looks very rich detailed and natural.

To be honest, i am not a fan/player of nowadays shooter-games and can’t say how their graphic look.

But i am a huge fan of the action adventure genre and know most of the related games – i never saw such a great graphic like in TR Underworld. Or, to stay inside the same series, Underworld looks like light-years above Anniversary or Legend.

You will get the idea on the following screenshots…

Lara has no time for flower-picking when the tigers already roaring...

Lara can destroy things by kicking them. Many vases contain secrets to collect...

Another climbing lesson later Lara discovers this wonderful temple...

The way is linear but tricky enough. Go down and follow the river...

Lara is going to be attacked by not one, not two, but three tigers!

During the fight i notice that Lara can jump over low walls. Looks great...

There are many new poses and moves that Lara can do in Tomb Raider Underworld. I can’t wait to explore them all. Some moves happen during the normal actions, some only when Lara is standing still and waiting, others need special key combinations to appear. After all it never gets boring to watch at Lara…

When you don´t know how to continue, try the new -jump up walls- action...

Balancing also works good and looks smooth :)

These cats are not only sleeping. Lara again fought 3 tigers...

What can i say about the fighting in Tomb Raider? Killing enemies has never been an important part or big motivation in the series. You don’t get special points or anything for dead enemies. That’s totally alright for me because i hate nothing more than idiotic massacres.

Tomb Raider is more about discovering strange and exciting worlds, finding secrets and all that.

So the most thing i hate in Tomb Raider are the boss-enemies. They are often frustrating (for me) and just get on my nerves.

But the most annoying thing is the so-called “Adrenaline-Mode”! Not the idea itself but the fact that Crystal Dynamics seem to have changed the controllers!

MAN, i just learned to kill the T-Rex in Anniversary and practiced a lot to learn the Adrenaline Mode – only to see that it works in a different way in Underworld! WTF!!!

The hints in the demo tell me that i somehow should use 3 different keys to somehow shoot an enemy in the Adrenaline Mode. I would love to explain it here, but i simply didn’t understand how it works :o

The tigers in the screenshot above were knocked out the old-fashioned way: Guns, shoot, jump, shoot, jump…

So let’s move on to a more positive point.

After the adrenaline fight i thought the demo would end, but no! There was even more to find out, so here we go…

In the temple the killing spiders fall from the walls and roof...

Lara finds another amazing ruin and is close to the aim...

It´s not complicated to use objects as tools...

Lara can even shoot with one hand while holding an object in the other hand...

Lara shortly before the last steps in the demo...

When Lara pulls this grip the ground breaks, she falls and the demo fades out...

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I didn’t show you every single corner of the Tomb Raider Underworld Demo.

I recognized at least three “hidden” places with secrets that i want to reach in a second round.

Lara can also stand on small shelfs and shoot 2 enemies at the same time, while one hand shoots at the first, and the other hand shoots at the second enemy.

After playing the demo i’m sure that the complete game will satisfy me. And somehow i will also manage to learn about the adrenaline mode and get rid of the bosses ;)

Thanks for reading. Feel free to post your own opinion on Tomb Raider in the comments.