Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered vs Original – Redeeming the Franchise’s Worst

After the triumph of last year’s remastered version of Tomb Raider 1-3, one might expect the developer to continue with the rest of Core Design’s classic titles. From a historical viewpoint and considering the opportunity for current-gen players to experience the entire original series in enhanced visuals, this move would be logical. However, it seemed unusual nonetheless.

Essentially, the team behind Tomb Raider 4: The Last Revelation chose to end Lara Croft’s story by killing her off, marking it as the final game in the series at that time. However, this decision didn’t stick for long, as Eidos Interactive required additional Tomb Raider games. Consequently, Tomb Raider: Chronicles was created, which was a collection of individual stories designed to celebrate Croft’s legacy and generate further revenue from her character.

In a different phrasing: “Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness” was a sequel/soft reboot that brought Lara back in a highly anticipated format – a stealth action-adventure game featuring another playable character. Alongside “Chronicles”, it’s often seen as the lowest point in the series by both critics and fans. Despite its harsh criticism, it did lead to Crystal Dynamics taking over and rebooting the entire franchise with Tomb Raider: Legend.

Despite initial reservations about remastering both titles, the developer is indeed moving forward with the release of Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered. Set to launch on Valentine’s Day across platforms including Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, this collection boasts several new additions such as a panoramic camera view, an option to skip cutscenes, and an ammunition counter for improved gameplay. Additionally, The Angel of Darkness has some previously omitted content restored, offering a richer narrative experience.

First and foremost, what stands out most about these updates is the stunning graphical upgrade, and fortunately, the developers have excelled yet again in this area. We’ll delve into each game, side by side with its original counterpart, to highlight all the visual enhancements made.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation – Original vs. Remastered

Despite the Core Design team seemingly exhausted with the franchise, Tomb Raider 4 significantly enhanced its visual appeal in various manners. Characters appeared more lifelike due to added facial details, while levels boasted superior lighting and intricate 3D structures. Notably, the PC version introduced bump mapping for an even more realistic experience.

The flow of the presentation was smooth and uninterrupted, noticeably so during scenes where players interacted. Additionally, the characters’ movements and the layout of the environment were charming, but the lighting deserves special mention, particularly the way sunlight streamed through windows at certain spots.

The updated version significantly enhances many aspects in a truly remarkable manner. To begin with, the character models are now more intricate, featuring improved facial details and more authentic responses. Additionally, the prologue serves as an excellent demonstration of the enhanced lighting and shadowing effects, with stronger beams that realistically brighten Lara’s environment.

Absolutely, the environment has undergone a significant makeover and is filled with fresh details such as new types of foliage, improved tree textures, and greater detail. The skeleton at the start? It’s now more intricate, with colors that better match the surrounding atmosphere. Furthermore, the leaves hanging overhead are individually detailed, giving them a more realistic appearance and reducing their resemblance to groups of green blobs.

The potential issue is that certain areas appear less vibrant compared to the original’s intensity. However, this isn’t noticeable during darker sections due to the illumination from Croft’s gunfire. Still, some spots are noticeably less colorful than the original version.

Tomb Raider: Chronicles – Original vs. Remastered

The game Chronicles, designed for PlayStation One, didn’t make a significant leap in graphics compared to earlier titles, focusing more on recapturing its classic gameplay. It did have some impressive lighting and textures, albeit the lighting wasn’t particularly realistic. The environmental textures were somewhat inconsistent and lacked seamlessness, which is not an issue in the remaster. In the remaster, everything has been completely revamped: from the beautiful cobblestone pavement with distinct stones to proper doorways with arches and window sills that were missing before.

In the remastered version of “Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation”, the lush greenery appears once more, this time with distinct individual leaves that give a cleaner and less cluttered look compared to the original. The environmental textures are so clear now that the details stand out more sharply and are easier to decipher without being blurry. Additionally, improvements in lighting make it possible to turn a room where Lara Croft might have tight-roped into a sequence where the environment is more clearly visible. To summarize, while the locations may not be as intricate as before, all other elements that made “Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation’s” remaster stand out are still just as noticeable here.

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness – Original vs. Remastered

Despite the poor quality of the game, it’s important to acknowledge that Core Design did an impressive job with the original visuals for Tomb Raider, even if the art direction and overall detail weren’t as refined as we might expect today. As the first Tomb Raider game specifically developed for PlayStation 2, it boasted significant enhancements in lighting and shadows, such as darker tones to reflect the grittier setting. The textures and assets of the environment featured higher polygon counts and details, and atmospheric effects like smoke and fog contributed to the overall mood. Lara’s model was also significantly improved across many aspects.

The remastered version might just take you by surprise with its exceptional quality upgrade. The raindrops in the initial level now sound more realistic, even when they hit the ground. Additionally, the various lighting scenarios seem more authentic, particularly in the shadows, which now look much more natural. Furthermore, the textures have been significantly improved, effectively capturing the grimy and dark atmosphere that Core Design intended.

Conclusion

While preserving the original’s animation work and cutscene direction, Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered goes beyond merely updating the environments, lighting, and shadows for contemporary systems. It also harmonizes Lara Croft’s appearance across all games, making her look consistent in titles such as The Angel of Darkness, The Last Revelation, and Chronicles, while maintaining intricate details.

The environmental elements you bring into your game will feature highly detailed 3D models that seamlessly blend with the overall updates. Plus, everything operates smoothly at an impressive 60 frames per second, without a single hiccup or frame drop on PlayStation 5.

You might find yourself pondering over whether it’s worthwhile for the developer to resurface Tomb Raider 5 and 6 in a remastered version, despite their reservations about only remastering the fourth game. However, it cannot be ignored that a remastered version of Tomb Raider 4-6 would offer an unparalleled gaming experience. This could be due to the abundance of new features or improvements in user experience, or perhaps shedding light on the enigma that is ‘The Angel of Darkness’. Regardless, these games are a significant part of gaming history, serving as the culmination of Lara Croft’s initial journey in a breathtaking manner.

2025-02-14 19:15

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