Didn't hook me too much, but a neat slow paced platformer - less about quick reaction, more about planning your route in advance. Controls make sense, but might be difficult to figure out at first - for the first 5 levels I didn't realize that running up isn't always a good thing and kept blaming the game for messed up jumps. Also tank controls, probably because the game had to have precise turning without an analog stick.
Either way, holds up really well even today, I bet it was amazing back in '96. Recommend to anyone who enjoys Indiana Jones vibes.

Finished this on the Switch version of the Remastered Collection, but I don't feel like logging the whole collection as only one game. I played it with classic graphics, so it counts.

This was really good! I think it really excels at the planned platforming, deciding what jumps work where and executing that plan. The sense of exploration is also something you don't see in modern games anymore, some would say for the better but I disagree. Tomb Raider doesn't hold your hand, and your sense of curiosity can walk you into an instakill trap. Still, that idea of looking at your surroundings and planning your moves in what feels (but ultimately isn't) a very open ended tomb ultimately nails the premise the game is selling.

Where the game falls a bit flat is the combat. It's too simple to really be engaging, and it's not really dependent on your equipment hording skills since you're given oodles of everything even without looking for too many secret areas. When the game tries to push the combat the most is when it's frustrating, although when you get the uzis and begin just mowing things down it does regain some dumb fun. Quick reaction sections can also be a bit frustrating since the inputs can be somewhat complicated, so doing them on a dime can feel a bit unfair when a boulder rolls at you in the middle of a complicated jump section. That being said, it's still a lot of fun and it really rewards mastery of the platforming with shortcuts and being able to survive those quick reaction encounters on the first try.

Overall I can see how it's a classic, but I am definitely worried about how the formula is pushed in the millions of sequels. There's some room for improvement, but I worry that as I play them the devs may mistake tedious segments for challenging ones. The idea of punishing the player with time is interesting, but wore thin by the final third of the game (as seen by my sudden increase in save scumming... of the 220 saves, 120 were in the last third of levels in the game).

The plot is pretty bare-bones, but for what it is it works well. I do like the twist on the theming of the final level quite a bit.

Overall a fun time, although definitely something difficult to recommend to those not as comfortable with the clunkiness or visual presentation of early 3D games.

really great atmosphere, really difficult controls. kind of an underrated masterpiece in spite of that - i was surprised by how much they did in this game and how memorable some of the levels are for coming out in 1996. it goes a lot further than you think it does. the controls also start to make a strange sort of sense after a certain point, but you can't approach them in the same way as contemporary 3D games.

playing Tomb Raider 2 (dear lord) after also made me realize how much restraint this game has by comparison.

Tomb Raider '96 has been on my bucket list for a few years, and it feels great to check it off the list! It's a thrilling cinematic platformer, with presentation I honestly feel still stands up overall, and still feels good to play! Platforming is the star, here; the combat is serviceable, though clearly an afterthought. This does sort of feel like Mario 64's estranged older sister. This is Core Design's answer to the "movement in 3D space problem", though with a d-pad, instead of an analog stick. It's honestly way too long for its own good, but other than that, I don't have any major complaints. Not a must play, though if you're curious about games from a historical perspective, I think this one is definitely worth checking out.