- Lara Croft’s greatest adventures get a remastered collection in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft, coming in 2024.
- Crystal Dynamics collaborated with Aspyr Media, with the latter both developing and publishing the remastered trilogy.
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft will be released on February 14, 2024 (appropriate, since that is the character’s canonical birthday).
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is coming on multiple platforms next year, thanks to a collaboration between Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics.
The Tomb Raider franchise has been quiet in recent years. After 2018 which saw both Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the big screen live action reboot which starred Alicia Vikander, Lara Croft's day in the sun seemed to be truly over. Other than being licensed as a playable operator in Call of Duty and a perpetually delayed Amazon Prime series, there didn't seem to be much going on with Ms. Croft.
But in a surprising announcement, Lara Croft is going to be busy going back to her glory days.
The announcement of the Tomb Raider Remastered trilogy (specifically titled Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft) came from Crystal Dynamics and Aspyr on their official websites. This was then shared on social media such as X (formerly Twitter).
The highly demanded Tomb Raider I-III games featuring Lara Croft are coming to PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, and Nintendo Switch on February 14th - remastered!
Complete with all expansions and secret levels - this is a nostalgia trip you do not want to miss. @AspyrMedia pic.twitter.com/DZjMeTG2tS
— Tomb Raider (@tombraider) September 14, 2023
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft was developed and will be published by Aspyr Media. And it will not only be a remaster of the original trilogy of Tomb Raider games, but will also include their expansions (Unfinished Business, Gold Mask, and The Lost Artifact, respectively).
Looking at the teaser trailer, Aspyr Media appears to have based the in-game cutscene model for Lara as the template for the Tomb Raider trilogy remaster. Gone are the blocky and oddly pointy extremities Lara had in her early years. Instead, Lara looks more like how she appeared on promotional materials and magazine covers back in the 1990s.
The proportions are exaggerated, of course, but this is the closest to classic Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in her heyday. She even looks a little like Angelina Jolie, which is appropriate given the Hollywood actress portrayed Lara Croft in two live action films.
Aside from the visuals, Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics are promising the game will retain the classic gameplay elements of the first three games. This includes true-to-the-original D-pad controls. If you ever played Tomb Raider games back in the day, you will know this means precise timing and spatial awareness are needed to effectively use Lara's signature moves (running, jumping, acrobatics, push-and-pull mechanics, etc.), which were part of the challenge factor.
According to the official description of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft:
"Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft lets long-time fans and newcomers alike step into the boots of the iconic hero in her first three adventures like never before. Experience the classic action and innovative gameplay that helped pioneer 3D gaming, spawned a beloved franchise which has sold more than 95 million copies worldwide since its debut in 1996, and made Lara Croft one of the most recognizable video game characters in the world."
"Players can experience the journey their own way, with the ability to toggle on the fly between enhanced and original graphics, as well as switch between classic and modern joystick control schemes. Fans will also discover a variety of quality-of-life improvements, including camera lock-on and achievements."
Tomb Raider fans have been clamoring for a return to greatness, during the Core Design and Eidos Interactive era and prior to the Square Enix acquisition (and later Crystal Dynamics and the Embracer Group). While this new remastered collection is not exactly what these fans were looking for, it's certainly well-received.
Hardcore fans of the Tomb Raider franchise like YouTuber and Twitch streamer Melonie Mac (aka Melonie Mac Go Boom) have expressed how ecstatic they are feeling with the announcement of the remastered trilogy.
SO PERFECT SO PERFECT SO PERFECT!!!!!!!! 🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/2q1jz8WV1S
— Melonie Mac ✝️🎮🖤 (@MelonieMac) September 14, 2023
What did you think of the announcement and teaser of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft? How do you feel about the retro look of Lara Croft compared to the more gritty depictions in the past decade?
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is now available for pre-order. The game launches via GOG and Steam online stores on Feb. 14, 2024 for the Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC.
Did we need this? No. Have I secretly wanted it for years? Maybe...
I have not played these titles in years. Going to have to get this set. Man, I miss old gaming.
I did not realize how bad the graphics were lmao!