Top 10 Tomb Raider Levels

Talk about convenient placement. Midway through “Tomb Raider: Legend”, Lara gains information about the potential location of King Arthur's tomb... which just happens to be located below a King Arthur-themed museum. As oddly charming as the tourist museum is, the real treat is exploring the caves and catacombs below which lead into exquisite-looking medieval halls. The level embraces the use of environmental puzzles, such as flaming floors, with the only combat sequence being a fight with a large sea serpent. Still, it's a nice and relatively relaxed level.

Who doesn't love a good volcano lair? In this level, Lara must traverse the inside of a volcano in order to locate and enter the lost city of Atlantis. What's immediately striking is the level's use of browns and reds in its colour palate, fitting with the setting. However, “Atlantis” also delivers on a mix of platforming and action, as Lara must battle various Atlantean creatures while attempting to avoid the volcano's lava pools and assorted hazards. To top it off, Lara even has to face her own unsettling Atlantean doppelganger.

Welcome to the jungle. As the second level of the South Pacific section of “Tomb Raider III”, this level works hard to embody the distinct fantastical action that the game is known for. Dinosaurs such as T-rex and velociraptors roam about, with Lara having to fight them whilst working towards her real goal: getting into the Madubu Gorge. The environments have faded colours and an openness in design, coming across both as alien and lonely. Matched by a bit of item location and dealing with old ruins blocking Lara's path, “Crash Site” proves itself capable in regards to atmosphere building.

Though perhaps not the most conventional of levels, it's still exciting and in line with the series' roots. After a spectacular set-piece involving a parachute, Lara winds up limping through the titular settlement in search of medical supplies. Things become more dire with the arrival of some aggressive island inhabitants, leading into a string of brutal firefights. It all comes together to emphasize Lara's desperation and growing survival instinct, whether she's riding on a life, clambering up ledges, or beating enemies into unconsciousness.

There's no place like home... right? “Home Sweet Home”, the final level of “Tomb Raider II”, has Lara fighting in and around her own manor against Fiamma Nera cult members. The entire design of the level appears to be aimed at catharsis, as it allows the player to explore Croft Manor at a reasonable pace while engaging in pitched gunfights. It also features a classical-sounding music track playing over everything, which matched by the nighttime setting makes for a nice bit of falling action.

Shortly after venturing across the mountain peaks in Nepal, Lara Croft finds herself faced with more of the Fiamma Nera's antics. Lara's task in this level is to progress through the eponymous monastery, seeking out five Prayer Wheels and setting them back in place. Making this trickier, though no less rewarding, is the presence of friendly monks – if left to their own devices and not provoked, they can aid in battling Lara's foes. Thus, avoiding the monks, dealing with the Prayer Wheels and taking care not to fall victim to this level's environmental traps ensure players have their fill of challenge.

Painful memories, desperate chases and old-fashioned platforming abound here. “Return to Paraiso” has Miss Croft catching up with her old friend Anaya, only to have to intervene when mercenaries under the employ of James Rutland show up. Things move forward quickly from there, shifting from a motorcycle chase sequence, to a flashback scene, to finally a present-day exploration of a dig site. Few levels are as quickly paced or as varied as this, and it's certainly impressive that the resulting level feels at home in the “Tomb Raider” franchise.

Exploration is key here. Continuing her quest to obtain all the pieces of the Scion artifact, Lara Croft winds up entering the lost city of Khamoon, buried deep under the surface. What becomes clear upon starting the level is how large the level area appears. It features all kinds of nooks and crannies, sand is spread everywhere, and there's plenty of room to run. Seemingly leaning towards the “platform” part of action-platforming, it works thanks to the designers being so dedicated to the approach. Though that doesn't mean an animal or two aren't waiting to strike.

As headscratching as this one may be, it's nonetheless a masterful blend of visual flourish and designed difficulty. “Floating Islands” puts Lara in the position of having to find two Mystic Plaques in order to progress further... while being stranded atop a series of floating landmasses. Sporting architecture unlike any known civilization, the level keeps pushing forward its distinctly odd disposition with difficult-to-kill Stone Warriors and a green-tinged palette. “Floating Islands” feels almost psychedelic in style, but it works for conveying how far down the rabbit hole Lara may be.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Desert Railroad
“Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation” (1999)

The Great Wall
“Tomb Raider II” (1997)

Opera House
“Tomb Raider II” (1997)

Temple of Horus
“Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation” (1999)

Colosseum
“Tomb Raider: Chronicles” (2000)

When you're aiming to draw players into your game, spectacle and intrigue are excellent tools of the trade. Thus we have this magnificent level from the Peru segment of 1996's “Tomb Raider”, in which Lara finds herself in a wide-open tropical area deep within a mountain. “Lost Valley” keeps a healthy balance between combat, puzzles and platforming; the player must climb up rock ledges and deal with stopping a waterfall while contending with various dinosaurs. Subtly, through its grand and mysterious nature, the level instils in gamers a sense of wonder and anticipation for what is to come.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite level from a Tomb Raider game? For more tomb-filled Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.