A full year after the first three titles were remastered, Tomb Raider fans were treated to another set of beloved (and not so beloved) classics. These games, though more divisive than the original trilogy, represent an important period of evolution for Lara. The Last Revelation is her technological peak in the fifth console generation, Chronicles is a farewell to the PS1, and Angel of Darkness is Lara’s much-maligned debut on the PS2.
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The remasters are designed for fans of the classics: Aspyr drops you in without so much as a waypoint marker. If you want to become a veteran raider, you’ll need some tips to help you through these adventures. Here’s what you need to know.
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Switch Graphics Modes
Most unfortunately, the remasters don’t come with much in the way of graphics options. You can’t even adjust the brightness while playing the PS1 entries, which were extremely dark games even on their original hardware. Even more egregious is the fact that the remasters often change the lighting entirely to make areas even darker, often to the point of making them impossible to navigate.
Examine the comparison screenshots above: which graphics mode has more visual clarity? That’s right: the retro ones. Luckily, you can switch graphics modes on the fly with a single button. We recommend switching the graphics in dark areas so you can see where you’re going.
Lara can use flares, but examine any veteran raider’s backpack, and you’ll find hundreds of unused flares. Flares also place you at a disadvantage while platforming: sometimes Lara might not grab ledges.
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Use Tank Controls
The Tomb Raider games are among the most notable titles to use tank controls: casual audiences found the series alienating due to it, while its diehard fans argued that the tank controls allowed for precision platforming. For better or for worse, Aspyr implemented modern controls in the remastered editions.
Once you’re done having fun with free-look though, it’s time to heed the longtime fans and switch to tank controls. Tomb Raider was not designed to be played with modern, loose controls. Every single step in these titles has to mean something, and if you opt for modern controls you will face a lot of unnecessary setbacks.
There is one instance where you should switch to modern controls: rope platforming sections. There is an extremely difficult area in The Last Revelation’s Catacombs where you have to traverse three ropes in a row. The modern controls are much better suited to clearing such sections.
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Quicksave Often
One of the most welcome new features in the remasters is the inclusion of quicksaves. As any classic Tomb Raider fan will tell you, there are three big reasons to save frequently:
- You’re about to attempt a difficult platforming section.
- You’re about to attempt a timed run.
- You just haven’t saved in a while.
These old-school entries had no checkpoints, and dying would send you back to the title screen. You don’t want that. Quicksave before any segment that looks risky. In fact, quicksave even if it doesn’t, because in Tomb Raider, you never know.
Unlike the classics, the remasters take you to a load screen after you die, rather than the main menu.
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Use Ammo Freely
Unlike the first three titles, especially Tomb Raider 3, this game set doesn’t have many notable bosses. The combat in classic Tomb Raider was always its weak link, and here it was rendered completely secondary. Also, Chronicles is episodic, so you don’t retain your weapons for long.
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This means that you shouldn’t hesitate to use ammo in The Last Revelation and Chronicles. Be generous with your bullets: use them on generic enemies, as the few bosses the games contain are immune to bullets.
4
Take It Slow
Remember what the wise men told Elvis: only fools rush in. The classic Tomb Raider games are slow-paced, and you’re rarely under obligation to rush. Instead, you should work your way patiently through the platforming sections.
If you’re about to do a long jump, don’t just run to the edge and try to jump off. Unless you have the very essence of Tomb Raider in your veins from countless playthroughs, you will most likely walk off the ledge like a Road Runner cartoon, rather than jump off gracefully. Instead, walk to the edge, hop back, and then run forward while holding the jump button.
Unless engaged in combat, you can only hop back while using tank controls: even more reason to use them. Hopping backward gives you the perfect distance from a ledge to do a long jump.
3
Memorize Shortcuts
The remastered edition of Tomb Raider 4-6 includes an impressive array of shortcuts. Not only are quicksaves implemented, but now you don’t have to go into the inventory to equip different weapons if you’re playing on a controller.
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Memorize these shortcuts, especially for quicksaves and flares, because you’re going to need them. It’s worth mentioning that the original versions on PC did allow you to equip weapons and flares on the fly at the press of a number button, provided you were playing on a keyboard.
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Explore Photo Mode
One of the most popular and essential features of Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered was the inclusion of a photo mode. This allowed fans to have fun posing Lara in different outfits and comedic situations. The photo mode was substantial and seamless, feeling like the one modern feature that truly belonged in classic Tomb Raider.
Part of the incentive to play Tomb Raider is to engage with its fanbase. The classic Tomb Raider community is passionate and welcoming: a few funny pictures would go a long way with them.
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Use A Guide
The classic Tomb Raider games are among the most difficult games of their generation. This applies doubly so to The Last Revelation, where the second half has puzzle sections whose logic is still being debated by fans to this day. It was theorized that the Tomb Raider titles were designed to sell strategy guides, and some levels certainly make it feel that way.
Despite the remaster fixing a lot of game-breaking bugs, Angel of Darkness is also subject to a lot of nonsensical RPG elements that block your progress despite having no logic behind them. How does pushing a box make Lara able to kick down a door she couldn’t open before? It is a mystery. Use a guide, there’s no shame. Stella’s Tomb Raider Site is a wonderful place to start: it has been maintained for decades by a dedicated fan, and her guides are comprehensive.
