Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered
When the first Tomb Raider game was released way back in 1996, I was a young man who had long since given up playing video games. This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy them but after growing tired of the 2D scrolling platformers that were all the rage back in the 80s and 90s, I had no real desire to pick up a joypad again.
Then Lara Croft came along to change my mind and subvert expectations of what a game could be. Core Design’s original title featured well-realised 3D levels with fully explorable environments and moments of adventure that had previously only been experienced when watching an Indiana Jones movie.
Looking back at the game now, modern gamers might scoff at the low-res textures and low polygon counts. But at the time of release, the first TR game was visually impressive and far removed from what most other games looked and played like.
After seeing footage of the first Tomb Raider, I was immediately drawn in so went out to purchase a PS1 soon after. From the moment I first loaded up the game, I was hooked. Exploring the beginning cave level, with its wolves and bears, was a memorable experience, as was the moment when I entered the Lost Valley and saw the T-Rex stomping towards me for the first time. I wasn’t alone in this experience as my friends sat alongside me, watching me play and giving me suggestions on how to progress past difficult stages. Occasionally, I would even pass over my joypad to them, with strict instructions not to waste my medipacks and shotgun ammo!
Of course, life moves on and so does game design. My memories of that time are mostly happy ones but life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s easy to overlook the bad when thinking about the good, and the same applies to the Tomb Raider games themselves.
The original Tomb Raider title no longer looks as elegant as it used to, and its various flaws are particularly apparent when comparing it to more recent games. The disorientating camera, the dodgy lock-on system, the clunky controls…these are issues that wouldn’t be accepted in today’s more advanced games. But back in 1996, players weren’t put off by such problems as they became part of the overall challenge associated with Core Design’s much-lauded groundbreaker.
The remastered games offer a nostalgic reminder of what the Tomb Raider games used to be. Aspyr, the game’s developers, hasn’t remade these titles from the ground up, as Crystal Dynamics did when they worked on Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a remake of the original game. Instead, they have used the exact same code as was used on the PS1 versions and retained everything TR obsessives remember about the earlier games, including the same locations, enemies, collectables, and the fiendish traps that often result in Lara’s untimely demise.
Not everything is the same, however, as the games now have updated graphics that show off environments in a higher resolution, with extra levels of detail that enhance the look and feel of each level.
The games have a modern control system too, so moving Lara around is no longer comparable to pushing along a broken supermarket trolley. There is the option to play with the classic controls, which might be preferable to those whose muscle memory is attuned to the original games’ movement system, but newer gamers will likely consider them too fiddly.
It’s also possible to switch to the older graphics of the earlier titles. As this can be done at the touch of a button, players can quickly see what the games used to look like while also enjoying the improved graphics that weren’t possible on 90s hardware.
Aspyr obviously has a lot of respect for the franchise, which is apparent in the way they have lovingly replicated the original TR experience while making the games easier on the eye and fingers for modern gamers.
But it could be argued that Aspyr have been too faithful in their translations of these games to newer consoles. Why, for example, didn’t they fix the camera, which still swings about wildly when Lara is navigating confined spaces? And why didn’t they fix the first Tomb Raider game’s lock-on system which never seems to work properly while fighting multiple enemies?
It could be argued that Aspyr wanted to give long-time gamers the same experience they had when they first played Tomb Raider. In a way, this is fine. But when Core Design made the earlier TR games, they were pushed for time due to a limited schedule given to them by publisher Eidos. Consequently, they weren’t able to fine-tune the areas that needed fixing, such as the terrible camera system. Presumably, Aspyr didn’t have the same time constraints, so they could have fixed what had previously been broken.
Also problematic is the upgrade to newer graphics. While the games’ levels are undeniably pretty to look at in remastered form, the technical enhancements Aspyr has implemented with the lighting system have resulted in some areas of the games looking far too dark. As a consequence, it’s sometimes hard to see medipacks, ammo, and essential game items like keys, when exploring the levels. This can be fixed by reverting to the older graphics which are artificially bright, but I wish Aspyr had given us a brightness option in the game’s menu to help lighten up the game’s darker areas.
These issues might be fixed in a future patch, so there’s a chance the games could be improved upon further. But at the time of writing, the issues that persist could prove off-putting to players who are new to the classic Tomb Raider games.
Still, if you’re somebody who remembers playing Tomb Raider and the subsequent sequels when they were first released, the flaws are unlikely to keep you from playing as the sense of joy that comes from exploring classic levels should override any problems that still exist.
Stepping foot again in the Damocles room in TR1 where giant swords hang precariously above you, navigating the waters of Venice in a speedboat in TR2, and kayaking through Madubu Gorge in TR 3… these are all moments that long-time fans will remember and enjoy replaying over and over again.
The fact that Aspyr has retained the original soundtrack for each game makes them even more joyful to play. Those classic themes gave me goosebumps when I was reminded of them and they transported me back to 1996 when I first stepped foot into worlds that I had never been able to explore so fully in a videogame before.
Ultimately, your relationship to the Remastered Collection will depend on how well you remember the original games. If you aren’t familiar with them, there’s a chance you’ll be frustrated at their annoying quirks and the occasional steep difficulty curve.
But if, like me, you remember with fondness these games from your past, you will likely relish playing them again, not only due to your personal memories of how wowed you were at the time of their original release, but because they are still so much fun to play… despite the rolling boulders, spike pits, and crushing blades that threaten to halt your progress through the games’ immaculately designed levels.
Read More: Tomb Raider Remastered: 10 Ways to Make the Games Easier to Play
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10