Wow. It wasn't just a fond memory. This game is actually as good and deserving of the status it had back in the day. Despite me playing and enjoying the Tomb Raider games back when they first arrived, I still look back and wonder if some of it was just because of the 90s lad culture, and PlayStation being so big at the time.

Nearly 30 years later, I've been shown to not be so cynical. This remaster prove just how good Tomb Raider is and the nice overhaul to the visuals and frame rate compliment it nicely. That said, there were times when items and switches etc were not quite as obvious in this new make over, so luckily, with a feature I love in remasters, at the touch of a button, you're playing the original version. This helped me out when stuck in certain areas, as things were more obvious. Some of the new textures and environments are a lot darker than the original. A minor gripe, but one that let's me enjoy the toggle between old and new.

I find it incredible that I couldn't tell you the names of half the people I work with, yet I immediate knew the controls for this game, coming back our of nowhere, like a dormant skill. Swan diving about the shop, doing the fancy handstands, and the overall control of Lara came naturally, which is great considering I hadn't played an original Tomb Raider in probably 20 years plus.

The game itself, pure exploration, platform fun, with the odd bit of adding to the endangered species list. Killing lions, tigers and bears (oh my!). If the WWF found out what I was doing, they'd probably send the ultimate warrior after me. The sense of wonder and achievement this game gives you when you discover a new area is great. Hearing the theme play when you find a significant new room etc, just hits the sweet spot.

Some of the fights felt like they were added because videogames need boss fights, and there was the odd frustratingly cheap puzzle/death here and there. Plus some of the new renders and textures made things difficult on occasion, but otherwise, this surpased expectation and then some. I really liked that they kept the original cut scenes. It added to the charm. Man, I didn't care about a Tomb Raider remaster, but now it's here and I've played it, it's definitely something I needed. Like a shot in the arm. So refreshing to play something this good and exciting again.

It took me approximately 10 hours to finish. I'm guessing it doesn't count the amount of times I ended up in a crumpled mess on the floor, or impaled on spikes, so I imagine I've been playing a bit longer than that. Anyway, considering there's still 2 more to go, and I have very fond memories of the second, this is probably one of the best value for money game collections I've had in a long time.