The gameplay of Tomb Raider II builds upon the basic set up of the original game. Innovations in Tomb Raider II include new weapons, extra moves, and a set of vehicles. The crystal saving feature on the PlayStation version was eliminated, and instead the player may save at any time like in the PC version, save for a few special locations.
Lara can climb both horizontally and vertically[6] and perform a mid-air roll used to land facing in the opposite direction. The range of weapons has been expanded to include a harpoon gun,[7] a grenade launcher, an M16 rifle (which requires Lara to assume an aiming stance to fire), and automatic pistols, which replace the magnums from Tomb Raider. The inventory includes pyrotechnic flares, which are used to light up dark corners.[8] The two vehicles are a motorboat in Venice and a snowmobile in Tibet. Both are used to travel long distances across the map and can speed up on ramps or run over enemies.
The object of the game is unchanged from the previous game: each level must be finished by reaching the exit. Secrets no longer immediately reward the player with weapons or medipacks. Instead, each secret is marked by a coloured dragon ornament: silver (or stone), jade, and gold, according to the difficulty of their location. Only when Lara collects the last of all three dragons in a level will she receive a bonus, which usually consists of medipacks and ammunition, and infrequently a new weapon.
Tomb Raider II has an expanded version of "Croft Manor", the tutorial from the first game.