Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered Review

Back then, the 3D platforming adventure of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation (1999), Tomb Raider V: Chronicles (2000), and Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness (2003) set a new standard for the video game industry.

Core Design was responsible for the development of these games, and Eidos Interactive was its publisher between the years 1999 and 2003, while Crystal Dynamics later published these titles on Steam. These games took us on exciting archeological expeditions that featured dangerous traps, legendary relics, and ancient secrets.

Last year’s Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft from Aspyr was a pleasant surprise. Later, it was revealed that Aspyr would be continuing to remaster the titles mentioned above. While the first remake had some issues, the anticipation for the Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered was higher. Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered includes the later trilogy for modern gamers in a new form. It includes visual upgrades, quality-of-life patches, and another opportunity to experience Lara's adventure.

Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation is a revelation for the franchise, as it features an extended flashback of Lara's more youthful years. As the story progresses, she accidentally sets an angry God free while on an expedition among those ancient Egyptian ruins. A dramatic cliffhanger was used in the Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, which shook up the franchise. 

The game was darker and more intimate than the previous installments. The additional focus on mythology and the connection with ancient legends has added a degree of richness to the narrative of this remastered. As a result, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered provides the impression of being one of the most interesting entries in the original series.

Tomb Raider V: Chronicles is a nostalgic episode that takes place after it is presumed that Lara has passed away. A mix of short stories from Rome, Russia, and Ireland is presented by Lara’s friends as they reflect on her earlier adventures. This game maintains the Lara lineage through episodic narrative despite the fact that it does not feature a powerful antagonist or an epic story.

The game, despite having a severely flawed narrative, reveals information about Lara's history and the reasons for her actions that were rarely shown in previous games. Even while it does not quite match the storytelling of its predecessor, Chronicles has a certain type of charm that can be attributed to the fact that it takes place in a variety of other settings.

Tomb Raider VI: The Angel of Darkness, the most controversial installment in the series, is also included. The game's tone and gameplay are completely revamped, and Lara is thrust into a neo-noir conspiracy that features a murder mystery, satanic cabals, and mystical powers. Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered introduces a new playable character named Kurtis Trent and aims to provide Lara with skill growth in the style of a role-playing game. 

Since Angel of Darkness was developed in a hasty manner, it gained a reputation for having a poor control scheme and regions that were not completed. As a result, the planned trilogy was never completed. Nevertheless, one must not underestimate the significance of its goals. The darker mood and more adult storytelling were both bold advancements for the brand, despite the fact that their execution was not as successful as it could have been.

Exploration, platforming, puzzle-solving, and combat are the four components of the Tomb Raider formula, and they are all present in these games. The gameplay in The Last Revelation is improved upon from previous installments, providing Lara with more fluid movement, rope swinging, and object handling. The gameplay in Chronicles is generally the same as in other games, with some minor adjustments made, such as the addition of stealth and tightrope walking features.

And then there is Angel of Darkness, which, of course, attempts to modernize the genre by including elements of role-playing games (RPGs), enhancing stealth, and introducing an improved system in which Lara becomes progressively more powerful throughout several levels. In theory, this was done to improve immersion, but in practice, it resulted in jerky movement and a disconnected pace to the experience. 

The remaster makes an effort to clean up these messy corners, but the fundamental issue that existed in the original version is still present. In spite of these problems, Angel of Darkness has some shining moments. These moments are when the combination of elements from adventure games, clue collection, and urban roaming creates a unique experience that sets it apart from earlier versions of the game. With a more precise execution, the show may have established a new standard for itself.

There has been a long legacy of challenging environmental puzzles in the Tomb Raider franchise, and these games are not an exception to that heritage. The puzzles in The Last Revelation may be the most challenging of the three games in the trilogy. 

These riddles require reasoning, exploration, and the manipulation of the environment. Angel of Darkness is more of an adventure game with stronger clue collection and NPC interrogation than Chronicles, which is essentially the same game with a variety of objectives. Chronicles is similar to one another.

The combat in these games is a bit of a mixed bag. Both The Last Revelation and Chronicles adhere to the core auto-lock shooting mechanism, which allows Lara to duck and somersault while firing twin pistols, Uzis, and shotguns. It is simple but effective. 

Angel of Darkness attempts to employ a more strategic combat mechanism by utilizing manual targeting and melee combat, yet this mechanism is both slow and inaccurate. The new version responds with greater aiming and reactivity, making the battles far more manageable, despite the fact that it is not as fluid as its supporters expect it to be.

On the other hand, the puzzles in these games are among the most challenging in the series. Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered challenges the player's thinking, encourages the player to think of inventive ways to employ Lara's talents and gives the player the opportunity to explore the entire planet. The remaster does an excellent job of preserving this experience and bringing these classic tests of wits back into playability by making them available to play again today. 

The games, however, fall short when it comes to combat. While both The Last Revelation and Chronicles are solid, Angel of Darkness is not as strong as the other two games since its mechanisms are not very well thought out. Despite the fact that the remaster smoothens down the rough edges, the defects are more noticeable.

The accumulation of experience points in the classic games is not significantly concerning; however, Angel of Darkness has an advancement system in which Lara "learns" new skills by performing activities such as pushing enormous items after she has grown her strength. 

While this does, in principle, offer a sense of realism to the game, in practice, it tends to feel random and pushes players to backtrack without any reason. This system has not been altered in any way by the remaster, which means that its laborious operational procedures have not been altered.

One of the most appealing aspects of Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is the significant visual upgrade. The character models have been improved significantly, with Lara now exhibiting more lifelike facial emotions and fluid movement. 

In addition to having improved lighting, finer textures, and a cleaner appearance in general, the backdrops have a more detailed and refined appearance. The fact that you can choose to play with either the original visuals or the updated graphics gives purists the opportunity to have their cake and eat it, too, if they so choose.

However, although the updated graphics and lighting make the games look better, a significant portion of the animation seems to be outdated. This is especially true in Angel of Darkness, where Lara's movements continue to be stiff despite the polished remaster.

Its soundtracks, each featuring a magnificent orchestral score to fit the sense of adventure, are also some of the things that are not easily forgotten. Additionally, Chronicles effectively uses music to sell its episodic format, whereas The Last Revelation features an atmospheric tune designed to suit the otherworldly Egyptian location. 

The score for Angel of Darkness is darker and more dramatic, and it was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. This score is a better fit for the grungier tone of the film. Jonell Elliott continues to produce a wonderful performance as Lara Croft, and the voice acting has remained basically consistent throughout the game. Angel of Darkness, on the other hand, has a speech that is awkward and a terrible pace, both of which are minimally rectified in the remastering of the film.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is a retro-flavored rekindling that updates three ancient favorites to the present console generation with significant visual and play improvements. While The Last Revelation and Chronicles hold up, Angel of Darkness is a letdown but engrossing beginning. Fans of the series will appreciate the upgraded graphics, controls, and challenges of puzzles in this collection. 

However, the residual mistakes of Angel of Darkness, the occasional stiffness in animations, and the continued combat problems prevent the remaster from being a complete restoration. Despite these problems, this collection is able to retain a significant amount of Tomb Raider history, and it is an excellent choice for both veterans and newcomers.