As one of gaming’s oldest mascots, it’s fair to say Lara Croft is aging gracefully. Since making her debut in 1996, the fearless explorer has reinvented herself numerous times and is just as relevant today as she was in the 90s. Aspyr recently released a remaster of the first three games and has also been working hard to remaster three more: Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles, and Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. All together, the Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered Collection is set for release in February 2025.
Game Rant recently caught up with Matthew Ray, Aspyr’s brand manager, about the process behind remastering these three games. Among other things, Ray discussed the shift in tone compared to the first trilogy, and the aspects of development that reminded him just how well the first Tomb Raider games were originally developed by Core Design.
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Tomb Raider’s Overall Tone is Considerably Darker in These Games
While there’s no doubt the early Tomb Raider games were challenging experiences, the overall tone of the first trilogy was balanced, with the games appealing to a wide demographic. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation marked a significantly darker turning point in Lara’s legacy, and both Chronicles and Angel of Darkness continued that trend. Ray explained that this shift in tone was ultimately one of the biggest challenges when remastering the second trilogy. He said,
”The most significant difference is the tone of these games. Tomb Raider 4-6 marks a shift into darker, more narrative-driven storytelling compared to the lighter, more adventurous tone of the first three. This required a unique approach to the remaster, emphasizing the atmospheric details of the environments and enhancing elements like lighting and shadows to immerse players in the story’s darker themes.”
Tomb Raider’s Level Design is Still Impressive Today
Aside from the noticeable shift in tone, Ray was also very impressed with just how well some of the trilogy’s level designs have held up today. Lara Croft is an explorer at heart, so it’s important for Tomb Raider‘s levels to feel appropriately large to drive home that sense of wonder and discovery. The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and Angel of Darkness all managed to achieve this sense of scale, a fact which was not lost on Ray as Aspyr began its work on this trilogy. He explained,
”The level design is still incredibly impressive by today’s standards. The intricate puzzles, exploration-heavy layouts, and sense of scale remain some of the best in gaming. These elements highlight just how forward-thinking the original developers were, creating experiences that continue to engage and challenge players even decades later. That’s something we worked hard to preserve in the remaster because it’s a cornerstone of what makes these games special.”
Similarly to the first trilogy remasters, Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered should breathe new life into titles that have been dormant for a while now. It’s certainly a great time to be a Tomb Raider fan. Crystal Dynamics is working on a brand-new untitled game, Prime Video has a live-action series in the works, and Netflix’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft has been renewed for a second season.
