While the very first Tomb Raider got some remake love with Tomb Raider: Anniversary, the rest of the games in the series have languished in a pit of forgetfulness for most. Now, after nearly twenty-eight years, developer and publisher Aspyr has given the remaster treatment to Core Design’s original Tomb Raider trilogy with the rather simply titled Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.
While that title may be simple, the work that has been done on these games is anything but. Aspyr eschews what could have been a straight-up, pretty port for something with more depth. The question becomes, however, how much do you change or keep the same to retain the game’s authenticity, because the original Tomb Raider games have a very specific design and play style.
Diving back into the original trilogy really has been a blast from the past because, while I have fond memories of the first game, whenever I felt the need to revisit Lara’s original grand adventure, Tomb Raider: Anniversary filled that void. Going back to these original games was a stark reminder of three things.
The first is just how unforgiving these games are with their precision platforming and insta-death sections. The second is just how prime for a Tomb Raider: Anniversary style remake Tomb Raider II and III are and, finally, just how much tank controls suck by today’s standards. Let’s get those rose-coloured glasses off for that because they do. They’re awkward and cumbersome by today’s standards and trying to replay games that use them can be frustrating indeed.
It’s hard to believe that I was ever skilled with that control style and it has been the major reason I haven’t revisited PS1 era games, including the Tomb Raider games, as much as I’d like to.
It’s important to note this because the original Tomb Raider games are built around tank controls. The combat, the precision platforming, the level design, it’s all designed to make use of that control scheme. It’s baked into the DNA, so to speak. So let’s take a dive into this remaster to see what Aspyr have done to bring it up to spec.
The most obvious change, beyond the games now running on modern hardware, are the visuals. All three games have been given a complete visual overhaul which includes new, higher resolution textures, materials and assets that bring the games visual look in line with Tomb Raider: Anniversary. The paintings in Lara’s manor looks fantastic, as do the textures on the environment.
Environmental assets that were simple 2D planes or a smudged smattering of boxes now sport full 3D models. Aesthetic changes to all of the games environments have been made as well. Some are small, others are more noticeable. Boxier architecture is now more organically rounded, while holes have been cut into geometry to create places for light shafts to shine through or lend the cavern areas a more natural look. The Opera building in Tomb Raider 2, for instance, now sports a more realistic looking glass roof with an impressive chandelier hanging from it.
Outdoor areas also look more natural with a lot of vegetation popped into the scene, distorted geometry replaces the flat planes that made-up the rock floors while water puddles add a sense of authenticity to the scenes. Light shafts cut through the vegetation and Lara now sports a proper shadow. The lighting and particle effects systems have been updated as well.
Overall the visual change is absolutely fantastic and does not change the gameplay at all, enhancing it instead. As much as I love the original visuals, I really do prefer these new, updated ones. A nice touch, that more remasters should have, is that you can drop between the new visuals and the originals at the touch of a button. It’s a pretty stark contrast as it also illuminates the older games slightly slower frame rate. You can feel the difference between the updated game and the original in terms of performance. The Remastered versions run much faster and smoother and I didn’t notice any performance drops at all.
The big question is, how does it play? The answer to that is exactly the same. . . but new. It’s the exact same mix of, slow, precision gaming and acrobatic combat. And if you’ve played it before, it will be exactly as you remember, from the same stunning set pieces, such as the underground Sphinx, to the ones that frustrated. Here’s looking at you St. Francis Folly! Tomb Raider II and III have certainly stood up better than I remember and I enjoyed running through the Venice and Jungle levels a lot more now.
A lot of that does come down to the controls. Now the original tank controls are still here in all their glory for those purists amongst you, but the game also sports modern controls and a slightly tweaked camera.
The modern controls are setup like any modern third-person analog system while the camera is now in a slightly higher position behind Lara. The modern controls make exploring the large environment a lot easier, faster and, quite frankly, more enjoyable while the new camera height gives you a slightly better view of the environment.
That said, it’s not an entirely flaw-free port. For that to happen, a significant amount of the code and level design would likely have to be changed. All of the games original problems are still here. The clunky movement for precision jumps and the camera been a pain in close quarters and tight corridors are still here to make you gnash your teeth.
Sadly, the new controls and camera actually compound some of these issues. The Remastered camera frequently gets caught on geometry in hallways and tight corridors and if you’re up against a wall or in a corner, it can lead to death if you’re not careful. More than once I got to see the insides of Lara’s skull as the camera struggled to right itself.
And finally the new controls actually make pulling of some of Lara’s iconic, and most needed moves, nearly impossible to do. Backflips and side jumps are only possible if you’re holding down on the weapons button while Lara’s little back jump that was designed to get you to the edges of platforms, isn’t available.
Pulling back on the analog just makes her turn around now. Initially I found myself swopping between control sets for those precision platforming sections until I figured out some workarounds, such as dropping off and grabbing ledges so that you can line yourself up correctly or unsheathing your guns to make the small little back jumps.
I won’t lie and say that the beginning hour wasn’t a little frustrating because of this, but eventually I got used to the new controls and how to use them correctly to not die a lot. Once I did, the games flowed so much more smoothly and I began to enjoy myself immensely, plenty of save scumming aside. I even stopped dropping back to the Tank controls for that extra precision!
Another issue that you will have to work around is combat. Yet again the updated controls don’t work well with the original combat system, making that fancy, acrobatic combat a little tough to pull off. Yet again, with time you will figure out a workaround, but it just doesn’t seem as smooth as it used to be.
Rounding out the new package is each games expansions. Since these, as far as I know, never came to console, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered makes the most complete original Tomb Raider Collection you can buy today.
While I struggled with some of the control changes and the challenges they presented, I really enjoyed my time with Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. Sure, I feel as though Aspyr could put some more finesse into the control scheme, but what they have released for these twenty-eight year old games is nothing short of transformative. With some excellent updated visuals, challenging and compelling gameplay and the addition of the games PC only DLC, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is the best way to experience these classic games again.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Trailer
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