The eight missions Lara enjoys are set indoors and out, in tombs and skyscrapers, but all environments are fundamentally the same. At least half of the gameplay is exploration, and no matter where you are, there will be ledges, poles, ropes, and platforms for Lara to play around on. The icy cliff in Nepal becomes a railing in England. The swinging vine in Bolivia becomes a steel cable in Japan. The challenge of getting from one area to the next is very similar to Prince of Persia’s core gameplay, and can be tedious at times. For the most part, though, the levels find new ways to combine the same structural elements.
Sometimes progress will be impeded by more than a just a complex series of platforms. Some puzzles in Legend are easy, some are hard, and some just appear hard because you’re too focused on one thing. One of the earliest puzzles in the first mission had me stumped long enough that I needed to take a break, and it wasn’t hard at all. I had to jump on a see-saw thing to flip crates up onto another platform. In retrospect it was the simplest thing, but I just couldn’t see it. However, because I knew what objects could be manipulated thanks to high-tech binoculars, I eventually found the solution. The game doesn’t intentionally throw red herrings at you, so all puzzles can be solved by stepping back and looking at what you have to work with.
Combat is cumbersome, though, rather than the dainty precision you would expect from someone of Lara’s caliber. Guns work by locking on to one target—all you do is pull the trigger. This is probably better than free aim, though, because of the inability to crouch or strafe while firing. There is a way to aim with the mouse, but it’s like a GoldenEye flashback—you cannot move nor do anything but aim when this mode is enabled. It’s useless in combat, and is really meant for solving puzzles that require a well-placed bullet.
Non-human enemies may wear different fur, but they all just run at Lara and knock her down. Enemy soldiers sport different uniforms but perform identically—unsatisfactorily. Difficulty is provided by their numbers instead of their tactics. On any difficulty, they will occasionally just stand there while Lara walks right in front of them. You can pick up weapons enemies drop, but the selection is limited and generic (i.e. shotgun, assault rifle) and Lara can only carry one weapon in addition to her infinitely supplied dual pistols. Grenades are also along for the ride, but they feel underpowered. If you find the combat to be a turn-off, you can set the difficulty to easy and breeze through the battles, free to enjoy the acrobatics and academics of the gameplay.
