With the recent Tomb Raider Trilogy completed, Crystal Dynamics is looking to the digital download space to provide a fresh take on the classic franchise formula. We got a first look at Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light this morning, and found that ditching the Tomb Raider moniker is one of the less significant changes Crystal Dynamics has implemented. The isometric action/adventure boasts co-op play and arcade-inspired combat, both a first for the venerable franchise.

The seeds of the story are planted two thousand years ago, when a battle waged between armies of good and evil over a powerful artifact known as the Mirror of Smoke. Totec, the leader of the Army of Light, triumphed over his evil counterpart, Xolotl, and took control of the mirror, banishing Xolotl from the world and becoming the Guardian of Light. Totec entombed himself in the mirror within the Temple of Light to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Millennia later, enter Lara Croft. The mirror caught the eye of Lady Lara Croft, who finally discovered the temple that houses the artifact deep within the jungles of Central America. However, in a less-than-courteous exchange, the mirror is snatched away from her by a mercenary group that has been tracking her every move. With the mirror removed from the Temple of Light, Xolotl returns to power, kills the mercenaries, and vanishes. Totec also reanimates, blaming Lara for her carelessness, but realizing that they must work together to get back the Mirror of Smoke and avoid an eternal darkness blanketing the world.