At the time of my writing this, Tomb Raider: Legend is nearly two decades old. As such, the gameplay and mechanics have aged, but not too badly. This game is a snapshot of the late sixth and early seventh console generations--more grown-up than games were a few years prior but still unabashedly fun and escapist. Lara Croft herself was a likable and enigmatic character in this trilogy of games. I was too young for the originals, so this was "my" Tomb Raider. I don't know if I can evaluate this game objectively, but it is a lot of fun. Also, all of the female characters (even side characters and villains) actually look like attractive women, which is a far cry from today's gaming landscape.
It's been over a decade since this released and I haven't found anything like it. If you like the Alien film series, it's an essential experience and possibly the best licensed video game ever made.
I felt immersed in the world and story, but basic exploration became a real chore, especially in the later hours of the game. Metroid Dread is my gold standard for post-2010s games in this genre. Blasphemous is more of a 2D Dark Souls than a Metroidvania, to be fair. It's enjoyable, but only if you're willing to deal with brutal and sometimes unfair combat, glitchy platforming, and instadeath spike pits and chasms. Also, you absolutely need all the weapon upgrades for the final two bosses.
