Tomb Raider Remastered I-III is a nostalgic walk through the Croft museum
13.02.2024 - 23:13
/ destructoid.com
/ Raider Remastered
The Tomb Raider series is what got my love for video games rolling in the first place. Conversely, the trend of remastering and remaking every great game in existence — instead of boldly giving the rough ones a retry — is what’s led to me falling out of love with it once in the past.
I knew that looking at a simple remaster of the original three, and possibly best, games in a series that speaks to me so dearly after a blockbuster Tomb Raider Anniversary remake failed to capture my interest could prove a challenge, but I’m happy to announce that sometimes I’m just dumb.
The remastered versions of the original trilogy rule. They have some problems that we’ll get to, yes, but for the most part they’re just plain gorgeous and add quality-of-life improvements that you can make use of or ignore. It never forces you to overwrite your memories by trampling the original experience with junk. Also, this package provides players with the option to play the best and most pristine version of the OG trilogy as well.
One of the many fears of anyone who loves Tomb Raider reading about a possible remaster or remake is the fear of its legendary clunkiness, but I have good news. The good people at Aspyr included various completely optional customization settings to modernize the original gameplay. That’s excellent, though I must admit I found myself enjoying the clunkiness of the original TR’s gameplay for possibly a bit too long before I decided to give the new tools a go.
If you’re a modernist or just want to break free from the tyranny of tank controls, there’s “modern control” mode, which allows you to turn Lara on a dime. There are also neat indications when items or levers you can interact with are around.
These additions will likely feel great for both newer players and old ones who want to experience the old games in a new way. My only problem with them is that they might make the game too easy for more seasoned players. Either way, it’s important to note that there’s little to no change to the level design of the original three games.
The remastered levels look great. The new Lara model is perfect, and the new texture work is, well:
The one big change you might notice is the lighting. As you can see above, light sources are now realistic, meaning that the new take on the games, especially the first one, no longer features closed corridors that are magically lit. Aspyr put little openings on the ceilings and walls here and there, and it’s a nice touch that doesn’t alter the gameplay at all. Similarly, the “classic” version is much darker in areas that should never have been lit in the first place.
One of the things I’ve always said about Tomb Raider 1 that very few agreed with was that it is a horror game. That