Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft

The remaster is a bit of a mixed bag, but worth getting for fans. You can seamlessly switch between the 3 games from the main menu. During gameplay, you can switch on the fly between the original and the remastered graphics, by pressing F1; you can also switch between the modern and tank controls while playing as well. One downside is that there are no graphics options; you can play the game in borderless fullscreen, or switch to windowed mode. The remastered FMVs are not that great; they are too blurry, and some of them are too dark, to the point where you cannot really see much of anything. Modders have actually done better jobs at upscaling the original ones. The new visuals are pretty nice, though they are nothing special; there are new textures, new models, new foliage, new lightning, and the old environmental sprites have been replaced by 3D models. Some level art has been slightly changed, but not by much and the layout of the levels has been preserved (for example, in some cases you'll see an open ceiling with light coming through instead of a closed one). Graphic mods for the original games will net you similar or better results. In addition, if you use an RTX remix mod as well (only if you have a supported Nvidia GPU), you will also get superior lightning, which can result in a vastly improved visual experience. The modern controls are fairly bad. They don't work well at all with the game's grid based system. You cannot jump back by tapping backwards; you cannot do a back flip (technically, you can if keep a button pressed to have your weapons drawn, but it still prevents you from doing more complex platforming). Positioning Lara in front of objects is also a pain, because she automatically turns to her side when she reaches a wall. She also has a habit of getting stuck in environments after interacting with objects, like levers. Thankfully, all is right in the world when you're using the original (tank) controls, and Lara controls like a dream.

On the downside, game saves didn't work at first. Noticing only tomb123.exe needs to be in the root directory (w/o patch) solves various issues, including game saves and other minor glitches people mentioned. I don't use GoG Galaxy and didn’t need the patch. The game worked fine for me on Windows 10 but not Windows 7; people mentioned Windows 7 fixes but they don't work for me. FYI, the non-cloud game saves seem to be in %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\AppData\Roaming\TRX. Plus side! For me, the game is well worth it! The interface is smooth and consolidates the first three games and their bonus content nice and tight. The F1 key toggles between remastered and classic graphics (a nice touch) and runs at a steady 60fps in both modes (my monitor is 1920x1200 60Hz). The remaster of course is built on the skeleton of the old game so the gameplay dynamics are the same. The fun glitches, like easily jumping onto the roof of Croft Manor, are there too. The original 'Tank' (versus 'Modern') controls work best for me given the precise movement Lara needs to get through levels. The remastered graphics are beautiful, with thoughtful additions. The training level for TR 1 shows a book on Vilcabamba in Lara's window seat: that's where she goes in Peru! Croft Manor is decorated with master paintings like 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' by Vermeer and Jan van Eyck's self portrait, to name a few. In camera mode (F3) you can zoom in and see Lara's manicured finger- and toenails. Lara's hands spread open right before she grabs a ledge. You can see her breath in cold climates. The lighting changes in the remastered graphics add a different mood than the original. It's nice to hear the full soundtracks in-game too. All-in-all, I appreciate the scope of this remaster, and hope it allows new players to discover all the fun Tomb Raider offers.

This is a 1:1 remaster of the original games. The gameplay hasn't been altered. The original games used a default style tank control scheme. Objects sometimes pop in and out of existence based on where the camera was when the object is being rendered. That's normal, it's how the original engine functions. If you're looking for a remake, hit up Tomb Raider Anniversary (my favorite tbh). Gameplay: 10/10 Exploration is fun. Being able to swap between original and remastered views is cool. Remastered graphics employ shaders, fog, vast improvements to vegetation and set pieces. As an added bonus, some areas, like a long well-lit and bland tunnel in the original becomes a moody dark and foreboding area with the remastered graphics. Controls: 10/10 Controls either the original tank controls (default) or modern which makes the game play somewhat more like Soul Reaver. Still going to feel janky, but everything was preserved, which is the point. Sound: 10/10 Still creepy, doesn't flood you with music/sound effects. If something near you makes a sound, you hear it. Otherwise you'll be starved for sounds... which is the point. The feeling of isolation in a remote area. The lack of tons of extra sounds, usually with you just hearing only the sounds you make, enhances the environment and awareness of it. You're not half asleep and looking out the window on a car ride with the folks listening to your iPod. You're in a place where you need to pay attention. Sound can indicate enemies, running water and so on. Graphics: 10/10 Graphics are exactly like they should be for a remaster and honestly look amazing. Some of the ways they enhanced the graphics even cause me to use more caution when approaching an area simply because the environment is more immersive. As an added bonus, Lara's ponytail exists in the first game. I hope they also give the same treatment to The Last Revelation, or at the very least make it a DLC as that's my favorite of the classic games.

Remastering old games is a bit of a hit and miss. This one is a hit, and I can't think of a better love letter to the original games. It reminds me of the Command & Conquer remaster from a few years back: the original engine is there, only visually upgraded. And if you want, you can go back to the classic look. And it contains pretty much everything you could hope, i.e. the original games and the expansion packs. For someone who grew up with the Tomb Raider games, this strikes a nostalgic nerve in a good way. And having never managed to get the TR:UB extra levels working with 3D acceleration, this has some extra content even for a hardcore fan like me. Sure, there are some glitches that the remaster does not fix (like the camera at times), and we could use some quality of life improvements (like autosaving at the start of each level in TR1). Overall highly recommended.

The original version is great, but this remake is second to none! And it works on Linux as well! The original version didn't work on Linux at all, but all three parts seem to work perfectly in this system.