Witchcraft and wizardry, that’s what is going on with the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft. This collection retains what makes the Tomb Raider games the classics they are to the modernization of certain aspects without entirely sacrificing what made them great. I’ve banged this drum for long enough because I’m older than dust itself, these are the games that made me fall in love with PC gaming and most importantly, with Lara herself. Not because of her Madonna-like breasts but her character as this action hero that doesn’t depend on her male counterparts.

That said, all three games are a product of their time. Beyond the racial and cultural stereotypes, the design and other aspects can feel dated, but in a good way. The tank controls are actually one of the most welcomed features that are “dated,” mostly because while it is true pressing up, Alt, and forward slash is annoying, it is how Core Design designed the entire series. I’d have preferred the “Modern” controls to be the same controls as before, though with marginal improvements to make the classic tank controls a little smoother.

I am older than the dust in Lara’s attic, so of course I came in quoting the line about humble abodes and locking men in freezers. The Tomb Raider series is what made me fall in love with the adventures you could experience in games, be it an Indian “Jungle” level, a Greek “Colosseum,” Or even the “Tibetan Foothills.” With previous knowledge of the series and older controls, I thought it best to see what is new rather than this being a nostalgia review. It is a remaster, it is easy to swap back when wanted/needed.

Call it what you like, but there are issues with the modern controls. As I’ve said, the entire series is built on this grid and the tank controls work on a grid. The modern controls feel a lot smoother, and it can make for a more difficult experience. The only example that should translate through both controls easily is the walking as described in the tutorial: Hold the walk button, press back, and you’ll take a step back, this allows you to run and jump. Modern controls don’t allow for that, instead, Lara moves a little bit but doesn’t do her signature step back.

To do the step back properly with the modern set-up, you need the guns out (LT/L2). You don’t have to during the indoor assault course unless you go outside in the third game before the tutorial. It is a tiny thing that doesn’t seem like much to those only just getting around to these three titles, but it is significant to the design: the intended way to play. There are issues with this modern edition, but at the same time, I’d rather play with this setup when playing with an Xbox or PlayStation controller.

I’d rather there was a step between tank controls and modern ones, something a bit slower and precise that doesn’t feel as clunky as the tank controls do on a modern Xbox controller. Both have their benefits, sometimes one is better than the other in certain platforming puzzle situations, but it isn’t impossible to enjoy Tomb Raider I-III Remastered with the modern controls. Even if you’ve enjoyed the series for more than 20 years, it is different but there is a simplicity to it that makes it almost effortless to pick up and play.

Visually I know there have been several articles and posts online about the Epic Games Store, which side-by-side had some minor improvements with the modern graphical option. Much like the Master Chief Collection and other similar remasters, Tomb Raider I-III offers the classic look only a button press away. Back when Lara did her make-up with a shotgun – Unlike Kurt, though, she put make-up in there instead of bullets. The geometry of levels is still very jagged and as if the games came from the late 90s, but now with textures that look like they came from this side of the millennia.

The Epic Games Store version (before the recent update) had slightly better lighting and other amenities found in photo mode. The statement from Aspyr on the update 1 announcement was that the Epic version was a work-in-progress version. If you “need” slightly better lighting for a remaster that’s already looking a hundred times better with modern graphics, there are community patches and mods for that. The beauty of PC gaming gives you the freedom (mostly) to do as you feel to make the experience as playable to your needs.

I’ve written this a few times, never really finding the best way to say it. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is probably the best example of this special moment in gaming history, preserving it as it was and doing the maintenance to keep it playable nearly 30 years later. Unlike the modern examples, it is Tomb Raider with some actual tomb raiding. There is still that spark of mystery and danger, now with all the rust of 90s PC gaming polished away, a new coat of paint, and the best gameplay is still there.

Yeah, the modernizations aren’t precise but they aren’t as clunky, the graphics aren’t as shiny as a remake but that’s because it is a remaster, and if I see another monkey 100 yards away steal a health pack, I’m going to stamp its skull into the ground. What I keep not exactly finding the words for is that the character of 90s Tomb Raider is absolutely here, from awkward saves, slow weapon selection, and yes, the world geometry being both flat and jagged at the same time. The near-perfect bit of nostalgia; maintaining its feel while updating the look to fall in line with your rose-tinted view.

Part of me doesn’t know a damn thing about the newcomer experience to this remaster. As I have stated, I grew up around Croft Manor, locking Winston/Hilary in the freezer. All the same, I do think the save system, weapon switching, the classic controls, and generally the basic look of Tomb Raider will turn off anyone born after 2001. The bunch of little cretins they are. Especially the look of the story-element movies between and before levels, looking crunchier than a Kellogg’s cereal. One might even say the puzzles and the “lack” of direction is something new players will easily be turned off by.

To older folks who played Hogs of War, Dungeon Keeper, Theme Hospital, Civ II, and even games without mouse-based camera controls, such as Doom and Tomb Raider, these remasters are water off a duck’s back. Yes, there are still elements that are dated, there are parts that feel something else could have been done to modernize and maintain the classics a bit more, but those dated portions are the character that Tomb Raider lived off of in our memories. The reason we remembered that step and the line “Welcome back to my humble abode, feel free to look around.”

Ultimately, I’m averse to the use of nostalgia to get me excited, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say my rose-tinted spectacles might be adding 0.1-0.5 to my final score and opinion. The ultimate example of Tomb Raider, the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft beautifully captures the spirit of the 90s classics, you’ll almost think you were back in front of that CRT monitor you first played it on. Or better still, on the adventures to kill T-rexes with the Lady herself.

A PC review copy of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft was provided by Aspyr for this review.

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Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft

$29.99

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• A remaster that didn't try to tweak everything.
• Lots of quality-of-life updates without destroying the character of the games.

Cons

• The modern controls could slow down and be more precise.
• Those pre/post-level movies could have been given some love too, surely?