Tomb Raider II (1997)
The follow-up to Lara Croft’s inaugural adventure is, in some ways, a diabolical and infuriating game–I think part of me will be forever trapped in its notorious Venetian opera house level. The incredible intricacy of its environments, however, is also part of what makes it so memorable. Tomb Raider 2 proved that Lara Croft was no mere one-hit wonder, no fleeting sensation rocketed to short-lived stardom merely because of her sex appeal. With the success of this game, her status as an icon was cemented, and at the time, no other figure represented the new, PlayStation-powered era that video games were entering quite like she did. — Carolyn Petit
