Tomb Raider: Anniversary

This review is 100% genuine and not written by AI, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed generating it: **Review of Tomb Raider Anniversary (GOG Version)** Tomb Raider Anniversary is a commendable reimagining of the classic 1996 title, breathing new life into the franchise while retaining the core elements that made Lara Croft an iconic character in gaming history. The GOG version offers a smooth and accessible experience, perfectly suited for both newcomers and long-time fans of the series. Graphically, Anniversary showcases significant enhancements compared to the original game, with beautifully rendered environments and character models that modernize the experience while preserving the charm of the original. The lush landscapes of ancient ruins and impeccably designed tombs evoke a sense of adventure that players will find captivating. The animations and physics have also improved, adding fluidity to Lara’s movements which is crucial for the platforming elements that lie at the heart of the game. In terms of gameplay, Tomb Raider Anniversary maintains the series' beloved mechanics of exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat. The controls have been refined for a more intuitive experience, which is especially noticeable in the precision required for jumping and climbing in its often intricate environments. Puzzles are thoughtfully designed, challenging players to think creatively while doling out that satisfying sense of accomplishment upon completion. However, some puzzles may feel a touch simplistic compared to modern gaming standards, though they echo the nostalgic essence of 90s gameplay. The GOG version, specifically, delivers a hassle-free experience with no DRM, allowing players to dive into the action without online restrictions. Additionally, it runs well on modern hardware, ensuring that loading times are quick and performance is smooth, even on older systems. The inclusion of updated controls allows for a more comfortable playthrough, and

Got about 5 hours into game and can't continue. Reached a room where frame rates dropped to 5 fps when facing out into the room. Now there's a jump that I can't make at this frame rate so I can't continue. Played on Asus ROG Strix laptop with AMD RX 6800M. Then installed on desktop with RTX 3090 but the game wouldn't load past the first screen. Both Windows 11. Spent an hour searching Google, changing settings, and installing on another machine. Cut my losses and gave up. Was ok while it lasted, but not worth more hassle. Played every TR game on their original consoles at release - playing this was nostalgic but was a bit more dated than I'd remembered. Not nearly as replayable as some other games from the same year like Gears of War or Halo 3.

I've bought this game to play on laptop with win10 and found out that it crashes after introduction video. I tried 3 tutorials and couldn't run the game: launching in game in compatibility modes, adding to data execution prevention whitelist, downloaded several patches. Nothing works.

feel good as we do ^

OK. After trying out the Legend (and not being overly impressed) I hoped that maybe next installment polished out some flaws. Well... it didn't. Firstly, if you got used to controls in the previous game - you'll need some getting used to this one since the default bindings changed. A minor issue since you can redefine the keys but annoying nevertheless. The progagonist model is still an absurdly unrealistic overly elongated "fit" woman which is more a zitty teenager's wet dream than any realistic person. I can understand the appeal for younger male audience but for a grown-up it's just ridiculous. The controls are annoying, swimming is clunky, the camera has a life of its own and since your moves depend on the actual camera angle, it's very often than you misjudge the proper jump direction because the camera just flipped somewhere else in the last second. That's one of the most frustrating parts. I'm not very fond of the linearity of the main adventure but that's me. Others may be OK with it. The manor part seemed to be a more "exploratory" part of the game and at first was fun but quickly turned into a chore consisting mostly of running back and forth across the whole estate and trying to nail the jumps (see remarks above) in the gymnasium. And it seems to be much more bugged than the Legend. So overally - maybe it was worth the time if you had been a fan of the original game and got this back in 2008 as a remake of the original TR. As for the game from 2008 it didn't age that well graphics-wise compared to some other games released around that time. So it might be worth giving it a try even for the reason of being one of the few original "3d platformers" (I'm still to try out the "modern" Prince of Persia) but don't set your expectations too high.