Current Events > Which tomb raider game?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Steam has lots of tomb raider games on sale. I haven't played them since way back. Like 10+ years ago, but it caught my attention and I want to play.
But there are so many lol
Which one do you all recommend?

All of the PS1 games are pretty similar in quality (although the movement in the first feels a bit sluggish compared to the others), but I've got the biggest soft spot for 3. Nevada and London are brilliant locations.

The submarine levels in Chronicles are fantastic, too.

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How about rise of the tomb raider and shadow of the tomb raider? Any good?

1, 2, and The Last Revelation. If they have the gold versions of 1 and 2 get them since they have the expansion packs.

3 and Chronicles are not bad, but 3 is love it or hate it game due to the high difficulty.

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Out of the old ones, I always felt 2 was the best by a pretty good margin. I would not recommend 3.

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ShotgunSilencer posted...

How about rise of the tomb raider and shadow of the tomb raider? Any good?

i liked them a lot. I got over 40 hours into both. Around 35 hours on tomb Raider (reboot one).

Both games are pretty beefy at 4K. I had a 1080 when shadow came out and it averaged around 30 - 35fps at max settings. AA had to be turned down or itd be around 20

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Tomb Raider 2 is the best Tomb Raider that ever existed. The original game is quite good too. The third game is not very good at all. I do not recommend even trying it.

Revelations is okay but I didn't love it.

Anniversary is a strong title. I recommend it.

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The reboot games are great. Just finished rise and planning on playing shadow next

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Rise is the best of the reboot trilogy IMO. Then the first one, then Shadow.

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Awesome. Thanks for the input. Looking thru all these games have a nostalgia hitting hard.

There is a bundle for $55. It comes with all the games and a bunch of other cosmetic stuff which I don't really care too much about.

you can go all the way back to legends for a pretty fun time. anything before legends is hard to play.

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https://youtu.be/6gQOYAp1-oU

As a Tomb Raider superfan I can talk about this for days lol.

But the answer is it depends on what kind of games you like.

Tomb Raider 1,2,3, Last Revelations and Chronicles are from the PS1 area. They are largely the same game with incremental changes. Slow -paced, minimal stories and a ton of gameplay. Lots of atmsophere, moon jumping and puzzles

The graphics are early 3D and terrible and it's very janky.

Play those if that's the kind of game you like. High on gameplay/atmosphere. High Difficulty. Dated game mechanics, very slow paced. Low/weak on story and graphics.

Legend/Anniversary and Underworld are the PS2 reboot of the games. There is an improvement to graphics but still very "PS2". The gameplay is faster paced and actually has good game design but at the cost of atmosphere and exploration. A lot easier and friendly to newcomers, the plots are goofy but entertaining. Also brings in QTEs :(

Tomb Raider 2013 Reboot, Rise and Shadow are the PS3 era reboot. They are inspired by Uncharted and very "cinematic" lots of dramatic action sequences, crafting, stealth/cover based shooting. Close to 0 platforming and puzzles. A lot more focus on graphics and story but the "Story" is very cliche, flawed and safe. It's also so easy children can beat it.

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is complete shit, its so bad Hollywood blamed it for the second Tomb Raider movie flopping. Don't even bother until you've played all the others.

So tl:DR

Like slow paced atmosphere/diffculty/game play and don't care about bad game design, story or graphics? Go Tomb Raider 1-5

Like goofy but fun, player friendly video gamey adventures? Go Legend/Anniversary/Underworld

Like "Cinematic" games with a stronger but generic story focus, more crisp game design, great graphics but no challenge. Go with the 2013/Shadow/Rise

I reccomend both the reboots. Legend and 2013. They're the 2 best games the series has to offer. Legend is short so do that one first.

I can go into a lot more detail if you like >_>
I like talking about these games but I don't know if anyone wants to hear it.

Every few years I end up wanting to play Tomb Raider again and 11/17 times I end up going through Legend. It just holds up.

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Nice! Thanks for the info.

I went with legend, anniversary, rise, and shadow so far.

Might get a few more.. They're pretty cheap right now

Also, I am kinda looking for more exploration, puzzles, and stuff like that.

The first reboot Game was cool. Haven't played the others yet
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ShotgunSilencer posted...

Also, I am kinda looking for more exploration, puzzles, and stuff like that.

That's where the classic games thrive!

The emphasis of the PS1 games is on exploration and puzzles with the occasional enemies.

Enemies are more numerous and guns are more plentiful in the second game than in any other game in the original series.

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ShotgunSilencer posted...

Also, I am kinda looking for more exploration, puzzles, and stuff like that.

You'd not like the new games then.

There's no explanation and very few puzzles. The ones they do have are optional like they are embarrased about it.

The PS1 games are near entirely exploration and puzzles. But as I said, weak story, terrible graphics and some wonky ass janky game design

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Rise of the Tomb Raider is my favorite of the recent reboot.

But they just don't hold a candle to the old games. They are different beasts and do things so differently. There is really almost no comparison.

Also check out Duke Nukem Time to Kill.

It's basically PS1 Tomb Raider with Duke.

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SrRd_RacinG posted...

Tomb Raider 2 is the best Tomb Raider that ever existed.

Truth. It's just the best, definitely recommend if you're looking to go through the old ones.

I quite liked 3 as well, but it's extremely difficult. Might only be good if you're up for a hefty challenge.

Also for the reboot series, the story kinda continues throughout so definitely try Tomb Raider 2013 before Rise & Shadow too.

Woodger posted...

I quite liked 3 as well, but it's extremely difficult. Might only be good if you're up for a hefty challenge.

Only on the PS1

On PC you can save scum and it's Easy Peasy

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UnfairRepresent posted...

Only on the PS1

On PC you can save scum and it's Easy Peasy

It's funny, I only beat the PS1 TR3 about a year ago. It was kind of hard with the save crystals but I managed.

I was not impressed with the level design or really anything. Only two levels stood out that I enjoyed

But I can't blame the team...it was an entirely different team from the team that made the first two games.

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SrRd_RacinG posted...

It's funny, I only beat the PS1 TR3 about a year ago. It was kind of hard with the save crystals but I managed.

I was not impressed with the level design or really anything. Only two levels stood out that I enjoyed

But I can't blame the team...it was an entirely different team from the team that made the first two games.

SrRd_RacinG posted...

It's funny, I only beat the PS1 TR3 about a year ago. It was kind of hard with the save crystals but I managed.

I was not impressed with the level design or really anything. Only two levels stood out that I enjoyed

But I can't blame the team...it was an entirely different team from the team that made the first two games.

I don't really see how the level design in 3 was any different to 1 or 2, they are all pretty much the same.

If anything the London levels were the most visually interesting and that was 3.

Also what other game can you play when you go into a US army base, massacre US soldiers just doing their jobs and release a bunch of violent murderers... And have no one care while you're considered the hero

Only one I can think of is Half Life (1) and even then they're attacking you. It's purely self-defense.

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The old ones aged pretty badly.

I recommend Anniversary, Legend and Underworld.

They are the last true tomb raider games with actual lara Croft.

The new trilogy lara is nothing like her. Only has the same name.

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The only one that I've played much is Legend. It was good.

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Cobra1010 posted...

The old ones aged pretty badly.

I recommend Anniversary, Legend and Underworld.

They are the last true tomb raider games with actual lara Croft.

The new trilogy lara is nothing like her. Only has the same name.

To be fair, the Crystal Dymanics trilogy Lara Croft was nothing like the original Lara Croft either

In Leged/Anniversary/Underworld she's witty and snarky but good natured. She talks like a movie lead. And is horrified by murder

In the original games she was a complete bitch. Just openly stealing and murdering innocent people, being cold and selfish

They change her for the times. Nothing wrong with that

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order of release

I think TR3 had the best save system of the original 5 tbh.

Being able to save anywhere as often as you wanted sapped any tension from the tricky bits of the games that allowed it. Collecting the crystals was great - you could save just before/after a tricky but if you wanted, but if you were low on crystals you found yourself weighing up the risk of doing so.

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Tom Clark posted...

I think TR3 had the best save system of the original 5 tbh.

On the PS1?

Nah

Mandatory Limited saving has always been bullshit and its clearly not how TR3 was supposed to be designed, theres a lot of sudden death in that game.

Going "Its more fun if I save less" is a player agency thing. Then save less

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Tomb raider 1,2 on ps1 are best tomb raider games

Start with the new series and the 2013 TR, then go from there.

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eston posted...

Out of the old ones, I always felt 2 was the best by a pretty good margin.

Same here.