TR2 Inconsistent Light and Dark Rooms

[Valiento]

So I notice that in TR2 there are rooms that are pitch dark in remaster and some sections are a little more lit up in classic OG mode. Like that cave at bottom of the long ladder in first level into the mossy cave with the two T Rexes….

Not to mention some of these inconsistencies also vary between version releases of original game too (software vs hardware, pc vs psx, etc)

OG (light at end of tunnel, can make out path from the dim light seeping in from hallway, can make our walls somewhat, but it’s a tad to dark when compared to original pc and PSX releases)
https://ibb.co/gR0JsJ8

Remaster (pitch black)
https://ibb.co/VDdmjsG

Original PC Direct3D 16bit color (very bright, can make out everything very similar to PSX version’s lighting)

https://ibb.co/g32Jfdq

Original PC Direct 3D 32bit color (even brighter, can make our everything, rich colors)
https://ibb.co/n39GkCy

Original PC Software (a bit darker than hardware direct 3D, but still brighter than remaster, almost monochrome effect)

https://ibb.co/VmMqJtR

PSX version is relatively bright closer to Hardware 32 color mode…. Note I’m using emulator with widescreen turned on but it doesn’t actually effect the lighting….

https://ibb.co/HF4Zz4T

Now I understand the need to use flares in these situations….

However I think they should keep the mood of the OG maybe adding a natural light source in the corners that were originally meant to be lit up a bit more, maybe some glowing mold, moss or fungus.

[StreamWhenGuy]

ok

[The Crazy Gringo]

It was also very dark in that part of the original, which is why the flares were added, which lend the game more atmosphere in my opinion.

[Valiento]

Originally posted by The Crazy ♥♥♥♥♥♥:

It was also very dark in that part of the original, which is why the flares were added, which lend the game more atmosphere in my opinion.

No it’s not very dark in the original don’t gaslight me lol… I can compare them with touch of a button. OG is much more lit up and darker area is smaller section….

Yes flare will still help light things even more but it’s nearly as dark as remaster darkness is more like two square grids deep in OG and five grid squares in remaster.

[DogMeat]

Originally posted by Valiento:

[quote=The Crazy
No it’s not very dark in the original don’t gaslight me lol… I can compare them with touch of a button. OG is much more lit up and darker area is smaller section….

Yes flare will still help light things even more but it’s nearly as dark as remaster darkness is more like two square grids deep in OG and five grid squares in remaster.

This isn't a 'gotcha', as you are generally correct. TR 2 remaster is generally darker about 90% of the time if not more.

However they've lightened up certain areas... just a tad.

Front Yard:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174990463
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174990543

Back Yard:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174990095
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174990173

I always loved the finale in classic TR 2, but I remembered NEEDING flares to get through the level. I realized, as I was playing the remaster, that I didn't actually need to light any as I ran around... so I took a few comparison shots.

[Valiento]

Ya it’s really inconsistent. Sometimes it’s darker too dark and sometimes it’s too bright.

But I was referring to a very specific part of first level not the entire game. I wish there was more consistency somehow to keep the original gameplay intent light or dark.

[567657544]

The lighting needs to be adjusted . What was dark in the original should be dark in the remaster, and what was bright in the original should be bright in the remaster.

https://ibb.co/BjQRrVp

[almost_a_jill_sandwich]

Originally posted by 567657544:

The lighting needs to be adjusted . What was dark in the original should be dark in the remaster, and what was bright in the original should be bright in the remaster.

https://ibb.co/cJ7tbzC

exactly this. it's like they applied some filter to tone down overly bright/dark areas and ended up going overboard in the opposite direction. at least it helped me conserve flares

then there are areas like the coastal village huts or Thame's wharf which just got darker....

[Gill]

It's especially evident in the TR2 expansion. So many areas used to be pitch black are now fine, and vice versa.

Personally I don't mind, flares in TR2 always felt a bit gimmicky, but in TR3 were much more consistent.

[Valiento]

Originally posted by 567657544:

The lighting needs to be adjusted . What was dark in the original should be dark in the remaster, and what was bright in the original should be bright in the remaster.

https://ibb.co/cJ7tbzC

Definitely because it changes the originally intended gameplay.

[oasisbeyond]

The og lightning made no sense... There was lights in places where it shouldn't have had light... This one uses more realistic lightning hence they even added light bulbs and chandeliers to make it make sense... That ladder part was pitch dark in og game, so I don't know what you are talking about, you need flares... You need to switch in between both to play this game, I feel. Wait till you see the Opera House they actually re did the ceiling was pretty cool they took their time, I feel part 2 is the game they gave the most love too ,since we don't have a true remake of it, and it's the most popular game of the og's.

[oasisbeyond]

Originally posted by 567657544:

The lighting needs to be adjusted . What was dark in the original should be dark in the remaster, and what was bright in the original should be bright in the remaster.

https://ibb.co/cJ7tbzC

No it shouldn't the lightning made no sense in the old games, I use to make levels it's just how it was, this uses a more dynamic lightning system, they can't just turn off lights or put light bulbs like the old editor, just switch with old to new... ENJOY!

[Valiento]

Originally posted by oasisbeyond:

The og lightning made no sense... There was lights in places where it shouldn't have had light... This one uses more realistic lightning hence they even added light bulbs and chandeliers to make it make sense... That ladder part was pitch dark in og game, so I don't know what you are talking about, you need flares... You need to switch in between both to play this game, I feel. Wait till you see the Opera House they actually re did the ceiling was pretty cool they took their time, I feel part 2 is the game they gave the most love too ,since we don't have a true remake of it, and it's the most popular game of the og's.

The bottom of the ladder was pitch dark not down hallway that opened into the moss room (where light flowed in from the Dino moss cave): in remaster the entire hallway is dark.

It’s also much darker in remaster. In OG you could see Lara and make out walls somewhat in that tunnel… in remaster it’s pitch black…. Funny thing is yon switch to OG and see your way through most of that tunnel but not in remaster.

Keep in mind I’m playing on OLED so the differences are probably more dramatic than most players experience and any light OG that makes it into the tunnel makes things more viewable and brighter than if it was on LCD or CRT most likely..

People complained about how TR1 was too dark but on OLED I could see almost everything even in rooms that had been darkened in new lighting system.

Also it’s gonna depend on how people have set their brightness and contrast settings on any monitor type….

[567657544]

Originally posted by oasisbeyond:

Originally posted by 567657544:

The lighting needs to be adjusted . What was dark in the original should be dark in the remaster, and what was bright in the original should be bright in the remaster.

https://ibb.co/cJ7tbzC

No it shouldn't the lightning made no sense in the old games, I use to make levels it's just how it was, this uses a more dynamic lightning system, they can't just turn off lights or put light bulbs like the old editor, just switch with old to new... ENJOY!

If realistic lighting or dynamic lighting is going to ruin important moments in the game, it shouldn't be used. The lighting system you're talking about negatively affected almost all of the scary moments in the game. My first comment contains a link of an image showing how this lighting system negatively affected one of the most terrifying moments in Tomb Raider 2.
And this is another example:

The yeti frst encounter

https://ibb.co/r3d70Qx

The original developers of the game intended for some places to be dark to scare the player, but in this remaster they are bright.
It seems that you do not know that developers can darken certain areas or light up certain areas, even if they use dynamic lighting. They can darken the areas that are supposed to be dark and light up the areas that are supposed to be lit.
They can easily fix that if they want to.
The game gives you more than 50 flare in the golden mask but you don't need to use them in the remastered version because all areas are well lit.

[Valiento]

Interestingly if you play the stand alone original Direct3D PC hardware mode version, the entire hallway isn’t dark at all! Neither is the bottom of the ladder!

https://ibb.co/n39GkCy

256 color Software render is darker but not by much….

https://ibb.co/VmMqJtR

Off topic spiders don’t seem to dramatically explode as much in death either like on original PC version….

[Valiento]

Originally posted by 567657544:

Originally posted by oasisbeyond:

No it shouldn't the lightning made no sense in the old games, I use to make levels it's just how it was, this uses a more dynamic lightning system, they can't just turn off lights or put light bulbs like the old editor, just switch with old to new... ENJOY!

If realistic lighting or dynamic lighting is going to ruin important moments in the game, it shouldn't be used. The lighting system you're talking about negatively affected almost all of the scary moments in the game. My first comment contains a link of an image showing how this lighting system negatively affected one of the most terrifying moments in Tomb Raider 2.
And this is another example:

The yeti frst encounter

https://ibb.co/r3d70Qx

The original developers of the game intended for some places to be dark to scare the player, but in this remaster they are bright.
It seems that you do not know that developers can darken certain areas or light up certain areas, even if they use dynamic lighting. They can darken the areas that are supposed to be dark and light up the areas that are supposed to be lit.
They can easily fix that if they want to.
The game gives you more than 50 flare in the golden mask but you don't need to use them in the remastered version because all areas are well lit.

Ya intensity of dynamic lights can be set. And they can also create other light sources like wall torches or glowing moss/mushroom like other games use.

Like they added candles now, and lightbulbs.