Tomb Raider II for Windows

Brief overview

Tomb Raider II is the second main entry in the Tomb Raider action-adventure series. Created by Core Design and distributed by Eidos Interactive, it first arrived on PlayStation and Windows in 1997. The game follows adventurer Lara Croft as she hunts for valuable relics while overcoming environmental hazards and hostile foes.

Narrative settings

Tomb Raider II sends Lara to several globe-spanning locations as she chases ancient artifacts. Key locales include:

• Venice, with its canals and hidden passageways
• Tibetan mountains and monasteries
• Various regions in China, featuring ruins and traps

Core gameplay

Exploration, solving environmental puzzles, and combat form the backbone of play. Levels range from tight indoor tombs to broad outdoor environments, and players must combine platforming, timing, and resource management to progress.

New systems introduced

• Expanded combat choices and more varied enemy encounters
• Drivable vehicles and other traversal tools
• Underwater stages that add breath-management and three-dimensional navigation challenges

Platforms and release

The title was made available for both Windows PCs and the original PlayStation console. Its combination of cinematic presentation and varied level design helped it stand out on those platforms.

Reception and legacy

Tomb Raider II sold in excess of eight million copies worldwide, cementing its status as one of the franchise’s most commercially successful and influential entries. It remains a touchstone for action-adventure design from the late 1990s.

Suggested alternate

If you want a closely related experience, consider the original Tomb Raider (the paid, first release), which introduced many of the series’ core ideas and characters while offering a more focused set of early-era levels.