But while Legend and Anniversary have gone a long way to stopping the rot, we’ve yet to see a Tomb Raider game this generation that can truly be described as a ‘must have’ – something which Crystal Dynamics is hoping to change with Underworld. Lara’s latest adheres to the basic qualities you’d expect to find in a Tomb Raider game – a background story grounded in the real world but with a mythical twist, puzzle led gameplay with a dash of action to spice things up, and of course, Lara’s considerable feminine charms.

And things certainly get off to a flier. As soon as proceedings get underway, you find yourself having to escape from a burning Croft Manor, with no attempt to explain why you’re there or why the building is ablaze. Corridors are light up by plumes of flames that flare and recede in a realistic manner, embers dance and rise in convection currents, smoke pours out from beneath doors and along ceilings, and parts of the roof collapse all around you. That it’s this dramatic is made all the more impressive by the fact that this is actually the token tutorial level. And while it may all just be a cunning illusion – as far as we could tell, it was impossible to hurt Lara during this part of the game – it did set the standard for what was to come thereafter.

This was in stark contrast to the next level we were then whisked off to, which saw our buxom adventurer having to infiltrate an underwater crypt. While the initial dive, followed by the subsequent running around the tomb itself, offered a completely different atmosphere and visual style, it was no less impressive. While swimming, it was possible to make out individual bits of plankton and small debris in the water. Once inside the crypt, everything looks suitably dingy and murky: walls glistened with moisture, reflecting the flickering light of the torches, water showered down from cracks in the ceiling, and everything had a slippery, slimy look to it.

In later levels, this all changes again. Thailand, for instance, sees you clambering around ancient stone ruins that are gradually being reclaimed by the jungle. But irrespective of whether you’re raiding a titular tomb or marvelling at the stunning sight of a forgotten city, it does look great.

As is to be expected, a great deal of effort has gone into Lara herself, too. The animation, for instance, has been greatly expanded and improved. Not only does Lara have an expanded selection of animations – around 2,000, according to Crystal Dynamics – the way in which Ms. Croft’s flows from one action to another has also been enhanced, to give her a more lifelike appearance. Nor does she seem to be losing her sex appeal, either. The trademark wiggle is there in full effect, as are body hugging clothes, plunging necklines and, in the swimming level we tried, a wet suit with partially exposed buttocks.

While this gives Lara a sufficiently confident, sexy and plausible enough appearance most of the time, there are a few things that still need fixing. Get caught in certain situations – such as in a cramped tunnel, or even walking across an uneven floor – and the animation engine can’t decide what it wants to do, stuttering between two animation routines.

If the graphics look like being – the odd glitch aside – a sizeable step up from previous Tomb Raiders, then the gameplay they display is much more evolution than revolution. Most of the changes are largely born out of common sense: when diving, you no longer have to worry about your oxygen supply, certain enemies (such as sharks) won’t attack unless provoked, and Lara now has the option to use tranquiliser rounds instead of bullets. Others are intended to pep up the gameplay: enemy AI has been overhauled, and now presents more of a challenge. Enemies are better at tracking Lara, are more ferocious in their attacks and can even climb up and over objects if needs be, making them harder to escape from.

While this has the net result that such things as the combat now feel more engaging, the bulk of gameplay remains true to the puzzle-based formula the series has become famous for. As per usual, then, you’ll need to identify what needs to go where, then use Lara’s acrobatic and athletic abilities to negotiate the levels to find the objects and switches that are needed to progress.

The puzzles themselves are certainly huge. In the Thai level we saw, players were required to move a giant statue’s arms about, so that the mirrors they were holding could reflect light in the desired direction. In the underwater crypt level, players must throw switches in order to see off a kraken that’s blocking the door, and there are the usual rearranging puzzles to contend with. If we were to exercise one criticism at this stage, it would be that the solutions to the puzzles we sampled were a tad obvious. That said, figuring out what combination of jumps, somersaults and spins were required to put these solutions into motion wasn’t.

As long as Underworld’s gameplay manages to test your grey matter as much as your platforming prowess, then Tomb Raider fans should have little to complain about when Lara’s latest rolls in – especially considering how wonderful the visuals are. Keep your eyes peeled for a full review next month.