1.12.2010

There's an interesting story regarding the development of Tomb Raider Anniversary, a remake of the 1996 PSone game, Tomb Raider. In 2006 the game was originally gonna be developed by Core Design who made the PSone Tomb Raiders, suggesting that Eidos were prepared to give Core another chance after the disastrous Angel Of Darkness game.Then the project was cancelled. Then a few days later Eidos said the project was back on, though this time it was being developed by Crystal Dynamics, who made Tomb Raider Legend. Finally, after much confusion, Tomb Raider Anniversary was released on PS2 in June 2007 with the PSP version released in August of the same year.In case you're new to the Tomb Raider scene,and have never played the original game before, let me fill you in. Lara Croft is an athletic, intelligent (not to mention attractive) archaeologist-adventurer who has discovered many artifacts and graced the front cover of several Archaeology magazines. For this adventure Lara has been hired by Jacqueline Natla, a wealthy businesswoman and owner of Natla Technologies, to recover an artifact known as the Scion. The adventure sees Lara traveling around the globe, searching the depths of ancient tombs for this artifact.Crystal Dynamics have done a good job with Anniversary. The developers have thought long and hard about how to present this remake, and have come up with a game that not only pays tribute to the original, but also introduces some new ideas to make it feel like a fresh game that's never been played before.Like the original Tomb Raider, Anniversary features Croft Manor. This place acts as something of a training level. Here you can check out the rooms, solve some puzzles and collect rewards (a little more on those later). Lara's home is based on the same design featured in Tomb Raider Legend with a few modifications, like a back garden. It's OK, but I prefer the mansion featured in TR1, 2 and 3. That mansion was much bigger and made you feel like you could go anywhere. This Anniversary one feels like living in a money deposit box. Awfully cramped.Onto the actual game. This being a PS2 and PSP game Anniversary has been updated in several departments. The graphics of course are more detailed and realistic, as are Lara's movements, and several cutscenes have been added or updated for a more movie-like experience.But Tomb Raider veterens will still recognize elements from the original game. For example: Lara climbing to the top of the doorway and pressing a button to open up the cave in Peru; although you actually have to do this yourself, unlike the original where it was just a cutscene. There have been a couple of line changes in the remake; but it still follows the same story as the original game as well as having similar scenes, like Lara interrogating Larson regarding the whereabouts of the other Scion pieces. The remake also recaptures the uneasy feeling of being alone in the tombs. There's no radio head set. There's no Zip or Alister to keep you company. It's just you, Lara and a tomb, just like the old PSone days.To make the game feel more modern Crystal Dynamics have inserted features from their previous game, Tomb Raider Legend, as well as a couple of original ideas. The grappling hook makes a return, as do the cutscenes where you have to press certain face buttons quickly and at the right time to avoid instant death. The main new idea for this game is the Adrenaline Dodge. When Lara shoots certain enemies they'll become enraged and charge at her. When this happens the game goes into slow motion, and at this point you need to press the circle button and move the analogue stick in any direction to dive out of the way. Whilst diving wait for a target reticule to aim at the head of the enemy, and when it turns red you can perform a head shot and kill it instantly. The move actually looks pretty cool, especially when you've mastered the move and can kill enemies with it regularly.Tomb Raider Anniversary is a big game, and it'll be a while before you get to see the ending. But there's plenty of replay value to be found even when you do complete it. The time trial mode makes a return from Legend, and several rewards (in the form of silver statues) and relics can be found hidden in the levels. The successful completion and location of these things will unlock extras in the main menu, like new costumes and character biographies.In conclusion Tomb Raider Anniversary is a game that's ideal for everyone. Hardcore Tomb Raider fans will feel nostalgic playing through the same story and levels they conquered once before. Newcomers will find enough new features in this game that will make them feel not-so left out on the whole Tomb Raider phenomenon. Being a 90's guy I still prefered the original PSone game (it has sentimental value) but Anniversary is a worthy remake.

4.6.2007

Yes, this time round, Tomb Raider Anniversary really has become the much-loved game that fans have always wished for in the past few years. And after Angel Of Darkness and the fun but short Legend this is EXACTLY what we needed. This game is simply AMAZING!Lara is back in the tombs but this time round using the Legend engine she has never moved or looked as good. The graphics are just breathtaking and the feeling if isolation so very present. This is a remake in some respects as everything from Tomb Raider is there but it's a different take on the game altogether by bringing it completely up-to-date and offering something completely new.Difficulty - This game is challenging!! I kid you not,there have been moments when I have thrown the controller across the room and had to take a break in fear of getting too angry and giving up. But don't let this put you off, this is exactly what Legend was lacking which made that game such a dissapointment and I am playing on hard and getting all the secrets and artifacts. You may find yourself having to try things a few times which is what annoys me but if a game annoys me then I know I'm enjoying it because I want so badly to defeat it and see what's next. We all love a challenge now don't we? Lara herself is easy and fun to control and offers a range of new moves which are all cool and some of the levels are so big you will have plenty of free range to run and explore, it's just that there are many many puzzles and difficult traps to solve and maneuver yourself through. The answers aren't there in front of you, you're left to explore and figure it all out.New features - Lara has some new moves including a new balancing feature, which enables Lara to land on slim structures and balance before proceeding. This is included in some of the obstacles and proves challenging. I've also found that some features that were introduced in the last few games have actually become alot more useful as you will need them more in this game. As for Lara, she's back to her original outfit just over a decade older and looking and moving better than ever.Music/Locations - These simply never fail to impress and you will be blown away by some of the details and atmospheric views you'll encounter along the way. There are some really tense and scary moments when music builds and beasts attack. I'm playing on PS2 and it's the best looking game I have played on this system to date. I can't imagine how impressed I'll be when Lara moves to the PS3.Enemies - These have come a long way since the early days. The AI has improved with enemies communicating with each other and looking and sounding more frightening and real than ever before. You will enjoy wanting to move around in stealth more as enemies in this game don't fail to surprise you and the variety and number of enemies is larger. Depending on where you are their number varies and this game never seems predictable. Bosses aren't repetative and predictable either, you may find you have to endure a series of tasks during battle to defeat them.Overall, this game has really returned to it's original form with so much more on top of that, you will find yourself hoping that the game doesn't end and you'll not be able to leave it alone. Hardcore Tomb Raider fans will enjoy the feeling of isolation and the huge amount of Tomb-like settings and puzzles which the very first game had but everyone should enjoy the game because it has all of this with the best up-to-date feel and look and huge amounts of fun.The levels are a great deal longer than Legend so don't be put off getting the game in fear of it being too short. Puzzles are challenging and there's plenty of them so this also adds to play time and there's room to explore so you may find yourself on this game all day long.The only thing I would have to complain about is that personally I love Lara when she's in locations more close to home rather than spending too much time in dusty tombs so I would have loved to have seen her travel further around the globe and more varied but I fully understand this game is a dedication to the original and is pretty large as it is, so that was never going to happen but if the next release combined this gameplay with an added 'remake' of later TR games in certain parts it would probably be the best game ever made.

5.8.2007

Tomb Raider Anniversary is ostensibly a remake of the original Tomb Raider game, but with the latest graphics engine that was developed for Tomb Raider Legend. It is, however, much more than just a remake. Anniversary comes with new stunning visuals, music, sound effects and puzzles that have kept me entertained for hours. Lara has also added a couple of new moves to her inventory of jaw-dropping acrobatics since Legend.Lara is as graceful as ever, which is more than can be said for the camera which is following her - your only perspective in this game which is highly restricted in its movement and positioning, making some necessary acrobatics difficult to execute. A problem that fans identified with Legend,and one which the game designers should have fixed in this outing. Alas, we are but pithy fans, our opinions count for nought!Normal combat tactics are also right out with this game. Creatures charge at you with no intelligence and, it seems, an infinite tolerance for pain. The creatures do however, become "enraged" if shot too many times (rather than "dead" as you might expect), and charge at you in semi-slow motion, giving you a somewhat over-rated opportunity to dive out of the way and shoot them in the head. Unfortunately this feature is more cumbersome than it is reliable, and rarely provides a feeling of satisfaction.It is unfortunate that the best tactic for killing creatures is to find a position where they can't reach you, and shoot blindly. It will be blind, because Lara's head is sure to block your view. Combat is therefore eventful but uninspiring. I much preferred combat in Legend, in which I felt I had more control, and it gave me a much bigger thrill.The graphics are excellent, a far cry from the original Raider from which this game lifts many of its puzzles. However, those who loved the "NextGen" feature on the PC version that made Legend look so gloriously cinematic and lifelike, will be disappointed to see this feature missing from Anniversary. As a result, Legend remains visually superior.The music has also been re-written, with many allusions to the original game, but with none of the edge, power, suspense or rhythm introduced to Legend. Once again, it's a thumbs up for Legend, and a thumbs horizontal for Anniversary. It serves, it's good, better than many games on the market, but it does feel like a backwards step.Anniversary has far fewer cut scenes than Legend, and gives you more puzzles, exploring, and longer gameplay. This is all much better. But they still insist on "interactive cut scenes", where a little 3D arrow appears in the middle of the scene and you're expected to press the direction key that corresponds to the arrow (or you die). This is a ridiculous concept and has no place in a Tomb Raider game, it should have been canned.A piece of advice: turn off hint icons immediately! It's a crazy invention by some politically correct designer who wanted to make the game more accessible to the under 5s. We really don't need big warning signs appearing on our screens when there might be something in the room we can interact with.Games today have sought to become more and more visually realistic. Although cinematically Anniversary doesn't come up to par with Legend, gameplay is much less linear than Legend was. This gives the gamer some degree of choice as to how Lara's adventure is played out. However, as games look more realistic, we also expect everything else about the game to be completely believable. Anything which detracts from believability is jarring, and unfortunately Anniversary dishes out its fair share of problems. Granted we accept the adventures in Lara's world, that's the escapism. But all else should feel as cinematic, coherent and realistic as a blockbuster movie.These really are nit-picks, from a gamer who wants to be completely immersed in Lara's world, and not experience anything that reminds me "it's just a computer game". Call me geek if you like, but this is the direction games have been going ever since computers could display more than 8 colours. Now the technology is here for photo-realistic and physically-realistic games with acceptable frame rates, we need manufacturers to start stretching the technology to its limits. With Anniversary, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

29.6.2007

The original tombraider was the first game i ever played and for me it was responsible for many years of great gaming entertainment.I was a little wary at first when i heard about this remake but a couple of hours into this game and my fears were mostly laid to rest.The design team deserve a medal for this. Everything you remember from the original is here exept its all been arranged slightly differently and the puzzles and areas have been changed just enough to make the whole experience seem fresh and new whilst retaining the nostalgia and memory of the original.That said, the reviewers who have been complaining about the controls have a very valid point and i can only rate the game two stars for fun because of this.Its not so much the controls that bug me though but the new moves,

11.1.2008

You would have thought now that the tomb raider formula would be beginning to tire especially seeing as the series, in numerous iterations, has failed to evolve and innovate to keep the franchise fresh. The core to all tomb raider games has always been its level design, and of course, Lara Croft; with the big busted lady's amazing ability to swing and jump across deep crevasses and sidle along ledges as thin as her waistline, without breaking sweat at the hundred foot drop looming below. So why then is this game, which is a re-make of the first tomb raider, so fun to play whilst feeling fresh and like a completely new adventure?This is largely due to the Wii remote which the game exploits to

2.7.2007

I've always enjoyed the tomb raider games but have on occasion found them frustrating due to the tricky controls and lack of checkpoints which resulted in having to repeat large chunks of the game over and over.When Legend came out I felt that these problems had been ironed out. The problem was that it was too short and felt at times like a James Bond game rather than Tomb Raider.Anniversary takes Lara back to her roots and puts her back where she belongs. Although it's officially a remake of the first game it does feel like a new addition to the series. There are times where you'll come across familiar territory and the music is based on the original themes.

5.11.2013

This game Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007) which I have played twice - and the second time I completed it 100% including all the time trials of each level in chronological order and on the hardest gameplay setting(!) which really pushed my gaming ability further. I used an MS XBox Wireless Controller for Windows, a throughly recommended gaming device as it means you can play without ever looking down at a keyboard. The original game created and made by Core Design (an English developer) on which this product is a remake of Tomb Raider (1996) which sold over 100 million units in all formats. This version by Californian developer Crystal Dynamics sold over 3 million units and is really polished throughout and had brought it up to date for the gaming standard of 2007.

30.7.2007

I've always been a fan of the Tomb Raider games so was really anticipating this release... and I was not dissapointed! Infact its much better than I expected.I never got the chance to play the original and so have always wondered what all the hype was about, but after playing this I now know why the original was so popular and addictive! There's just got to be something about this particular adventure that makes this game so SPECIAL! The gameplay and controls are much improved from the earlier games (similar to Legend) which did get dead annoying at times. The levels are nice and long which is the way they should be, the puzzles are excellent and very interesting, the environments and all the animals are also superb,

3.6.2007

On the menu is a note to fans saying that Tomb Raider: Anniversary "borrows heavily" from the original two titles, which is spot on as some rooms are the same and others have been tweaked about a bit, which at least keeps this version feeling fresh and not just a straight remake.The original Tomb Raider was well designed with some great puzzles and a sense of isolation and loneliness, adventuring Indiana Jones-like in exotic locations. Tomb Raider: Anniversary retains everything that made the original fun and exciting to play but brings the graphics up to date and introduces a few new moves and controls to make gameplay easier.

16.6.2007

I'm an old school TR game fan I can still pick up play any of the first 4 TR games on the PSOne and get significant enjoyment from them despite their age. I didn't fully enjoy Legend, Crystal Dynamics first foray into TR land, but even I had to admit it was a well made and very good looking game. Well I've just finished my pre-orderd Amazon copy of TR: Anniversary and I'm pleased to say I was impressed. They've not only made a good effort in updating the original game but obviously listened to the criticism of Legend too and corrected some, if not all of the annoyances. The result is it is a game that should attract both new players and old looking for a good game and/or indulging in a bit of nostalgia.

18.5.2008

Buying this game was like looking up and old girlfriend on Facebook and being pleasantly surprised to find her prettier and nicer than you remembered (in your dreams lol !).I had misgivings about a re-release of TR1 but my fears were allayed within minutes of playing. It is sexier, faster, bigger and much more controllable (walk off a ledge and she'll grab!) than TR1 ever was. It incorporates all the great moves from Legend with the panoramic scenes and puzzles from TR1. It remains faithful to the original though by not incorporating Legend's binoculars, PDA and torch but you do have the grapple which sees a lot of use. (If you liked wall running in Prince of Persia, you'll love this)All the best bits are there,

11.6.2007

It's great to see Lara back as she is supposed to be. In my opinion this is the first of the Tomb Raider series on PS2 to capture anything like the essence of the original. Right from the start of TR1 my husband and I have followed Lara from the Egyptian tombs, across Venice in a gondola, climbed the Himalayas and trekked the Irish countryside. So how excited were we at the prospect of the first TR for the PS2? Sadly disappointed, that's what! As all TR fans know, 'Angel of Darkness' was more 'Broken Sword' than Tomb Raider. 'Legend' was an improvement, but I'm afraid that all the most awsome graphics available cannot compensate for what is otherwise a shoddy game. Put simply,...

14.7.2007

Everyone that has played TR since the beginning has been looking forward to the next one and I only stumbled across this one after having been disappointed with the Angel of Darkenss balls-up and not that excited about Legend. This one looked pretty decent though: we're back to the original TR and all those memories of being round my mate's house on his PS1 running around and getting scared at the cool sounds came flooding back!Anniversary is a decent game - it looks fantastic, sounds fantastic, but the frustration you can get from playing the game can overshadow this. It's largely down to the controls and camera angles - which aren't bad at all most of the time, but some of the tasks you have to perform (grappling,

17.1.2016

Tomb Raider Anniversary is the original Tomb Raider updated with better graphics and rewritten with subtly different elements and an organising storyline that connects to Lara Croft's back story. Like the original PC version of Tomb Raider, you _can_ play it with the keyboard, but you are going to find it an awful lot easier if you use a game controller—though you may find some moves where the keyboard is actually easier.The improved graphics are greatly welcome. They are not in the same league as the current crop of reboots, but they are significantly better than the un-updated Tomb Raider Underworld, which, after the current games, just feels very blocky.

6.6.2007

I've always enjoyed playing the Tomb Raider games. The first one was brilliant. The second one was even better (the best TR game in my opinion) and the third was improved with regard to the sound effects, though it was much tougher than the previous two. The latest ones (Last Revelation, Chronices, Angel of Darkness and Legend I found dissapointing. Then I heard about this game and I had to get it.As you all know this is a remake of the original Tomb Raider, following the story of a woman named Natla who sends Lara to the tomb of an Atlantean ruler named Quolopec to recover his piece of the Atlantean Scion. It is when Lara gets it, she decides to get the remaining two; one in Greece and the other in Egypt.Personally I still prefer the original,

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