Tomb Raider Remastered Review: The Pros and Cons of Remastered Lara Croft Games

Table of Contents:

• Rethinking Memories from the Past
• The Complexities of the Classic Series
• A Remaster That Needs a Remake
• The Bottom Line

Reimagining Memories of the Past

As a child, Tomb Raider was one of the most exciting games I've ever played. Its main feature was its female protagonist, which made it stand out from other games. The game offered intricate levels full of secrets and opportunities for exploration. Each trial presented a unique challenge, and complex combinations of moves added an element of difficulty. Spectacular FMV cutscenes rewarded you for overcoming difficult stages, which made the gameplay even more exciting. Tomb Raider left an unforgettable mark on the gaming industry and continues to inspire new players.

At the time, there were practically no similar adventure games on PC. If such games were released, they were difficult to find and play. Widespread access to the internet was not available, and copies of the game were not available everywhere. Furthermore, system requirements also played a significant role in the accessibility of games for users.

I devoted almost all my free time to the original Tomb Raider series until Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine came out. I meticulously explored locations in search of secrets, mastered acrobatic stunts, and overcame difficult sections, starting over if I failed. After completing each installment, I eagerly awaited Lara Croft's new adventures. The complex control layout and key combinations were fine, as they were the standard in most games of the time, before the advent of the keyboard and mouse combination. Tomb Raider left a deep mark on gaming culture, offering players a unique blend of platforming and exploration that continues to attract adventurers to this day.

More than 25 years have passed since the release of the first Tomb Raider games. Core Design, the studio that created the original games, has ceased to exist, and the rights to develop new games have passed to Crystal Dynamics. The series has been rebooted several times, but nostalgia for classic moments such as exploring the depths of Atlantis, thrilling boat races along the Venetian canals, escaping guards at a Nevada prison, and climbing the Great Pyramid still lives in the hearts of fans. After so many years, the opportunity to collect the remaster collection and relive these unique adventures is a true gift for anyone who follows the history of Lara Croft and her amazing adventures.

The plot of the game in the remaster collection remains unchanged, so there is no need to recount the events of each installment in detail. Authenticity is also preserved in the interface content: the main menu, cutscenes, animations, fixed camera angles at key moments, as well as the level design and gameplay. This creates a sense of nostalgia for players and allows them to relive the familiar moments that made these games iconic. The remasters emphasize improved graphics and sound, making the gaming experience more modern and appealing to a new audience.

FMV cutscenes remain in the game, and in some areas, they have not been upscaled. Changes were made only to the rendering of loading screens, as well as the appearance of characters and game assets: the polygon count has increased, resulting in a noticeable increase in texture detail. Short musical compositions accompanying gameplay have received a new arrangement. Thus, the canonical nature of the original has been preserved. However, the question arises: what could have gone wrong?

The Difficulties of the Classic Series

The main problem with the original games from the first to the fifth is the gameplay situations that rely entirely on outdated mechanics. Tasks such as having to retrieve an item from the other end of a level within 30 seconds, accurately calculate jumping distances to reach the desired ledge, or go around a location several times to use an item can be off-putting for modern players. Even dedicated fans familiar with the series, but first encountered it in the 2013 reboot or the mid-2000s trilogy, may be unpleasantly surprised. Given the increasing demands on gameplay quality and intuitive controls, these outdated mechanics can significantly reduce interest in the game. Updating and adapting controls and gameplay to modern standards can attract new audiences and rekindle the interest of veterans.

An important aspect is explaining the reasons behind the use of archaic approaches in the design of the original games. These methods were driven by the limitations of the technology of the time, as well as the developers' desire to create a unique atmosphere and memorable style. Faced with a lack of resources and capabilities, designers used simple graphic elements and a minimalist interface, allowing the focus to be on gameplay. These solutions, although they seem outdated today, played a significant role in shaping gaming culture and the perception of the genre.

Core Design Studio was one of the first to develop a fully three-dimensional An adventure game combining platformer, puzzle, and action elements. At the time, the developers' primary gameplay reference was the 2D game Prince of Persia, released in 1989. To ensure the heroine's interaction with the environment and her movement in 3D space, the developers created a world divided into blocks. The square became a key unit in level design and had a significant impact on the game's mechanics, especially in the context of Lara Croft's jumps.

The heroine's standard jump is two squares long, while her running jump is three squares. To perform a running jump, Lara must jump back one square, run that distance, and then jump. To grab a ledge, hold down the action key. When moving on inclined surfaces, Lara slides, and pressing the jump key as she lands on similarly inclined blocks allows her to perform impressive stunts and access new areas of the level. However, this will require high precision control.

Keyboard controls, rather than WASD, were typical in the early games. Many dedicated fans still remember these complex combinations. In the remasters, however, the developers implemented a modern control option, significantly simplifying the gameplay for newcomers. Now, to look around the world, you simply move the mouse, instead of holding the look key and pressing arrow keys. However, in practice, the modern control scheme is not always compatible with the classic game design, which can affect the perception of the game.

Dodging off a ledge for a running jump has become more difficult, since the back key now simply rotates Lara's model. The game's controls are divided into two categories: the E key is responsible for interacting with objects, and the left mouse button activates automatic weapon fire. These control changes create additional difficulties, causing confusion among players. Guides have started appearing in the community to help you navigate the new control layout. Thus, the new approach to control did not meet the expectations of both modern players and fans of the classic style.

You can use this to your advantage by using the original layout for precise jumps and occasionally switching to the modern layout for easy evasion of a boulder. It's also possible to remap keys. However, as you progress through the first through fifth games, it becomes clear that the classic series is optimized for the original controls. Therefore, it's easier to memorize or learn all the combinations than to try to adapt to new rules. This understanding makes the gameplay more engaging and promotes a better understanding of the mechanics.

In the classic Tomb Raider games, action and shooting elements played a secondary role. They were used primarily to vary the gameplay, allowing players to take a break from actively exploring levels and searching for key items or switches. The primary focus was on platforming elements and puzzle solving, highlighting the game's unique style of adventure and exploration. Thus, action was not the end goal, but a means to create a more dynamic and engaging gaming experience.

The main part of the gameplay revolved around solving global puzzles. These puzzles took various forms, but their essence remained constant: the player had to reach a certain area of ​​the level, open a door leading to another part, and then find a trigger in the new area that would provide access to the next level. This cycle continued until the end of the episode.

The developers sought to diversify the gameplay by introducing traps, numerous obstacle blocks, ledges, overhangs, and ropes. Players will explore underwater labyrinths and complete episodes where precise timing is crucial. Cutscenes provide clues about the heroine's next steps, and sometimes players must rely on the sound of an opening door or remember which part of the level was previously blocked. This approach makes the game exciting and requires players to be attentive and strategic.

Modern players can This gameplay can be considered too boring, as the game lacks UI elements with hints and objective markers. Throughout the game, it's nearly impossible to avoid fatal mistakes, such as losing a life in a random trap, miscalculating a jump length and falling into a chasm, or losing sight of the final goal, leading to confusion. This complexity makes the game more tense and requires players to be attentive and strategic.

Games of the past were characterized by numerous challenges and puzzles, as well as strict punishments for inattention. In this regard, a parallel can be drawn with the Soulslike genre. However, it is worth noting that players of that time perceived such gameplay as standard and familiar. These tough mechanics created a unique experience that required concentration and patience, which contributed to the creation of a deep connection between the player and the game.

The Last Revelation and Chronicles introduced a system for recording your own cutscenes, which allows you to create static frames. Players can choose up to 20 different angles, customizing each one. When a cutscene plays, the selected angles are automatically interpolated, creating a spectacular video. This feature adds new opportunities for creativity and self-expression, allowing players to share their unique moments from the game.

The graphics leave a mixed impression. The improved textures and models look attractive, but in some games, such as The Last Revelation, the brightness is noticeably reduced and there is no option to adjust it. As a result, players are forced to either adjust the brightness on their monitor or rely on in-game light sources for improved visibility.

A remaster that needs a remake

The Angel of Darkness remaster deserves a separate discussion, and not only because of the updated graphics and dark atmosphere that distinguish it from the previous parts. The sixth game in the series was developed under conditions of considerable turmoil, which undoubtedly reflected in the final result. This factor makes The Angel of Darkness unique both in the context of the series’ history and in terms of its reception by players. The updated remaster brings new life to this project, allowing us to rethink its place in the genre and the legacy of Lara Croft games.

After the announcement of the collection, including the remaster of The Angel of Darkness, fans hoped for improved controls and Lara’s interaction with the environment. However, old problems reappear already at the beginning of the updated version. Despite expectations, many shortcomings remain unaddressed, which causes disappointment among players. Improving the gameplay and eliminating technical flaws remain important tasks for the developers.

The original game stood out for two main aspects: a unique system for upgrading the protagonist's strength and endurance, where the phrase "I feel stronger now" became a popular meme among players, and radically changed character movements. The classic "tank" controls didn't fit the new conditions, which led to the introduction of a familiar control system and the ability to remap keys. However, controlling the heroine became even more difficult. In the remaster, the developers slightly improved the system, but key flaws remained, which continues to cause difficulties for players.

In The Angel of Darkness, the square-based leveling system was replaced, which affected the overall gameplay. Lara's controls became less precise, especially when jumping. When turning the character model, there are no fixed algorithms that could automatically adjust the jump, allowing Lara to land at the desired point. This means that even a small change in the rotation angle can lead to a missed landing, especially on narrow platforms. This makes it more difficult for players to control their character and achieve goals, which impacts the overall gameplay experience.

This drawback manifests itself in situations that require high-precision jumping, such as in a room with logs protruding from a lava abyss. Errors in such conditions become frequent, necessitating the need to save progress almost every second. To succeed in such games, it is important to take into account the control features and plan your actions in advance to minimize the likelihood of failure.

The conditions for automatic interaction with certain objects in the game may not be obvious. For example, when Lara descends from a pipe, pressing the "side" key may activate a trigger, causing her to automatically start climbing back up. This can lead to confusion and make character control difficult. Understanding such mechanics is important for successful completion of the game and a better gaming experience.

All animations in the game are slow, meaning that you can only undo an action after a few seconds. The collision system was carried over from the original version, and when interacting with environmental objects such as stairs, pipes, and walls, Lara's model begins to slide along them. This occurs while maintaining the slow-motion walking or running animation, creating an unnatural impression, just like in the original.

The remaster of the sixth part, like other updated games in the series, offers significant graphical improvements. The models have become more detailed, although some visual flaws, such as shaders, can still attract attention. Experienced modders from the Tomb Raider community participated in the development of the remasters, which helped to preserve the canonical imagery and atmosphere of the game. This collaboration with fans of the series has allowed us to create a product that meets the expectations of both new players and long-time fans.

The updated version of the latest part of the series is not completely unplayable, but in this case, a full-fledged remake with a revision of the key mechanics is more appropriate than a remaster. At the moment, this remaster will be of interest only to the most devoted fans of the series who are ready to play the game again, despite its shortcomings.

Results

When analyzing the collection of remasters, it becomes obvious that, despite their attractive appearance, these games are not suitable for every player. Modern gamers eager to get acquainted with the original works may encounter difficulties in mastering the outdated platforming system and may not complete the entire collection. Having read the reviews on the Steam platform, you can notice that along with positive nostalgic comments there are many critical remarks. Many of them point out the lack of significant gameplay improvements in the remaster of the sixth part. This underscores the importance of properly understanding these projects and their place in the modern gaming context.

Fans of classic games face certain challenges. Many of those who played the original series are now over 35 or 40 years old. The question of time becomes pressing: will they be able to devote hours to challenging challenges that may require multiple attempts to complete? Most likely, most of them will prefer more accessible leisure or return to the remake of the first Tomb Raider, released in 2007.

For those up for a challenge based on legacy mechanics and mastery of an unusual layout, this collection will be a valuable addition to a hardcore game collection. However, before enjoying success in each level, a significant amount of perseverance, patience, and time will be required. Time, as a rule, is not something we have in abundance.