Pitfall: The Lost Expedition - Xbox

A video game series that dates right the way back to the early 80's, Pitfall was, in its heyday, one of the greatest platform adventures ever made. It played host to some incredible level design, and it's one of Activision's more memorable outings, as people remember those infamous crumbling floors and booby traps. Now the series has been brought into the third dimension, some 20 years later, in the Lost Expedition for Xbox.

One of the most ill-fated characters we've come across, the unfortunate Pitfall Harry has yet another brush with death after his plane is forced to crash-land in an unknown and very dense jungle. He survives, but his crew and passengers are missing, and it's up to you to find them. And as you slip into his boots, your adventure begins in earnest.

A new adventure that takes place almost exclusively in the jungle, the surrounding environments are faithful to the game's predecessors in many ways and will be instantly familiar with fans of the series. As a game, The Lost Expedition is very much your run-of-the-mill 3D platformer with an emphasis on the primitive aspects of life. But there are also some new ideas on show here, the most significant of which is the player's ability to control one of Harry's arms using the right analogue stick. It affords players a greater level of control, allowing them to pull levers, pick up items, and even fill their flask with water under a fountain. It sounds like a gimmick, but it's actually very important to the experience as a whole.

The rest of the game is pretty much as you would expect, charging players with the task of navigating perilous cliff edges, avoiding booby traps and dispatching native beasts. Thankfully, it's a forgiving game that wont leave its players frustrated at every turn.

The Lost Expedition is another fine addition to the long running series. It's good to see the return of Harry. more