The first Tomb Raider is probably one of the most important games of my life. Not only was it the first game I ever played, but I also discovered it through a very special person during a rather rough patch in my life. Thank you for existing, Tomb Raider. But what makes this game special? I decided to replay it recently through the remaster to finally understand if all my love for the game is purely based on nostalgia or if it truly has qualities independent of an adult's nostalgic memories; and... isn't the game really that good?
Appreciating the classic Tomb Raiders nowadays can be a bit more challenging for newcomers to the series or those not used to old-school controls. The reason for this is its use of a "grid-based system" where essentially the entire level design is made up of blocks, and each movement Lara makes covers a specific distance of these blocks. Lara's standing jumps cover the distance of one block, but if you execute them while running, she'll jump two blocks. However, you can also press the action button in the middle of the jump, and Lara will open her arms and try to grab any possible ledge, so in a running jump where you would only cover two blocks, you can grab the edge of the third, then climb up. Each jump in this game has to be calculated and thought out, and I simply love this slightly higher degree of complexity in the gameplay of classic Tomb Raiders because it gives me the autonomy to manually control everything I want Lara to do. It's not all automated where pressing one button makes the character perform several complex actions. I'm in control; that beautiful jump followed by an acrobatic move or that tricky platforming part was me who nailed it using my skill and knowledge of Lara's moves in this game. I can't explain it... It's simply satisfying.
Talking about the environments themselves, I'm very biased... I've always been a huge fan of settings like temples, caves, dungeons, and everything forgotten by humanity. The idea of exploring an ancient, long-forgotten place that holds a relic, but first having to face challenges, enemies, and traps à la Indiana Jones (which the game obviously takes as its main inspiration) is just so damn GOOD in my personal taste, and Tomb Raider is exactly that. We go through caves in Peru, Greek temples (some theorize they're Roman, but who cares?), Egyptian temples, and finally even a biopunk-style pyramid with quadruped aliens (the worst enemies in the game). But not only are the locations where the game takes place interesting, but their atmosphere is also. Tomb Raider does an excellent job of conveying the feeling of exploring grandiose, magnificent, and legendary temples or caves through its SPLENDID environmental presentation. I still remember the first time I arrived at Lost Valley... before that area, the whole game was set in more confined spaces, so after a short session in claustrophobic caves, you step into this huge, forgotten valley inhabited by a T-Rex in the distance. The lack of Skybox and the hardware limitations of that time resulting in the black fog oddly cooperate a lot with the atmosphere of that area, and what was supposed to be a restriction due to the limited power of the PS1 became part of the whole, and man... Any kid back then would be impressed. And these parts where you contemplate a grandiose scenery aren't limited to Lost Valley, no... there are even better parts like the buried sphinx in Egypt or the area where we see two huge submerged statues. I love every part, every phase, and every visual aspect related to the environment of this game. PHENOMENAL!
As for the soundtrack, it's purposefully absent most of the time to aid immersion. But when it appears in scripted moments, usually small sections of tension with traps or more powerful enemies, it certainly steals the show. It's such a good, unique, memorable soundtrack that sticks in your head, you know? You hear it and automatically think: this is Tomb Raider. Sixty years could pass without me consuming ANYTHING from Tomb Raider, and if after all that time I suddenly hear the menu theme, a tear would probably fall from my eye due to a trigger that this OST would cause, making me remember many great moments I had with this game. Not just that, but also that subtle cave theme or even the action music.
Overall, the first Tomb Raider is a game that I feel a hunger and need to express my love for. I genuinely feel sad that many people don't give this masterpiece a chance because of its controls and the slight complexity of moving Lara, or they do but don't enjoy it much for those reasons. But those who dedicated a bit to mastering these controls and were able to fully enjoy the experience will probably identify with what I wrote in this review and agree. A 5/5 rating for this gem that shaped a large part of my personal taste in games.
Appreciating the classic Tomb Raiders nowadays can be a bit more challenging for newcomers to the series or those not used to old-school controls. The reason for this is its use of a "grid-based system" where essentially the entire level design is made up of blocks, and each movement Lara makes covers a specific distance of these blocks. Lara's standing jumps cover the distance of one block, but if you execute them while running, she'll jump two blocks. However, you can also press the action button in the middle of the jump, and Lara will open her arms and try to grab any possible ledge, so in a running jump where you would only cover two blocks, you can grab the edge of the third, then climb up. Each jump in this game has to be calculated and thought out, and I simply love this slightly higher degree of complexity in the gameplay of classic Tomb Raiders because it gives me the autonomy to manually control everything I want Lara to do. It's not all automated where pressing one button makes the character perform several complex actions. I'm in control; that beautiful jump followed by an acrobatic move or that tricky platforming part was me who nailed it using my skill and knowledge of Lara's moves in this game. I can't explain it... It's simply satisfying.
Talking about the environments themselves, I'm very biased... I've always been a huge fan of settings like temples, caves, dungeons, and everything forgotten by humanity. The idea of exploring an ancient, long-forgotten place that holds a relic, but first having to face challenges, enemies, and traps à la Indiana Jones (which the game obviously takes as its main inspiration) is just so damn GOOD in my personal taste, and Tomb Raider is exactly that. We go through caves in Peru, Greek temples (some theorize they're Roman, but who cares?), Egyptian temples, and finally even a biopunk-style pyramid with quadruped aliens (the worst enemies in the game). But not only are the locations where the game takes place interesting, but their atmosphere is also. Tomb Raider does an excellent job of conveying the feeling of exploring grandiose, magnificent, and legendary temples or caves through its SPLENDID environmental presentation. I still remember the first time I arrived at Lost Valley... before that area, the whole game was set in more confined spaces, so after a short session in claustrophobic caves, you step into this huge, forgotten valley inhabited by a T-Rex in the distance. The lack of Skybox and the hardware limitations of that time resulting in the black fog oddly cooperate a lot with the atmosphere of that area, and what was supposed to be a restriction due to the limited power of the PS1 became part of the whole, and man... Any kid back then would be impressed. And these parts where you contemplate a grandiose scenery aren't limited to Lost Valley, no... there are even better parts like the buried sphinx in Egypt or the area where we see two huge submerged statues. I love every part, every phase, and every visual aspect related to the environment of this game. PHENOMENAL!
As for the soundtrack, it's purposefully absent most of the time to aid immersion. But when it appears in scripted moments, usually small sections of tension with traps or more powerful enemies, it certainly steals the show. It's such a good, unique, memorable soundtrack that sticks in your head, you know? You hear it and automatically think: this is Tomb Raider. Sixty years could pass without me consuming ANYTHING from Tomb Raider, and if after all that time I suddenly hear the menu theme, a tear would probably fall from my eye due to a trigger that this OST would cause, making me remember many great moments I had with this game. Not just that, but also that subtle cave theme or even the action music.
Overall, the first Tomb Raider is a game that I feel a hunger and need to express my love for. I genuinely feel sad that many people don't give this masterpiece a chance because of its controls and the slight complexity of moving Lara, or they do but don't enjoy it much for those reasons. But those who dedicated a bit to mastering these controls and were able to fully enjoy the experience will probably identify with what I wrote in this review and agree. A 5/5 rating for this gem that shaped a large part of my personal taste in games.