Once the darling of the games industry, it's a been a tough few years for Lara Croft. While Tomb Raider: Underworld and Legend were seen as returns to form in many quarters, you can't help but see her as yesterday's girl.

Nevertheless, she remains a potent brand, and this latest adventure from developers Crystal Dynamics is a laudable attempt to maximise use of a valuable licence without resorting to rushing out a subpar franchise instalment that devalues the series.

This is, you see, anything but a Tomb Raider game - with the clue being in the title. For starters, the game is played entirely from an isometric viewpoint (think Diablo) and takes the format of a dungeon-crawling shooter-cum-puzzler. Available only as a download, Guardian of Light is intended to be short but sweet, and a relatively cheap slice (about £10) of disposable action fun.

As if it wasn't already enough of a departure from the hallmarks of its progenitors, Guardian of Light is also designed to be played co-operatively, on or offline. Lara is accompanied in her travails by an ancient Mayan warrior called Totec, and you'll need to use both characters' differing attributes and special abilities to progress.

Find a wall that's just too high to jump over? Simple, Totec can throw his spear into the wall, and Lara can jump on it. Then, using a neat grappling-hook system, Lara can pull Totec up after her.

Still can't get up? Totec can also hold his shield above his head for Lara to stand on. If he jumps, then she jumps at just the right time, you'll effectively double-jump - but the timing is critical. These nifty mechanics are worked into a variety of puzzles and traps, and make working together all the more enjoyable.

Commendably, the developers have included the option to play through a slightly modified version of the game just with Lara if you can't find any willing participants - eliminating the need for a frustrating AI teammate - though Guardian of Light is clearly enjoyed most when playing with friends.

The plot is predictably hokey fare - retrieving an ancient artefact to save the world. But plot isn't really something to worry about too much here - the game prioritises fun above all else. There's an arcadey feel as players compete to get high scores and retrieve power-ups, and the presentations and graphics are admirable for what is in essence a second-tier release.

Little touches like high-quality cutscenes and decent voice-acting all play their part in what feels like a surprisingly polished experience. One puzzle I was shown was particularly impressive, with Lara forced to run through a floor of spike-laden pressure pads without touching any pad twice - it's clear a lot of thought has gone into both the simple and cerebral elements of the game.

The controls, though not immediately intuitive, are simple enough (though the erratic aim control will hopefully be smoothed out before release) and the action, though punctuated by the odd platform section or puzzle, is pretty relentless.

In the hour I played through at Square Enix's offices in Wimbledon I was impressed by the variety on offer, both in the enemies you encounter - from giant spiders to horned demons - and the landscapes you traverse. There's a decent array of weapons available too, from Lara's iconic dual-pistols, to meatier fare like assault rifles and grenade launchers.

It's not often at preview events I'm sad to be forced to stop playing the game, but I felt that way about Guardian of Light. While it probably won't provide much more than a week's worth of entertainment, it's shaping up to be a real breath of fresh air for the series, and may prove a highly satisfying snack-size treat for a gamer looking for something different between this summer's heavyweight titles.

• Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be released this summer on XBLA, PSN and PC