My (short) Tomb Raider Remastered Review

[jurn]

My Tomb Raider history in a nutshell is this: the first TR game I played was Anniversary, which I loved, after that Legend, which is still one of my favourite games ever. Underworld was a disappointment, but I liked Guardian of Light and Temple of Osiris a lot, and the least said about the reboot games the better. So when these remasters were announced it was for the first time in a decade that I was excited for a Tomb Raider game. Having finished the first game now I think I'm ready to give my opinion on this remaster.

So during one of my gaming sessions I looked on the clock and saw that it was already 3 o'clock in the morning, so I can't say I wasn't captivated by it. Having said that, this game has some serious flaws that make life unneccesary hard during gameplay. We're back to the point that the camera is sometimes the hardest enemy to deal with. Gunfights in narrow hallways are sometimes extremely messy because of it. As the modern controls use the camera to aim the jumps, it sometimes happened that when Lara had to make a jump she had her back to a wall, and the camera couldn't be positioned behind her. I had to make the camera face her front and make the jump blind, having her run and jump toward the camera.
The biggest issue I have with this game is that there is a glitch that makes Lara freeze in place during fights, unable to move. I that case I have no other choice but to reload.
The modern controls I would say are acceptable, but I had wished for truly modern controls like Legend and Anniversary, and Uncharted and every other modern day 3D platformer: isn't it the goal of this remaster to make the old games accessible to a modern audience? Then I think truly modern controls are required.
Finally, I wish there was an automatic save system in addition to manual save. When I'm playing a game I want to lose myself in the adventure I'm going on, not having to interrupt the experience every three minutes for household procedures.

[Bracco]

you should really play the remasters with the tank controls, which are the original ones and what the game has been developed around

[FhqwhTODD]

The games here are built around square blocks and I have no doubt that while there was great effort put into modernizing controls for this remaster they just cannot work in every situation.
In fact: there are moves you need to perform that you cannot right now because you need to draw your guns to jump backwards or something. Thank god I am a tank control enjoyer.

Also: May I interest you in this video I finished right this moment?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-7J7bbiXQ

[Cú/Moon]

Originally posted by jurn:

but I had wished for truly modern controls like Legend and Anniversary, and Uncharted and every other modern day 3D platformer: isn't it the goal of this remaster to make the old games accessible to a modern audience? Then I think truly modern controls are required.

No.
This is not Legend.
This is not Anniversary.
This is not Uncharted.
This is definitely not every other modern day 3D platformer.
For Gods sake, every thing is perfect, ON TANK CONTROLS.
The game is designed around it, the game thrives on it, Lara's house shows you how to use it. They are some of the most precise and accurate controls ever made, take a minute out of your time to learn the controls and you'll not have these issues. But no, you wont and the response will be.... b.b.but "modern".

[FhqwhTODD]

About 50% of the complaining threads in this section would not have been made if they just didn't bother with the modern controls. And that is a fact.

[Korhal]

In a recent gamestar review (german videogame paper and online presence) they actually nailed the problem: The modern controls are good, yet the problem is, the game does not know about them.

So all these people claiming, the game is basically build for a different kind of movement set - which are the old tank controls - are right. The problem is not the modern controls in itself, but the dated level design, which are totally fine for a remaster.
The solution is simple: Get used to the "classic" controls, like with every other game, you might choose to try and just forget about the modern ones. Although tank controls are not used anymore, they do work quite well after some time despite their clunkyness. :)