Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

I learned to walk with Lara Croft, but I mastered the art of sprinting with Nathan Drake, similar to how I found the beauty in temple raiding through mindless acts of performing split-second handstands at every possible junction, but later discovered that gymnastics were not, in fact, common among grave robbers. Yet, those precious moments kept a place in my heart, like a childhood memory that I just couldn’t kick. Oh, Tomb Raider might not have been historically apt or drizzled in authentic hooks, but it certainly had a knack for making dull expeditions feel endearing.

Looking back, Tomb Raider was instrumental to the development of a generation; it was the kindling that helped stoke oh-so-many blazing infernos. Dated, yet rich in adventure and bursting at the buckle with a ton of fascinating historical sites and opportunities to flex your inner adolescent (does locking the butler in the walk-in refrigerator count?), Tomb Raider found countless ways to keep ol’ Lara in the limelight, and fans of the rapidly evolving genre coming back to don the dual-wield pistols and questionably skimpy suits.

As a media franchise, Tomb Raider has covered more anthologies and spin-offs than the vast majority of its action-adventure ilk, with reboots and comics, attire and collectibles fortifying its backbone with a cult-like status. Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, being the second leg in a two-piece foot race, more or less adds its two cents to the pot with the revival of its original expeditions, The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and The Angel of Darkness, all of which launched between 1999 and 2003, respectively.

If Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is anything at all, it’s a genuine nod to the Core Design era—a tilt of the hat to the original saga that helped propel Lara Croft into the mainstream. Although small cogs on a big wheel, The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and The Angel of Darkness each have their own special place in the infrastructure; The Angel of Darkness, for instance, was the first chapter to take full advantage of PlayStation 2 hardware and, in turn, the first of many excursions to bring the series into a new generation of ground-breaking storytelling and flawless gameplay experiences. And that’s all here, too, with the same essence that we all came to appreciate back in 2003, but with more polish, technical advancements, and quality of life improvements to enhance its signature.

Back to Basics

It was only natural that the devs would finally come full circle with a follow-up collection for the first three entries in the PSX anthology. Although coined as the “lesser known” chapters in the series, Aspyr has, in all honesty, come up trumps with a solid three-piece saga that not only looks good, but also feels like a walk down memory lane—a stroll through a timeless world where worldwide curiosities once came to fruition, and the constant urge to turn every movement into a stylish theatrical display became commonplace.

Similar to its predecessor, the second batch of titles comes with a fresh lick of paint and a visual overhaul that serves only to enhance and improve the original experience, with more responsive controls, less UI clutter, and smoother transitions to help grease the gymnastic flair, to list just a few of its notable nodes.

At the heart of all of its improvements idles a trove of familiar and almost unforgettable journeys that pay tribute to the golden age of action-adventure, with a formidable array of classic platforming, puzzle, and action-oriented segments reminiscent of Lara’s youth. This thread of stories, however, advances the basic infrastructure of the timeline and adds more detail to finesse the formula, so to speak, with better controls, slicker design, and more environmental polish than the original trilogy’s swing at resurrecting the saga. It’s still PSX in its prime, but with an intuitive feel and seamless integration of its new technical capabilities. And that counts for a lot, truly.

Old But Gold

The trio of cult classics still unfold in a similar way, with the same storylines, twists, turns, and obstacles reprising their respective roles in an attempt to bring the original branding to the table. Aside from the fact that each revival plays a lot better, there isn’t a lot else here to rock the apple cart. But that’s actually a good thing; it doesn’t make a bold effort to alter the tide, nor does it daringly stain the legacy with uncharted territory or gameplay elements. It’s Tomb Raider, but with a little extra pizzazz.

For a series that’s currently pushing three decades old, Tomb Raider feels like an absolute delight to play. Sure, it’s dated in comparison with other titles of a slightly more modernized era, but the heart of a phenomenal trio still remains within a soulful affair that has all of the idyllic qualities of a cult classic action-adventure anthology. Old but gold, you could say.

For the asking price, you can’t really go all that wrong with the remastered collection. With three souped-up reprisals and a ton of well-needed overhauls, it feels like a good investment, more so for fans of the series who never had the opportunity to experience the vanilla versions back in the nineties. And for everyone else, well, it’s Lara Croft — what more could you want? What’s a little piece of history worth to you?

Verdict

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered makes for a perfect follow-up three-piece love letter for Lara Croft’s lesser known expeditions, with an impressive trove of fresh technical overhauls, audiovisual enhancements, and timeless goodies that thankfully retain the iron heart of its original blueprint. It’s still Tomb Raider, and it’s still the same ol’ Lara Croft that we came to love back in the nineties era of gaming, complete with all of the classic characteristics, warts and blemishes that made the original anthology the best-selling sensation that it was way back when.

I think I speak for everyone when I say, nothing beats the original. Say, for example, if something fits the same glass slipper, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s Cinderella wearing it. That being said, I will openly acknowledge the fact that, given the scarcity of original PlayStation titles on modern consoles, it is awfully nice to see an anthology as universally beloved as Tomb Raider making a return to the forefront of the market. Is it as good as the original? As I said, nothing imitates the essence of a forefather. Yet, for the sake of giving credit where credit is due, Aspyr has done a fantastuc job of breathing heart and soul into this old sack of bones. Well played, team.