Some icons are simply too dying to be buried in the sand. The gaming medium has seen a large number of these rising stars, but - unfortunately - it has also allowed us gamers to see the decline of many of them. Someone will certainly have thought of the Crash Bandicoot phenomenon, only recently made a comeback (perhaps) due to a strong nostalgic desire on the part of fans, that N has wisely decided to exploit; similarly, the braid and dual pistol heroine has seen a large number of transformations over the years, with several passages leading her to that Rise of the Tomb Raider landed just today on PlayStation 4 with a large number of extra content for fans.
To learn more:
Lara Croft: Chronicles of an Icon
But the 2013 reboot was certainly not the only attempt to recover the charm of Lara Croft, as the most loyal fans of the series will already know. After the very lucky Tomb Raider: Legend (which sold more than 4.000.000 copies), Eidos Interactive e Crystal Dynamics they thought it best to continue the adventures of the beautiful adventurer by taking up some elements from the very first chapter of the series, in a sort of remake / tribute to pay homage to the figure of Lara Croft after more than ten years from the release of the debut title.
Today, after many years from that distant 1996, the Tomb Raider series is finally celebrating its first 20 years. And what better way to celebrate this anniversary than by analyzing Tomb Raider: Anniversary, second chapter of a trilogy that, alas, will be destined to be abandoned too (despite, as already mentioned, its explosive beginning)?
Version tested: PC
Spinning between waterfalls and falls
A game between two generations2007 may seem to belong to a by now distant era, now overtaken by almost two entire generations of consoles. The era PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 had just begun, PlayStation 2 and Xbox were beginning to move towards their decline, but many remember the last momentum of that generation of consoles whose first light of twilight could already be glimpsed. Tomb Raider: Anniversary it was one of those titles that managed to place themselves exactly between the old and the new generation, finding a way to grab a place on both of them; with unfortunately not necessarily happy results in some areas.
From the beginning, however, Tomb Raider: Anniversary it was presented as a title loosely based on the former tomb raider, characterized by taking up some of the most impactful settings of the first chapter and re-proposing them in a completely modern key. And, using an improved version of the Tomb Raider: Legend engine, the Crystal Dynamics developers actually managed to craft an artistically successful title, which, albeit violently lashed by the signs of time, still manages to stand up to comparison with the level-design of many of the current productions.
You don't necessarily have to sport photorealistic graphics to leave the player speechless, and Tomb Raider: Anniversary proof of this: the simplicity of its graphics engine does not prevent the game from creating occasional beautiful lighting effects, nor has it stopped developers from playing with the majesty of the settings and with the small details that contribute to creating a “realistic” and extremely beautiful setting to look at. Just look at the gigantic waterfall in one of the initial areas (clearly adapted from the original chapter of the series) to realize how true this can be.
But not all that glitters is gold, e Tomb Raider: Anniversary it is a very good title to demonstrate this too: the PC version, in particular, is undermined by a series of technical problems related to the inaccuracy of the controls, a decidedly inadequate camera and even several bugs in the programming, which at times have pushed Lara outside the map in an almost infinite fall. Problems that deserve a couple of words of further study.
"No, I don't use the controller on principle"
Tomb Raider: Anniversary it can (and should) be played with a controller in hand, but with a little practice it can become perfectly enjoyable even with a simple mouse and keyboard. This does not mean that the control system is free from problems, on the contrary: the firefights (frequently against animal or mystical creatures) they are often particularly difficult to manage in both cases, and not infrequently you will risk the skin of the beautiful heroine simply for a camera that fails to adapt to situations or for a strange reactivity of the controls themselves.
The camera is often unmanageable and badly positionedThe biggest problem, however, remains the camera that follows Lara through the settings, even in the case of the platforming and exploration sections: the shots can be misleading to direct the beautiful protagonist in one direction, and it will very often happen to make a jump wrong simply because the camera and controls don't seem to want to work together.
Needless to say, however, these problems can also be easily ignored, in light of what the game experience offered by the developers is. Tomb Raider: Anniversary it works very well, both in its wonderful level-design and in the splendid soundtrack (which takes up, of course, the main theme of the first chapter), and it will be difficult not to want to continue once arrived in the extraordinary temple of Midas, or after having faced a fearsome T-Rex in the Valley of the Dinosaurs. Not to mention that, as it is easy to guess, most of the problems mentioned disappear when you decide to simply use a controller to play.
The Game of Sighs
It will be very clear, at this point, what the really strong point of Tomb Raider: Anniversary: all players who were lucky enough to play the original chapter, in fact, will see a large number of references to the first Tomb Raider in almost any corner of the game, although the developers have done a great job (excellent, to be honest) of rewriting and reworking of the environments already seen in the original chapter. In addition, Crystal Dynamics has also focused on another element particularly dear to lovers of the series, here arrived in better shape than ever (and already seen in Legend under a new guise): the puzzles.
Environmental puzzles have many touches of classThe puzzles of Tomb Raider: Anniversary are loudly part of the beauties of level-design, studied and designed to provide a series of puzzles and environmental challenges that can keep the player busy for minutes behind the same problem to be solved. Whether it's reflex challenges or simple logic, the architecture of each single level is designed to give the player a hard time, who will review most of the puzzles already found in the first Tomb Raider with some additional touches of class, to make the challenge even more "tasty" than it was originally. To these challenges will be added the collection of a large number of collectibles and secrets scattered throughout the levels, which will allow you to gradually unlock new costumes for the beautiful Lara to wear.
"Look, I play Tomb Raider for level-design!"
And that's not all: the most loyal fans of the series will be able to face a long challenge within the Croft Manor, presented here in a completely new guise and with a very specific path to follow to reach the final reward. Inside the Manor, Lara will have to find the most important pieces of her equipment to hunt for relics in the rooms of the house, solving puzzles and launching herself in crazy stunts in the various areas of the villa.
Rogue nostalgia
Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a return to the past in a modern wayThinking back to the playful context of those years, it would be foolish to try to deny how Tomb Raider: Anniversary it was a more than valid title, albeit with numerous problems that would have made even the most patient player of the time nervous. The nostalgia factor is still felt today after many years, and it is evident how much Crystal Dynamics loved and respected the work done by Eidos in the first years of the beautiful and curvy heroine of video games. Revisiting areas such as the Valley of the Dinosaurs or the initial caves in a modern key always has a certain effect, and if that's not enough, the developers have really worked hard to create architectural wonders worthy of being crossed at least once as the young adventurer.
Fragment of a letter to fans written by the developers
The problems (mainly of a technical nature) exist, and they are undeniable especially when you come across a series of enemies to defeat; and, however, Tomb Raider: Anniversary however, it remains a title that makes artistic beauty its strong point, and which proves to be able to entertain the player even seven years after its release. As long as you know how to understand and appreciate everything the game has to offer, of course.
Verdict 8/10 On Saturday night I go in search of unexplored tombs Comment Many years have passed since the arrival of Lara Croft on our consoles, and the icon of the PlayStation era has seen several sunsets and several new dawns, always with a dress somehow renewed. After Tomb Raider: Legend, Anniversary tries to improve those aspects already established by the predecessor and consolidate them into a remake / tribute that honors the founder of the series, with deep humility and artistic sensitivity. The problems, as already mentioned in the body of the review, are by no means absent and indeed they are even evident on more than one occasion; even so, however, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is configured as a valid title, beautiful to look at and - often, at least - fun to play, with a large number of references to the past that will make the eyes of the most nostalgic ones shine. And this, according to a humble opinion of the writer, may be more than enough to turn a blind eye (exceptionally) to the small-big technical flaws of the Crystal Dynamics title. Pros and cons ✓ Fascinating level-design✓ Great soundtrack
✓ Strong nostalgia effect x Aberrant camera
x Inaccurate controls
x Some occasional bugs
