Today we’re delving deep into Lara’s adventures with Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, thanks to the folks at Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics. We’re bringing you our full video and extended written review, including our common-sense parent’s guide. If you’re looking to find out if Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is worth it, or if it’s safe for kids, we’ve got you covered.
Find our full video review and parent’s guide just here, or keep reading for our extended look into the title.
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The Basics – What is Tomb Raider Remastered About?
Available on: PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch
Price: c£25
Type: 3D Platforming Action Adventure
Download: 5.5GB (PC)
Lara is back once again and the team at Aspyr have brought her first three adventures up to date for modern hardware. This release includes the first three Tomb Raider adventures, as well as the unfinished business, golden mask and lost artefact expansions.
The team have worked well here to bring this to all current platforms, as well as last-gen Xbox and PlayStation as well. They’re really sought to bring an updated but authentic experience, rather than meddle with too much within Lara’s earlier games (though, as a note, they have updated them so the old titles no longer breach the Geneva Convention).
Aspyr have taken great pains to remaster the visuals for each title, while leaving the level layouts the same as the original releases. This has done well to preserve puzzle-solving and platforming within each adventure, but it has also meant that visual upgrades haven’t brought it all the way to modern standards.
Handily, players can switch between new, remastered visuals and old PC graphics at any time. This includes mid-cut scene, within menus and even in loading screens. Older visuals give us a slightly-updated view of the 90s, though folks who played on PS1 or Sega Saturn may notice things looking a little smoother than they remember.
Other than visuals, the environments, enemies and pickups remain as they were twenty-plus years ago. The team at Aspyr have breathed new life into each level, adding detail and removing pop-up visuals where possible to bring Lara’s early adventures right into the 21st century.
Is Tomb Raider Remastered Safe for Children?
Rating: Caution Advised.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered comes with a specific discrimination warning and while it’s recognised that there are elements of the game (including voices, language and portrayal of other cultures) which are problematic. However much like old Disney movies these things have been left in the game to provide a more complete experience.
It’s one which I am on the fence about letting our MicroBandits have a go with. While it’s certainly recognised that these elements should remain in the past, it’s ones which we aren’t keen on introducing them to at a young age. As such, while there are also violent scenes in the title, it’s mostly the problematic content which is making this one fall into the category of Caution Advised.
The Run Down – Our Five-Point Rating for Tomb Raider Remastered
Gameplay – 4: I loved the Tomb Raider series back in the 90s, and I still play the original titles today. If you haven’t then the nostalgia here will be absolutely overwhelming in the best way. If you’re a bit younger than us, The original Tomb Raider adventures are an odd mix of combat, clunky controls and jumping between switches and buttons. Both modern and original tank controls in the remaster both have their foibles, but while it can be irksome at times, it doesn’t completely ruin a trip back in time.
Visuals – 3: Character models have been hugely improved since the 90s, but we were expecting things to be a little more up to date than we have here. Level design has meant that environment visuals can’t be changed too much, but there has been a lot done to improve details and provide much better decoration, especially within environments such as jungle areas
Audio – 3: Sound can be a little awkward in the remasters, with environments often feeling too quiet. With that said, voice acting for Lara is still immense, and effects such as gunfire are all solid and working well.
Narrative – 4: They may be a little out there, but I’ve always loved Tomb Raider’s stories, and love that the remasters will make these available to others. You’ll need to keep an open mind when it comes to mythology and aliens, but overall the stories are decent and well told through cut scenes.
Replay – 4: There are a decent number of collectables and achievements within each game, and they should keep completionists going for a little while, no matter what platform you’re playing on.
The Verdict – Is Tomb Raider Remastered Worth It?
Pixel Bandits Marco Bartoli Level for Tomb Raider Remastered is a strong 8 / 10
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The Tomb Raider Remastered collection is certainly not without its foibles. Controls are quite janky still and can make it hard to make precise jumps which Lara needs, even staying within original tank controls. While it’s not quite as beautiful as we were expecting, though, it has been excellent to dip back in with Lara on modern platforms.
The title loads exceptionally fast, and the addition of unlimited saves means that you can keep trying as many times as you need to, without worrying too much about loading screens. Overall, while I still love playing my PS1 versions, the Remastered collection opens up to a whole new generation, including new portable platforms.
It’s likely going to be one for our older crowd, who should get a great nostalgia hit and relive some exceptional memories. Younger players may find it a little too awkward and slow, but I do think it’s one to try, simply to sample one of the best parts of Gaming’s varied history.
As ever, to provide this review and common-sense parent’s guide, we received a free copy of Tomb Raider Remastered from the folks at Aspyr.
