For people who want a state of the art game but haven't upgraded to a PS3 yet, this is the one.

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Product Description

For generations, stories have been told of the fearsome weapon of the Norse god Thor. Legend holds that he who wields the hammer has the power to smash mountains into valleys and the strength to destroy even the gods. For more than a thousand years it has existed only as a myth... until now.

Designed specifically to take advantage of the latest technologies Tomb Raider: Underworld represents a new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail resulting in breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates a truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.

Features:

• Reach new heights with the broadest range of acrobatic abilities and utilise objects within the environment to uncover new paths to explore
• Discover ancient mysteries of the underworld hidden within the coast of Thailand, frozen islands of the Arctic Sea, the jungles of Mexico, and more
• Lara's skill-set has been drastically expanded to incorporate actions you would expect of a fearless, athletic adventurer. Lara now performs 1700 moves and is a far more intuitive character to control
• Each level is an elaborate multi-stage puzzle masked within an interactive environmental playground offering more flexibility over how the area is solved
• Choose to pacify or kill, target multiple enemies at once with the new dual-target system, and shoot with one hand while suspended with the other

Lara's upgraded inventory includes:

• Sonar Map - A revolutionary new tool that emits an active sonar ping to create a 3D image of Lara's surroundings, perfect for uncovering hidden items and locations
• Multi-Purpose Grapple - A claw-like device with a high-tension cable designed for climbing, grap

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3096 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Eidos
• Released on: 2009-01-23
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
The first lady of gaming returns in Tomb Raider - Underworld with her deepest and darkest adventure yet. Ostensibly searching for the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, the real draw of the game is exploring the underworlds of multiple different cultures.

A pair of panthers make an uncomfortable safety net

When you're a tomb raider, exploring ancient tombs is all in a day’s work

Lara’s pistols are no match for the kraken

The Mediterranean level includes a huge area for swimming

The basics of the game are classic Tomb Raider, as you explore the trap-filled interiors of ancient ruins using Lara’s famed acrobatic skills (and dual action pistols). From an underwater temple guarded by a giant octopus-like kraken to ancient Mayan structures in the South American jungle, she makes Indiana Jones look even older.

All of the levels are much larger than in previous games and far more interactive. You'll leave footprints in the sand and find all the scenery fully destructable. Every puzzle has multiple solutions, and the hand-to-hand combat system has been completely revamped. A new 3D map system also helps to ensure you never get lost so that you can concentrate on saving the world.

Key Features

• Dream vacation: Travel the world in search of ancient artefacts, from the steaming-hot jungles of Mexico to the frozen Arctic, from the coast of Thailand to the depths of the Mediterranean Sea.
• Think like Lara: An interactive, non-linear game world means anything that it looks like you should be able to pick up and use (or destroy) you can.
• Bettering Bond: An all new grappling hook, sonar map, scuba gear, a range of new weapons, and Lara’s trusty motorbike make her the best equipped adventurer in gaming.
• Help on demand: Receive as much or as little help as you want, from gentle nudges in the right direction to a full explanation of what you need to do next.
• Behind the scenes: All of Lara’s animations in the game have been fully motion captured from Olympic gymnast Heidi Moneymaker. Her voice is that of Spooks actress Keeley Hawes.

About the Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Based in the San Francisco bay area, the Crystal Dynamics team has been making games since 1992, including popular titles such as Pandemonium, Gex, and Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver. Crystal Dynamics began revammping the Tomb Raider series with Tomb Raider: Legend.

Manufacturer's Description

For generations, stories have been told of the fearsome weapon of the Norse god Thor. Legend holds that he who wields the hammer has the power to smash mountains into valleys and the strength to destroy even the gods. For more than a thousand years it has existed only as a myth...until now.

In an ancient ruin on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea, Lara Croft uncovers proof of the Norse underworld and the mythical hammer. As she attempts to unravel the secrets behind these myths, Lara's perilous journey leads her toward a forgotten power that, if unleashed, could lay waste to all civilization.

EXCLUSIVE Wii FEATURES

Exclusive Active Aim Combat System: The combat system has been enhanced for more fluid character control and more precise aiming with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

Expanded Camera Control: Take more control of the camera using the Wii Remote. If the Wii Remote is not pointed at the screen, the camera will follow Lara automatically. If it is pointed at the screen, the game will enter a "free look" mode.

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Customer Reviews

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!
Now we know why us PS2 owners have had to wait so long for this game to be released on our console. Clearly, whoever was responsible for porting this over from the PS3 coding simply doesn't have a clue what they're doing. It is atrocious in every conceivable way. And no, that is not hyperbole. Even 'Angel Of Darkness' is wa-a-y better than this (and you ought to read my review of that!)
If anyone is coming straight from 'Anniversary' to this, you're in for a shock. The graphics are astonishingly bad. Think PS One quality. Really. Lara looks like Claire Redfield from 'Resident Evil 2', except RE2 was playable - this isn't. The flames you encounter on the opening level, for example, are so laughably programmed you'll think you actually are playing a PS One game. The camera is all over the place - through walls, Lara's head, the floor. Anywhere but where you want it. Worse - the game has absolutely no fluidity whatsoever and the cut-scenes are beyond abysmal. At the end of the first level, you see Winston in the burning mansion, then someone shoots at you and - zip - the next thing you're underwater in another level. No voice-over, no explanation, nothing.
Please - DO NOT let yourself be ripped off with this. If you're new to Tomb Raider and want to know what all the fuss is about then buy 'Anniversary', it's fantastic. If you've played 'Anniversary' and want to play this, then buy an Xbox (Don't buy a PS3 as they're no longer retro-compatible!) - but whatever you do, steer well clear of this rushed, confused and horrendously bugged nightmare of a game.
You have been warned!

Certainly not the best game yet.
I pre-ordered this game as soon as it was listed on amazon and I was so excited by everything I heard about this game.
However when it finally came through the post and I popped it into my machine, I have to admit that I was disappointed in more than one way.
Yes, the graphics are pretty and yes the puzzles are much more thought provoking but they are over shadowed by the PS2's ability to run the game. Right away on the first level my machine (only a couple of years old) stutters and jumps because there is far too much going on in the level for the PS2 to cope with. It comes and goes in different levels, sometimes it is not there at all, but in the later levels (where alot is going on) it comes back.
The cameras are more than annoying, particuarly when you have a puzzle to work out and things trying to kill you. I'm not just talking about cameras getting stuck, it's the constant zoom out when you grab something to move it and then zoom back in when you let go. Yes it can be pretty neat but when you've got other things to worry about other then the puzzle it is more frustrating.
Other little bits annoy me too when paying this version of the game, like the medi packs, Lara tops up her health automatically for you while it is a good feature, I miss the running around picking up medi packs from corners and such like.
The big annoyance for me, is it is nice to be able to use the walk throughs online if you are stuck and have missed something obvious, but they are all for the PS3 version. You'll know this straight away when you notice they mention a medi pack hidden in the corner, which triggers the thought of how much different is the PS2 version than the PS3? As I don't have a PS3 I can't explore this point further but through investigating the walk throughs, the PS3 version has more to the game.
If you were contemplating getting the game, I would recommend getting the PS3 version rather than this one, if you are able to.
Otherwise it is a fun game, great for something to do, but honestly it is not as satisfying to play as TR: Legend & TR: Anniversary.

Downhill from the start...
Once you finally get over the seriously annoying camera, wanting to look at everything except where you are trying to actually make it go...the game's over...took me around an hour, possibly an hour and a half to complete it.....
i waited hell of a lot longer for the game to come out...ridiculous...very disappointed in this game. I'm an avid TR fan..and this is by far the worst version yet (I can't comment on the PS3, XBox360, PC etc) on this particular console.

The controls are about as fluid as a stone, you just about get the hang of getting them under your control and the game is over, yet again..I mean I was at the point of thinking 'oh, this game does seem to be getting back to the old style of working out puzzles and not just a shoot em up', and then there were the credits....

I can't emphasise just how short, over rated and mediocre this version is.

And the huge build up, then the huuuuuge waiting period for this platform version...just made for a bigger fall.

Save yourself the money and go and play on Anniversary, Legend or even Angel Of Darkness...