Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris review: exhilarating and beautifully designed

In the early Tomb Raider games, Lara Croft was a protagonist who stood out for two rather obvious reasons, both of which pandered to a mainly boy-led fan base of players. But it wasn't until 2010 that gaming's most famous digital IT girl had her name written large within the title of a game. Ironic, then, that in that game - Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light - she appeared as a tiny figure within a vast isometric world, a major departure from the back-shot, 3D environment actioner fans had come to expect from the double-shooting gal.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is the long-awaited sequel and it is clear that the developers have wanted to stick to a winning formula. As before, the fixed camera is locked up on high, putting considerable distance between the gamer and the agile British action heroine. This allows the player to see a great deal of the detailed gaming environment which helps when trying to solve the relentless array of puzzles that are presented throughout this linear adventure. It also lets the player see the various monsters as they spawn and get ready to do battle while affording the tactical pleasure of seeking space in which to dispatch of them with a spear, a hail of bullets or a handily placed bomb or two.

Underpinning all of this is a story - of sorts at least. As the game starts and the tale is told via a series of pan-and-scan comic book drawings, we come to learn that Lara has been forced to travel to Egypt to join forces with rival treasure hunter Carter Bell and the imprisoned gods Horus and Isis. Together they must attempt to slay the evil god Set. It's corny, for sure, but it's also refreshingly brief, quickly putting you in the midst of an Egyptian temple and getting the action rolling. The Temple of Osiris cares little for why you have to do what you do and it much prefers you to get on and do it. That, in our book, is a plus point.

It doesn't take long to get the hang of it all as you leap from one platform to another, grapple up and down walls and blow up machines that are programmed to deliver death. The puzzles are beautifully designed and they become more intricate as the game evolves, requiring much thought as you seek to advance from each set area. Whether you're rolling balls into cages or on to sensitive pressure pads, blasting at revolving eyes, seeking to open gates or looking for ways to get across huge chasms, this is a game that keeps you on your toes.

Dying can be frustrating, though. The save points are not always in the places you'd like and sometimes you end up having to perform the same tasks over and over just to get to the point where you keep failing. Sometimes you have to fail just to see how you need to progress such as when darting across a brittle bridge as bombs hurtle towards you and smash vital parts – knowing where the narrowest gaps feels a little trial and error.

Yet these are such minor points when this gorgeous-looking game is taken as a whole. As a single-player experience, it proves to be exhilarating and fun, putting a smile on your face as you solve a puzzle or destroy umpteen enemies at once with a bomb and see the points rack up. But the game comes into its own with co-op play. Four players can get involved, each trying to boost their scores and compete in challenges. It lends a whole different dimension to the game, helping to make this whole offering one of gaming's undoubted gems.