Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft Review (PS5) | Push Square

pushsquare.com:

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft may just set the new standard for PS1 re-releases. Aspyr, a developer which has a long history with the iconic platforming property, has done an outstanding job reimagining these 90s classics for a new audience, without losing any of the magic that made them iconic to begin with. If you have any love for Lara Croft, then you owe it to yourself to own this outstanding compilation.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s flawless. Despite including a more modern control scheme, which replaces the traditional tank controls with a more contemporary setup, these games very much subscribe to a classic design philosophy that’s largely outdated by 2024’s standards. Movement is cumbersome and puzzles are obtuse; the entire opening level of Tomb Raider 3: Adventures of Lara Croft, set in India, is an unmitigated mess.

But that’s just a consequence of Aspyr remaining faithful to Core Design’s original releases. These remasters are built upon the exact same code as the PS1 versions, meaning they’re as authentic to the source material as it’s possible to be, with all of the secrets, collectibles, and Easter eggs replicated exactly as you remember them. Even more impressively, you can toggle between the updated graphics and the 32-bit visuals at any time you like with the push of a button. And this ability to switch back and forth extends to every aspect of the three games, including even the artwork that displays during loading screens.

But while we love the look of the originals, ground-breaking as they were at the time, we reckon Aspyr has absolutely nailed the remastered graphics. The games look like you remember them, which is the biggest compliment we can pay the artists, as levels feel nostalgic despite the very obvious increase in texture quality and lighting. Lara’s character model, distinctive and so important to the overall experience, is arguably the biggest achievement – it closely matches the look of the original artwork, and