Graphics are very well done with an 8-bit aesthetic, lots of attention to detail. Interesting enemy types, and you unlock more abilities as you progress. I could not beat the final boss. It is a two-phase battle, and the second phase is one-touch instant death, putting you back to the first phase. I do not have the time to keep trying, so that is the only part I didn't like. If they had made the final boss not instant death, I think this would have been a perfect five-star game.
I was hoping to play these classic TR games with the Modern controls, which I read on the developer's website are the Tomb Raider Legend controls. Unfortunately they are not the same. Target lock-on frequently breaks, there is no side-step or back-step, and I couldn't get side-flip or swan dive to work like in Legend. Training course in TR2 cannot be completed since you cannot hold a gun, and that is required for the side-flip. I think the developers of Tomb Raider Anniversary had the right idea instead; if you are going to put modern controls in an old game, the old game must be recreated to implement the modern controls properly. A big thank you to GOG for refunding my purchase quickly and hassle-free. Very much appreciated.
The first half of the game is excellent. Lots of atmosphere, interesting puzzles, and an intriguing back story. Also some nice touches, like the options you get when you discover the TV. Some of the puzzles were difficult, but not so much that I couldn't eventually figure them out on my own. Remember, you can PUSH objects, too! Lots of options to change the camera views and difficulty levels (unlimited saves or only a set amount of saves, for example), I stopped playing when I reached the half way point, though. That is when you exit the mansion and start exploring the grounds, and I lost interest in the game then. The tight, scary atmosphere was gone, and the zombies were very hard to kill, so it just wasn't fun then. But I liked the first half enough that I rate it 4 stars, because for the price I thought I had received a good amount of gameplay, and the puzzles were fun. The extra costumes are nice, but the main character really doesn't have the body type for them. I think if there is a sequel, changing the model of the main character to more of a 'Lara Croft' body type would fit the costumes better.
