Tomb Raider IV – VI Remastered PS5 Review. Aspyr Media has slapped ‘The Darkness Trilogy’ moniker on this latest collection of Tomb Raider games, and to be fair, it’s a label that perfectly encapsulates not only the tone – Lara is accused of murder in Angel of Darkness, after all – but also the general state the franchise was in back then. It was a pretty dark time, as by 1999 fatigue had started to set in, and the annual grind of delivering a new Tomb Raider had left developer Core Design well and truly knackered. I can vividly recall gaming magazines of the time criticising the series for its staleness and lack of new ideas, as fresh and innovative offerings like Metal Gear Solid arrived on the scene.
Meanwhile, the arrival of the Dreamcast delivered a 128-bit punch of horsepower that rendered Lara’s exploits looking less the visual glamour model and more like the very trinkets she sought after – a bit dusty and definitely showing signs of age. Critical reception was turning lukewarm, and the public’s obsession with the pony-tailed archaeologist was waning.
True, the titles featured in Tomb Raider IV – VI Remastered are not as beloved as the pixellated pilfering of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft, but that sells the package a bit short. What we have here is the series at an interesting point in time; a bold, if misguided direction that show an intriguing glimpse at what could have been, and a formula that, when executed with confidence, can still stand with the series’ finest.
Tomb Raider IV – VI Remastered PS5 Review
A Darker Side To Tomb Raider
I’ll get this out of the way first: Tomb Raider The Last Revelation equivocally is the best of the bunch. A brave step for Core at the time as the game takes place entirely in Egypt (save for a tutorial level with 16-year-old Lara in Cambodia), The Last Revelation represents perhaps the biggest shakeup to that point, introducing hub stages and interconnected levels that require ample backtracking as you methodically whittle down its various conundrums.
The desire to explore is infectious; The Last Revelation’s level design is both thought-provoking and intricate, while Lara’s new abilities (swinging on ropes and swivelling around corners hanging from a ledge) offer more freedom in navigation. Even your inventory plays a bigger role, as key items can be smooched together to create door-opening trinkets.
Yes, some of its cobwebbed catacombs can prove monotonous and disorienting, but Egypt as a whole sparkles with character; shanty towns, torch-lit tombs, sparkling subterranean lakes and dusty libraries are evocative and sumptuously designed. At its best, The Last Revelations’ majestic backdrops stand on the pantheon of the series’ finest labyrinthine obstacle courses of the original trilogy; as captivating as St. Francis’ Folly, and no less grandeur than The Temple of Xian.
Combat shifts a gear with the addition of gunsights and multiple ammo for weapons such as the crossbow and grenade launch, giving extra weight to encounters and freedom to experiment. Seeing a headless skeleton run amuck a sandy hill after shooting its bony bonce off is hilariously satisfying.
Tomb Raider Chronicles by comparison is far less cohesive. Here, Lara’s pals reminisce about her past exploits as they mourn her ‘death’ around cosy fire, which means you get to relive four disparate adventures taking you from the streets of Rome to Werner Von Croy’s high-tech New York gaff.
Lara is more nimble than ever before despite these flashbacks set years before the main trilogy; she can do everything from The Last Revelation, plus spring forward from a crouch and walk tightropes. The formula feels admittedly tired by this point, but still works to accommodate the lush backdrops; settings like the street of Rome and the superbly atmospheric Black Isle (where a young, weaponless Lara fends off impish creatures and evades wraiths) are vintage Tomb Raider, rich with exploration and challenging platforming.
A Collection Of Tomb Raider’s Most Curious Offerings
Less enthralling are the bland docklands and submarine, which meld into drab, uninspired corridors more often than not. There’s some thrills to be had escaping from the sub as it succumbs to the waves, but the setting feels restricting and movement cumbersome in the narrow, flooded halls.
The New York complex is completely incongruous with the series’ template. Clearly taking a leaf out of popular stealth games of the time, the emotionless metallic corridors and laser traps are completely at odds with Tomb Raider’s rich history of plundering long-forgotten tombs, and its stealth sections are pretty wonky. Lara rocks a catsuit like the best, though.
Chronicles nonetheless remains an intriguing concoction of ideas that don’t add up particularly well, but are punctuated with some great moments that recall some of Lara’s finer adventures.
And then there’s Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness. Its notoriety is the stuff of legend at this point; critically mauled upon its 2003 release, this PS2 game arrived of the scene a buggy and frustrating mess, a victim of rushed development and undercooked ideas. Yet, its inclusion here is still valuable; a relic of the series’ rare missteps, Angel of Darkness remains a fascinating reminder of what could have been, its heavily flawed tapestry still showing the odd glimmer of promise.
Lara now has a dedicated stealth button for whacking baddies unconscious from the shadows; she can commando crawl through tight spaces; there’s also dialogue options while conversing with locals as you hoover up objectives to scribble in your handy notebook while on the run from the cops in Paris.
It’s also worth pointing out that missing content including a training area, the ability to stock up at pawn shops and extra dialogue is restored in full.
Does it fix the inherent issues of the original release? No. The game still feels shoddy to control, I ran until multiple collision detection niggles, and the enemy AI makes Trigger from Only Fools and Horses look like a rocket scientist. It’s still the best version of the game you’ll get to play though, and the tone and setting are unlike anything the series has dabbled in to date.
A Fantastic Remastering Effort Despite The Games’ Inherent Flaws
Aspyr cannot be faulted for its remastering efforts, despite the inherent issues that come with the games themselves. The visual overhaul looks superb; Egypt’s intricate hieroglyphics in particular are sharper than ever, with subtle environmental details shine, freed from their pixellated trappings.
The modern control scheme again is a nice addition for newcomers, but like with the original remasters, the games feel better using tank controls simply due to their design. Angel of Darkness is a notable exception; the modern controls are great (although the standard button mapping feels unintuitive to my ageing fingers), making things overall much easier to stomach.
The return of Photo Mode is also welcome, and there’s more to do with it this time around with the fly-by mechanic, plus the chance to kit Lara out in various outfits is a great bonus. This combined with lighting fast load times, sharp menu text and the returning save anywhere feature rounds off a brilliant package of care and restoration.
Tomb Raider IV – VI Remastered is an interesting collection of the great, the so-so, and the downright baffling. Newcomers are best suited to the TR I-III Remasters, but longtime fans and those looking to complete their collections will find plenty to enjoy here. There’s more than a few missteps along the way, but still plenty of vintage Lara to enjoy if you give it a chance.
Tomb Raider IV – VI Remastered is out now for PS5, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.