Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

Three decades ago, Lara Croft plunged into caves with her two revolvers and unshakeable confidence. Now, the gaming world's most iconic adventurer returns in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, a collection that brings together the three original titles with reworked textures, improved lighting and a few surprises. The question that remains in the air (but I won't ask it) is: is it worth revisiting these classics with a modern polish? The answer is yes, as long as you're prepared for a deep dive into an era where difficulty was king and saves were manual.

The package delivers the complete games, including the expansions Unfinished Business, Golden Mask e The Lost Artefact. There's no new storyline, but the nostalgia of these labyrinthine maps, with their hidden secrets and deadly traps, remains intact. The great novelty is the possibility of switching between the remastered and original graphics at any time with a simple touch. A trip back in time that few remasters offer with such fidelity.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered review

The gameplay is a mixture of adoration and frustration. The controls retain the essence of tank controls - walking in eight directions, jumping with millimeter precision - but now there's a modern scheme option that makes Lara more responsive. Even so, jumping requires patience and muscle memory. Fatal falls are frequent, and the manual save system (you can only save with crystals or at specific points) can leave the modern gamer's hair standing on end. But it is precisely this difficulty that made the original titles so memorable. Solving the puzzles, disarming the traps and exploring every corner rewards you with a genuine sense of achievement.

Graphically, the work is impressive. The textures have been redone in high resolution, the characters have been given more polished 3D models, and the dynamic lighting has transformed dark environments into places with a dense atmosphere. On the other hand, the level design remains the same - which means that some areas look square and camera angles can get in the way. Performance is solid on PC and consoles, running at 60 fps without crashing. Highlights include the photo mode, which allows you to capture the revamped visuals, and the option to activate the original pixel art to kill the nostalgia for good.

The fun depends on your appetite for retro. If you've come from the more linear and cinematic adventures of the reboot era, you'll find the lack of elaborate cutscenes and unguided exploration strange. But if you want to feel the adrenaline rush of running from a T-Rex or uncovering the secrets of Atlantis, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is a full plate. The difference lies in the care with which Aspyr has treated this relic: they've added achievements, wide-screen support, and a quick save system (optional) that softens the punishment. It's not a remake, but a nostalgic embrace with a new makeover.