Review: Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered (PS5) – Definitive Package Closes Out the First Chapter of Lara Croft Adventures – Push Square
GuestGuestLogin | Sign UpPush SquareGuestLogin or Sign UpTomb Raider 4-6 RemasteredPS52025 N/AGame RatingUser Ratings: 0Our Review: Scroll DownGods, angels, and mummiesVersion Reviewed: PS5 (Standard) / EuropeanStoried developer Aspyr has been knocking it out of the park recently. It followed the first three Tomb Raider remasters with an update of the beloved Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games. More recently, the studio threw a satisfying curve ball with Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles, a remaster nobody knew they needed. It now brings us a concluding triptych of Lara Croft adventures — two uniformly great entries alongside one of the most notorious franchise failures in history.This collection will be a fascinating prospect for some, if only to see The Angel Of Darkness carved into the kind of shape it was always meant to be in.All the bells and whistles of Aspyr’s remaster template are represented here. Each game has a shiny new skin, with the ability to instantly swap between vintage boxy visuals and the sleek new style. The smooth look is more pronounced with the PS1 titles, but Angel Of Darkness’s bold and moody art style also benefits from a lick of paint.Presentation is not without issues, with some notable texture pop-in throughout Last Revelation and Chronicles where the camera bites off more than it can chew.The modern control scheme returns from the first bundle, and it’s just as fiddly to get to grips with if you’re a series veteran. The old tank controls are not better per se, but the new scheme often feels counterintuitive to the traversal mechanics of Last Revelation and Chronicles.Photo mode is back, and it’s accompanied by a flyby feature that allows you to send a virtual camera across custom paths, creating dynamic action shots. This is a fun toy that’s great to play with in this collection’s diverse set of environments.Another neat addition featured in all three games is the cheat system. In a nod to the notepad-and-pen action of yesteryear, Aspyr has reproduced cheats using the same button combinations that some will remember fondly. Rounding out the updates are customisable UI options and fully re-mappable controls.It’s also worth noting before we delve into the games themselves that these titles are faithful remasters. Much like the first three games, they represent decades-old game design trends, with none of the streamlined convenience of modern genre titles. Exploration and puzzles are often frustratingly obtuse and the combat systems feel ancient. Now, let’s raid some tombs.We kick off with Last Revelation: a departure from the epic globetrotting of Tomb Raider 3, it takes place mostly in the dusty tombs of Egypt. The story sees Lara battle the Egyptian deity Set, who has possessed her mentor, Verner Von Croy. Featuring an iconic tutorial level in which you play Lara as a cocky teen, this fourth instalment is an enjoyable adventure, only brought down by its lack of visual diversity.There’s a bonus level alongside the main game, previously only available on PC. In this mini-raid, Lara pokes around in the ancient archives of the Times newspaper. A rewarding diversion, it’s worth playing to see a high-res image of British legends Paul Daniels and The Krankies in the Times editor’s office.Next up is Chronicles, an episodic tale in which three of Lara’s closest allies recite stories of derring-do in the wake of her apparent demise. Light-hearted and action-packed, Chronicles is a nice tonal transition between parts four and six. Lara 5.0 offers the most refined version of the series formula and re-introduces a more varied aesthetic. Shifting between locales, from European streets to high-tech facilities, makes part five a worthy contrast to its sandy predecessor.Finally, the black sheep of this 30-year-old franchise. The Angel Of Darkness was the hotly anticipated PS2 entry. Releasing to negative reviews that cited its many technical issues, it also had a mixed reception from the fanbase. The final game in Core Design’s tenure with the franchise has many staunch defenders, but its initial release was undeniably flawed. Developed alongside Chronicles, the game suffered due to a dev team trying to reshape the series template within the constraints of time and unfamiliar technology. It comes to us now with every fix and improvement added in the wake of its original launch, including cut tutorial content and many squashed bugs.That said, it remains a rough experience.All of the core mechanics that make up a Tomb Raider game are broken here to some degree. The control scheme butts heads with the platforming constantly. Make friends with the quicksave function, because even the most basic jump might be a one-way ticket to a broken neck.The combat is dull and restrictive, encouraging the use of a woeful stealth system. After playing the other two games in this collection, scrounging for ammo and collecting money to buy guns feels like a drag.At the very least, the story is compelling, following Lara as she goes on the run for murder and joins forces with playable deuteragonist Kurtis Trent. Eckhardt is a great baddie and after the initial urban slog, we do get some nice locations to explore. The shift towards a darker colour palette also really works; it was a bold design choice that offers an engaging tonal contrast when presented in this bundle.Yet, as admirable as the attempt to shake up the formula is, The Angel Of Darkness is still the clunkiest adventure in Lara’s first cycle. Its reception would ultimately lead to the franchise being completely retooled under a new studio.Overall this is another solid collection from Aspyr. Paying respect to titles of yesteryear with good-looking visual upgrades and a plethora of modern options. Last Revelation and Chronicles remain series classics, but the big draw here is to experience the fascinatingly flawed The Angel Of Darkness.With another generous set of remasters, we finally have the complete inaugural generation of a Playstation icon. The ports aren’t perfect, but a generous selection of modern options balance out the imperfections of Tomb Raider: Last Revelation and its sequel Chronicles. Having The Angel Of Darkness in a good enough state to revisit might be worth the price alone.Good 7/10Review copy provided by Aspyr MediaHow we review productsScoring PolicyAbout Ken TalbotKen Talbot has been playing games since they came in the form of cassettes. Over 30 years of experience in all genres and on all platforms, with a particular corner of his heart for Playstation and Nintendo. Ken has worked in the software industry for over a decade, which keeps him close to the tech and business decisions that drive the gaming industry. He loves to play everything, but is an enthusiast for survival horror and fantasy RPGs.Comments 24Got it downloaded but will be a while before i start it. Hopefully next year see’s the Legend Trilogy get a remaster.I loved the modern controls in the I-III remaster. Felt a little weird at first but I wouldn’t play them any other way now. They improve the games so much.I’m still working my way through TRIII so I’m hoping there will be a few patches before I start playing the new collection.Then hopefully we get the LAU trillogy too 😁No matter how much they try to improve Angel Of Darkness, it’ll still be awful. You can’t un-turd a turdI know this is pedantic, but how are the fourth through sixth entries in a franchise, referred to in this review as “the concluding tryptich”, the first chapter?Seriously tempted just to play The Angel of Darkness again, got about halfway through the PS2 version and it’s fascinating in that there’s clearly a great game in there but it was rushed so much that it’s just pants in many places. Shame the remaster doesn’t just cut Kurtis out completely, he looks like the sorta guy that blows into town, gets a church girl onto heroin and dies after slamming his Harley into a brick wall.Also I preferred Chronicles to The Last Revelation, which did my head in with its structure. Probably a crime punishable by death to admit.Looks a good remaster not sure I’ll play the angel of darkness though the other 2 games were greatReally keen to revisit AoD, and maybe finally finish it this time.When are Aspyr going to make a Star Wars Rogue Squadron remaster!I’m really happy that Angel of Darkness is, at the very least, now in a more polished state. Pretty cool that we now officially have the entirety of the old Tomb Raider games on modern platforms. Hopefully the Legend era is next as Legend is probably overall still my favorite in the series.@Fyz306903 It’s mad, we had bloody Jedi Power Battles before Rogue Squadron. We’ll end up getting Masters of Teräs Käsi next.Looking forward to playing 4 and 5 again. I wonder if they still have loading screens while wandering back and forth between different areas in TR4, or did they manage to sew the levels back into a larger whole? As this was obviously the original intention of the designers that was scuppered by the hardware limitations of the time. I found those loading screens really detracted from my enjoyment when I played it on my PS1. It made the game feel disjointed and smaller than it actually was.I remember I was quite disappointed by the first half of Chronicles, but it really picked up when it reached the haunted island with a younger, weaponless Lara. Looking forward to seeing how that has been remastered.AoD I never played at the time, will be interested to give it a go now the issues have been at least somewhat corrected. Perhaps future updates will further improve it.”The Angel of Darkness was the hotly anticipated PS2 entry”You’re not joking. I remember being a kid really excited for this game since I really loved the series. Then the game released…But just for my own nostalgia it would’ve been kinda funny if Aspyr used the original version of the game that has the game breaking progression blocker in it lol@Korgon AoD is still really bad. Both control methods are horrid. I played an hour this morning and couldn’t get past the tutorial where Lara has to run, jump and grab a wire off the roof. Quit the game and started up 4 again, it’s a much better game.@NowWithVitaminR Core Design’s made the first six Tomb Raider games this is what’s being referred to us the first chapter. The first five games are also similar to each other and different from what comes after. Angel of darkness is included for completeness but is a dead end stylistically.After this development move to Crystal Dynamics. Their first game was Tomb Raider Legend. The first 3 made by crystal dynamics under Eidos are considered the second chapter.Tomb Raider was rebooted into a more uncharted like style after a purchased by Square Enid. This will be the 3ed chapter.Tomb raider is currently getting rebooted again post Square.There are also many spinoffs that don’t fit in the idea of chapters.Looking forward to this. Weirdly, AoD was the first Tomb raider game I actually completed back in the day. I don’t remember much about it other than some obnoxious loading times in Paris. I’m really interested to see what I think of it now all these years later.@Ryall This is what I meant, thanks for clarifying @JackiePriest I avoided all the press at the time. I couldn’t afford the game, so waited for my friend to finish it and let me have a go. When they gave it to me, it was like they were delivering a death sentence. What an experience it was to smash my head against that game on release.”Worth playing to see a high-res image of British legends Paul Daniels and The Krankies”Sold.Aspyr has supported the first trilogy with many updates that have improved their remasters. It’s nice to finally have all the main games before the 2013 reboot available on modern platforms. There are a few differences between the two trilogies that I’d like them to standardise, like the original graphics at 60fps and the remastered graphics with appropriate brightness. The collections are fairly priced, the original graphics can be chosen and there are two different control methods.I hope they remaster the crystal dynamics trilogy. I loved the PS3 collection.Im interested in this collection because I haven’t played any of the games. Problem is I bought the original trilogy and got burnt out after TR, Unfinished Business and TR2. Took me 60 hours to beat them with a respectable trophy score and I don’t know if I have it in me to play TR3 and the two other expansions.As several have already stated, I hope the Legend trilogy gets a remaster next. Tomb Raider Legend is my favorite in the series and it could do with a facelift.@Kiefer-Sutherland Tomb Raider 3 is one of the hardest games in the series, with very unforgiving level design, particularly the London section. If you’re feeling burnt out after the first two games (Unfinished Business alone is pretty punishing, and not Tomb Raider at it’s best), then I recommend taking a decent break before playing TR3, or you’ll likely bounce right off it.Waiting to see if it gets a physical. Show CommentsLeave A CommentHold on there, you need to login to post a comment…Free PS Plus Extension for All Members Affected by PSN OutageSony will add five days of service to your current subPSN Finally Back Online, But Some Problems Persist After Biggest Outage Since 2011In the green35 PS5, PS4 Games You Should Grab in PS Store’s Planet of the Discounts SaleRecommended PS5 and PS4 games going cheap9 PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for February 2025 AnnouncedStar Wars! Lost Records! Patapon!Elden Ring Nightreign Beta Test: All Start Times and How to AccessAll 5 Elden Ring Nightreign beta test sessions detailedGame ProfileTitle:Tomb Raider 4-6 RemasteredSystem:PlayStation 5Also Available For:PS4, Xbox Series X|SPublisher:Aspyr MediaDeveloper:Core DesignPorted By:AspyrGenre:Action, AdventurePlayers:1Release Date:PlayStation 5Series:Tomb RaiderReviews:Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered (PS5) – Definitive Package Closes Out the First Chapter of Lara Croft AdventuresWhere to buy:Buy on Amazon
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