Tomb Raider Anniversary Review

By Kristan Reed Published 31 May, 2007

Raise a glass.

Version tested: PC

It's just as well Tomb Raider fans are a patient bunch. For the large part of the past decade it seemed like the interminable wait for some kind of return to 'form' was never going to happen. But last year's polished but undemanding Legends was certainly a promising step in the right direction. All it needed, you felt, was to get back to basics - back to the sort of fiendish design vision that made the series such a phenomenon when it burst onto the scene in 1996.

And so it has proved. By re-energising and revitalising what people loved about Tomb Raider in the first place, Anniversary is, in all respects, the best Lara Croft adventure to date. It's back to palm sweating platform puzzling on an extraordinary scale, with feisty combat elements put well and truly into the background to add tension and drama only when required. It feels like its own game again despite 'only' being a remake of the celebrated 1996 original. But it's also a 'celebratory remake', and one that manages to improve on almost every aspect of the original by rebuilding the game from the ground up without taking anything away from what made it so special in the beginning.

Pixels bigger than your face

'Tomb Raider Anniversary' Screenshot 1

Discussions with the natives over the new bypass route weren't going as planned.

What made it so special was, to put it bluntly, fantastic (and hugely memorable) level design, allied to the fact that it was one of the very first games to fully realise the potential of 3D gameplay. That said, if you were to go back and play the original now, you'd be appalled at how clunky the control and camera system feels, how evil the checkpointing was (unless you played the 'save anywhere' PC version), and, eek, how badly the visuals have aged. Like many of the cutting edge 3D games of the mid 90s, it's a humbling and harrowing experience to fire them up now, and only a respectful remake could hope to preserve the memory of what such iconic games stood for. Fortunately, Anniversary does the job remarkably well, and as good as we could have possibly hoped, in truth.

When you first trudge through the desolate temples in the Peru levels, you'd be forgiven for assuming that it's little more than a delightful graphical makeover. Large chunks of entire levels are exactly how you remember them - or at least how you think you remember them. In truth, though, it's really only the shell that's the same. While most of the basic geometry is admittedly very similar, the way Crystal Dynamics has shaped the game design to take advantage of the enhanced control and move set used in Legends turns it into a very different, and far more enjoyable game.

For example, seemingly minor additions like the ability to grapple objects and yank them down, or fire your grapple at a ceiling-mounted hook and wall run along changes your whole approach to getting around and solving puzzles. Not only that, the fact that the game automatically grabs onto a ledge when you slip off the edge saves you from untold amounts of unnecessary frustration, as does the ability to balance or do a 'safety grab' when necessary. Another godsend is the game's tendency to checkpoint after every single significant chunk of progress, meaning that no longer do you have the pad hurling annoyance of having to traverse large sections to get to the one thing that's barring your progress. It's as if Eidos and Crystal took a look at the long list of perennial bugbears anyone had about the game and scrubbed them off with a big red marker until every one was gone.

Time to let go

'Tomb Raider Anniversary' Screenshot 2

Cranking up the action.

With such a sound platform to build the game upon, the only thing between you and making progress are the levels themselves, and almost for the entirety of the game, they're some of the most wonderful examples of platform puzzling you'll ever come across. A lot of people moaned at us last year for 'only' giving Legends a 7, but playing Anniversary, that score seems more relevant than ever. For whereas Legends held your hand almost throughout, there was rarely a sense of delighted discovery or satisfying realisation, because the game's routinely linear design and incessant prompting always left little doubt what to do next. Anniversary strips out the handholding nonsense, save for the odd subtle grapple icon that pops up when you're in range of a hook to fire at, and thanks to an array of huge, non-linear levels, you're forced to play the game properly: like an explorer looking for tell-tale environmental features. If you're really stuck, a journal apparently gives you a few hints, but we never felt compelled to use it, which is a good sign.

Quite often, this freedom to just get on and figure out what to do means that some of the game's 14 levels can take an age to suss out. But while this can often lead to relentless leap of faith annoyance, the solution is almost always right under your nose, and it's hugely satisfying once you get through a section that's been holding you up. After a while, you might learn to stop blaming the game for your own failings, and start paying more attention to the clues all around you.

Duck and dive

'Tomb Raider Anniversary' Screenshot 3

You'll believe a woman can fly.

With only a smattering of combat to worry about, Anniversary is nothing like the pointless fairground shootout that Legends was. For a start, you won't have AI-free goons popping up obligingly for you to lock-on and blast one after the other. More likely you'll be diving out of the way of feisty lions, deadly panthers, fire-bombing winged demons, slavering wolves, or pesky bats. And when you do, you won't just lock-on and blast away, but you'll often have to dive out of the way of a marauding pack, or get blindsided by one that's bowled into you at full pelt from behind. They're not mucking about, that's for sure, and as a result the combat - when it does happen - is really entertaining.

Although you can generally win out by diving around randomly and taking advantage of the generous lock-on, it's more fun if you take advantage of an enemy's 'rage attack' (denoted by a little flash of red above their head) by performing the slo-mo 'adrenaline dodge'. It's not the usual lazy bullet time crap, but a genuinely tense, exciting way of capping a determined enemy just as they're about to pounce. Just as Lara dives out of the way, two reticules slowly move over the target, and once they're together you can loose off a deadly shot that - at the very least - will do a lot more damage than just blasting relentlessly. When it comes to the various boss encounters, you generally have to use this technique, or you'll just die - simple as that.

But less thrilling is the reliance on Simon-says Quick Time Events, in a tiresome concession to modern day action adventures (You can point the finger of blame at God of War and Fahrenheit all you like, but Shenmue started it years ago). But unlike most QTEs, Tomb Raider's are even less demanding, mostly requiring little more than up or down - and with a generous amount of time to pull them off, too. Just like all the other games around currently using this technique, it does give a more interactive feel to what might otherwise be plain cut scenes, but they're so easy to pull off that you feel like they might as well not bothered. And - I have to agree with Oli here - Crystal has somehow managed to reduce the seminal T-Rex slaying moment to what amounts to an anti-climactic cut scene. Such moments of abject disappointment are mercifully rare, though, so you'll get over it pretty quickly.

PC or PS2?

One point to consider before you part with your cash for Anniversary is what platform you buy it on. With no 360 version (yet), you might be tempted to dust off the PS2 and buy that version - especially as a) it looks absolutely stunning, and b) it even supports widescreen progressive scan. Certainly, that was my first instinct, on the basis that it's a game best played with a joypad, but, to my utter delight, I discovered that the far superior PC version works perfectly (with no configuration required) with a wired or wireless Xbox 360 pad right out of the box (just buy one of these). Hooked up to a TV, with the 360 wireless pad, it was seamless, and certainly makes up for the lack of a 360 version for now - assuming you have a reasonably specced rig of course.

Both versions feel identical to play, but the PC wins out by virtue of the sharper resolution and a plethora of more advanced graphical effects. Given how undemanding the game is on average systems (for example, running on a Radeon 9800 or X1600 Mobility was no bother, and even a Geforce 7400 equipped laptop ran without a single hitch with all the settings on), I'd heartily recommend anyone go for the PC version, even if they've given up buying games for their creaking beige box.

And while we're on the subject of how the game looks, Crystal Dynamics deserves massive applause for the overall art direction and the way the premise of the original has been enhanced so massively. Given the game is rather sparse in terms of enemy count and so on, it's evidently given the team the chance to really go to town on pushing up the texture variation within the environments. The overall atmosphere within the game has been improved no end by the delightful attention to detail, with painstaking inscriptions and intricate patterns livening up the innards of these forgotten temples. Even when you're in a seemingly bland stone room, imposing statues with mossy feet always give that chilling feeling of abandonment, and the subtle ambient lighting, floating dust motes and watery reflections help all the more.

Snap, cackle, crunch

'Tomb Raider Anniversary' Screenshot 4

A familiar sight: a locked door.

Even Lara herself looks better than ever, with a more fluid interaction with the environment, and a more convincing physics-based approach used to convey the sickening effects of a severe fall. Some of the small touches - like the way her skin glistens after a swim, you won't even notice immediately, but then the camera might offer an unexpected close up, and show her face in absolutely stunning detail. Other moments, like the little smoke trails after you fire a shot, or the splashes you see when running through a puddle, all add up to making the game world come alive, and help build a wonderfully immersive atmosphere that keeps you going when the chips are down.

Equally worthy of credit is the audio work, with a brooding soundtrack that fits perfectly with the dynamic ebb and flow with the action. You might not even notice the discordant ambience while you're desperately pulling off a death-defying series of jumps, but now and then you'll sit back and soak it all up and appreciate that palpable effort has gone into making it the best game it could be.

But enough with the gushing praise. There are moments of agony to endure in Anniversary too, albeit mercifully rare occasions when the design team either overlooked something obvious, or the QA department wasn't listened to. Apart from the occasions where you'll fail to spot some obvious visual cues (and you will, mark my words), there are a few notable occasions when the game appears to delight in being utterly evil for the sake of it - such as when (near the end of level 13) you have to first defeat two fire-bombing winged hell cretins (without getting knocked off into a fiery abyss), and then get about 15 seconds to do five perfect jumps in quick succession, followed by two insanely difficult wall runs and grab a wall on the opposite corner. Only two hours of solid persistence saw me through this single ludicrous event, and were it not for the game's instant reload and sensible checkpointing system I'd have not bothered seeing the otherwise excellent game through to the end. Some of you won't be so persistent, and rightly so - it's galling when a game throws an unreasonable challenge at you, though luckily nothing else in the game demanded such obsessive compulsive repeat play.

Falling in love again

'Tomb Raider Anniversary' Screenshot 5

Just how did that wood stop from rotting? Eh?

If you're utterly beset with incalculable OCD tendencies, though, you'll be delighted to learn that the game's rammed with unlockables and rewards for nabbing all the hidden treasures in the (even more) difficult to reach parts of the game's 14 levels. Everything from commentaries to character biogs, art and costumes are there to be unlocked, and with time trials being included as well, there's reason to keep coming back for more long after the 15-20 hour first play through is over with.

So, if you've just skipped to the end, or maybe haven't quite got the gist yet, we rather loved Tomb Raider Anniversary for giving us so few things to dislike about it. It takes the inspirational level design of the original, improves upon the atmosphere, and makes the whole thing so much more fun thanks to the hugely refined control and camera system. Far from being a tired, cynical cash-in exercise of a brand past its prime, Tomb Raider Anniversary goes back to its roots and shows how remakes should be done. As such, it has ended up being one of the stand-out games of the year so far, and also one of Eidos' best ever. It's a must buy for any Lara fan, simple as that.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (137) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Papalaz1 #1 5 years ago

    Does the PS2 version run on PS3?

  • Yaster #2 5 years ago

    Can't wait for this tomorrow.

    Cue pages and pages of "eurgh, when's it coming out for 360?"

  • Killerbee #3 5 years ago

    Oddly enough, I've never ever played a Tomb Raider game all the way through. Maybe it's about time I started...

    Incidentally, any news about the rumoured Wii version?
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 14:03

  • Steroyd #4 5 years ago

    :o

  • MrBiggles #5 5 years ago

    Stand out game of the year?, I doubt it very much. Tomb Raider has felt dated for the last 5 years, it needs to die. Playing on girl starved gamers wallets is a cheap ploy by Eidos that worked for many years, but I thought gamers would have got over Lara's fake ass by now, I guess not.
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 14:07

  • HazyUK #6 5 years ago

    Yes it does work on PS3. I have the game running now on my UK PS3 and it looks nice.

  • krudster #7 5 years ago

    My PS2 code ran on a debug PS3, so I assume it'll work fine.

  • #8 5 years ago

    omg who kidnapped Kristan?

    I'm gonna have to buy this now for my PC. I still don't believe a word of the review, I mean, a modern day tomb raider scoring 9/10?

    Nah, seriously, stop pulling my leg......

    /hopes beyond hope

  • LeD #9 5 years ago

    One for my PS3 then. Still no 360/PS3 version planned?

  • krudster #10 5 years ago

    The Wii version was confirmed a while back.

  • Dizzy #11 5 years ago

    No 360.. no buy.

    My PC is for RTS/MMORPGs

  • mkreku #12 5 years ago

    Woah, I am getting this. It's been so long since I played the original Tomb Raider on my old school's only GPU-equipped computer (it was hooked up to a sewing machine too!).

  • krudster #13 5 years ago

    Remember, PC version available from Steam tomorrow for $30.

  • UncleLou #14 5 years ago

    Remember, PC version available from Steam tomorrow for $30.

    Cheers, really almost forgot that. As I use 2 PCs which are 600 kms apart with my Steam account, that's quite handy.

    Only I didn't like the demo. But a 9!

    /ponders

  • Killerbee #15 5 years ago

    The Wii version was confirmed a while back.

    Have we got a release date? I'm wondering whether to hold off getting this until the Wii version arrives...

  • Erinan #16 5 years ago

    Damn, I wasn't expecting a 9. I am tempted now. Too bad the T-rex encounter isn't as frightening as in the original :( *remembers the gshaking ground*

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #17 5 years ago

    But it's a girls' game!

  • neilka #18 5 years ago

    It's $35 including VAT off Steam, so probably more than play.com after your credit card company has taken their cut.

  • krudster #19 5 years ago

    Indeed, £17.99 delivered on Play
    http://ww w.play.com/Games/PC/4-/3299122/...

  • Whizzo #20 5 years ago

    If you don't want to buy via Steam, the PC version is available from most online places for 18 quid.

    /expects to see GAME pre-order sitting on door mat when I get home

  • Rushy #21 5 years ago

    "With no 360 version (yet)"

    Is that a hint there may be a 360 version on the horizon? As that would be my preferred version (achievement whore).

  • Agent_Llama #22 5 years ago

    Collector's Edition ordered. Oops. Was going to wait for the Wii version but fuck it.

  • krudster #23 5 years ago

    As I've always said, I'd be amazed if this doesn't hit the 360 at some point soon. There's no logical reason why not, especially as the Legends engine has already been ported to 360.

  • morriss #24 5 years ago

    PS2 for me too!

    \o/

  • Tomo #25 5 years ago

    Nice.

  • Erinan #26 5 years ago

    It's $35 including VAT off Steam, so probably more than play.com after your credit card company has taken their cut.

    With Paypal, it's still 35$ = £17.7. I won't bother with a delivery and I have far too many game boxes at home anyway.
    Edited by 2 at 31/05/07 @ 14:39

  • kincaide #27 5 years ago

    What about the PSP version?

  • UncleLou #28 5 years ago

    As I've always said, I'd be amazed if this doesn't hit the 360 at some point soon. There's no logical reason why not, especially as the Legends engine has already been ported to 360.

    The PC demo (and I suspect the full version as well?) lacks most of the "next-gen" graphical options that Legend had, though. While some of them were a bit overdone, I still found the Anniversary demo a bit graphically lacking, in comparison.

    All a bit weird, really.

  • krudster #29 5 years ago

    Didn't look at the demo, but the full version is lovely.

  • ratso #30 5 years ago

    auto grab on or off?

    id try off, for old times sake

  • JediMasterMalik #31 5 years ago

    I thought the PC version looked lovely on my set up, I don't remember how good legend looked exactly, but Anniversary looked great.

  • krudster #32 5 years ago

    I played with auto grab on. Nice to have the option.

  • ratso #33 5 years ago

    one question:

    is this the same anniversary game core were working on? (remember leaked vid)

    did crystal d simply take over or start from scratch?

    i wonder if core would have changed the t-rex part?

  • neilka #34 5 years ago

    With Paypal, it's still 35$ = £17.7

    They'll charge you £18.32 for $35.24, and Gabe Newell will just spend your extra 33p on DOUGHNUTS and CRISPS.

  • Darkedge #35 5 years ago

    will wait for 360 version.

  • Trendyninja #36 5 years ago

    Wow! I wasn't expecting a 9/10. Only because of the amount if mixed reviews I have now been seeing.

    Funny how all the points Eurogamer have mentioned that they love (going back to the traditional exploration, not knowing where to go next), Games TM loathed and marked it a 6/10 for this reason.

    But I'm inclined to side with this review as the exploration is just what I wanted. I can't stand this crappy hand-holding nonsense. Let me do it myself please!

    Oh you have done! :)

  • Hunam #37 5 years ago

    Urgh, found the later sections so clunky and frustrating that i went right ahead a quit, i then played DMC3 and found it less frustrating that TRA.

  • krudster #38 5 years ago

    Well done you. And you wonder why publishers are averse to supporting the PC.

  • krudster #39 5 years ago

    Now try again with actual words please.

  • agoude #40 5 years ago

    i don't understand why but my PS2 version doesn't run on my PS3!!! i see the PS2 logo and then a black screen... can someone please help me sniff

  • SBfistfun #41 5 years ago

    Zoinks, first game I've been interested in buying for god knows how long....

    Quick Time Events though? WHY?!

  • Dark_Phoenix_PT #42 5 years ago

    Does the PS2 PAL version support 480p widescreen?

    The NTSC seems to.

  • thegouldfish #43 5 years ago

    Having already played and completed the game it is worth a 9.
    But there is some really really hard moments where you have to do some really stupid and long jumps and rope swings.

    Also the checkpoint system is good but it also fails you by the fact you can re trigger checkpoints which can be very annoining if you've spent the last hour working your way up a room, slipped up fallen to the bottom and re triggered the bottom checkpoint.
    Que much swearing.

  • Hunam #44 5 years ago

    Heh, im taking mine back before i start murdering things, ordered Killzone: Liberation to compensate myself :)

  • ratso #45 5 years ago

    I think the god of war/prince of Persia generation lack the patience to enjoy this.

    Legend was, imo, awful (7 was far too generous), tomb raider in name only.

    hopefully this will establish the template for future installments.

    observation:
    lara didnt have that ponytail in the original

    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 15:29

  • Carlo #46 5 years ago

    \o/

    That is all!

  • krudster #47 5 years ago

    Yes, the re-triggered check points can be a bit annoying. Also, the incessant checkpointing basically makes the health packs redundant. Low on health? Reach checkpoint and deliberately die. Result? Full health!

  • agoude #48 5 years ago

    CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME!! the stupid game doesn't work on my PS3!! argh!! and i don't have a PS2... i'm doomed. snif.

  • drumbaby #49 5 years ago

    Hmmm...PC version then.

  • ratso #50 5 years ago

    @agoude

    is it a pal ps3 ?

    is the game a pal version?

    Pal ps2 games dont work on ntsc ps3s

  • krudster #51 5 years ago

    Has your PS3 got 1.8 firmware?

  • agoude #52 5 years ago

    And I ONLY HAVE A PC AT WORK... I don't understand why other people say it works, maybe i need to tweak something in the menu, i don't know argh

  • Hunam #53 5 years ago

    Patience? I tried for 2 hours on one tiny section which i failed continuously due to lousy controls and camera :(

    At that point in time, it was either give up or put my head in the oven.

    And regarding death, they use some lame ragdoll now, i used to love the death animations in the original, the way her body got twisted and the sound of cracking her neck.
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 15:40

  • speedofthepuma #54 5 years ago

    Que much swearing.

    because of frustration. (btw you forgot the "?";)
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 15:55

  • PameBoy #55 5 years ago

    Edit: fixed

    Thanks for pointing out the errors. I was up til 4.15 AM this morning finishing the game, so I'll blame tiredness and Tom being away! - Krudster

    ----


    ANYWAY sounds good. The whole Tomb Raider thing kind of passed me by somehow, despite having briefly rented the first couple. I guess they were kind of ponderously paced for me at the time. Did like the Legend demo but weirdly, didn't like the modern kid-gloves pacing, so I thought "what I'd really like is the old-school level design with the new controls and presentation". Et voila!

    The Legend demo was rather choppy with the next-gen options up though, as the old beige monster is looking a little long in the tooth these days. Hmm, whether to wait for the Wii / 360 version... ?!
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 16:05

  • UncleLou #56 5 years ago

    The Legend demo was rather choppy with the next-gen options up though, as the old beige monster is looking a little long in the tooth these days. Hmm, whether to wait for the Wii / 360 version... ?!

    As I said earlier, this verison doesn't have the next-gen options, and looks and performs (on my PC, judging by the demo) like Legend with these options all turned off.

  • joeking #57 5 years ago

    When's it coming out on the 360 krudster? You promised... ;_;

  • krudster #58 5 years ago

    Your guess is as good as mine...I reckon within three months.

  • joeking #59 5 years ago

    Well I'm going to hold tight until Christmas at any rate. If there is no news by then....I'll guess I'll have no choice but to go with the Games for Windows version.

  • IAmBatman #60 5 years ago

    > obliging AI-free goons popping up obligingly

    Eurgh.

    Edit: fixed. Damn my tired brain.

    As soon as they announce the 360 version I'll order it.
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 16:19

  • Monkey_Chops #61 5 years ago

    360 version (if it ever gets made) for me.

  • El_MUERkO #62 5 years ago

    Wow, who'd have thunk the PlayStation 2's swan song would have a 90 minute John Bonham drum solo?

  • smelly #63 5 years ago

    I hold out for the wii version.

    I dont have a ps2 anymore, and i hate playing games on my pc

  • Beano #64 5 years ago

    @agoude: Did you get it to work on your PS3?

    Just ordered the game today and am a bit worried now :|

  • login_name #65 5 years ago

    "You can point the finger of blame at God of War and Fahrenheit all you like, but Shenmue started it years ago"

    Surely Dragon's Lair started it years ago? Shenmue just made it 'popular' again.

  • orcane #66 5 years ago

    " Oddly enough, I've never ever played a Tomb Raider game all the way through. Maybe it's about time I started... "

    I tried to play through the first game but my computer died when I was about 2/3 through it, and I never bothered to play it again... Legend was the only one I really played through (didn't play #5/Chronicles and #6/AoD at all)

    what's with the Legend hate BTW?

  • Veldaban #67 5 years ago

    Does the PC version have high-res textures? If not, then surely that's the reason it's not out on the 360.

  • krudster #68 5 years ago

    They don't look enormously high res, no. Nothing a 360 couldn't handle.

  • Nikanoru #69 5 years ago

    That said, if you were to go back and play the original now, you'd be appalled at how clunky the control and camera system feels, how evil the checkpointing was (unless you played the 'save anywhere' PC version), and, eek, how badly the visuals have aged.


    Hmm, no.

    Controls are still fine (better than the modern camera relative controls) for the climbing and jumping puzzles. Admittedly not so for the battles, but who the hell plays Tomb Raider for the shooting anyway?

    Camera system: Well, one of the first games with a button to fix the camera behind you, and frankly, it holds up better than loads of modern efforts.

    Evil checkpointing? There are save points. There is nothing different about them or, their placement, from modern games. So, Idunno? And on another note, save anywhere systems are thinly veiled built-in cheating, they're the spawn of Satan and they're only for total pussies.

    And sure the visuals are lowtech, but combined with the music and ambience they still manage to convey the atmosphere properly. I don't understand why some people can be so hysterically appalled at older games' graphics, when the art direction still holds up. You don't go into pretend convulsions each time you play a DS game, do you?


    All in all, I find this whole overreacting at old games slightly cliché. So many of them, including the original TR, are still better in almost every way than 90% of the rubbish we get these days.

    That said, I'm obviously looking forward to this. Despite them including the awful Legend controls.

  • Veldaban #70 5 years ago

    I meant, perhaps they don't want to put it out on the 360 because the textures are not HD-res... i.e., cost saving measures on asset creation.

  • askew #71 5 years ago

    Pre-loading as we speak. And I do know that I could have pre-ordered it for around the same price and be playing it right now, but I'm an indecisive bugger.

  • nickthegun #72 5 years ago

    eurgh, when's it coming out for 360?

  • smelly #73 5 years ago

    "I meant, perhaps they don't want to put it out on the 360 because the textures are not HD-res"


    eh? Erm.. most people run pc games at high res you know...

    People just wouldnt buy a ps2 port on the 360 - no matter how up-resed it was. I might be wrong, but i'd say that's why its not happened.

    Besides.. The ps2 version appartently works on the ps3 (for those that have one). And they're doing a wii version. So that's the two most popular formats covered :-)

    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 17:31

  • Veldaban #74 5 years ago

    "eh? Erm.. most people run pc games at high res you know... "

    Sure, hence the "PC look" that some PC games have when played at higher resolutions, where the polygon count and the texture size aren't high enough in comparison to the resolution. Making everything look flat, undetailed, etc.

  • Prophet_Hero #75 5 years ago

    "I assume if the PC version autoconfigs well with a X360 pad, a PS2 pad connected via a USB converter will work similarly well?

    Confirmation/denial of this would be greatly appreciated."


    I played the demo with a PS2/USB combination. It works fine.

  • konnsky #76 5 years ago

    somebody said it plays well on keybord + mouse... bollocks cannae beat analog controller. ps2 version for me.

  • Laserbream #77 5 years ago

    You didn't comment on the music - is it as good as in the first Tomb Raider game? In my opinion the original score was brilliant. I still hum bits of it to this day, when I'm absailing down buried sphinxes.

  • macksed #78 5 years ago

    my PC cant even run the demo...poor thing...so its the ps2 version for me :D

  • krudster #79 5 years ago

    Yep, the music is fab.

  • Feanor #80 5 years ago

    If someone from the design team is reading this, feel free to explain the thinking behind the terribly hard bit at the end of level 13 that was mentioned in the review.

  • smelly #81 5 years ago

    "feel free to explain the thinking behind the terribly hard bit at the end of level 13 that was mentioned in the review. "

    What is it with gamers nowadays and their hate of challenge?

  • Donny #82 5 years ago

    YAY! Now I know I have to get this.

  • ratso #83 5 years ago

    having played the demo again, id say its better to leave auto grab off.

    it makes the experience a bit more involving, let go of ledge/button and your dead.

    sotc is another good example of manual grab making a platform game better.

  • Haloboy #84 5 years ago

    Legend was hardly awful, the vehicle sections didn't do it any favours that's for certain but the rest of the game was an entire galaxy away from the car crash that was TAOD.

    Having been playing TRA since yesterday I have to say it is just as glorious as this review would have you believe. And thankfully no stupid ass bike sections to be seen.

    Oh and I'm proud it appeared on the PC and PS2 formats first respectively, next generation console owners have had it too good for far too long if you ask me. 'Bout time they had something to moan about missing out on instead. :D

  • skillian #85 5 years ago

    I read the review and all the comments, and I still have no idea what a quick time event is. It must be well known, as it has two paragraphs and even its own acronym, but I don't have a clue.

  • cyber_nicco #86 5 years ago

    Steam's a ripoff. I've always felt that this kind of delivery system is great for software, movies, whatever, but as long as the distributors are going to charge me the same amount as I'd have to pay for a packaged and shipped product I say "fuck them".

    It's like the online music thing - the costs are so low for the music companies, but they refuse to pass on any of the savings to the consumer. There is probably some price-point where the majority of people would just buy it legally rather than steal it. I don't know, $.25 for a song or something like that maybe.

    Ah, forget it...

    /rant over

  • Haloboy #87 5 years ago

    Heh.

    A quick time event (QTE) is when the player must get through a sequence of instant action required situations via the pressing of an appropriate button when it appears on the screen.



  • Scimarad #88 5 years ago

    Oh, bollocks I've ordered one of those wireless things from Play a few days ago so now I'm not sure which version of the game to buy. The PC version might sound nicer but I always worry that I'm going to spend ages getting the sodding thing to work...

  • septimus #89 5 years ago

    Great game, best TR yet and has the atmosphere of the original.

    Haters saying it's old just need to stfu and try it :)

  • krudster #90 5 years ago

    Glad you like it. No idea why people who clearly have no intention of giving a game a chance spout negative bile about it. Fair enough if you've played it a fair bit and still don't like it, but otherwise....give it a chance. It might surprise you.

  • whome #91 5 years ago

    "Does the PC version have high-res textures?"

    if you mean the next gen graphics option that was in legend then no, there are no next gen graphics options at all.

    shame really.....

  • Haloboy #92 5 years ago

    So depth of field is already considered to not be a next generation style graphical effect?

    Look, the game simply does not need all that shiny bumf to be a worthy buy. It's 100% fine as it is in the looks department on a PC and due to the lack of "next gen" content it canb e run quite safely at high resolution and settings with plenty of FSAA too. And it looks incredible.

    If all that next gen pulava was going to be used the game would have taken at least twice as long as it did to develop, and that simply was not necessary at all. They did the right thing and concentrated on what really made a good to honest TR adventure by making the graphics a secondary issue. They are competent/brilliant as they are. And that's all a decent game needs surely?

  • joeking #93 5 years ago

    In the case of Forza 2, certainly! :)

  • space_ace #94 5 years ago

    demo runs much faster than trl on the same machine at max, 1440x900!

    can't be bothered to compare effects though...

  • whome #95 5 years ago

    I just think it's a shame that it doesn't have the same graphics options that Legend had, I played Legend with & without and there was a big difference.

    that said.... I'm really enjoying it anyway, it's that good I would glady wait for a 360 version (fingers crossed) and buy it again :D

  • toy_brain #96 5 years ago

    Never got into the Tomb Raider games until Legend, which was great fun albeit way too short (less than 7 hours for me).
    Shall be picking up this on PS2 tomorrow

    And even though I own a 360, I couldn't give two shits and a rat's arse wether it comes out on a 'next-gen' system or not.

  • Kropotkin #97 5 years ago

    My first Tomb Raider game was on the PC and I've been buying the PC versions ever since. The main reason being that it's the best looking out of all the ports and I'm a bit sentimental. Not only that but the original had a 3Dfx patch for it making it look all rather lush for those with 3d accelerator cards (remember those?).

    I've been playing the game this evening as it arrived from Gameplay a day early. It's great fun although whether or not it deserves a 9/10 is somewhat questionable as although it's a great action adventure it's not doing anything particularly ground breaking...

  • numptyboymatt #98 5 years ago

    Ive ordered it from Play.Com..... still not been posted yet - has anyone else who uses them noticed that they dont seem to be as on the ball as they used to? Normally you get stuff before the official release date but recently they seem to be going WELL off the boil.

  • Dangher #99 5 years ago

    In reply to Kropotkin

    No it does not. However it brings that sweet sense of nostalgia to those of us who, like you, back in the 3Dfx era were old enough to compare it to all those awful looking travesties that game companies were trying to peddle as 'photorealistic'. Remember that?
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/07 @ 22:27

  • Dangher #100 5 years ago

    Quoting whome - I just think it's a shame that it doesn't have the same graphics options that Legend had, I played Legend with & without and there was a big difference.

    You are wrong. This thing has all the bells and whistles running full tilt. The word is OPTIMIZATION. Everything that was in Legend is here but running about 4-7 times faster.

  • askew #101 5 years ago

    Bollocks. No midnight unlock over Steam.

  • UncleLou #102 5 years ago

    You are wrong. This thing has all the bells and whistles running full tilt. The word is OPTIMIZATION. Everything that was in Legend is here but running about 4-7 times faster.

    The fact that it's actually you who are wrong makes your post an amusing read, caps and all. Unfortunately though, the "next gen" options of Legend are not in Anniversary.

  • citizenHUNTER #103 5 years ago

    This sounds good. It may be slightly rose tinted glasses but I still have very fond memories of the feel of the original, on the Saturn no less :p

    It just had that desolate intriguing interesting feel to it, the lack of music as you ran around near empty tombs but when the music did stir really got your heart racing, and wandering around for a bit wondering what to do is part of the experience, dammit with kids and their 5 second attention spans!. It felt right and good and thank god they've made this game and not bodged it up. Now, all I want is a 360 version (cos I don't have PS2 and despise PC gaming, especially since my PC ran the demo pretty slowly, alas).

    Please someone, 360 version (and PS3)!

  • Darkuss #104 5 years ago

    I've been playing for 6 hours straight since I got the game for my PS2! It's brilliant! Graphically, it's on par with Legend with slight improvements. The controls are great too!

    I'm in Greece level now :)

    Cheers

  • Roddy100 #105 5 years ago

    Does the PS2 version have a 60Hz mode in the display options?

    Legend did so hopefully this does too.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 00:56

  • Agent_Llama #106 5 years ago

    Fuck the graphics - TR1 was all about the atmosphere, that was what made it special and a stand-out title. If Anniversary gets that right, then I'll be happy, as it's what's been lacking from every TR since.

    Oh, and no Lara didn't have a ponytail in the first game, they couldn't figure out how to animate it properly at the time etc etc I believe, it was introduced for TR2.

  • Overlush #107 5 years ago

    Big Tits 4EVAH

  • Overlush #108 5 years ago

    "I'm in Greece level now :) "

    Like Greece Lightening?

  • Agent_Llama #109 5 years ago

    It's LIGHTNING ffs... ;o)

  • whome #110 5 years ago

    quoting Dangher - You are wrong.

    who me? nah.... :p

  • space_ace #111 5 years ago

    one serious issue - the game keeps telling me to press e or move the mouse, while i'm playing with the gamepad. a game should never do this

  • Aurifex. #112 5 years ago

    The demo works great on my old PC,
    AMD XP1900, Radeon 9800 Pro, 1 gig memory.

    On my Toshiba latop, no go. It's choppy with cracking sound.
    P4 3.00ghz 512 memory, nvideo geforce 5200.

    Both using XP home edition. Hope this helps.

  • zErOb_cOOl #113 5 years ago

    Played the very 1st Tomb Raider game through all the way on the PC. Loved it. Brilliant set of first levels, and the later levels just seemed to get bigger and better. Some good puzzels and bosses in there too. Great depth. Brilliant game.

    After that, I've not really played any TR game. Wasn't overly impressed by the second, or the games that followed it. Thought snowmobiles were completely unecessary, as TR isn't about vehicles. Some of the levels lacked charm, in the second game in particular. It was as though the developers were clutching at straws in order to put something new in the game, be it vehicles or unusual locations.....IMO they got TR bang on the first time.

    I hope this game gives me the feeling of playing the first TR game again. It probably won't, but if it's near, I won't be disappointed.

  • UncleLou #114 5 years ago

    Agent Llama read my mind. This is about atmos and gameplay and not the graphics, for me too.


    Be it as it may, no reason not to say that it looks worse than its direct predecessor (on the PC, I mean).

    I've only played the demo, but the lack of proper lighting definitely killed some of the atmosphere for me.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 09:23

  • HarryPalmer #115 5 years ago

    Does Lara still make that "hup" noise when she jumps. Havnt played a TR games since the first one on my PC. Going to buy this today and wait for the memories - never completed it mind. I wonder if the cheat for making her naked still works.
    Oh, and is the mansion still there?

  • RexRunti #116 5 years ago

    @UncleLou

    A demo isn't always the most upto date or even a finished version. It is not unusual for the full release to have better graphics than the demo. Don't accuse people who actually own the game who say "the graphical effects are the same as TRL" of being wrong. They might be (I don't know, I'm getting the full game today), but their opinion is still weightier than yours.

  • UncleLou #117 5 years ago

    There is that possibility, yes. I've seen several reviews though which confirm that most of the effects that Legends had (like normal mapping) aren't in Anniversary - which I always suspected as I haven't seen a single screenshot that suggests otherwise.

    As for "weightier opinion": well, you can have more info and still be entirely wrong. Espcially as this is a matter of facts, not of opinions.

  • HarryPalmer #118 5 years ago

    Guys, your arguing about a Tomb Raider game.

  • UncleLou #119 5 years ago

    Hm? I am not arguing.

  • askew #120 5 years ago

    Still not unlocked on Steam.

    It makes me want to hurt things.

  • Agent_Llama #121 5 years ago

    I don't know why there's a big debate about the graphics FFS. Anniversary could have the most incredible graphics ever seen, but if it hasn't got the atmosphere of the original then it's failed in what it set out to do.

    Now I wish Game would hurry the fuck up with dispatching it. Gits.

  • UncleLou #122 5 years ago

    There isn't a "big debate" about the graphics. Surely it's allowed to point out that the PC version is graphically a step back to its predecessor?

    Besides, just because you don't care (fair enough) doesn't mean others aren't allowed to care and talk about it.

  • Beano #123 5 years ago

    Got the PS2 version today and can confirm that it works on a PAL PS3 with firmware 1.80 :)

    For those without a PS3, the game supports progressive-scan in addition to widescreen and 60Hz - I like !
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 12:00

  • TONYgr #124 5 years ago

    i have the ps-2 version since yesterday and it rocks.in order to use progrecive scan you have to have special cables?my tv supports prog.scan but when i enable it from the menu all i see is blue screen!HELP ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Beano #125 5 years ago

    You need component cables to use progressive scan on PS2.

  • Dezm0nd #126 5 years ago

    got my ps2 copy today for £19.73 at the tesco metro in london by the thames
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 15:43

  • TONYgr #127 5 years ago

    thanks A LOT Beano !!!!

  • gnarl #128 5 years ago

    Hey, how come this isn't just a patch for the original? They're all just money grabbing bastards aren't they?

  • SomaticSense #129 5 years ago

    This is the first time ever I've skipped straight to the score to find out whether you guys like it or not (not reading the text until I've played the game. Don't want to spoil anything), and........ WOW!!

    Was so hoping this was going to be good, as I loved the first one (which incidentally led me to get PS1 after playing it on my mates Saturn back in the day). But I was highly doubtful that they'd actually truly live up the the promises of keeping the old games sublime atmosphere. Just got back from town to get it, and once I've done cleaning out the house rabbits' cage (yeah, i know....) I'm going to lock myself up in the Living Room and go back in time... :)
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 16:19

  • Agent_Llama #130 5 years ago

    I'm not denying anyone the right to discuss the graphics :o), it's just that with TR game, esp. no.1, that shouldn't really be the main concern IMHO.

    It has finally been dispatched! HURRAH!

  • Feanor #131 5 years ago

    I truly hope that's a joke, gnarl.

  • ratso #132 5 years ago

    played a few levels now and i see that some parts have been made slightly more linear.

    city of valcambia is tiny next to the original version. its missing a fair few areas

  • gnarl #133 5 years ago

    Only with production of the orginal receipt, within the first year of release. Don't want any budget copies getting through, that's fair.

  • Carlo #134 5 years ago

    Game of the year for me so far.

    Other than letterboxing on my PS3, I can't honestly fault it!

  • Nikanoru #135 5 years ago

    played a few levels now and i see that some parts have been made slightly more linear.

    city of valcambia is tiny next to the original version. its missing a fair few areas



    Really? God dammit god dammit god dammit. :(

    See? That's why games used to be better. Rose-tinted glasses or not. These days it's usually just one straight line. No confusing diversions, thinking is so bothersome! Hand-holding all along the goddamn way. I guess they want to sell more to the majority: dumb people and teens with ADD.

    I suspect in 2020 every game will be an on-rails shooter.

  • VMerken #136 5 years ago

    Finished first PC playthrough (Hard) yesterday in about 10 hours, and can't see why this game would be a 9/10. It's more of a 8/10 kind of game as graphics (Lara in 1440x900 and up is pretty nice) and music (very atmospheric) are great, it offers a rather nice Parcours experience (with some deviations from the main path), loads of unlockables and the fresh Legend controls have been applied well here without the flat learning curve from that previous title. Also, most stages have been redesigned with some imaginative, now and then challenging puzzles - a conscious, correct decision by the design team. Heck, I never thought I'd have so much fun in the Croft manor, for example.

    However, there are also bad things. The frequent checkpoints are open for abuse, making healing items superfluous. There is a rather low cap on the amount of ammo you can collect for your weapons other than Lara's stock handguns, so if you discover a secret location after maxing out ammo (which happens quickly) you'll be pretty disappointed finding only an ammo item which can't be picked up. At this point, I really wonder why there are any items other than key items, artifacts and relics in the game.

    A thought reinforced even more by the ridiculous fighting in the game. This is an aspect the remake team could have greatly improved upon, considering it's now 10 years later and developers proved they can put good enemy A.I. in their games. Tomb Raider: Anniversary was a prime occasion to update the fighting engine and amp the experience by having exhilirating fights in between the Parcours gig. In real life, the enemies Lara battles have superior speed, jumping and climbing skills. In Tomb Raider: Anniversary, these enemies pretend to be superior but are actually crippled by their A.I., reducing combat to an absolute walk in the park. At no point did I feel challenged, and I was playing Hard. You can win against everything easily with the default handguns. Add to that some incredibly forgiving, actual battles-reducing (as if there were many to begin with), nothing adding Quick Time Event scenes and it's easy to see that combat in Tomb Raider is only meant to get you back to your Parcours as quickly as possible. So why put it in? Sure, the original had fighting, but enemies in the original also didn't disappear after you defeated them.

    Someone here commented along the lines, "Who plays TR for shooting enemies anyway?" Well, TR:A could have been the game to dispel this line of reasoning. A missed opportunity, this. The mentioned negatives are grave enough, I feel, to warrant a -2 rather than -1 reduction. Anniversary is a good remake of the original, but it hasn't been remade well enough to make it a 9 title by current standards.

    Been playing Tomb Raider since 1996 (oops, 1997 of course, been playing Resident Evil since 1996), just so you know.

    For those worried about Anniversary's size, rest assured: some areas were made slightly smaller, but others have been expanded and new sections were added. Give and take, overall the game is about equal to the size of the original.

    Oh, and to the voice concerned as to why Legend is bashed: almost no difficulty, commentary you don't need or even want to hear, microsized levels, easiest secret-finding I've ever witnessed. There's something wrong with a Tomb Raider game when you complete it in 7 hours with about 80% of all the secrets found. On the first run.

    Off to give Normal a try and spot the differences with Hard.
    Edited by 1 at 11/06/07 @ 01:37

  • Lanky #137 5 years ago

    Great review. I love this game! I didn't play the original so I'm very thankful that they made a remake. This is adventure at it's best.

  • MrE26 #138 5 years ago

    Hmmm... The ERSB have just rated TRA for the Xbox 360... as individual levels, not a full game. Could this be coming as DLC for Legend maybe?

    http://ww w.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp?t...