Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One, Xbox 360)

IN many ways, adventurer Lara Croft and secret agent James Bond have gone through a similar transformation.

Both are enduring and iconic characters in their respective game and film worlds but they fell out of fashion as 21st century values changed.

Bond fans were largely fed up of the cheesy quips and Doctor Evil-like villains while Tomb Raider's Lara Croft – with her inflated chest and tiny hot pants – began to be ridiculed as a figure of teenage titillation.

The 2013 Tomb Raider reboot changed all that introducing a more modestly proportioned and vulnerable woman who finds her survival instinct after being shipwrecked on a lost island off the coast of Japan.

Lara's new adventure, Rise of the Tomb Raider, written by Terry Pratchett's daughter Rhianna Pratchett, follows that up in style with her first expedition since.

The opening sequences are hugely impressive with scenes both in Siberia and Syria through a flashback.

Expect breathtaking action set-pieces as the English heroine has to scale an ice-covered sheer rock face and survive a helicopter attack with her escape path crumbling around her.

The game takes Lara on a personal quest to preserve her father's reputation with a search for the mythical 'Divine Source' which is said to grant immortality.

But of course a diabolical group called Trinity, who could give Indiana Jones' enemies a run for their money, are on the hunt for it too.

The gameplay is intuitive and responsive and builds on what was offered in the 2013 Tomb Raider.

But this time there is more of a focus on combat – arguably too much with Lara sometimes coming across as blasé about the number of people she is gunning down.

In the 2013 game she became a survivor, an adventurer and a warrior.

But something is taken away from the spirit of the series when Lara starts firing machine guns and lobbing Molotov cocktails first and asking questions later.

Fans will be pleased to know that hunting is back though. To survive the wilderness, Lara can forage and kill animals for resources. You can then upgrade all your gear at campsites like last time.

But all of your encounters will not all be easy – the first time you take on a bear is quite an experience.

Lara's trusty and versatile bow is also back which can be used for everything from firing explosives and pulling down barricades to creating zip-slides.

These abilities that you gradually unlock prove invaluable if you decide to backtrack later to find the hidden tombs.

Comparisons to Uncharted may be inevitable but this dynamic game is one of Xbox's most important exclusives this Christmas.

- Rise of the Tomb Raider is released this Friday

RATING: 8/10

DAVID MORGAN