As a main action-adventure title, Tomb Raider: Legend (released in 2006) centers on third-person exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat. You guide Lara Croft through diverse environments, utilizing significantly enhanced, acrobatic movement—including diving, climbing, and vaulting—to traverse terrain and unlock new areas. The story follows Lara's race against a presumed-dead rival, Amanda Evert, to secure an ancient artifact. This entry rebooted the franchise, focusing on fluid traversal mechanics.
The gameplay loop centers on navigating complex environments, solving intricate puzzles to unlock new paths, and engaging in combat encounters. A key focus of this iteration is enhanced mobility. Lara Croft is no longer constrained by rigid movement limitations; players benefit from more fluid and acrobatic traversal. This includes running, diving, swimming, climbing various surfaces like poles and roofs, utilizing zip lines, and performing actions such as vaulting and somersaults to cross difficult terrain.
Exploration requires players to utilize Lara’s full range of movement abilities to cross challenging landscapes. Progress is often gated by environmental puzzles that must be solved to open up new areas or reveal hidden secrets. The atmosphere blends ancient mystery with high-stakes adventure as players delve into ruins and forgotten locales.
The narrative kicks off with Lara Croft on the hunt for a significant South American relic. However, her expedition quickly shifts course upon encountering a figure from her past: the rogue anthropologist Amanda Evert. Presumed lost years ago in a Peruvian tomb accident—an incident from which Lara was the sole survivor—Amanda has resurfaced with a clear agenda. Both Lara and Amanda find themselves in a race against time, alongside the shadowy James Rutland Jr., to secure an ancient and powerful artifact.
This main installment was released for the Xbox 360, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, and the OnLive Game System. As a core, standalone release, it features no official downloadable content (DLCs) or expansions.
This game is defined by its successful integration of classic adventure elements with modern, responsive controls, allowing for a greater sense of freedom in movement and interaction with the environment, setting a new foundation for the character's journey.
Mild violence

Unlike the previous mobile games, Tomb Raider: Legend was designed in 3D for high-end devices. The game is a side-scrolling platformer with polygonal 3D graphics. Most of the gameplay involves running left and right, jumping between platforms and shooting the various enemies that stand in Lara's way. Obstacles such as electric cables and laser defense systems have to be avoided either by jumping over or rolling under. Sometimes Lara has to swing around poles or use her grappling hook to reach far off platforms. The grappling hook can also be used to swing into and knock out enemies. The gunfights are quite simple and only Lara's regular handgun can be used. Bullets can be dodged by crouching but the enemies can do the same.

The J2ME version of Tomb Raider: Legend takes place in Tokyo, which was the third location of the original game. The game is a side-scrolling platformer with polygonal 3D graphics. Most of the gameplay involves running left and right, jumping between platforms and shooting the various Yakuza members that stand in Lara's way. Obstacles such as electric cables and laser defense systems have to be avoided either by jumping over or rolling under. Sometimes Lara has to swing around poles or use her grappling hook to reach far off platforms. The grappling hook can also be used to swing into and knock out enemies. The gunfights are quite simple and only Lara's regular handgun can be used. Bullets can be dodged by crouching but the enemies can do the same.

The GBA version of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend is a side-scrolling platform game more similar to the DS version instead of the 3D console versions by a different development studio. Unlike the previous GBA game in the series, a side view is used instead of more titled, overhead camera perspective. Lara can also jump, attack with her guns, and she needs to swing to new platforms, avoid obstacles and take out enemies and animals in her way. Timing and precision is essential to reach platforms, much like the early Prince of Persia games. New guns are collected when enemies drop them, but this does not change the sprite of the weapon Lara is holding. There are also a number of vehicle sequences where Lara is driving a bike.

The Nintendo DS version of Tomb Raider: Legend differs significantly from its console counterparts. While it retains the original plot and cutscenes, the platforming and environmental puzzles have been adapted into a side-scrolling format with some 3D elements. The game also includes occasional motorcycle segments. Typically, the upper screen displays the main action, while the lower screen manages inventory, which is controlled using the stylus. During combat, the lower screen shifts to a first-person view, requiring players to tap enemies to defeat them. As in other versions, gameplay centers on retrieving artifacts in exotic locations; on the DS, players must blow into the microphone to dust them off. Although Lara moves primarily in two dimensions, the graphics are rendered in 3D, and the environments are often presented from varied angles, diverging from the traditional side-on perspective common in the genre.

The PSP version includes the full game and introduces a multiplayer mode called Tomb Trials. In this mode, players can race each other through tombs to see who finishes first or participate in a timed scavenger hunt for artifacts.

This version of Tomb Raider: Legend includes a few omissions, likely due to disc space limitations. The rolling demos that typically play when the game is left idle on the title screen have been removed, and the "Unfortunate Mishaps" video is also absent. Additionally, several visual filters used for explosions and motion blur have been removed, resulting in sharper textures but less visually striking explosions.