PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Following the positive reception to last year’s Tomb Raider I-III remaster, it’s no surprise that three more of Lara Croft’s adventures have now received a similar treatment. Comprising 1999s The Last Revelation, the following year’s Chronicles (both on PS1) as well as the series’ much-maligned PS2 debut, The Angel of Darkness, from 2003, the aim of this collection is the same as the last – to update the visuals, squash any bugs and restore content that had been cut from the original releases, while leaving the gameplay unchanged to preserve each game in the best possible state for future generations to enjoy.
Each game has been updated to include save states, a photo mode, a snazzy “flyby camera maker” which allows you to make cinematic clips of freeze-framed shots, and an option to switch instantly between new and old graphics. The sharper details are of course much more clean, vibrant and easy on the eye, but it’s always nice to have the option to revisit the old days and remind ourselves of the sort of visuals that we once had to make do with. Lastly, there’s a range of quality-of-life upgrades that add health bars, ammo counters and new animations to make Lara’s movement appear (but not necessarily actually handle) a little more fluid.
Twenty or so years of controller and movement refinement make it difficult to go back to the original Tomb Raider tank controls, but a new modern control scheme has been added in an attempt to update the original’s clunky handling. Unfortunately it isn’t always successful, taking a lot of practise to get used to the precise timing needed to pull off even the most simple jumps and grabs, and you’ll often find yourself falling off ledges and plummeting down ravines through what feels like no fault of your own. This is perhaps the area where those playing these games for the first time will struggle the most, although series veterans will likely be able to get to grips with things much quicker than others. It’s worth persevering, as although the games do decline in quality as you make your way through the collection, there are still plenty of fantastic adventures to be had and the amount of work that’s gone into updating the games should absolutely be applauded and appreciated.
