Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword is the direct follow-up to the surprisingly excellent 2000 Game Boy Color original — and in several ways, it is the more confident and polished of the two. Still developed by Core Design, this time published by Activision, it swaps the ancient temple ruins of the first game for a far more varied and ambitious set of real-world locations that give the whole adventure a fresh, distinctly cinematic energy. Like its predecessor, it sits comfortably among the rarest cinematic platformers of the early 2000s — a period when the genre had almost entirely retreated from mainstream view.

Detail, colour, animation, fluidity — there are few GBC games that can live with Curse of the Sword in terms of presentation standards. It goes toe-to-toe with some of the greats of the cinematic platformer genre and, despite the technological mismatch, gives a tremendous account of itself.

The Story

Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword is the direct follow-up to the surprisingly excellent 2000 Game Boy Color original — and in several ways, it is the more confident and polished of the two. Still developed by Core Design, this time published by Activision, it swaps the ancient temple ruins of the first game for a far more varied and ambitious set of real-world locations that give the whole adventure a fresh, distinctly cinematic energy. Like its predecessor, it sits comfortably among the rarest cinematic platformers of the early 2000s — a period when the genre had almost entirely retreated from mainstream view.

Detail, colour, animation, fluidity — there are few GBC games that can live with Curse of the Sword in terms of presentation standards. It goes toe-to-toe with some of the greats of the cinematic platformer genre and, despite the technological mismatch, gives a tremendous account of itself.

Graphics & Gameplay

The rotoscope-style animations are straight from the pages of classic cinematic platformers, and this ambitious approach results in some hugely impressive and memorable levels, many of which have hub-like centres from which Lara must explore to find the necessary keys and items. The urban environments are a genuine visual highlight — the Subway stage in particular shows off a more identifiably real-world style of environment that gets better the deeper you go.

Traversal mechanics — jumping across gaps, swinging from ledges, climbing — are executed with a precision that reflects the era’s platforming discipline, and the level design rewards careful observation and planning, encouraging players to map routes, identify hidden paths, and leverage the environment to their advantage. The game is shorter and more linear than the original, which some will appreciate and others will find a little thin — there are no complex puzzles to speak of, and most players will beat the entire game in less than five hours. But what is there is polished, confident, and consistently enjoyable.

Where can I play it?

Like its predecessor, Curse of the Sword has never received a digital re-release and can only be found on original Game Boy Color cartridges through second-hand marketplaces. Physical copies are widely available and typically inexpensive. Emulation remains the most accessible option for most players and runs without issues on any standard GBC emulator.

Games similar to Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword

If you are drawn to cinematic platformers built around deliberate traversal, real-world inspired environments, and that specific handheld era charm, titles like Flashback, Another World, and Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee offer wonderful alternatives that sit right alongside Curse of the Sword in the genre’s overlooked catalogue.