Raiding Tombs

• The Tomb Raider franchise has always focused more on exploration than on combat. With that being said, traversing the environments means a player should always be aware of their surroundings or they are likely to become lost. The later games in the series ("Underworld," "Anniversary," "Legend") keep Lara on a direct path that rarely has players scratching their head on where to go next. Earlier games in the series can often have Lara trekking back and forth through huge areas in search of a switch or a key. The general rule is that when Lara enters a large area, you should stay in that area until a door is opened; backtracking is not necessary.
  
  

Jump Around

• With Lara Croft spending more time exploring, it also means players will need to become familiar with her moves, most importantly, jumping. The Tomb Raider games are known for having an unusually fragile main character who experiences instant death on relatively short drops. When jumping from platform to platform, bring Lara to a full stop. Pivot her into the direction of the next platform or ledge and wait until you know she is facing the exact angle. The new games are more forgiving, but in any release prior to "Tomb Raider Legend," keep Lara at the end of the platform for short jumps or have her jump back twice for a running jump. Failure to line up these jumps perfectly will end with Lara falling to her death. This also applies to moving from a pillar to the floor. Never have Lara jump off the pillar, instead direct her to drop down so she is hanging from the ledge, and then releasing her grip of the ledge. This will decrease the distance she has to fall, and prevent unnecessary deaths.
  
  

Shoot to Kill

• While Lara is an explorer, she packs a pair of pistols in case trouble finds her. Combat in the Tomb Raider games boils down to shooting at an enemy until it is dead. Earlier games don't feature multiple boss fights or enemies with weak spots. Point and shoot while keeping Lara on the move. The new trilogy of games includes a move where Lara can perform a one-hit kill assuming she has a full adrenaline meter. Don't rely on this move as you'll end up reloading the game far too often from Lara being mauled by tigers. Aside from dual pistols, Lara will also pick up an assortment of weapons such as shotguns or Uzis. Unlike the pistols, which feature infinite ammo, the rounds for these weapons are limited and scarce. Don't waste your shotgun shells killing bats, when there is a T-rex in the next area. Only fire these special weapons when you know you have a clear shot.