Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris was made for consoles but is perfect for mobile. The action-puzzler delivers a compact arcade-style game easily broken up into playable chunks.
So it makes complete sense that Feral Interactive brought the game to iPhone and iPad. And rather than creating a stripped-down mobile version, Feral has delivered what is essentially the full 2014 game, including its downloadable content.
The result is an unusually complete mobile port that holds up surprisingly well more than a decade after the original’s release. I loved the original and I’m enjoying the heck out of the port.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris review
The most important thing to understand about this mobile version of Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is how little has been removed. The iOS version retains the original game’s campaign, weapons, puzzles, platforming, score challenges and downloadable content. It is the same basic adventure that appeared on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2014, just adapted for Apple’s touchscreens.
That means Lara still runs through Egyptian tombs from an overhead perspective, blasting skeletons and other supernatural enemies while solving environmental puzzles and navigating traps. The twin-stick shooting remains the heart of the combat, with Lara switching between weapons and using her grappling hook and other equipment to get through the levels.
Guide Lara through cursed Egyptian tombs in this twin-stick Tomb Raider adventure, filled with devious puzzles, frantic combat and death-defying acrobatics. Face off against hordes of undead fiends and overcome the elements to prevent Set, god of evil, from enslaving all of humanity.
Whether saving the world solo, or with up to three friends in online co-op, Temple of Osiris is the full console experience expertly adapted for mobile, and features full gamepad support, and mouse & keyboard support on iPadOS.
- Loads of fun
- Playable in under 5 hours
Table of contents: Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris review
- An exciting mix of puzzles and action
- Familiar game mechanics
- Hours of play
- Cooperative play available… with a catch
- Strong recommendation: Get a game controller
- Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris review: Final thoughts
- Pricing
An exciting mix of puzzles and action
Screenshot: Feral Interactive/Cult of Mac
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris draws loosely from Egyptian mythology, sending Croft deep into ancient temples in search of the scattered pieces of the god Osiris.
After Croft and rival adventurer Carter Bell accidentally unleash the evil god Set, they discover that the only way to stop him is to restore Osiris to life.
Croft must battle through a series of increasingly elaborate tombs, solving puzzles, dodging deadly traps and fighting supernatural creatures as she collects Osiris’ missing body parts.
It’s a deliberately pulpy-style Tomb Raider adventure, using Egyptian gods and mythology as a backdrop for an excuse to explore increasingly elaborate temples and tombs.
Moving through the tombs in Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris involves solving environmental puzzles to get through each room rather than traditional riddles. You’ll push blocks, activate switches and manipulate ancient mechanisms while timing your movements to avoid traps.
Some puzzles involve Croft’s grappling hook, which can be used to swing across gaps, pull objects or create paths through the environment. Others require quick reflexes as you race across collapsing platforms or dodge spikes, fireballs and other hazards.
The primary focus is on puzzles, but the evil god Set also sends monsters to kill you. Then it’s time to pull out Croft’s trusty pistols and shoot your way through undead skeletons, scarab-like creatures, giant spiders and other supernatural beasts.
Familiar game mechanics
Screenshot: Feral Interactive/Cult of Mac
If you get Lara Croft killed, you have to restart from the last save point. Fortunately, these are very frequent. Don’t be concerned you’ll be replaying big chunks of the game because of a single death.
And to make combat more survivable, you’ll pick up additional guns, armor and magic items. You’ll need to watch your health bar, as well as be careful not to run out of ammo. And manage other equipment, too.
Most role-playing games involve the occasional puzzle. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is mostly environmental puzzles, with some combat mixed in. That’s not criticism — I enjoyed the game on an Xbox and again on my iPad. But it’s important that you know what you’re getting.
Speaking of which, Feral Interactive offers the first level for free. When you complete it, the cost is $9.99 to keep playing. There are no other fees, and what had previously been downloadable content is now built in.
Hours of play
The biggest weakness with this game, both the original and the new iPhone/iPad port by Feral Interactive, is playing time. By my estimation, an experienced gamer should be able to get through the entire adventure in four hours… give or take.
That said, consider that this is a $9.99 game. Plus, the game challenges players to replay levels to get higher scores, find the many collectibles hidden in the temples, and more.
Cooperative play available… with a catch
The original Temple of Osiris was built around cooperative play. It supported up to four players, both locally and online. That’s how I first played it years ago: with a group of friends.
The new iPhone and iPad version supports four-player online co-op. So cooperative play is still there, but you won’t be sitting around the same iPad with multiple controllers.
Strong recommendation: Get a game controller
Although Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris offers on-screen controls for the touchscreen on your iPhone or iPad, I strongly recommend playing with an external game controller.
The game was designed around twin-stick controls, with one stick handling movement and the other controlling Croft’s aim, and that is far easier on a physical controller. You’ll have more precise control when you’re dodging traps, jumping across gaps or trying to line up shots while enemies swarm around you.
The touchscreen controls are playable, but you can expect to keep checking to ensure your fingers are in the exact right spots, and getting Croft killed when they slip off.
I am not singling out Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. I recommend an external game controller for Oceanhorn 3 or any RPG or FPS. And there are plenty of good ones to choose from:
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris review: Final thoughts
Screenshot: Feral Interactive/Cult of Mac
iPhone games are usually simple, casual offerings. Which is understandable… diving into a sprawling open-world adventure is a bit much for a 15-minute wait for a bus. Temple of Osiris finds a good middle ground. It’s not yet another match-three game, but neither is it an attempt to cram GTA 6 onto a phone screen.
It’s fun, and the price is right.
I also recommend Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, which Feral Interactive ported to iPhone/iPad last year and I (happily) reviewed.
★★★★★
Pricing
The iPhone/iPad port of Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris by Feral Interactive can be downloaded now on the App Store. The first level is free, and the rest of the game is a one-time $9.99 fee.
It runs on fairly modest hardware, so you don’t need a fancy new handset to play. Even the iPhone 11 from 2019 is on the list of supported devices.
Guide Lara through cursed Egyptian tombs in this twin-stick Tomb Raider adventure, filled with devious puzzles, frantic combat and death-defying acrobatics. Face off against hordes of undead fiends and overcome the elements to prevent Set, god of evil, from enslaving all of humanity.
Whether saving the world solo, or with up to three friends in online co-op, Temple of Osiris is the full console experience expertly adapted for mobile, and features full gamepad support, and mouse & keyboard support on iPadOS.
- Loads of fun
- Playable in under 5 hours
Feral Interactive provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
