O tempora is a series of retrospective posts where I play games from ages before to see if they stood the test of time.
Almost precisely a year ago, I’ve experienced Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection and my thoughts on it were conflicted. One one hand, it was the best way to experience three classic titles in the influential franchise. On another – all games apart from the original weren’t that good and collection itself had some questionable choices made. As a result, I was quite curious about what Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered could be, given that I already considered The Last Revelation the best classic TR title and liked most of Chronicles. These were the games I’ve played a lot and the games that, in my opinion, aged a lot better. The collection includes The Angel of Darkness as well, of course, that I did not expect much from this re-release, given how dreadful my first and only experience with the game was over 20 years ago. So, how did it go this time? In some ways worse with the collection itself raising a lot more questions.
Since I’ve already given a quite in-depth explanation about how classic Tomb Raider games worked in the review of the previous collection, I won’t spend too much time with it again. It’s enough to say that, the games were quite methodic in their approach to platforming, required you to think and plan ahead and, as a result, felt unlike anything that is done nowadays. That type of gameplay, in my opinion, still has value and can be enjoyed. And I strongly believe that it can be revitalized without necessarily being as strict about the grid structure or employing tank controls for precision.
Before going into each entry of the collection in more detail, I want to cover what this Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered collection brings to the table, since it’s… not much, really. Granted, just as it was with the previous collection, this is the best way to experience the games. But there was additional value to a modern re-release of the first three titles. For one, each version of those had ports with various slight or major differences, so the Remastered collection was the first time we got a “best of” ultimate version. Additionally, running those games on modern hardware was quite problematic and the visuals were quite simplistic, hence why some of the titles looked quite good with the updated graphics, instead of the original ones. Each game also had an expansion that prior to the re-release only existed on PC which now could be experienced on a variety of hardware. And some of the quality of life shortcuts and other additional helpful elements were added to the games, that previously only existed in the games from this Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered collection.
So what are the benefits of this collection, apart from having a convenient and less unstable versions of the games? Not that many. The port variance in these titles was rather minor and while I miss the PS1-style inventory background in TR4 and 5 (The Last Revelation and Chronicles, as I will continue to refer to them from now on), the updated menu style that also shows how many secrets are in the level vs how many you have discovered is better. While the big difference of TR6 (The Angel of Darkness) for PS2 vs PC were the controls – PS2 was the first game in the franchise to attempt a switch to the camera-relative controls, where PC version adapted them into tank controls. Both were poor, honestly, and the previous or the new collection include an updated “modern” control scheme for all titles, not just TAoD, though it’s the only one I would recommend playing with them. Only TLR had an “expansion” which was just one additional level made in collaboration with famous UK newspaper The Times, so the new collection couldn’t add anything here either.
TLR and Chronicles already had a wonderful look with beautiful colour lighting and if enable the updated visuals, most of the scenes look dull, boring and lacking in colour. There are a couple of great looking exceptions, but more often than not the “modern visuals” are a straight downgrade that I cannot recommend anyone use. However, for TAoD, it is the opposite. But not because the updated visuals are great, rather because they’re barely there. The amount of work put into making the PS2-level visuals look better is similarly limited as it happened with Soul Reaver remasters, which looks outright pathetic in comparison to something like The Thing Remastered. Most of the shortcuts available in the collection for the games existed in the original titles as well. And while you do still get the previously never available crouch roll, the only other big addition to the moveset that was not available in the original versions are several cut weapons from TAoD that are now available. Really, it feels as if this and a few other restored elements of the final Core Design developed game are he main selling point of the collection, which… well, I’ll get to the game itself later. Let’s just say, it’s not much of a sell.
Poor and bizarre decisions with the collection continue as well. It’s still made mainly by russian citizen, who undoubtedly pay taxes and thus finance the russian aggression on the entire world. Though at least this time these developers didn’t pretend to translate the game into Ukrainian, so that localization is just absent (which is better than having the one present in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered). The overall amount of “not giving a damn” is reaching critical levels in terms of how the collection and everything related to the quality control and presentation. The first collection seemed to have had some care put into it, Soul Reaver collection had the fan work shining through all the lack of care. But in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered nothing hides just how much of a hack job Saber and Aspyr are doing and I’m genuinely surprised that Crystal Dynamics have such lack of care about their brand.
You also still get a bazillion of pointless achievements that require you to do dumb things or play the game incorrectly. Still audio mixing is messed up. Still there are no video controls of any kind, including brightness controls, though at least with classic visuals TLR and Chronicles are always bright enough to see (or you have enough flares). Still there is a pointless “new game plus” mode that means nothing. Oh and we lost content too. That’s right, the special gallery you could unlock in Chronicles is simply gone (and one that was planned for The Angel of Darkness isn’t restored). Viewed purely as a collection, ignoring the quality of each game itself, this should be simply avoided. But, the games themselves are way too good to just ignore.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
I always said that this is the best classic Tomb Raider game and I stand by the statement after having replayed it for the fourth or fifth time. It’s the culmination of all the experience and skill the team at Core Design worked up while crunching on annual releases of the franchise. So despite seemingly designing the game to just kill Lara Croft off, they did their best. You get all of the previous moves, but they feel better and snappier. You get a couple new mechanics and moves, though the ropes are still somewhat frustrating to use. You can combine items in the inventory now, which is required not just for key items, but for modifying your weapons. This was the first game to make proper Hub level structure, with some sections of the game spanning across several levels you can freely move between (what’s funny, loading the level still heals you this way). It was also the first game to include a tutorial section as part of the main story and ditch the Croft Manor level entirely.
That said, even I have to accept that the game has faults. While combat is, in general, far superior to every previous game and so are the vehicle sections, they can still be rather bleh. And while I appreciate that the title instead focuses more on puzzles and exploration, for some people it can get a bit too much. Some of those interconnected levels, especially Alexandria and Cairo, get very confusing and overwhelming very fast, even if you try to tackle them one by one as is mostly intended. And even secrets, which I gladly found once again (they don’t unlock anything in this game), can sometimes be frustratingly counterintuitive – in some places you’re required to do something wrong and get a harder resulting path to get all secrets, otherwise you miss them. And sometimes the secrets are that just because they become unobtainable if you progress through the game more than secret wants, even if that requirement makes no logical sense. Nonetheless, it is the best game in the classic franchise that still stands tall near the original. And is in most ways better than TR1. Oh and the Times level is just “fine”, I’m glad it’s here, but it’s really nothing to write about.
Tomb Raider: Chronicles
After milking the franchise for 4 years straight, Eidos Interactive were not about to let Lara stay dead. They pushed for a new game to be developed for then next generation hardware and in the meantime demanded another game on the existing technology to plug the sales. Chronicles were the result of that – a very short game, only about one third of The Last Revelation in length, it was created as almost a standalone expansion to it. It contained 4 independent mini-stories, 3 levels each (one had 4). All of which played differently and focused on different franchise up to that point. Lara did get a couple of new moves, though they were barely used in the game (and not great). And it was originally accompanied by a level editor to give tools to the fans to create their own little stories using the mechanics present in TLR and Chronicles. The editor has not been revived for the Remaster, for some reason, so if you’re interested in fan made stories you will have to use the fan updated editor and mods.
While seemingly being a throwaway game, Chronicles is actually quite good. First three stories have plenty of cool memorable moments and fun uses of the series mechanics. The stories and the timeline makes no sense, but that’s clearly not the focus here. The secrets are sometimes fun to find and in the original game they’ve unlocked the gallery with concept art, but not in the remaster, as mentioned. But even during these first 3 sections there are bad moments, either a bad forced camera view that is extremely unhelpful. Or a puzzle based entirely on trial and error. Still, everything is quite fun until the last three levels of the game that are possibly the worst in the entire classic TR. Terrible attempts at stealth, illogical sections, bad combat, poor camera and level design. And lots of bugs, some of which are still present in the remaster. It’s worth playing the game for the first three sections, still, just be prepared to never finish it because of how dreadful the ending sections are.
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness
Making games for new hardware is difficult and I’m sure making it during the early 00s was extra tough, because of how many things changed both technologically and in terms of what game new game design trends were forming. The Angel of Darkness took much longer to develop than it was planned and was eventually released in 2003, 3 years after Chronicles. And it was unfinished. Literally. The game that we got and still have in the Remastered collection is a series of levels and moments, some of which were more or less completed, some were barely begun and some planned ones had to be skipped to release the game. As a result, TAoD is a horrible mess.
Now, if I’m completely honest, after so much of the planned development has been shared over the years, I don’t think the end result, if the game was given a chance to be completed, would’ve been a good Tomb Raider game. But at least it might’ve been a decent action adventure in its own right and with some cool inventive ideas. I mean, a concept of Lara getting stronger as she performs more actions and upgrading her abilities – there are upgrade and skill trees in Survivor Trilogy TR titles. Attempts to merge camera relative controls with precision platforming were noble as well. Non-linearity with multiple choice-consequence paths, including dialogues with choices of how friendly or aggressive Lara will be and systems like shops and helpful NPCs that might adapt to how you behave. Stealth developed into a separate mechanic to be a valid approach to combat. This is actually the first game in the series that added the dramatic arm slipping chance, which felt tense because of the limited stamina too. Lots of great ideas.
But the execution was dreadful. Almost everything in this game is straight up terrible, either because of how the idea was implemented, or because an important chunk of the game that could provide context or something else is simply missing. New movement and interactions are awful with whatever control style you choose – I went with tank controls, to remember my experience with the game on PC when it just released. But really, you should go with “modern”, as they’re better for this game. But it won’t help. Even with the visual interaction markers on (this was the game to introduce them) actually interacting with anything is horrible, slow, unresponsive, sluggish. Bad. Just bad. “Upgrades” are just “keys” for “doors” that you need to find, sometimes few meters away from the door. Can’t open something – go push a box that’s nearby and now you’re strong enough to open what you wanted in the first place. Exciting. Levels are horrible. Everything is very much horrible. And while it is neat to see some of the elements restored (in the original game the secondary playable character had a special weapon that was straight up unusable when you play as him, but now you can use it), it doesn’t save the game. It’s bad. Fascinating and worth checking out, but bad. Also, Aspyr and Saber, why did you remove the intro credits from the game? I swear, it’s like Core Design’s involvement with the series is intentionally swept under the table recently.
So… Is it worth it to get Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered? Ideally, all you’d need to play in the classic franchise are Tomb Raider, The Last Revelation and most of Chronicles. But the titles are spread across two collections. And as I’ve argued, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a better game over the original anyway. If you want to experience the best of what classic Tomb Raider was, you can’t go wrong with The Last Revelation. And like last time – this collection is the best way to experience it (just disable the horrid new visuals and play with tank controls on a controller with a good D-Pad or on keyboard). But at the same time, this collection is such a lazy hack job… If not for how good TLR and Chronicles are, I would not have been recommending this. But they are really truly still good.