Tomb Raider II is an action-adventure video game in the Tomb
Raider series and is the sequel to the 1996 video game Tomb Raider.
Developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive, the game
was originally released for PlayStation, Windows 95 in November 1997,
Macintosh in 1998 and on the PlayStation Network in 2009 for the US and
in 2011 for Europe.
An astounding commercial success, the game sold over 8 million copies worldwide, and is considered one of the best selling games of all time.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Tomb Raider II builds upon the basic set up of the
original game. For a detailed discussion of its features, see the
gameplay section of Tomb Raider. Innovations in Tomb Raider II include,
new weapons, extra moves, a small set of vehicles, larger levels, many
more enemies, mostly human enemies and dynamic lighting (in the original
gun fire did not briefly light up the immediate area and flares did not
exist). As well as these new features, the player may now save wherever
and whenever they choose, save for a few special locations, as opposed
to its predecessor's crystal saving feature.
In terms of movement, Lara can now climb ladders and perform a mid-air
roll used to land in the opposite direction of which the player was
facing. The range of weapons has been expanded to include a harpoon gun
(though more correctly termed a speargun), a grenade launcher, an M16
rifle, which requires Lara to assume an aiming stance to fire, and
automatic pistols, which replace the magnums from Tomb Raider. The item inventory
now includes pyrotechnic flares, which are used to light up dark
corners and take advantage of the improved lighting system implemented
by the developers. The two vehicles in the game are a motorboat (in
Venice) and a Snowmobile (in Tibet). Both are used to travel long distances across the map and can speed up on ramps or run over enemies.
The object of the game remains unchanged from the previous game: each
level must be finished by solving various puzzles, collecting key items,
and performing difficult jumps. However, this time there is an emphasis
on gun fights and the killing of human opponents as well. Secrets no
longer immediately reward the player with weapons or medipacks. Instead,
each secret is marked by a coloured dragon ornament: silver (or stone),
jade, and gold, according to the difficulty of their location. Only
when Lara collects the last of all three dragons in a level will she
receive a bonus, which usually consists of medipacks and ammunition, and
infrequently a new weapon.
Tomb Raider II also offered the player an expanded version of "Croft
Manor", Lara's mansion. Designed as a gameplay tutorial, players can
wander through the massive building, most notably her personal gymnasium
with a variety of platforms, objects, and traps set up for Lara to
maneuver through. This let players acclimate themselves to the game's
controls and Lara's large arsenal of moves at their own pace in a
relaxed, controlled environment. As a bit of comic relief, Lara's old
butler slowly follows Lara around the house, with the sound of rattling
tea cups on his tray accompanying him (and by proxy, the player) along
the way. If the player makes Lara bump him, he grunts or groans and will
even occasionally break wind. Versions of Lara's mansion would return
in Tomb Raider III and then later in Tomb Raider: Legend.
Plot
The story of Tomb Raider II surrounds the mythical Dagger of Xian, a weapon which was used by an Emperor
of China to command his army. By plunging the weapon into its owner's
heart, the weapon has the power to turn its bearer into a dragon. A
flashback reveals that the last battle which was fought with the Dagger
ended in defeat when the warrior monks of Tibet succeeded in removing
the knife from the Emperor's heart. The Dagger was then returned to its resting place within the Great Wall.
The game begins in the present day near the remains of the Great Wall, where Lara Croft investigates the legend of the Dagger. Upon reaching the door which leads to the dagger, she is attacked by a thug who claims to work for Marco Bartoli, a Venetian Mafia leader who has an obsession with the ancient lore of the Dagger. After traveling to Venice, Lara makes her way through Bartoli's hideout and an opera house where Bartoli's men are plotting a heist. Lara manages to follow Bartoli aboard his aeroplane, but she is knocked unconscious before she can confront him.
The plane is headed toward an oil platform. At the site, the cult of Xian have killed all the rig's staff, dumping the bodies into the sea and are carrying out excavations on a sunken ship called the Maria Doria, a luxury ocean liner which was owned by Marco's Father that sank two years ago. When Lara regains consciousness, she learns that the crew have taken her weapons and equipment. She retrieves her weapons and makes her way through the oil rig. She later learns from an imprisoned Tibetan monk, Brother Chan, that the shipwreck carries an ancient Tibetan artefact called the Seraph. Lara dives alongside a submersible and arrives at the shipwreck. There she successfully retrieves the Seraph. Having obtained this, she heads towards the monastery via aeroplane.
As Lara heads to the Tibetan monastery the plane suffers engine failure and crash lands. As the plane is skidding along the ground she manages to escape using a parachute and arrives at the Barkhang Monastery in Tibet. There she is helped by monks in confronting the thugs of Marco Bartoli. With the help of the monks, she finds and uses five prayer wheels to open a door that leads to a room to hold the Seraph. She continues her journey inside the catacombs to find the Talion, a key used to open the door which leads to the dagger. After confronting several yetis, she recovers the Talion. The FMV cutscene shows Lara exiting the caves. She takes off in a jeep while a guard is patrolling outside. Another jeep with two guards follows Lara, but she manages to escape.
Back in China, Lara opens the door to the chamber holding the Dagger. Before she reaches the artefact, however, Lara is plunged into the catacombs beneath the Great Wall. After climbing a staircase with blades, she makes her way to a place with green floating islands and warriors which come alive when triggered. She finally moves to the room where she witnesses Bartoli drive the dagger into his heart, transforming himself into a dragon. In the final scene, Lara manages to temporarily render the creature unconscious and pulls the dagger from Bartoli's heart. Soon after this, the whole tomb begins to collapse, and a part of Great Wall is destroyed. In the epilogue, Lara returns home and is shown cleaning the dagger when she hears an alarm going off. She discovers the remainder of Marco Bartoli's men have tracked her down to England and are planning to invade her mansion. Luckily she overpowers them. The final shot is of Lara, disrobing before entering the shower. She turns to the camera and says: "Don't you think you've seen enough?" She then blasts her shotgun at the camera.
The game begins in the present day near the remains of the Great Wall, where Lara Croft investigates the legend of the Dagger. Upon reaching the door which leads to the dagger, she is attacked by a thug who claims to work for Marco Bartoli, a Venetian Mafia leader who has an obsession with the ancient lore of the Dagger. After traveling to Venice, Lara makes her way through Bartoli's hideout and an opera house where Bartoli's men are plotting a heist. Lara manages to follow Bartoli aboard his aeroplane, but she is knocked unconscious before she can confront him.
The plane is headed toward an oil platform. At the site, the cult of Xian have killed all the rig's staff, dumping the bodies into the sea and are carrying out excavations on a sunken ship called the Maria Doria, a luxury ocean liner which was owned by Marco's Father that sank two years ago. When Lara regains consciousness, she learns that the crew have taken her weapons and equipment. She retrieves her weapons and makes her way through the oil rig. She later learns from an imprisoned Tibetan monk, Brother Chan, that the shipwreck carries an ancient Tibetan artefact called the Seraph. Lara dives alongside a submersible and arrives at the shipwreck. There she successfully retrieves the Seraph. Having obtained this, she heads towards the monastery via aeroplane.
As Lara heads to the Tibetan monastery the plane suffers engine failure and crash lands. As the plane is skidding along the ground she manages to escape using a parachute and arrives at the Barkhang Monastery in Tibet. There she is helped by monks in confronting the thugs of Marco Bartoli. With the help of the monks, she finds and uses five prayer wheels to open a door that leads to a room to hold the Seraph. She continues her journey inside the catacombs to find the Talion, a key used to open the door which leads to the dagger. After confronting several yetis, she recovers the Talion. The FMV cutscene shows Lara exiting the caves. She takes off in a jeep while a guard is patrolling outside. Another jeep with two guards follows Lara, but she manages to escape.
Back in China, Lara opens the door to the chamber holding the Dagger. Before she reaches the artefact, however, Lara is plunged into the catacombs beneath the Great Wall. After climbing a staircase with blades, she makes her way to a place with green floating islands and warriors which come alive when triggered. She finally moves to the room where she witnesses Bartoli drive the dagger into his heart, transforming himself into a dragon. In the final scene, Lara manages to temporarily render the creature unconscious and pulls the dagger from Bartoli's heart. Soon after this, the whole tomb begins to collapse, and a part of Great Wall is destroyed. In the epilogue, Lara returns home and is shown cleaning the dagger when she hears an alarm going off. She discovers the remainder of Marco Bartoli's men have tracked her down to England and are planning to invade her mansion. Luckily she overpowers them. The final shot is of Lara, disrobing before entering the shower. She turns to the camera and says: "Don't you think you've seen enough?" She then blasts her shotgun at the camera.
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