Tomb Raider Trilogy Review

Classics HD The Tomb Raider Trilogy for PS3 What do you get when you combine sexy Lara Croft, three of your favorite action-packed role-playing games and high definition?  Classic HD The Tomb Raider Trilogy for PS3!  Technically, the review could end right now, really, what more needs to be said?  Now you get to enjoy Croft’s endless adventures in HD, what more could any gamer ask for?  Tomb Raider is one of the top recognized gaming franchises among all age groups and it will likely stay that way for a long time thanks to this release. Storyline For over a decade, Lara Croft has remained a popular video game icon, finding treasures, exploring ruins and fighting the occasional antagonist in some very eye-appealing outfits.  Don’t expect any of the storylines to change in The Tomb Raider Trilogy because they don’t.  Of course, why would anyone wan them to?

• Tomb Raider: Legend – Join Lara on a journey that leads her around the globe to find one of the greatest artifacts that history has ever known.  This artifact however, will unleash many very unwelcome figures from your character’s past that still remains a mystery.  Legend is the first installment in The Tomb Raider Trilogy but the seventh in the series and fans still don’t know much about her character.  In Legend, she’ll travel to places like Japan, Africa, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Nepal, Bolivia and England.

• Tomb Raider : Anniversary – The second game you will move onto in The Tomb Raider Trilogy is Anniversary, a re-imagined adventure that was inspired by the first Tomb Raider video game. It’s 1945 and there’s a blast in New Mexico from a nuclear explosion from which a mysterious winged-creature flies out.  Jumping ahead to 1996, Lara Croft is approached to find an important artifact that she once looked for with her father so she agrees.  She travels to the Peruvian Mountains, Greece and Egypt to gather all three pieces, just to have them stolen.  She must destroy the artifact before it’s used for evil purposes.

• Tomb Raider : Underworld – This is a direct sequel to Legend and was the eighth in the series. Lara is searching for a place called Avalon, she’ll start her quest in Thailand to find a missing gauntlet that her father hid under the tomb of her grandfather.  Her journey will lead her to Mexico, Jan Mayen Island and a complex that lays deep under the Arctic Sea.

Gameplay While the original games were loved, they were also known for being a little (often more like a lot) clunky.  Classics HD The Tomb Raider Trilogy has incorporated a platform that’s just a little more organic without taking away too much of the awkwardness that gamers actually enjoyed about the series.  Now Lara can do her acrobatic flips in the air, jump from one ledge to another and spin around poles with an added grace, the games are just more fluid. There are also similar improvements with combat.  Although Lara still seems to have horrible aim in Legend, she does improve tremendously in Anniversary and Underworld.  You can dodge incoming attacks easier and you will appreciate how the adrenaline system has been reworked.  In Underworld, you can even invoke your adrenaline and release some serious Matrix-like nostalgia that will keep you busy, intrigued and entertained. Without a doubt, it is more than apparent that most of the concentration on improved gameplay was devoted to Anniversary and Underworld.  Legend still feels a little outdated so don’t get discouraged when you play it.  By the time you get to Underworld, you’ll be granted some pretty sweet rewards. Graphics Graphically, Underworld is the definite standout but all three games really do look superb.  If you look at screen shots from the original games compared to those in The Tomb Raider Trilogy, it is clear that the team spared no expense with these upgrades.  Lara looks better than ever and so do the environments.  As soon as you get to Japan in Legend, you’ll find a new appreciation for the franchise.  Crystal Dynamics certainly outdid themselves on this one.  Remember the waterfall scenes in Legend when everything was bright and blurry?  Well, who knew there’s actually some stunning architecture behind them! Conclusion Whether you have been a diehard Lara Croft fan from the beginning or are just now becoming formally introduced, The Tomb Raider Trilogy is a must play. It’s three of the best games of all time remastered in High Definition, all on one convenient Blu-ray disc.  Gone are the dull environments, shiny patches on the screen and blocky graphics, the games are beautifully detailed with crisp, sharp characters now.  This is a welcome addition to any gamer’s collection. 9 / 10