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.
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.