Tomb Raider I Remastered - Review

The Tomb that started it all.

Console: PlayStation 5

You have to put your money where your mouth is. That it took me 15 months to do so is completely and utterly beside the point!

Tomb Raider is one of gaming's oldest and most well-known series. I want to think that this is because of its excellent Indiana Jones-inspired globe-trotting, action-packed archaeology adventures. I think we all know that it was something else about Lara Croft that made the series so popular in the late 90s though....

Regardless of what its claim to fame was, it saddens me to think that nearly 30 years later, what was once a pillar of the gaming world is in a bind. We haven't seen a brand-new adventure since Shadow of the Tomb Raider in 2018. A rather middling game, if I do say so myself. A new entry has been in development at Crystal Dynamics for a while now but with Embracer as its parent company, well, I'm not reassured it will actually release.

For your Tomb Raider fix, you have to go back to the past. Besides the Survivor Trilogy, however, none of the 12 mainline games were playable on modern consoles. I lamented that fact for years. Until 2024, that is. Not only did we get a re-release of the first three Tomb Raider titles, but they also got a nice new coat of paint to boot! I didn't get that Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection when it came out though. I was waiting to get the physical copy which I finally managed to snag a few weeks ago. On my birthday no less!

So, without further ado, let's talk about the first game in this collection, the one that started it all in 1996, and see what this spruced-up classic brings to the table these days!

Lara Croft, famous archaeologist and adventurer, is approached by businesswoman Jacqueline Natla with an interesting proposition. To acquire the Scion, a mysterious artefact buried deep within the Peruvian Andes. Said to be connected to the long-lost city of Atlantis, the temptation is too great for Lara to resist even though it´s quite clear to her that Natla is not to be trusted.

With her trusted twin pistols at her side and more than a couple of trigger-happy mercenaries also after the Scion, Lara sets out on her biggest adventure yet. 

One of the things that stuck with me about the narrative is actually about the remake, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and not about the original. It has been about 4 years since I played that game, my very first Tomb Raider, yet what is clear to me is how many more story elements that game packed in. You can take the opening as a good example. 

I like its presentation. Perhaps it's because of the aspect ratio and musical style but it reminds me of a movie opening. Whatever it is, it works but it is straight to the point. It's a quick shot of mystery, a quick shot of Lara getting recruited etc. There is no room for development here. Anniversary took a lot more time to set up the story, even roping in the 'lost father' trope with Richard Croft to give it all some more emotional heft.

Aside from the FMVS we have a few of these in-engine scenes as well. 

That isn't to say I'm going to roll into a 'the narrative here leaves something to be desired'. I went in expecting to be disappointed by the story but I came out... not being disappointed. Yes, I would have liked more narrative elements, especially with our rival Tomb Raiders, but I'm actually impressed with what is here. The cutscenes do a lot of heavy lifting in getting the story across. With that good presentation, decent voice acting, a strong sense of who Lara is and a couple of memorable scenes it gets the narrative across.

I'm less impressed with the controls, to rip that band-aid off early. I spent my first play session testing the controls. Next to the graphical upgrade the new modern control scheme is the big thing these remasters bring to the table. The original Tank controls are still here but Aspyr adapted a control scheme in which you can move the camera and change direction freely. You know, as it is in games today. 

It is the superior way to play Tomb Raider but it's not a great control scheme either. There are tons of little issues, from slippery movement, input delays and constantly overshooting jumps. It frustrated me to no end. 

The thing is though: you can do a lot more with this new layout than you think. For example, all the acrobatics like the side jump are here. It's just that there is a steep learning curve here. You have to know how to position yourself and you have to practice. Once I got through this, many of these problems disappeared and I barely overshot jumps at the end. It never felt truly comfortable but Lara did what I wanted her to do without much thought or error.

Plus, I just find the tank controls completely counterintuitive and slow. I genuinely believe that it is easier to learn the modern controls than it is the old ones. For one, you don't have to constantly think 'What is up in this scenario'?

Even so, it shouldn't have been this hard to get into the groove. Aspyr really should've given these controls another pass. 

The new graphics are more than just a shiny coat of paint for the existing assets that bump everything up to HD. They add things like skyboxes and visual effects that weren´t possible on the PS1. Things such as Lara's ice breath in cold areas, blood in the water when you shoot crocodiles and gun shells thrown out of your twin pistols.

These upgrades make the game look really nice. When you switch between the old and the new graphics it´s a world of difference but they are not perfect. The new lightning engine makes things a lot darker because, well, there's not much light in a Tomb right? As a consequence, it makes things difficult to see. I switch between both graphics pretty often because things, such as medical kits, are a lot easier to spot in the old style.

The old vs the new. You see the difference in lighting? 

What also stands out is that they gave the cutscenes the upscale treatment but they weren't redone with new assets as the rest is. That makes for a stark difference between cutscenes and gameplay.

There is another element of the game that has quite a contrast but in a very different, deliberate way. There is very little music here. I'd say that for about 70% of the game, no music is playing. The only things you hear are Lara's steps and other background noises such as the wind and water dripping.

This creates a strong atmosphere that emphasises isolation and thoughtfulness. When music does suddenly start playing its mere presence is enough to put me on edge. So, while the soundtrack might be limited, it is used in a very smart way. 

That all leads me to the actual Tomb Raiding. There are combat elements but these classic Tomb Raiders are puzzle adventures first and foremost. You make your way to and through each Tomb by jumping across platforms and solving puzzles to reveal the path forward with some gunplay here and there. It´s basic design, but fun and effective. Those frustrations from earlier came with the controls, not from the level design. 

A friendly piece of advice here: saving is your best friend. This will spare you many resets, backtracking and frustration. There was this one time I had to redo three entire puzzles because Lara fell to death trying to get down some platforms after solving the mystery. 

I did not look at any guides for this game because while the solutions were sometimes a bit obtuse, solving them was quite manageable and enjoyable. Egypt, combat-heavy as it is, had some very intriguing-level design. It was the only area which 'looped around' if you will. That went back to an earlier area to finish what you started there. That, along with some other fun puzzles and level design I won't spoil, made it perhaps my favourite Tomb in the game. 

Any other standouts? Well, if you must know, when entering the first level of the final Tomb my brain went 'I remember this but I can't recall if I do so for better or for ill'. I might've forgotten how this opening act of Atlantis treated me in the 10th anniversary remake but I quite enjoyed it here. Yes, it's the longest level by far taking me 01:06:00 to beat but I liked the puzzle and platforming challenges. Taking away Lara's guns for a bit was a clever way to put the focus on pure platforming and puzzle-solving. After the very action leaning Egypt that was a welcoming change of pace. 

This all brings me to the weakest link: the gunplay. It amounts to nothing more than just jumping around a lot hoping you avoid these bullet sponges enough for them to die from lead poisoning. The best strategy is to get up on a ledge your enemy can't get to and just keep on shooting until they are dead. This is apparently how it has always been and learning that makes me shake my head. Couldn't they have tried to improve it at least a bit? 

The combat might not be good but I do like each gun type. They all bring something to the table and they are not stingy with ammo. Using your new Uzi's to kill those annoying, heavy-hitting damage sponges of 'mummies' felt oh so good after struggling against them throughout all of Egypt. 

Lastly, I don't care about the run-ins with those rival Tomb Raiders either. The most they do is pop up once or thrice per level to shoot at you. That's it. No different patterns, no other weapons, nothing. It's annoying and very 'braindead'. The boss fights are thankfully better. The T-Rex for example is also all about shooting but he is at least cool to fight. When he doesn't get stuck on a tree stump that is. The only technical snafu I encounter by the way. This is, in my experience, a very stable and well-performing title. 

Conclusion

While a mixed bag, the original Tomb Raider was a worthwhile experience. Both the new and old controls are rough around the edges in their own ways, the combat is dated, and some design choices haven’t aged well. But beneath that is a game with atmosphere, challenge, and charm that still shines through. I like its movie-lite presentation, it's pretty well-designed puzzles and understand why Lara Croft made such an impression back in 1996. 

This remaster doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it gives the original just enough polish to make it playable—and even enjoyable—today. Better looking, smoother graphics and improved controls make this game, and its sequels, easier to pick up and play for us modern gamers. If you’ve ever been curious about where Lara Croft's adventure truly began, this is finally a convenient and worthy way to find out.

Now, that is the first of six classic Tomb Raiders games down. On to the next!