Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - Anniversary

Moby ID: 28337
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Description official descriptions

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a remake of the original Tomb Raider with a technically more advanced graphics engine. It has the same basic storyline, though some cutscenes and much of the dialogue within have been expanded or modified in other ways. Locations correspond to those of the original version and are accessed in the same order, but have been re-designed with different layouts and mostly completely different puzzles which allow implementation of new moves introduced in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend: swinging on ropes and using a grappling hook at specific points.

Puzzles are generally more focused on acrobatics in this version, ledges being much more prominently featured as a level design element, requiring combinations of jumping and shimmying across them to access areas. This type of gameplay replaces the key-retrieval and block-pushing puzzles of the original almost entirely. Combat is similar to that of the first game, though the player must now manually activate targeting. Some boss fights have been made a separate enclosed stage rather than being part of the exploration as in the original version. These fights may have puzzle-solving elements and often require the player to use Lara's new "adrenaline dodge" ability, which slightly slows down time when the opponent charges at her while in an "enraged" state. Some cutscenes require the player to participate in quick-time events.

The version released for the Wii incorporates motion controls and also features some puzzles exclusive to that platform.

Spellings

  • 古墓儇兵ļ¼šé‡čæ”ē¦åœ° - Traditional Chinese spelling

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Credits (Windows version)

232 People (179 developers, 53 thanks) · View all

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[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 81% (based on 103 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 101 ratings with 5 reviews)

Great remake of a classic, perfectly capturing the essence of Tomb Raider.

The Good
As I have no experience with Legend, I compare this game to older titles.

I have never been a real fanboy of Tomb Raider but I had some great times with older games. There's just that thrill of adventuring in old ruins or dodging natural deathtraps in a jungle. Back in the days I loved them, they weren't something extraordinary special but they did kept my interest and as I played them with my older brother, I enjoyed discussing with my brother how to unlock that door, kill that enemy and so on. As the time passed, my interest faded, mostly because they became more of an action games and didn't add any major improvements to gameplay. I don't even want to talk about Angel of Darkness, that one was awful, strayed TOO far from the formula. I wanted to play Legend, mainly because it was supposed to be a reinvention of the series but never managed to actually play it. Then came Anniversary and I started to play it coincidentally. And I was pretty much blown away at the start, never did Tomb Raider feel so great and gameplay so fluid.

Most important, Anniversary captures essence of the original and gives you a real feeling of nostalgia. The areas are not 1:1 from the original but the most memorable areas are essentially the same like St. Francis Folly. There are also a lot of new areas and different puzzles, mostly because of the new technology and some puzzles/traps just would look lame these days. Areas are also revamped, polished and more detailed. There are four main locations in the game (plus Croft Manor), each has 3-4 levels. They're all quite interesting and fun to explore except the Atlantis (refer to the Bad Section). The new technology and graphics also allow to portray areas more realistically and show what the original couldn't (you remember the second level were there was supposed to be a "village", yup, now you can actually see that there's a village).

And when it comes to graphics, Anniversary certainly delivers. Locations and areas are certainly colourful and give a nice feeling. Peru for example is mostly filled with green grass and from the distance it's nice to look at the green landscape. Graphics also make Lara Croft more appealing. In the older games I always though that Lara looked like an ugly MILF (even concept art and CGI portrayed her a little ugly). Now she looks more natural, cheerful and younger. Now, where can I only get that nude patch, and fast?!?! Enemies look more dangerous and life-threatening than in the original; in the original enemies looked more like cute.

And while I'm on that, there are no human enemies in the game. Nope, you can only shoot animals and creatures. They mostly consist of bats, wolves, bears, panthers, gorillas and so on. Human enemies only exist in interactive cutscenes where you have to push movement buttons at the right time. They're quite neat (slow motion and all) but they chunk off some gameplay and ultimately shorten the game. Enemies AI is nothing to brag about but they do their job well by trying to bite Lara's high polygon buttocks all the time. They're quite easy to kill actually if you are on higher plane than they are. What would real Tomb Raider be without boss battles? There are 3-4 boss battles, most of them quite easy. Only one boss battle was a little challenging because it did take some time to figure out how to harm them. T-Rex wasn't so "holy cow" anymore although; in the original it was a real shock and at first I panicked terribly. Only downside was the last boss, but you can read my complaints about in the Bad Section.

You can control Lara much more freely than you could in previous games (except Legend which I haven't played) and Lara feels more natural. In the older titles Lara felt like a tank: she was clumsy, slow and painful to control. At first you may have some trouble with controlling her but after a few minutes you do it like naturally. Lara can't jump so high anymore but thanks to her new improved abilities she can do without it and she's really more agile and nimble. Combat is improved as well and there's also a new addition (even Legend didn't have that). You can basically dodge an enemy in slow motion and if you fire the weapon when target locks on, you'll perform a headshot, instantly killing the target. Nice feature that you have to master if you want to complete the game.

What makes Tomb Raider "Tomb Raider" are the puzzles and there's a lot of them. There are traditional find-the-key, flip-the-switch type puzzles and puzzles where you just have to get to point B from point A, figuring out just how to get there, especially in Egypt, where tons of deathtraps await you along the way. To me they are perfect, I just love this style of adventuring and guessing; no obscure puzzles that even Einstein can't solve.

Music and sound are nothing extraordinary, but they provide some nice ambient tunes, helping player to immerse himself/herself in. I did like some tunes, like the Main Theme and Bear's Theme (most memorable music piece from TR1).

Nice little thing Crystal included was the final showdown with Larson. It really portrayed Lara as a human, not as a badass who can very well be Duke Nukem's mother. I think most of you find it silly and annoying but I just had to point that out a little.

After you complete a location, audio commentary with Toby Gard (designer of the first game and creator of Lara Croft) and Anniversary's creative director Botta open up. I found those commentaries very funny and they gave insights into TR1 development (why did they do that etc.) and what did they do with Anniversary like changes and reasons behind them. Commentators are most of the time in a good mood and provide more than few smiles. Besides audio commentary, you can also unlock new outfits, concept art, biographies and cheats by completing time trials and finding secret artifacts and relics. As a matter of fact, I tend to be the type who always likes to complete games 100% but I always just get tired of the game and quit . Anniversary on the other hand keeps me playing for some reason.

The Bad
There's nothing perfect in the world and Anniversary isn't exception, there are obviously some flaws.

First is the length. The game was in my opinion very short and you can pretty much complete it under 15 hours or less. It may take more time if you want to unlock every costume, concept art etc. but there are a lot of people who could care less about it. Or maybe it was just me? All good things end I guess and it's not a very big flaw, just my dissatisfaction with it. And the game is easy, even on harder settings. There are some frustrating and dangerous moments but you can overcome them quickly. And the locations are smaller, another reason why it's so short.

It's not really Anniversary's flaw but TR1's and it's the story. Story isn't exciting, it's more like flat-out boring. It's just the basic "evil-woman-wants-to-take-over-the-world" affair, adding nothing new and hardly developing Lara's character. It doesn't even have twist and you can see the end by miles away. Tomb Raider has never been known for it's great story but at least other titles were much more interesting, like Tomb Raider II. Here it doesn't matter, story is just made up so Lara could visit exotic places. It's original's fault but I hoped they would milk a little out of it and make characters more interesting. Oh well..

I wasn't satisfied with the final boss and the Atlantis section. Atlantis was boring, boring and there was too much shooting and too few interesting puzzles. Again, it's mostly TR1's flaw. I don't know how tough was the final boss in the original but here she was disappointingly easy. Even T-Rex in the start of the game was tougher!

The Bottom Line
+ Great graphics + Good remake of a classic and captures the feeling of the original, provides nostalgia + Improved combat and acrobatics, Lara is much more nimble and agile + Lots of exploration and puzzles + Audio commentaries and secrets - Too short - Last section of the game is disappointing, last boss is a piece of cake - Story is almost nonexistent and boring

I strongly recommend it to any Tomb Raider fan and to other people who are at least remotely interested in TR. It also introduces Lara's first adventure to wider people who were just put off by the ugly graphics in the first game. I wait impatiently for another game and maybe I'll even pick up Legend. As long as Crystal can keep series fresh, they can do as well 100 Tomb Raiders! I'll still play every single one of them!

Windows · by Donatello (466) · 2007

Ooo, I'm scared and tense! I remember those feelings now.

The Good
Prowl around any Tomb Raider forum and you'll quickly learn that the fans are divided into two distinct groups. The first bunch loathe the direction Legend took the series, preferring the exploration feel of the earlier games. While the second lot embraced Legend's updated controls and fresh look, feeling that the previous control scheme was growing stale.

Now there's Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and it's managed to win the hearts from both of those crowds, which is a pretty amazing achievement.

The first thing I noticed when I begun playing, was the immediate sense of polish. Controls on cross-platform games are very finicky when it comes to the PC, but Anniversary works pretty darn well. While you have the option of using a gamepad, I never felt the need.

In particular, the general gun usage feels much more solid than Legend, with the guns drawing easily with the right mouse button (toggle or hold, choice is yours) and firing with the left. And a great improvement over the original Tomb Raider, is that Lara now draws her guns quick and fast, with a great hammer-clicking sound! Remember how you always ran around the original game with your guns drawn? Only ever putting them away to climb something? Probably wasn't what the designers intended. Thankfully in Anniversary, you can run around with your guns holstered knowing that should you need them, Lara can whip them out with speed. This may sound very similar to Legend, but I assure you that if you go back to Legend after playing Anniversary, you WILL find Legend's gunplay very cumbersome in comparison.

One of the big changes that Legend brought to the series was how Lara got around her environment. Anniversary has kept this pretty much the same, with a few new moves. The big difference though, is that the animations are much smoother and, as I said earlier about the game, polished. Now, this system was quite obviously 'influenced' from the new Prince of Persia games, but personally, I think Tomb Raider is all the better for it. And hey, the original designers admitted that they wanted the first Tomb Raider to be similar to the original Prince of Persia except in 3D, so things have come full circle. Despite using the WASD and mouse scheme on the Windows version, it works well and you'll never fight with the game to get Lara to do what you want.

When it comes to the graphics, there have been a lot of complaints because since the only console getting the game was the PS2, the developers didn't create any "Next Generation" graphics, meaning PC users do not get any "Next Generation" graphics. Let me tell you though, it's a misconception to think the PC version is simply using PS2's graphics, because that is not the case. While it's not Next-Gen, some areas are drop-dead gorgeous on the PC, not to mention very immersive. Speaking of that, they've pulled off a stunning job with the atmosphere. The sounds, graphics and lack of music (out of combat) all help hit home the feeling that you're very much alone in these places, which is exactly what old fans missed from the original game. A lot of the levels and rooms are inspired directly from the first Tomb Raider, but the challenges within them have changed drastically. You won't be pulling and pushing many blocks this time. Instead you'll be flipping, swinging, climbing and grappling your way around. There are a few puzzles in here too, but they're very good quality for an action game, and shouldn't leave you too stumped.

Another great change is the music during combat and cutscenes. Gone are the techno tracks from Legend whenever a fight breaks out. Instead, you'll be treated to some very characteristic movie-like scores during battles. Why do I say characteristic? Simply because each animal/beast you encounter has their own tune that plays when you go up against them, and for a lot of them they are very fitting! The themes for the bats, rats and T-Rex are good examples of this. One more thing about the music, if you're a long-time fan of the original Tomb Raider, you will notice some familiar themes cropping up, though most of the music is original work. The sound effects are also top-notch and won't cause any complaints.

Legend didn't rate very high in the 'length' factor, and while Anniversary isn't extremely long, it is about twice the size of Legend in comparison. And a better ratio of it is actual gameplay.

The story has had some modifications too, some of it good and some of it bad. The good is that there is a lot more involvement between Lara and the rest of the cast. This is no longer a simple case of Good vs Evil. One scene in particular will be very interesting to Lara fans, and is pulled off pretty well.

The Bad
What didn't I like? Well, I love a lot in this game, but there is a large amount I don't like. Unfortunately, a lot of it has to do with the story and quality of the lines.

The original Tomb Raider had a very basic story, but it wasn't bad. Do you recall the speech from the main villain in the original game? Do you remember that person's motives? Well, they've changed. In Anniversary, while the same scenes play out and the story follows the same arc, there is a different motive driving the villain, and I feel it is much weaker in comparison. But hey, at least if you know the original story, you'll get something new.

My other complaint is at the quality of the script. No matter how many insults were flung at Legend, there's one thing that people could not mock, and that was the lines. Sure, people disliked the story (Why? It was better than TR 1 - 5) and people disliked the new Lara, but despite all this, it was clear that Legend's lines were professional and well-written. That's the problem with Anniversary, you see. The one-liners, the conversations... they're all quite weak in comparison to Legend. It's understandable that there's less talking in Anniversary, since that was the goal, but when there IS talking, it's pretty cheesy and cringe-worthy. Lara loses her british flair a bit in this game, whereas Legend enhanced it. The voice acting is still good, but let down by the dismal script. I'm sorry, but it just wasn't down-to-earth enough for me. It was also more melodramatic than Legend, though I can understand this was an attempt to portray a younger, more emotionally-vulnerable Lara.

My third complaint is the AI, though it's an odd one. At the beginning of the game, the AI was terrible. While the rest of the game felt polished, the enemies intelligence seemed extremely lacking. Often a creature would get trapped by something or simply just stop moving, STARING at me while I shot it to death. Funnily enough though, as the game progresses, these occurrences seem to become non-existant, rendering this complaint invalid. Weird indeed!

My last complaint, a small one, is one scene in the game. Anniversary has a lock-on system when shooting. This works fine throughout the whole game, but one difficult-to-navigate area has shootable buttons on the walls. The problem is that when there are enemies (of which this scene has a lot), the game doesn't prioritise enemies over buttons. This means often Lara would lock onto the button when I desperately wanted her to shoot the threats!

The Bottom Line
Overall, this game is awesome. There are some complaints mentioned above, but if you love Tomb Raider for whatever reason, then you'll love this game. For old fans, this is the first Tomb Raider in a long-time to capture the original's feeling of isolation and tomb exploration. For new fans, the control scheme is very modern, and a it's good introduction to what made Tomb Raider famous in the first place (besides Lara, of course).

I can honestly, hand-on-my-heart say that you will enjoy this game if you have any fascination in third-person adventures.

Windows · by Richard Kaplan (14) · 2007

Back in 1997, you must have been playing this game!

The Good
Tomb Raider: Anniversary is the follow-up to successful Tomb Raider: Legend by Crystal Dynamics mostly known for their Legacy Of Kain series. While Legend being a great game on its own and certainly a welcome addition into a long-run Tomb Raider series I felt it was somewhat lacking. It was a sunning professionally executed brilliantly written game. Superb action and a new revised look of the main heroine showed that finally after years long years of constant failure, franchise started to move in right direction. But still it remained just number two in my book. Despite of mind-boggling action of this new offering the game was extremely linear. The exploration was the centerpiece of each Tomb Raider. And there certainly wasnā€™t enough of it in Legend. I always felt led by hand through a sheer dozen of beautiful levels with no step left or right allowed. So to remind myself what once made the original Tomb Raider such a hit I took my old dusty copy of this oldie ā€¦. and was utterly disappointed. ā€œWhat the #@$% is this?ā€ I cried. Itā€™s not the game I played ten years ago. How on earth could I see ancient Coliseum in those lumpy sets of polygons or be impressed by the detail in that triangular breast? Now mind you, Iā€™m a very tolerant person in terms of old titles. I still think of the VGA-era of graphic adventures having the most beautiful artwork and ingenious game design this side of Milky Way has ever seen. But on the dawn of 3D era the game engines were so limited and controls were so atrocious and unintuitive that itā€™s pretty understandable that those titles crumbles under heavy weight of sands of time, especially those from a third-person perspective (another one that immediately comes to mind is Fade To Black). And then like a send from the heaven a new game in the series was released. And what a game it is! Tomb Raider: Anniversary is not simply a remake; itā€™s the reinvention the old genre in regard of modern gamer demands. My memory must be playing tricks upon me, but this is THE game I played 10 years ago, and not that monster from 1997 I carelessly installed a year ago. I am not talking about specific details because most of the game has been altered due to all the possibilities that exist in game mechanics these days. I am talking about the spirit and the essence of the original Tomb Raider. And it most certainly resides now in the body of Tomb Raider: Anniversary. The game firmly reminds players why itā€™s actually called Tomb Raider and not any other title. Itā€™s about exploring tombs, for godā€™s sake, finding lost civilizations and experiencing the sense of grand adventure. Obviously not shooting cops in Louvre gallery or hiking through military base number 245. Above all Iā€™d like to mention an incredible level design. Taking basic ideas from original game the designers have revised them and then expanded upon them. No room serves no purpose. Each level is unique and aesthetically pleasing. The Greek-inspired level with a crumbled stairway is a bright example of what most of the current game designers arenā€™t capable of. Except for Crystal Dynamics, with a little help from Core Design. As for others aspects of the game, everything is really top-notch. The game features the most fluid animations of animals I have ever seen. The battles are fast, dynamic and really vicious. Be sure to the turn the lights on while playing Tomb Raider: Anniversary or you might lose a bit more of them nerve cells then you would do otherwise. The music is beautiful and fits the game so well that you start to feel affection for it on a really close, personal level.


The Bad
This game is faithful to the original. Maybe too much faithful for itā€™s own good. Of course itā€™s nice to see so many familiar places spread over four grand levels of the game, but Crystal Dynamic doesnā€™t have to prove us anything, we know what they are capable of, so a bit more of creative freedom would have been certainly welcome. The only major grudge I have with this game is the unfortunate decision not to include next-generation content at all. I canā€™t care less about marketing policy Eidos is taking, so donā€™t start on me. If they donā€™t want to release it on the next-generation console then why we the PC gamers have to suffer technologically dated graphics. Just imagine what would the game look like with the entire next-gen extravaganzaā€¦ Not gonna happen! Sorry.

The Bottom Line
If you still remember what the word ā€œadventureā€ actually means, if forgotten civilizations still send you spinal shivers, if you young at heart and open in mind, then donā€™t miss this one. You wouldnā€™t forgive yourself if you do!

Windows · by St. Martyne (3648) · 2007

[ View all 5 player reviews ]

Trivia

Audio commentary

There's a unlockable commentary track by Toby Gard and Jason Botta in which they not only talk about the making of the remake but also about the original Tomb Raider. It's also possible to unlock the Lara model from the original Tomb Raider and play with her.

Core Design version

A different version of the game was under development by Core Design, the developers of the older Tomb Raider games, but Eidos called Crystal Dynamics to do it simultaneously. Core Design's version was ultimately scrapped completely.

References

As it already happened in Legend, once again the folks at Crystal Dynamics take a chance to tip their hat to their own Legacy of Kain series: if you find level 12's relic (The Great Pyramid) you'll unlock the wetsuit Lara wore back in Tomb Raider II, only this time it has a b&w logo on the chest. You might recognize this logo as Raziel's clan symbol.

Information also contributed by Dr. M. "Schadenfreude" Von Katze

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Related Sites +

  • Apple Games Article
    An article discussing the Macintosh version of Tomb Raider: Anniversary.
  • Game Review: Switching to Mac
    A review of Tomb Raider: Anniversary by Ross McKillop at Switching to Mac (September 24th, 2008).
  • Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary
    Wikipedia: article in the open encyclopedia
  • Official Webpage (Mac)
    The official product page for the Mac version of Tomb Raider: Anniversary on the publisher's website, which provides a trailer, an overview of the locations and tools within the game, desktop wallpapers, a demo, and purchasing information, among other such particulars.

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Sicarius.

Macintosh added by coolfrost. OnLive added by firefang9212. Wii added by Sciere. Xbox 360 added by Diogo Ribeiro. PSP added by klf9j3skld.

Additional contributors: Sciere, Zeppin, Paulus18950, Patrick Bregger, Plok.

Game added June 2, 2007. Last modified March 7, 2024.