Lara Croft has had a tumultuous career, but it's been at its high point lately. After years of abysmal "Tomb Raider" games, she had a comeback with "Tomb Raider: Legend."

Her latest adventure, "Tomb Raider: Underworld" has her again raiding tombs in search of clues to her mother's whereabouts.

While "Underworld" doesn't fall on its face, it doesn't exactly advance Lara's abilities either. In fact, if you liked "Legend," you'll like "Underworld." As far as gameplay mechanics go, it's really the same. Lara has pretty much the same moves and is searching for the same types of items.

If you're searching for a different experience, you won't find it. In fact, "Underworld" even continues to have problems with an iffy camera. You really need to be able to see what you're doing before you take that death-defying leap, and sometimes it doesn't work that way.

But it's not entirely a repeat; there are a few new tweaks. They're just not enough to massively change the game. For example, dual-gun-wielding Lara can shoot at two targets simultaneously if they're close enough, and she can shoot while hanging from a wall.

Combat is the game's weak point. Enemies are dumb and not hard to kill, and I'd generally rather skip past the fighting and continue exploring. Strangely, Lara has access to all of the weapons from the start.

Exploring is a lot of fun, however. "Underworld's" levels are larger, leading to more complicated environmental puzzles and multiple ways to reach a location. For the most part, the level designs are great.

"Underworld" certainly is an improvement over past endeavors, but it's definitely an extension of "Legend" rather than an evolution. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your preferences.

Tomb Raider: Underworld

By: Eidos Interactive, for Xbox 360 (PlayStation 3, PC, Wii, PlayStation 2, DS)

Rated: Teen

Cost: $59.99

Score: 7.5/10