Tomb Raider: Anniversary

I really enjoyed this one! It’s a bit different to Tomb Raider: Legend. There’s a lot more exploring and climbing, with less action and more on the adventure, which I really liked. The music is great too, just like always.

For years, when people talked about great remakes like the 2002 version of Resident Evil, I would advance Tomb Raider: Anniversary as another contender. Having replayed both the 1996 original and Anniversary this year, I retract that statement. I've played this game countless times, and am fond of it. But a great remake is one that surpasses the original. Anniversary, despite being more accessible to a newcomer, doesn't do that.
Anniversary is fairly faithful, and recreates a lot of the environments that are now as familiar to a veteran raider as the house they grew up in. It's hard to find many flaws in the first half, and having played it across the PS2, PSP and PC, I must say it looks very good on all three platforms.
Would that the second half were as enticing. My thoughts on the second half can be summed up with one sentence I spoke to my sister while she was watching me play it 13 years ago: "These games always get buggier and shittier the longer they go on, because developers aren't really expecting most people to play that far." The slippery physics result in Lara dropping off ledges she's already climbed for no reason, and she sometimes doesn't register that you want to grab a ledge, especially in the later sections with moving platforms, because they haven't moved into just the right position yet.
The combat is also downright awful, and was egregiously so on this run as I played on Hard difficulty. I highly recommend playing on Easy - there's no shame. It won't make the puzzle-platforming sections any easier, and they're the point; it'll just make the awful combat more bearable. Holy fuck, this combat. Nearly every single enemy except mice and bats force you to do this Max Payne-style dodge to get a headshot on them, and it's an unwelcome gimmick because they become invincible when they bum-rush you for it, resulting in wasted ammo and repetitive combat. Lara goes flying into the air at the slightest provocation, so when you're fighting 3 flying enemies while standing on a tiny platform, expect a lot of unwarranted deaths because this gorgeous woman can't keep her feet on the ground.
I feel the PC version is far worse than the PS2 and PSP versions, which I would rate higher. The biggest reason for this is the controls. Playing Tomb Raider: Anniversary on the PC is a handicap in itself. Despite its Steam page promising full controller support (and LAU Tomb Raider is meant to be played with a controller), this game does not have true analog control. Rather, it feels like eight directions mapped poorly to your analog stick, and the results range from irksome (coming to a standstill in combat because the game didn't register a sudden change in direction) to infuriating (falling to your death because the game thought you wanted to jump backwards rather than sideways). There also seem to be serious issues with the auto-targeting system that I've never encountered with the console versions.
Even the graphics get worse, feeling hurried in the endgame, and this is really disappointing. If this is the case, there have been more Tomb Raider games that suffered from being rushed than not. Being rushed is the constantly haunting bane of this series. I was disappointed in the designs of the last few levels. The living walls of flesh and less-defined, more-horrific enemies in the original were a lot more inspired than the generic sci-fi designs they went for in the remake. I understand their desire to convey the Atlantis aesthetic, but it doesn't have to look like Disney dictated it did.
Lastly, while the story is mostly enjoyable, the daft attempts at characterization around Lara's first murder would have been better left out. If you took two shots of vodka for every time she looks uncertain and stares at her hands in the endgame, your liver would spontaneously combust. Sometimes it's better to leave things unsaid. The 2000s were not the age of subtlety, but this is gratuitous.
Now that I'm done tearing the game to pieces, it's time to tell you that I do sincerely love it. For all its flaws, it's still a good alternative for newcomers who can't bear the outdated graphics and tank controls of the original. There's a lot of detail to it, right down the soundtrack changing based on the enemies you encounter. There are moments when the puzzle-platforming simply clicks, which is the essence of Tomb Raider: the riveting cycle of climbing and jumping and solving puzzles in a wonderfully isolated, zen-like state. But please, for the love of God, only play the PC version as a last resort, despite the fact that it goes on sale for pennies. And once you're done, consider developing Stockholm syndrome for the original like I did. It'll pay off, I promise.

Tomb Raider Anniversary is simply a remake or reimagining of the very first game from 1996. The developer has stuck to the original but occasionally expanded the context or adapted to the reboot series. Above all, a key plot aspect is that Lara's father also searched for the Scion, the legendary artifact that is the main focus of this game. This is often accompanied by comments from her father's logbook when Lara visits certain locations. In contrast to the original, the game is also more action-packed, as we already know from Tomb Raider Legend.

Significant differences can already be seen in the first level in Peru. As soon as the game starts, the task is to open the gate to the forgotten city of Vilcabamba. What was a cutscene in the original can be played here with corresponding climbing sections. A solid idea and what probably couldn't be implemented with the limitations of the PlayStation 1 back then is now better realized with modern computing power. But first a small note on the training level. Croft Manor is here again and, similar to the original, the hall is filled with crates that encourage you to climb. A nice homage, even if the Croft Manor is based on the redesign Croft Manor from Tomb Raider Legend, this is why it is consinstent with the Reboot Series. This time, however, Croft Manor is not a stand-alone training level, but is integrated into the story and functions as a stand-alone level, but has the same benefit of familiarizing you with the controls and fighting with the pistols. There is also more to explore, as the Manor has been enlarged slightly compared to Legend.

As you wander through the familiar locations from Tomb Raider I, you realize one thing: Tomb Raider Anniversy tries to recreate the iconic landmarks from the original as faithfully as possible, and they've done a fantastic job. Numerous locations are recognizable, some with more detail. The Lost Valleys actually look like a valley this time because they have a skybox with a sky in it. Something that was probably not possible with the PlayStation back then, which is why the sky there was simply black. With appropriate background music, camera angles or rides, light, shadow or bloom effects, the entire reportoire of locations is also very nicely staged and puts a lot of effort into the presentation. Some of the locations are also larger and have been given their own recognizable design. Away from the clunky block design and into modern graphics for 2007 conditions. Unfortunately, I have to mention that this game also has a lot of gray color palettes to match in the time of gamin philosophy. The original often bursts with lush green, red or yellow colors, while in Anniversary these appear washed out and generic. Atlantis itself has also undergone a redesign, making a more technical and mystical impression instead of the bizarre flesh-walled interior from the original. Of course, many elements have been retained, such as the egg chambers, but they have been subtly pushed into the background and are less noticeable due to the color palette.

Some of the puzzles have also been retained and some have been creatively expanded and adapted to the modern engine. The Poseidon test in Greece is probably worthy of note, as it has been given a complete makeover and instead of a simple pool with a test of how long Lara can hold her breath, it has been given a large water room where you can change the water level and have to use floating rafts to get to the key.

However, you also notice that simplyfications have been made in the entire level design itself. As the game is also strongly oriented towards its predecessor Tomb Raider Legend in terms of pacing and action, you can also feel these changes in this game. First of all, most of the levels are structured in such a way that these iconic landmarks are the center of the puzzles and the action. Often these rooms are then connected with direct corridors that do not allow for further exploration. Sections are very streamlined and the developers have often combined many elements from the original into a single room. This is an advantage in certain areas, as it saves you having to run back and forth and all the important elements are in one place. The climbing passages are modeled like in Legend and the movement works on the same principle. Here, too, the player practically only has to steer and jump in the direction they want Lara to go, the rest is done by Lara herself, holding on to edges, ropes or poles. In my opinion, this mechanic is not always reliable and has occasionally led to an unintentional death. The combat is also identical to that in Legend, except that a few more functions have been added. For example, there is a dodge jump that slows down time in Matrix style and gives you the chance to take out the enemy directly with a well-aimed headshot. As the Enimies here are mainly just animals or mystical beings from Atlantis, there are few enemies that shoot projectiles. The battle therefore always follows a similar pattern, in which you shoot from a distance with weapons and if the opponent charges, you use the dodge jump and counterattack.

Quick Time Events can also be found in this game and unfortunately some fights have been replaced with such QTEs. We are talking about human opponents with pistols. Since it was difficult or too much work to realize the few fights with armed opponents from Tomb Raider I, they were unfortunately presented entirely via QTEs or cutscenes. In the case of Pierre, these are simply some sound files that are played, where he simply taunts Lara in some occassions. Unfortunately, I'm also not a big fan of the redesigns of the characters besides Lara, because they differ significantly from the original. Even Nadja looks like Cruella de Vile and with that strikingly fine and long face, the term Villian is written directly on her forehead.

I unfortunately have mixed feelings about this game. I see many of these innovations as a welcome feature, but as noted in Legend, the focus shifts more towards simplified level design and faster action, and in many places, it breaks down reliable and precise handling, so it's not the players or their skill that's to blame for an accidental jump to their death, but the execution and unreliability of certain moves in this engine. It's also worth noting that Tomb Raider Anniversery tries to differentiate itself from the original both visually and intellectually, reviving existing ideas that fit well in most places, but still change a lot of the recognizability. It doesn't actually feel like I'm playing a remake at all, but a completely independent game. That's okay in many respects and only reflects my own perception. But I grew up with games like the classic Tomb Raider and I remember this game much more than the reboot.

After so many years of having this game on the psp, wanted to knock this out again on PC :D so many bugs, so many deaths LOL But I truly enjoyed the game so much. haha

Childhood nostalgia. The rope jumps in this one are hard to understand. I would've never finished this without a guide for that specific mechanic.
If you take out that this is an amazing puzzle game. Beautiful.

The original Tomb Raider difficulty is just brutal. Once the nostalgia goggles are taken off, no one can deny its inaccessibility. It's probably with good reason the iconic Tomb Raider moments all take place within the first level... because barely anyone actually managed to get further. Pixel perfect jumps, endless backtracking, confusing environments, vague instructions on what to do next... you get the point.
Anniversary has its flaws: the combat is borderline terrible, the colours are a little washed out... but it does some thing very special. It allows one to access and enjoy the spirit of the first game in a far more accessible format. It has aged surprisingly well, probably down to the choice of graphic style. The soundtrack is impeccable, and the environments are gorgeous. A fair bit of the original game was cut out or compressed, but to be honest, a lot of that is for the best.
Definitley worth a playthrough in 2025.

Took me about 15 hours or so to complete very good game for its age lots of bugs that I had to work around but overall was enjoyable and challenged the few brain cells I have left. Shoot gorilla puzzle puzzle puzzle shoot person puzzle puzzle puzzle shoot bear puzzle puzzle puzzle