On This Page: Overview & Mini-Review Game Features Bonus Levels Rewards & Unlockable Content Lara's Outfits/Costumes Achievements & Trophies Walkthroughs (PC & all consoles) Nintendo DS Walkthrough Relic Video Walkthroughs Related Pages: Controls & Gameplay Tips Cheat Codes PC, PS3 & Wii Save Files Tech Support Links Demos, Patches & Other Files

Tomb Raider: Underworld picks up where Legend left off. Still troubled by her mother's disappearance many years ago, Lara Croft continues her search for answers. Where Legend's plotline focused on Arthurian mythology, the mystical realm of Avalon and the king's sword, Excalibur, Underworld takes a darker turn.

Early on, Lara realizes that her mother was not transported to Avalon after all, but to the Norse underworld, Helheim. In order to enter that realm she must obtain a powerful artifact: the thunder god Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. As the travels the globe seeking clues to the hammer's location, Lara discovers connections between the underworld myths of various cultures. The Hindu Bhogavati, the Mayan Xibalba, the Norse Niflheim, Valhalla and Helheim all have real-world counterparts, and Lara must brave the hazards of each location so that she might find the hammer and, ultimately, the truth.

I won't give too many spoilers here, but suffice it to say that Lara's old rivalry with Amanda Evert, left unresolved at the end of Legend, figures prominently in the Underworld plot. Lara's friends and helpers, Zip, Alister and Winston, return as well. There's even some "unfinished business" from the games' early days.

Technically Underworld takes traditional Tomb Raider-style gameplay to a whole new level, with next-gen graphics, an expanded range of moves for Lara, greater interaction with objects in the environment, and many more new features. Depending on your preferences, you may be delighted or disappointed to discover that the traditional "boss" battles, a staple of past Tomb Raiders, have been completely eliminated, and combat in general has been greatly scaled back in this game.

The system requirements are steep. So if you're planning to play the computer game, be sure to reference the minimum and recommended specs. Or visit System Requirements Lab to have your PC scanned and compared with the requirements for the game. Otherwise, opt for the equally gorgeous PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 game.

Although I enjoyed Underworld immensely, I have to give a warning here: THE GAME IS BUGGY. Of course this isn't unusual. Most video games have their share of glitches, but there are a few in Underworld that can prevent the player from completing the game. As of this writing, several of these cannot be fixed after the fact, except by replaying large sections of the game, but all are preventable. So I encourage you to take a quick look at the bug note preceding the walkthrough links below.

The Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 versions are somewhat less complex and graphically impressive. The Wii game includes a number of system-specific puzzles and features. Some of these are fun, but most feel tacked on. Of course these systems can't run a game as graphically intense as the PC, PS3 or Xbox version of Underworld. But instead of designing an entirely new game, or opting not to make a these versions of Underworld at all, the developers have chosen to dumb down the existing game. Entire areas have been eliminated. Combat has been greatly reduced, and the challenge rating of the puzzles is lower overall. Still, if these are your only option, you can at least count on some solid Tomb Raider fun, and the same feeling of closure as far as the storyline goes.

RELEASE DATE & PLATFORMS: Underworld was initially released for Windows PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2008. Modified versions also debuted on the launch date for Nintendo Wii and DS systems. The PS2 version was released several months later. So far there is no Macintosh version, but Mac players can run the game on a Windows partition using Boot Camp, provided their systems meet the recommended specs for the game.

WHAT'S NEW SINCE LEGEND/ANNIVERSARY: The weapons, health and inventory systems are a little different from past games. These are covered in detail on the Underworld Controls and Gameplay Tips pages. A few points of interest:

• New weapons: Spear gun for use underwater, tranquilizer gun, sticky grenades and Thor's fabulous hammer, Mjolnir. While it doesn't quite level mountains, as the legend suggests, it's almost that powerful.
  
  
• New moves: Chimney jump, rappel with grapple, expanded range of gymnastic/climbing moves and melee attacks, optional adrenaline headshot (no more bosses requiring adrenaline moves), ability to shoot one-handed while climbing.
  
  
• In the Nintendo Wii game, Lara also has a handy multi-tool, which has many useful functions-from a compressed air nozzle for cleaning dusty surfaces, to an acetylene torch for cutting thorough metal, to a handy pair of pliers.
  
  

VEHICLES: Lara drives a sturdy all-terrain motorbike in the Southern Mexico and Jan Mayen Island levels. Not only is this handy for zipping from one area to the next, it also enables Lara to jump across wide gaps and run down enemies.

SAVING YOUR GAME: All versions have checkpoints. That is, the game autosaves at various spots throughout each level. You can also save manually at any time; however, when Lara dies, or you reload a save you've made, the game resumes at the previous checkpoint. PC and Wii savegame files are available in case you make a bad save, want to skip a level, etc.

BONUS LEVELS: Two expansion levels, Beneath the Ashes and Lara's Shadow, are available exclusively for the Xbox 360 through Xbox LIVE Marketplace. (My walkthroughs are linked below.)

You can find more info on the official Eidos Tomb Raider site, plus screenshots and other artwork here.

REWARDS AND UNLOCKABLE CONTENT: The reward system is similar to the ones in Legend and Anniversary, except that the special items-or "secrets" as they were known in previous games-are called Treasures and Relics. Some are in plain sight, some are hidden in obscure places, and a few require exceptional dexterity or ingenuity to obtain.

There are 179 treasures and only six relics in the entire game. Finding treasures unlocks various extras (i.e., concept artwork and, if you're playing the Xbox 360 or PS3 game, certain achievements or trophies). Relics are actually useful, as they heal Lara completely and increase her maximum health. Finding all six of them effectively doubles Lara's health bar. (The Wii and PS2 games include fewer treasures and no relics.)

For details see the Underworld Rewards page.

CUSTOM OUTFITS/SKINS, MODDING & COSPLAY: The PC/PS3/Xbox 360 game gives players a choice of two or three different outfits for Lara at the beginning of most levels. There are eight outfits in all (some appear in multiple levels), along with a swimsuit, which is unlocked when you beat the game. The Underworld Outfits and Rewards pages have details.

Several downloadable costume packs are available for the Xbox 360 game through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

PC players can also download and create their own custom outfits using various texture editing tools. I don't cover modding on this site, but Tomb Raider HUB and tombraiderforums.com are good places to start if you're interested.

For more info on Tomb Raider Underworld outfits, Lara Croft dress-up and cosplay, visit TombRaiderCosplay.com.

XBOX 360 ACHIEVEMENTS & PLAYSTATION 3 TROPHIES: Underworld for the Xbox 360 includes 31 possible achievements, worth 1,000 gamerscore points total. The two downloadable bonus levels add another 10 achievements worth 250 points. PS3 trophy support was added after the initial release as part of a downloadable update. Click for printable lists of all Xbox 360 Achievements and PS3 Trophies.

BECOMING AN EXPERT RAIDER: If you've never played Tomb Raider before—or even if you have—I encourage you to check out my Underworld Controls & Gameplay Tips page, which includes pointers on moving Lara through her environment, saving the game, using the menus, and more.

WARNING: Underworld contains several serious, potentially game-stopping bugs. These are noted in the relevant levels of the walkthrough and also on the spoiler-free bug notes page. I encourage you to skim it before playing, so you can avoid the potential bug triggers. As always, I recommend saving in a new slot at least a few times in each level in case you do run into trouble.

If you're playing the Windows PC DVD version, it's a good idea to download and install the Underworld PC patch, which enables remapping the mouse buttons, restores the 'Center Camera' control and also fixes several bugs. PC players should also note that some versions of the printed manual list several incorrect controls. Refer to my Underworld Controls page or the in-game menu for an accurate list.