Tomb Raider I-III Remastered was released on all major consoles and PC on February 16, 2024. Almost 30 years after the first game hit PlayStation, Lara bursts back onto the scene.
Playstation launched the Tomb Raider series as their big answer to the Nintendo 64 during the mid to late ’90s. It combined action, puzzle solving, and platforming all in a globe-trotting adventure reminiscent of Indiana Jones movies. Lara Croft soon cemented herself as one of the most popular female video game characters in history.
Over the years, Tomb Raider has spawned several successful video games. Plus, comic books, live-action movies starring Angelina Jolie, and a rebooted game series for the modern audience. In fact, she appeared in some pretty awesome commercials.
Hence, a re-release of the original three games for the PlayStation would be a dream come true. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane with Lara Croft.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered: The Story So Far…
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
Lara Croft is an archeologist who comes from a wealthy family in England. She spends her wealth traveling to uncover mysterious and musical artifacts worldwide. Throughout her adventures, Lara uncovers the Arc of the Covenant, the Lost City of Atlantis, the Dagger of Xian, and Area 51. Quite the pedigree!
Lara is a female Indiana Jones, minus the 1930s charm and Harrison Ford. The games revolutionized what video games could be, combining action, puzzle solving, and platforming in a fully 3D environment. Many of the levels take place in real-life locations or were designed around what was known in mythology. Hence, history and mythology buffs could find educational value in the story!
Tomb Raider’s gameplay invited players to participate in an action movie.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered: Three Games for the Price of One
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
As a bundle, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered includes the three of the classic Tomb Raider games originally released for PlayStation. Each comes with a makeover that includes modern graphics and gives players who never played the original games a new way to appreciate them. Plus, gamemakers added a neat feature to swap to the original blocky graphics with just a touch of a button. While it may seem like a gimmick, die-hard fans are gonna love it.
The controls are also modernized for newer players. However, by default, the games are set to play with the original controls. Remember that these games were made in the late ’90s. Analog controls wouldn’t be added till later on. If you play it on a keyboard and mouse, godspeed.
What made the Tomb Raider series so incredible wasn’t just its combination of genres. It was how much control you had over Lara. Each game adds something new for the players to use.
In the first game, players can run, walk, jump, climb, swim, and shimmy across ledges as Lara Croft. In Tomb Raider 2, they added vehicles like speedboats and snowmobiles, allowing Lara to use flares and zipline across large ledges. Tomb Raider 3 added ATVs and kayaks, as well as the ability to sprint for a short time.
Never before had any game series given players that many ways to traverse a level.
Cinematic Games
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
Remember that PlayStation was trying to compete with the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and even PC gaming. They hoped to find a way to make their own iconic mascots. Lara Croft became a household name like Mario and Sonic.
Lara Croft became an instant icon appearing in magazines and even on TV commercials. It would be the reason why it would give its first live-action movie adaptation in 2001 starring none other than Angelina Jolie. Although not as well received as some might have hoped, it still shows Tomb Raider‘s great impact on the media.
Along those lines, Tomb Raider also impacted the medium. It not only employed 3D animated cutscenes, but also used cutscenes within the game using the in-game models. This was just around the time when movies and video games started to intertwine in terms of production. Tomb Raider might not have been the first to do this, but it was the earliest to be the most successful in this attempt.
What’s Changed In Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
Crystal Dynamics worked with Aspyr to remaster this collection of Tomb Raider games. If you’re not familiar, Aspyr’s pedigree includes many of the Call of Duty games and even Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. They tried to make this game as accessible to modern games as they could.
The modern graphics look pretty decent, even giving Lara a touch-up. For example, she talks during the in-game cutscenes. When switched to the classic polygonal graphics, the game runs at the same 30 frames per second we remembered from playing it on PS1. This shows good attention to detail.
As far as gameplay is concerned, Crystal Dynamics and Aspyr try to make things “easier'” on the player. For one, boss fights now have a health bar so you know how much damage you’re doing with your guns. A small icon appears anytime players approach a lever and when close to an icon. This is a good touch since before, players had to search for these items like you were playing Where’s Waldo.
Arguably the best change, though? Saving and loading. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered gives unlimited saves across all the games, including Tomb Raider 3. Loading speed is also very fast, both for loading levels and loading a game after getting killed. Before, loading a level could take almost a full minute!
Not Your Little Brother’s Game
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
What’s the catch about Tomb Raider I-III Remastered?
Admittedly, as revolutionary and incredible as these games were, no game is perfect. For example, Eidos Interactive decided to make Tomb Raider 3 more challenging than before by limiting saves. Players scrambled to collect crystals to save the game. Since these games were notorious for being challenging, players found this frustrating.
Tomb Raider games were also notorious for having glitches that broke the immersion. It could be from clipping through a wall, seeing the inside of Lara’s head, textures popping, or floating in the air. Alas, in the Remastered collection, Crystal Dynamics and Aspyr allowed this to continue.
Still A ’90s Game
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered runs high on nostalgia. Players figure out how to arrive from one point of the level to the next. Along the way, platforming and puzzle-solving keep them busy. Enemies offer a bit of combat and can range from animals to thugs, monsters, and assassins.
Lara carries a variety of weapons. Iconic dual pistols, automatic pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, grenade launchers, and harpoon guns? All there. Players need to collect ammo for each weapon via exploring that level. The only weapon with infinite ammo? Her dual pistols.
When it comes to combat, Lara auto-aims to the nearest enemy in her view. The thing is, she can’t swap between targets at will. Players have to jump or flip around to aim and sometimes if more than one enemy is in front of you, she’ll only lock on to the one in range. In other words, the game is archaic in terms of combat, but that’s only because they didn’t want you to be stuck with combat forever. Puzzles await you!
There isn’t moon logic to the puzzles. Instead, they require players use their creativity and explore. Sometimes, puzzles are as simple as finding a key. Other times, you might have to pull a lever from another room. Still other puzzles require backtracking or flooding a room with water.
This game grants its players the archeologist experience.
Putting the Hard in Hardcore
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
The real difficulty lies in what players cannot predict. There will be times where players enter a room and suddenly find themselves trapped. Giant boulders, breakable floors, spiked walls, drowning at 40 meters in the ocean, or burning alive? All on the table. Medkits exist, but they too are scattered around the levels. Not that it makes much of a difference, since a lot of these traps can be a one-hit death.
Hence, players often strategize by saving scum constantly after every jump, or going into another room. One level can take anywhere from 20 minutes to almost an hour. Add onto the pressure of dying from any fall or trap, and playing can be nervewracking!
Tomb Raider always find ways to sneak in a “are you paying attention?” test. It doesn’t matter how good players are; they can only learn by trial and error. Of course, Tomb Raider hit shelves before the internet and strategy guides. Back then, if players needed help, it was either a hotline or a friend!
The Future for Tomb Raider
[Image via Crystal Dynamics]
Fans love the Tomb Raider Remastered Collection. Many credit it with reinvigorating interest in the series. It gives a decent challenge to everyone who wants to play a badass archeologist who shoots guns like Chow Yun Fat and explores tombs like Harrison Ford.
With any luck, we might see future classic Tomb Raider games getting a remaster or re-release. Hey, this might even convince someone to take Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness and fix it. We can dream!
If you never had a chance to play these games in their prime, this is the best way to play it. Now hopefully this will convince Aspyr to go back to the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection and fine-tune that.
Facebook Comments