The nostalgia that all Lara Croft fans have been waiting for in Tomb Raider I, II, III Remastered | Review
1 year ago - luhrc
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Tomb Raider I, II, III Remastered is an action and adventure game released on February 13, 2024, which was developed and published by Aspyr. It is a remastered compilation of the first three games in the Tomb Raider series, which was originally developed by Core Design. The game was released for the following platforms: Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5 and 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and for PC.
As a fan of Tomb Raider, since the first game released for Playstation 1, in 1996, it is an accomplishment to be able to see such a well done job. I was honestly shocked by the work and perfection with which this remaster was made.
That taste of nostalgia in 4K graphics
As a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise for 28 years, even with little time playing the Remastered, and having already finished the original several times, I believe I can speak with confidence about this remaster of the first 3 games. This game is a great example of a remaster that respects the original work.
One of the things that I found most interesting was that at any point in the game, you can switch to the old graphics. Whether out of curiosity, comparison or even nostalgia for the original game.
The work with the new graphic was really impressive. I can cite as an example, Tomb Raider II, in the Venice phase. The graphic has even improved the ease of finding objects and knowing where you are going to jump. At this specific stage, the river is different. We no longer have that murky and dark river, from which you couldn't see a foot in front of you.
The textures of the scenery and the lighting have improved a lot, it was really impeccable work. The “squares” that Lara jumps over are still visible, to make it easier to get around.
Now the collectible items are no longer 2D images, and the loading screens have had their art remastered. It's worth highlighting the work they did with the vegetation, especially in Tomb Raider III, which had very confusing levels, in which you didn't know where you could jump or not.
The big news now is that the Cutscenes now have subtitles!!! The only part that was left out of the new graphics was exactly that: the cutscenes. Although, that doesn't take anything away from the excellent work they did. I believe that Tomb Raider created a new standard for all remasters ever released. It will be difficult for anyone to surpass all the quality and meticulous work that was done.
A golden opportunity for those who have never played the old games!
This remaster is certainly for those who played in the 90s, but also for a new audience. And I'm sure it was with the idea of captivating this new audience that they now introduced a slightly “easier” gameplay. For those who are already used to it, you can use the arrow key to play (on PC), or you can use the analogue control to facilitate movement. Despite including the analogue, some things still depend on the arrow to be perfect.
Lara's movement to get to some places, and some of the jumps she makes, depend exactly on how you position her. Therefore, I always recommend training at her house before starting the game. Lara's house is the best place for you to train your commands, which are essential for you don’t die in the game, and in addition, you can even lock your butler in the freezer, just for the feeling of nostalgia. It's really worth seeing what Lara's house looks like with the new graphics. I wanted to emerge as much of the game as I could.
Everything so familiar, and so new at the same time!
The game maintained its difficulty, so there are no maps or clues clearly to indicate your next objective. Lara faces several puzzles in all stages, and the best option for those who have never played: watch some videos of the game to understand how all these mechanics work. There are many things hidden throughout the levels. Many indeed. In total there are 269 achievements divided between the 3 games.
There was also a change in Tomb Raider III: the crystals, which were used to save the game, are now just collectibles. And to do 100% of the game you need to find out, where are they all.
Another difference I noticed was that when we played I-III on the PC, there was no option to connect the controller. This option only came from Tomb Raider Legend, the remastered gives you the option to play with the controller on the PC, both with the new graphics and the old graphics, which I thought was super cool!
One point I would like to highlight is the game's cost-benefit ratio. There are 3 games, and in addition to the three big games they also included 3 DLCs:
Tomb Raider 1: Unfinished Business;
Tomb Raider 2: Golden Mask;
Tomb Raider 3: The Lost Artifact.
The soundtrack is the original. It was used in the 90s, which I thought was fantastic, as the game's sound design is perfect, and matches every moment of the game. Another point that is also worth saying is that bosses now have a life bar. Which makes life a lot easier when fighting.
I'll close by saying that it's genuinely exciting to see all of this resurface in such a wonderful way.
Here's another photo of this unmissable and nostalgic game:
Thanks to Aspyr for allowing us to create this content with a key made available for PC.
That taste of nostalgia in 4K graphics
As a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise for 28 years, even with little time playing the Remastered, and having already finished the original several times, I believe I can speak with confidence about this remaster of the first 3 games. This game is a great example of a remaster that respects the original work.
One of the things that I found most interesting was that at any point in the game, you can switch to the old graphics. Whether out of curiosity, comparison or even nostalgia for the original game.
The work with the new graphic was really impressive. I can cite as an example, Tomb Raider II, in the Venice phase. The graphic has even improved the ease of finding objects and knowing where you are going to jump. At this specific stage, the river is different. We no longer have that murky and dark river, from which you couldn't see a foot in front of you.
The textures of the scenery and the lighting have improved a lot, it was really impeccable work. The “squares” that Lara jumps over are still visible, to make it easier to get around.
Now the collectible items are no longer 2D images, and the loading screens have had their art remastered. It's worth highlighting the work they did with the vegetation, especially in Tomb Raider III, which had very confusing levels, in which you didn't know where you could jump or not.
The big news now is that the Cutscenes now have subtitles!!! The only part that was left out of the new graphics was exactly that: the cutscenes. Although, that doesn't take anything away from the excellent work they did. I believe that Tomb Raider created a new standard for all remasters ever released. It will be difficult for anyone to surpass all the quality and meticulous work that was done.
A golden opportunity for those who have never played the old games!
This remaster is certainly for those who played in the 90s, but also for a new audience. And I'm sure it was with the idea of captivating this new audience that they now introduced a slightly “easier” gameplay. For those who are already used to it, you can use the arrow key to play (on PC), or you can use the analogue control to facilitate movement. Despite including the analogue, some things still depend on the arrow to be perfect.
Lara's movement to get to some places, and some of the jumps she makes, depend exactly on how you position her. Therefore, I always recommend training at her house before starting the game. Lara's house is the best place for you to train your commands, which are essential for you don’t die in the game, and in addition, you can even lock your butler in the freezer, just for the feeling of nostalgia. It's really worth seeing what Lara's house looks like with the new graphics. I wanted to emerge as much of the game as I could.
Everything so familiar, and so new at the same time!
The game maintained its difficulty, so there are no maps or clues clearly to indicate your next objective. Lara faces several puzzles in all stages, and the best option for those who have never played: watch some videos of the game to understand how all these mechanics work. There are many things hidden throughout the levels. Many indeed. In total there are 269 achievements divided between the 3 games.
There was also a change in Tomb Raider III: the crystals, which were used to save the game, are now just collectibles. And to do 100% of the game you need to find out, where are they all.
Another difference I noticed was that when we played I-III on the PC, there was no option to connect the controller. This option only came from Tomb Raider Legend, the remastered gives you the option to play with the controller on the PC, both with the new graphics and the old graphics, which I thought was super cool!
One point I would like to highlight is the game's cost-benefit ratio. There are 3 games, and in addition to the three big games they also included 3 DLCs:
Tomb Raider 1: Unfinished Business;
Tomb Raider 2: Golden Mask;
Tomb Raider 3: The Lost Artifact.
The soundtrack is the original. It was used in the 90s, which I thought was fantastic, as the game's sound design is perfect, and matches every moment of the game. Another point that is also worth saying is that bosses now have a life bar. Which makes life a lot easier when fighting.
I'll close by saying that it's genuinely exciting to see all of this resurface in such a wonderful way.
Here's another photo of this unmissable and nostalgic game:
Thanks to Aspyr for allowing us to create this content with a key made available for PC.
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Tomb Raider I-III: Remastered Starring Lara Croft
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