Tomb Raider
PS1 and Saturn
For my original review of Tomb Raider, click
>HERE<
I just love the original Tomb Raider. My first review of this game was less of an actual review and more of a love letter to the game itself. That being said, I didn't intend to return to this game so soon. Realistically speaking, it likely would have been another 10 or 15 years before I would have come back to this game again, if I ever did at all.
Why did I come back to it then? I have an answer for you, and it is quite exciting: I'm going to be on a podcast about the original Tomb Raider game. And not just a podcast, either, one of my favorite podcasts out there: The Cartridge Club. The CC acts as a book club for gamers. Each month they pick a classic game, play through it, and then discuss it in the pod. I've been listening to this podcast for a few years now, and I've always wanted to be on it. Now I am finally going to get my chance. Yay. And it couldn't come with a better game.
I originally started playing through this game on the Sega Saturn, just to be different from the other reviewers on the podcast. They were likely playing the PS1 or PC version of the game. I quickly realized that this wasn't going to be a good idea, as I was bogged down with all kinds of technical issues due to my Saturn being on its last legs. After struggling through the Peru section of the game, I decided to switch over to the PS1 version. I didn't want to replay all the Peru stages again, so I used level skip codes to fast forward me to the Greece stages. I proceeded to play through the rest of the game on the PS1.
The whole time I was playing this game, I couldn't help but admire all the things it did right. This game was so ahead of its time, it isn't even funny. The thing that stood out to me was the level design. It is just brilliant. Every single level flooded me with nostalgic memories. Even if I hadn't played this game growing up, I would have recognized how great the level design is.
The first stage of the game: iconic. The second stage with the abandoned ancient village: iconic. The first Greece stage where you have to find all the different keys: iconic. The Midas stage: iconic. The Colosseum level: iconic. The Tomb of Anubis: iconic. That first Egypt level: iconic. The mine level where Lara loses all her equipment: iconic. The entire Atlantis area with the nasty creatures and the pulsating walls of meat: iconic.
Every single time I thought I might get bored or lose interest in playing, I didn't. Each and every level brings with it a new set of challenges and a new mystery to solve. Considering how unexcited I was to be playing this so soon after my last playthrough (I guess you can put quotation marks around soon since I last played it 8 years ago), I quickly became enraptured by this game. I could not put it down until I was done with it. It's so good. So good.
People like to knock this game or make fun of it because of the outdated graphics and the clunky control set. Well, I don't care. This game came out in, what, 1995? What do you expect this game to look like? Ghost of Tsushima? These graphics were cutting edge for its time. To me, the world building and the tense atmosphere in this game is almost more impressive considering its age.
And the controls? Get good is all I have to say. They take a while to get used to, sure, but once you get the hang of them they quickly become second nature. There's a strict set of physics and rules that this game abides by, and once you fully comprehend them, moving Lara is a cakewalk. By the end of the game, I was running and jumping over chasms, grabbing onto ledges, and maneuvering myself through the game's obstacles without even taking the time to line up my jumps. I've played this game and its sequels dozens of times, and I don't think I've ever felt more in control of Lara then I did on this playthrough.
I gave the game an A+ in my initial playthrough. Does it still get an A+ from me? You're darn tootin'. Not only is this an amazing and underrated game, it paved the way for action adventure titles in video gaming forever. I'm not sure I'll ever play this game again in my life. I've played it more times than I can count, and I've seen everything it has to offer. If this is the last time I play the original Tomb Raider in my life, it was a playthrough for the ages.
Now, to record the podcast. Hopefully I don't suck! Wish me luck.
THE GRADE:
A+
For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click
>HERE<
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