Tomb Raider I, II, III Remastered is available now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Lara Croft is back in a classic remaster of the original PlayStation 1 and PC adventures, players have the chance to relive the originals that started it all in a new and fun way. In Tomb Raider I, II, III Remastered, you will experience the story in its original form. As a kid, I loved the Tomb Raider games, but I wasn’t good at them, I could hardly get past the first levels, and don’t even get me started on the difficulties I used to face with Venice in Tomb Raider 2. This time around I am a much more seasoned gamer so I found myself, though with great difficulty managing to get through them a lot easier, despite it being a remaster the difficulty has not changed, it’s the same old platforming, same combat and puzzle solving and while it is a bit dated, it is full of moments that make you remember how gaming used to be and when you do progress further, it feels so rewarding. The best feature of the remaster is the way that you can change the graphics from classic to modern with the click of a button, I spent so much time just comparing the areas I spent so much time in as a kid and flicking between the two being hit with a nostalgic overload every time, it’s easily the best feature, with photo mode a close second. Players can also change controls from original tank controls to modern ones, I stuck with the classic tank controls, while it is difficult for some to master, I found myself preferring the way it used to feel, modern controls are okay, but I felt it was harder for me to master, even though tank controls can create some frustration in certain platforming moments. Other features such as remastered cutscenes, 4K visuals, and getting to experience it all crystal clear and smooth at 60fps are just glorious, as remasters go, this is up there.
This is the original Tomb Raider game with a new coat of paint and some features that can help a little however, nothing else has changed and I personally think that is a good thing, it’s the original experience with all the difficulties you’d experience on the Ps1 title, however for some and even for me at some points, it feels brutally difficult. The aim of the game is quite simple, start the level, go against multiple enemies, some animals, some mythical beasts and sometimes humans that just want you dead! Continue onwards and you’ll be faced with some brilliantly designed puzzles and after a bit of exploration you’ll reach the end of the level, it sounds simple, but it is both fun and difficult. The game isn’t unfair in any sense of the word, it is just taking us back to that time when games were more unforgiving, especially I found on Tomb Raider 1 that it was always hard to find where to go next, and I suppose that exploration side of it is quite exciting and rewarding, but also I am not ashamed to admit there were one or two parts I wanted to throw the controller through the screen. Players looking for a reimagining and easier experience may be disappointed, but for those chasing nostalgia, this is for you, for people that never experienced the originals and are curious, I recommend giving it a go, the Tomb Raider series has always felt like a true product of significance in how games grew and evolved over time and it truly is special. Despite the combat being quite dated now, it is so satisfying when you do manage to take down a boss or an enemy using her many acrobatics and it is so rewarding when you pull off flips, jumps and sneaky moves to dodge enemies and ultimately beat them without losing much health, it’s one of those games that when you master, you feel badass.
The graphics are fantastic, despite it looking a bit strange with the design of the original having big box-looking terrain segments to climb up and things like that, the developers at Aspyr have managed to really make it look a lot better and more natural in a lot of ways while still keeping the original experience. One of the most notable design changes I noticed was added skyboxes in the first game where there wasn’t anything but a black void which looked very strange, I imagine it was tech restraints though, and they have replaced those with beautiful landscapes to look up at in the distance and background. In some of the tombs, you also notice that there are ceiling openings where perhaps snow or rain is coming through or nature is taking back, little details here and there have been added which really add to the experience. My only downside so far with the graphical size is in the remastered modern graphics, it can be way too dark in some segments, the lighting can feel all over the place and while it looks good in some places, it doesn’t in others and sadly there is no brightness option to change that, most of the time I had to go back to retro graphics to find the way which did get a little frustrating at times. The sound design remains unchanged, it sounds a little higher quality but the sounds of Lara’s classic footsteps and swimming animation still remain with all the original voice acting which again lends to the nostalgia.
Verdict
Tomb Raider I, II, III Remastered is one hell of an experience, whether you loved the original titles or you have never experienced them, but it’s also an experience that you’ll either love or dislike. I personally loved every second of it, it reignited a lot of nostalgia and made me think about how far games have come, however for some, the difficulty might put people off. This is the raw Tomb Raider experience it feels loyal to the originals while adding some absolutely fantastic features to modernise it enough to have been worth re-releasing Aspyr did a hell of a job in bringing this to a new generation and I hope to see more remasters from them in the future. While I ran into a few issues with lighting, some clipping issues, and the odd bug, it is a unique experience that I do recommend everyone try at least once and for the low price of £24.99. Also… Who else locked the butler in the freezer before doing anything else?
8.5/10
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