“Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” is the first downloadable title in the franchise.

Full disclosure: I love Lara Croft. It’s no secret, but worth putting out there all the same. My allegiance to the industry icon, however, is just that to the character herself. I’ve played all the “Tomb Raider” games over the past decade, and Lady Lara always helped me trudge through the franchise follies, even when convoluted narratives and questionable gameplay decisions disconnected the game from the roots I found endearing.

My waning enthusiasm for the property halted when Crystal Dynamics reinvigorated the series with “Tomb Raider: Legend,” which promised a new direction for the seasoned franchise. The studio’s commitment to the IP and willingness to take risks is apparent in “Guardian of Light,” the first downloadable title in the franchise’s stable.

With a new isometric viewpoint, amplified combat and co-op play, “Guardian of Light’s” many departures from traditional “Tomb Raider” gameplay are obvious. Despite the changes, the downloadable game feels more like a “Tomb Raider” experience than anything I’ve played of late. Bursting with exploration, puzzles and platforming, the pace isn’t encumbered with unnecessary narrative, dialogue or even character development. We know who Lara Croft is. We know what she does best. The shrouded forests of Central America are her playground, and we’re lucky enough to go along for the ride.

If you’re worried about this being a downloadable game, don’t fret. This isn’t the case of a franchise being reduced to a skeleton in the name of brainless fun. Lara’s library of moves isn’t truncated; the addition of artifacts and relics that augment Lara and her sidekick Totec’s stats encourages careful exploration. Some are rewards for completing challenges, while others must be located in dangerous environments. This allows Lara to evolve in a measurable way, unlike past “Tomb Raider” games.

The level design is as epic as ever, with puzzles spanning entire vistas littered with tunnels, tombs, torturous traps and more. Challenge rooms are a new addition that make the game much more accessible. The more taxing experiences in the game are reserved for these optional tombs, but Lara will be rewarded with a bigger payout for besting them. Some challenge rooms require logic to solve puzzles, while others test your reflexes and shooting skills with deathly obstacle courses and waves of powerful foes.

Nothing surprised me more than how much I enjoyed co-op play. The mode opens up new gameplay avenues with tools such as remote bombs and cooperative grapple moves. Many puzzles require cooperation, but the competitive element makes the adventure memorable. Though you and your partner share the same goals, a prominent score counter keeps both of you scrambling to get your hands on more gems and other objects of value than your partner. Speed runs, challenge tombs and level-specific achievements each encourage replayability.

Despite the well-deserved accolades, a few problems remain. One would think the higher vantage point provided by the isometric camera would by default give you a better lay of the land, but the legacy camera problems occasionally return. I met my demise several times by falling off a hidden cliff after getting ambitious in my exploration.

In taking a chance with “Guardian of Light,” Crystal Dynamics rediscovered Lara’s latent potential. For those of you concerned with the direction this ancillary title has taken, rest easy. We now know that Lara Croft is as versatile as she is flexible.

‘Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light’

9 (out of 10)

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics

ESRB rating: T for Teen

New game releases

The following titles were scheduled for release the week of Aug. 22:

• “The Treasures of Montezuma” (DS)

• “Disney Guilty Party” (Wii)

• “Fish Tank” (PSP)

• “The Bachelor” (DS, Wii)

• “Shank” (X360, PS3)

• “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (X360)

• “Ivy the Kiwi?” (DS, Wii)

• “Grease: The Game” (DS, Wii)

• “Crazy Pig” (DS)

• “Mafia II” (PS3, PC, X360)

• “Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar” (DS)

• “NHL 2K11” (Wii)

• “Gunblade NY and LA Machineguns Arcade Hits Pack” (Wii)

• “And Yet It Moves” (Wii)

• “G.G Series: Ninja Karakuri Den” (DS)

• “Martian Panic” (Wii)

— Gamespot.com

Top 10

DOWNLOADBLE GAMES

The editors of Game Informer Magazine rank the top 10 downloads for August:

1. “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” (PS3, X360)

2. “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” (PS3, X360, PC)

3. “Limbo” (X360)

4. “Shank” (PS3, X360)

5. “Hydro Thunder Hurricane” (X360)

6. “Joe Danger” (PS3)

7. “Castlevania: Harmony of Despair” (X360)

8. “Monday Night Combat” (X360)

9. “Puzzle Quest 2” (X360)

10. “DeathSpank” (PS3, X360)

— McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Weekly download

‘Quake Live’

For: Various Web browsers (Windows PC/Macintosh/Linux)

From: id Software/Bethesda Softworks

ESRB rating: Teen (language, suggestive themes, violence)

Price: Free for basic account, $24/year for premium account, $48/year for pro account

Stunning though today’s games are, there may be no better demonstration of gaming’s rapid technological growth than the ability to open up a browser window and play something that brought computers to their knees barely 10 years ago. But that’s what “Quake Live” does: It takes the underpinnings of “Quake III: Arena,” builds a persistent community and modern interface around it, and, at its base level, gives the thing away to anybody willing to set up an account and download the plug-in needed to make it run. The game looks predictably dated, but it hardly matters given how smoothly and quickly it runs, and the essence that drove “Arena” in 1999 — fast, trigger-happy action and lots of weapons, maps and customizable modes to keep players engaged — still burns bright today. “Live’s” out-of-game particulars all take place via a Web portal that makes it easy to manage friends, build clans, customize characters and keep track of leaderboards, achievements, rewards and character experience.

— Billy O’Keefe, McClatchy-Tribune News Service