Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Reviews
The iconic Lara Croft returns in a series of lovingly crafted remasters of her first three adventures. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered features not only the base version of all three games, but also the full expansions which were previously unavailable on the PS1, providing an incredible amount of content for a bargain price. Upgraded character models and lighting, a photo mode, and optional quality-of-life improvements help round out a collection which would have been worthwhile without the graphical upgrade. Unfortunately, a few control, lighting, and camera issues do occasionally arise, dampening what is otherwise a great collection.
As difficult as it might be to go back and discover those games you once loved haven't dated as well as you might have hoped, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is a wonderfully faithful and reverential collection of three classics, and nigh-on essential for new players and misty-eyed nostalgics alike.
Although Tomb Raider Remastered does a phenomenal job at updating the original titles' graphics, it doesn't improve their abysmal controls or dated gameplay.
Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered offers an appealing new visual style but retains all of the frustrating mechanics of the originals. Hardcore fans will probably enjoy it, but it's not for everyone.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is the best example of a remaster I think I've seen in years. Where some titles have played fast and loose, with full overhauls of their game mechanics or visual styles, Aspyr has taken a classic trilogy and revamped it as a love letter to its origins, bringing memories of old back to life. As more and more titles get the reboot or reimagining treatment, it is refreshing to see an old classic come back in a new style.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered feels like it wants to be a loving tribute to the franchise's origins, but comes across like a half-effort instead.
Reject modernity, embrace the tank.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is, most likely, what fans were hoping to be able to play, sooner or later. A superbly crafted compilation, respectful of the original material, capable of allowing us to relive all the typically '90s feeling of Lara Croft's first three adventures.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Tomb Raider Remastered I-III is more of an updated version of the main games rather than a fully remastered one. Apart from the new modern control which still struggles to keep up with today's standards, there isn't anything new to the game. While that may be good for the old fans of the series, it will create a struggle for new players and therefore not be able to enjoy some of the best exploration games out there.
For purists, the original code remains intact, with all the sharp edges and meticulous controls you remember. For those who've played the trilogy a dozen times before and want a fresh experience, modern visuals and controls change things up considerably — often for the better, sometimes for the worse. Throw in all the expansions and the novelty of photo mode, and you've got a wonderful celebration of the origins of the Tomb Raider franchise.
While there are some minor technical hiccups with this remaster, the overall package is massive and is well worth its modest asking price. These are some of the most challenging dungeons ever designed and the gameplay is very hardcore and requires a bit of patience. Even with the modern controls, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered won’t be for everyone since there is no handholding. Only the most bold can go on a date with Lara.
Aspyr really pulled through in making a superb package for new explorers and old adventurers to dig into, but I still have no clue why there is no platinum trophies on the PS5 edition?!
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is everything we would expect to see from a remaster. with improved visuals, lighting and controls, now it's the best time to experience these classic games.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is a blessing for fans of the series. It not only presents the first three games of Lara Croft with all their additional packages, renewed graphics and controls, but also remains extremely faithful to the original. But this 'loyalty' may alienate some of the new generation of players.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
As nostalgic as Tomb Raider I–III Remastered might be for some fans, the fact is that the outdated gameplay mechanisms have no appeal to modern-day gamers, no matter how polished and good-looking the final product is.
Review in Persian | Read full review
It’s difficult to recommend Tomb Raider I-III Remastered as a thing that people should play. The games in the collection – especially the first one – are classics, though they’re not classics for the way they pushed gameplay or storytelling forward. They’re quite deficient in these areas. Tomb Raider is a classic because it helped redefine the nature of what a digital character could be. Sure, we had Mario and the Final Fantasy characters well before Tomb Raider, but those were closer to mascots. In Lara Croft we had a kind of human-proxy superstar for the first time. To many people, the gameplay didn’t matter. Not when rumours were spreading of nude codes for this new superstar.
It's difficult to give a score to Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. On the one hand, some of the improvements are quite good. The inclusion of extra levels for each game to make them more accessible is always welcome, and the improved modern controls are certainly welcome unless your muscle memory is attuned to the old tank-style controls. On the other hand, the very slight graphical improvements are overshadowed by the fact that the game design fails to keep modern controls in mind, and no other changes have been made to bring it up to modern standards. Considering the pedigree of the games, the result is a package that's fine but could've been much, much better.
If you want to play using the original graphics, with optional modernized controls, at a high resolution, and with widescreen support, this is essentially perfect. But if you're looking for a remastered experience, Tomb Raider I-III is both an artistic mess, and a remarkable misunderstanding of some of the original visual game design. So come for the genre-defining original trilogy, but I wouldn't recommend staying for their remastered incarnations.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is a game created by fans for fans. The team, consisting of modders and enthusiasts, aimed to bring Lara's original adventures into the modern world. However, the gameplay of these '90s gems has not aged well, and our impressions of them have been largely influenced by nostalgia. While the modern controls and graphical upgrades suggest that this is a contemporary game for a modern audience, it's more likely that the games will be primarily enjoyed by those nostalgic for the original titles.
Review in Slovak | Read full review