Video Game Reviews by Jeb Haught

DEVELOPER: Crystal Dynamics

PUBLISHER: Square Enix

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PS3)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Lara Croft is as iconic to video games as Superman is to comic books. Her first outing on the original PlayStation helped introduce 3D gaming to the world, but several sequels fell flat on their face. Now the series has undergone a much-needed reboot, and the new "Tomb Raider" is intense, fun and engaging!

Lara's story begins as she abandons a sinking ship and awakens on a remote island. She feels cold and alone, and she quickly discovers the hardships of enduring both the remote wilderness and merciless natives. This isn't the spunky spelunker that gamers have come to know, and Lara soon transforms from an innocent, wide-eyed archeologist to a hardened survivalist.

It doesn't take long for Lara to discover that she has to kill to survive. On one hand she must hunt animals for sustenance, and on the other she is forced to kill humans before they kill her. I really appreciate how she is sickened by both acts at the beginning because it adds authenticity to her character.

Four main weapons are at her disposal throughout the game: a compound bow, pistol, shotgun and automatic rifle. My favorite weapon is the bow because it lets Lara silently take out enemies, which lets players use a stealthy approach if they choose. Another great addition is the ability to upgrade all weapons with various accouterments like a larger clip, extra damage and even a secondary fire feature.

In addition to combat and linear mission objectives, Lara is tasked with a wide variety of adventuresome activities that include searching for hidden documents and artifacts, rescuing members of her crew and even finding hidden tombs. While there aren't many blatant puzzles, simply finding her way around the island or discovering new areas equate to built-in puzzles. Fortunately, activating a black-and-white visual mode called Survival Instincts can help show where to go whenever it's needed.

Add several other useful and interesting features to this reboot, and "Tomb Raider" emerges as a fantastic example of how to reboot a dying franchise.

'MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship'

DEVELOPER: Milestone Inc.

PUBLISHER: Namco Bandai

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360, PC)

PRICE: $39.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

Extreme sports are on the decline in both the real world and in cyberspace.

The X-Games has turned into little more a showcase for notorious athletes and commercials, and extreme sports games are now few and far between. Is the off-road racing game, "MUD — FIM Motocross World Championship," worthy of purchase? Read on to get the dirt on "MUD."

With 84 real-world riders, 32 teams, eight motorcycle manufacturers, over a dozen courses, and officially licensed MX1 and MX2 competitions, what can go wrong? Well, all of these cool features aren't worth a pile of dirt if the game play isn't fun. Guess what? It isn't!

Similar to other off-road racing franchises such as "MX vs. ATV," this game attempts to ride the thin line between arcade fun and realistic simulation. Unlike the aforementioned title, the result is a mishmash of poor decisions that result in more frustration than enjoyment. It doesn't help that the game looks uninspiring and features sparse backgrounds.

Guiding each bike around the dirt-laden tracks is very challenging because ruts become deeper with each lap and players are forced to constantly adjust their steering. It's also necessary to use monitor use of the throttle because gunning it makes the tire spin out and slamming on the brake before a corner will make the bike slide sideways.

So why is there a turbo feature that utilizes energy drinks other than for blatant advertisement? Why can players blast off of the starting line when they press the throttle at the correct moment? Why does it feel like I'm sliding around courses rather than bouncing through ruts and skillfully negotiating the terrain?

There's a reason why "MUD — FIM Motocross World Championship" costs $20 less than most new releases, and it has nothing to do with the economy.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Very Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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