Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Preview (Xbox Live/PlayStation Network)

Lara Croft is getting back into the swing of things.

Sometimes you simply need to start things over with a series, when it's either reached its peak in greatness or is going in the wrong direction entirely.  There wasn't anything specifically wrong with the Tomb Raider series when Underworld came out for multiple consoles in 2008.  However, the team at Crystal Dynamics felt that it was time for a change, that the current storyline in the saga was coming to a close.  With that, it went back to the drawing board for the series' latest adventure, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.  We recently got a behind-closed-doors look at the game, which is slated for release this summer on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

First off, this isn't your typical Lara Croft adventure.  Instead of going with a routine third-person perspective, the game shifts to a near-overhead view, where you can see levels more clearly, but Lara is further away.  This is looking like a brilliant design choice, though, as you get a larger view of your surroundings, and all the treasure -- and danger -- within it.  Crystal Dynamics was happy to boast the game's massive stage design, talking about how if you could see it on screen, you could explore it, thanks to the game's new vertical gameplay aspect.  You ascend and descend quite a bit in each stage, climbing upward and downward with the help of your grapple or your partner.  (More on that in a second.)

As we said earlier, Crystal Dynamics is going with a completely new storyline, one worthy of the Tomb Raider legacy.  It actually originates from well over 2,000 years ago, with a battle for an item known as the Mirror of Smoke.  This is a delicate artifact that keeps balance in the world, to prevent it from sinking into eternal darkness.  A heroic warrior named Totec is charged with protecting the item at all costs, which he does in an epic battle against a madman called Xoloti.  After their fight, Totec entombs himself deep within the Earth, so he can protect the Mirror for all time.

Lara, being Lara, opts to seek out the Mirror as part of her latest treasure hunt.  However, when she finds it, she realizes she's been followed by mecenaries, who quickly confiscate it from her.  However, by taking the mirror from the tomb, they accidentally resurrect Xoloti, who kills them and steals the mirror.  Totec returns, and must work together with Lara to stop the overlord from plunging the world into darkness forever.

So, as an interesting new part of the series, you can play through Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light in co-op mode, either locally with a friend or over Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.  Teamwork is vital throughout this adventure, not only when you're fending off bad guys (they come at you in droves), but also for moving ahead.  There are times that you'll need Totec's assistance to reach higher ground, standing on his shield or having him chuck spears into the wall so you may climb upward.  Likewise, Totec is too big to jump upward like Lara can, so she'll need to call upon her grapple ability to help him ascend out of pits or deep areas.  This adds an interesting new level of gameplay to the series, although you can play through a completely separate adventure on your own if you don't feel like dragging a buddy along.

"But we've got the biggest balls of them all!"

The gameplay also takes a major change when it comes to combat.  You direct Lara's movement with the left analog stick and where she aims her pistols with the right analog stick.  It's a method similar to earlier arcade games Smash TV and Robotron 2084, a simple run-and-gun approach.  You can also use bombs as Lara, in case the action gets too hectic (which it will).  Totec is an equally powerful character, wielding spears to lob at enemies (although he can only throw so many -- there's no rapid fire here) and a machine gun.

From the brief time we've spent with the game, we saw both action and puzzle elements unfold here.  It is a huge change from what we've seen in previous Lara Croft adventures, but it's really coming together here, especially for a downloadable game.  The visuals are really stunning (especially the particle work on the in-game objects, like metal spheres and enemies), the co-op gameplay is shaping up, and the puzzles will definitely perk your brain (but in a good way).  Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light may not be a required reboot, but Crystal Dynamics is confident that it'll be one that everyone wants.  Look for more coverage in the months ahead as the game works its way towards a late summer release.