PlayStation 2

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary

Tomb Raider Anniversary ist ein wichtiges Statement: Ein langsamer, aber ungemein unterhaltsamer Abenteuertrip in einer Zeit, in der Games immer schneller, flashiger und oberflächlicher werden. Crystal Dynamics bekommt es hin, unglaubliche Entdeckerlust zu wecken und das ist etwas, das andere Entwickler scheinbar schon lange aufgegeben haben. Es ist schon erstaunlich, wie Anniversary der Branche mit demselben Rezept wie schon vor elf Jahren neue, andere Impulse gibt. Ein gutes Spiel wird eben nie wirklich alt, es bedarf nur der passenden Verpackung. Und die ist den Kaliforniern einfach unglaublich gut gelungen. Wie sehr Ihr selbst Tomb Raider: Anniversary haben müsst , hängt ganz davon ab, was Eure Vorstellung von einem guten Abenteuer ist. Sind Eure Träume noch dieselben wie unsere damals? Meine sind es jedenfalls noch immer – und Anniversary ist die Eintrittskarte.

Tomb Raider har blivit allt Tomb Raider någonsin behövt vara. Bättre än så här blir inte den har serien. Nu vill vi aldrig se Lara Croft igen.

Crystal Dynamics have done well to honour Core Design's excellent first game in a legendary series. That they managed to make what looked on paper like a cheap cash-in into a game that to some extent even outclasses Legend is quite impressive. Now we want some bigger leaps with a proper sequel.

There is something about a classic game that makes it a classic, but that is often difficult to translate into a more modern experience. Tomb Raider is a ten year old classic that combines action, platform jumping, and a sexy and sassy protagonist into thoroughly enjoyable experience that millions of gamers have enjoyed. The franchise has soured through the years, but last year's Tomb Raider Legend breathed some new life into what most gamers assumed was a dead series. I liked that game quite a bit, though I had some issues with the PC controls. Tomb Raider Anniversary is a 'reimagining' of the classic original in the 'Legend' engine, filled out with tons of new features, areas, puzzles and secret tidbits to find.

It takes the inspirational level design of the original, improves upon the atmosphere, and makes the whole thing so much more fun thanks to the hugely refined control and camera system. Far from being a tired, cynical cash-in exercise of a brand past its prime, Tomb Raider Anniversary goes back to its roots and shows how remakes should be done. As such, it has ended up being one of the stand-out games of the year so far, and also one of Eidos' best ever. It's a must buy for any Lara fan, simple as that.

Het Tomb Raider-gevoel uit de originele Tomb Raider is geen nostalgie. Tomb Raider: Anniversary weet dit gevoel naar boven te brengen door de achterhaalde graphics en bediening te moderniseren, zodat de essentie van de Tomb Raider games meer dan ooit de boventoon voert. En deze essentie is een gevoel van avontuur en verwondering als je de verschillende levels in het spel doorloopt. Gek genoeg voelt de ouderwetse moeilijkheidsgraad van Tomb Raider in deze tijd van versimpeling en voorkauwen juist weer verfrissend. Tomb Raider: Anniversary is een geslaagde remake van het inmiddels klassieke eerste deel uit de Tomb Raider reeks, en een schoolvoorbeeld hoe ontwikkelaars met oude game zouden moeten omgaan willen ze deze opnieuw uitbrengen.

I haven’t played much Tomb Raider since the original, and I really enjoyed Anniversary. No other game is been able to capture the intense joy of climbing rocks for 4 hours just to get a cog. I dig this game JUNG, 8.5/10

There are other niggles, such as the A.I., which hasn't smartened up any in the intervening years, but if you are willing to deal with some frustrations, you will be rewarded with a great game experience and gorgeous, is-this-really-PS2 visuals. You'll experience the wonder and awe of feeling like you are discovering lost tombs, which is what made the original so compelling in the first place.

What a wonderful world we’d be living in if every remake were handled with this much care. Okay, so maybe it’s not solving world hunger, but it’s certainly setting a high bar for others to meet in the realm of reinventing classic games. Balancing the almost impossible tasks of delivering nostalgia-laden moments against giving players updated and modern gameplay, Tomb Raider Anniversary does both with aplomb. Mixing classic and modern elements, it brings old players what they want and gives new players what they need to join in the fun.

In this day and age for any game series to remain relatively successful after 10 long years (and 11 games across both consoles and handhelds) is quite the achievement. For fans of the series that were around from the start there is a lot to love here. For series newcomers, like me, who only started to see what the fuss was about after Legend, things are even better as you can enjoy the story as well as the fantastic gameplay on show. When all is said and done, Tomb Raider Anniversary is a very entertaining game to play and as you advance though the 14 levels, there always seems to be something new to catch your eye and keep you wanting to play more until the 15 hours are up and you reach the closing credits.

Looking at Anniversary as a whole, though, these issues are fairly negligible. It's a solid, entertaining game with a hell of a lot of gameplay packed in (including a fairly extensive bonus quest set in Croft Manor). It may not offer the same degree of wonder you may remember if you were around for the very first game, but it's a damn fine homage -- and a damn fine game in its own right.

To sum up, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a finely tuned remake that isn't without its share of minor drawbacks. But outside of that very iffy camera, all of those drawbacks are indeed minor, and the game is fun as fun can be. The following final statement may not sound logical, but you should understand it after reading this review: you have played this game before, but in many ways, you haven't.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary meets all the expectations we had for the game, and then some. Sure it's not quite up there with a totally new game in the series, but it's not far off at all. Very enjoyable, and another surprise hit on the PS2.

Yep, all in all its a pretty smooth trip down memory lane. There’s been lots of tomb raider games, fans of the series will get a kick out of this. 8/10 from me.

Maybe Tomb Raider Legend spoiled me but Anniversary just paled in comparison to the latest Croft adventure. The gameplay isn't quite as solid, the graphics aren't as good, and the sound isn't as impressive. Still, this game was never intended to be a sequel or successor to Legend, it is and has always been a remake of the original Tomb Raider. Along those lines the quality is superb and the experience is much better than anything you played through eleven years ago. If you're a Lara fan or just looking for a solid adventure game on your PlayStation 2 (or 3 respectively) you can't go wrong with this one. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Crystal Dynamics a tout simplement réussi à s'accaparer totalement l'esprit de la série, cette exploration solitaire de lieux mythiques, aussi gigantesques que dangereux, aussi beaux que labyrinthiques. Ceux qui n'auraient jamais goûté au premier volet des aventures de Miss Croft trouveront dans Anniversary une quête surprenante, complexe et accrocheuse. Les connaisseurs sauront en plus y trouver un peu de nostalgie. C'est vrai, Lara a pris dix ans, mais devant une telle démonstration, on ne peut que l'aimer comme au premier jour.

Si on savait déjà plus ou moins à quoi s'attendre avec Tomb Raider : Anniversary, l'entrain des développeurs dans la réalisation et leur amour de la série sont une fois encore communicatifs. Ainsi, sans pour autant renier le jeu original, qui restera à jamais une pierre angulaire de notre espace vidéoludique, il serait dommage de bouder ce remake sous des faux prétextes de nostalgique entêté. Le temps où on s'adaptait à Tomb Raider est révolu. Désormais, ce sera Tomb Raider qui s'adaptera au joueur, pour le meilleur... Rien que pour le meilleur.

Hardly a cheap way to utilize the successful engine from the prior Tomb Raider or a cheap exploitation of the original, Anniversary is a finely produced and arguably needed remake. Fans have every reason to revisit this title in its latest incarnation. The slight flaws are not enough to disappoint the longtime Lara followers.

A must buy for people who adore Lara Croft and a great game for people who have not yet played Tomb Raider 1.

Despite the combat issues, Anniversary is a brilliant take on the Tomb Raider phenomenon. It provides first timers with a fantastic opportunity to play through what has always felt like the most authentic Indiana Jones simulator and has the perfect balance of old and new to keep veteran tomb raiders on their toes. With all manner of time attack modes and secret collectables to discover and unlock there's enough replay value to keep players interested for a while after the initial 15 hours of game time and, with Anniversary in the bag, maybe we can now look forward to a true next generation sequel, endangered species included.

Even with these few gripes, the adventure aspects are some of the best around, and exploring tombs has never been so much fun. Tomb Raider Anniversary is not only a better game than the original, but also one of the best additions to the series as a whole.

These issues aside, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is everything a remake should be. It makes the most of modern technology to bring a classic game world up to date, throws in simple but intuitive controls and doesn't rely on constant fire-fights to bring excitement. Tomb Raider was always more of a platformer than an action game, and this is exactly what the guys at Crystal Dynamics have delivered.

Tomb Raider: Legend did a lot to make Lara Croft feel relevant again, and Tomb Raider: Anniversary is another step in the right direction. The acrobatic action is consistently exciting and challenging throughout, and despite being a remake, the experience feels new and fresh. This is the best Tomb Raider game in years, and for the first time in a long time, that actually means something.

While some may consider this a little too retro, with no upgrades and little armour, this is undoubtedly a well put-together celebration of Lara’s life. If you already have the original, try it on rental otherwise it’s a must buy.

In the end, this is Tomb Raider for better or worse. The controls are light-years better than the original but still aren't solid like Prince of Persia's; the graphics are beyond anything the original could muster but still not up to today's standards; and the puzzles are just as tough as the original, but the enemies are just as lame.

All die Jahre seit ihrem ersten Auftauchen haben diese Frau noch schöner und interessanter gemacht. Spielerisch gibt's zwar nichts Neues, doch setzte man das Abenteuer gekonnt in Szene. Die Rätsel und Sprungaufgaben gerieten herausrodernd und knifflig, ohne jemals unfair zu werden. Der Schwierigkeitsgrad ist im Vergleich mit früheren Titeln der Serie moderat, sodass auch Anfänger mit etwas Übung nach rund 25 Stunden das Spiel-Ende sehen sollten. Nicht nur Fans der Serie freuen sich auf ein Wiedersehen, auch Neueinsteiger dürfen nun den Beginn von Lady Crofts Karriere in zeitgemäßem Spieldesign erleben. Alles in allem hinterlässt das Tomb-Raider-Remake deshalb einen "guten" Eindruck.

I’ve talked to countless gamers, and have never met a hardcore fan of the Tomb Raider series. It gained a great deal of fame thanks to the cover girl and the films, but I feel it never really had the gameplay to back up the popularity. Anniversary, if nothing else, is an effective reminder of this.

Like a middle-aged makeover, Tomb Raider Anniversary papers over the nooks and crannies, but it can't conceal the aged and dated overall structure. That's not to say that Tomb Raider fans won't gain any enjoyment from the title, and it certainly serves a purpose for anybody that missed out on the original eleven long years ago.

I can’t help but feel bad in having really nothing good to say about this game. Perhaps it’s just not my cup of tea, perhaps I don’t have the patience, perhaps I’ve been spoiled by God of War. In the end all I can say is that a Tomb Raider remake is for Tomb Raider fans. Everyone else, move on.