Tomb Raider I-III Remastered differences from the original games

From the graphical fidelity to the control choices to the consoles you can play them on, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered looks set to polish up the three iconic games from the PS1, so we’ve listed some of the significant differences players can expect to find in the collection.

As with any remaster, there are bound to be an assortment of tweaks and changes to make the games more accessible to new players. However, a lot of these features are optional, meaning that players can enjoy the original Tomb Raider experiences on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Graphical enhancements

Tomb Raider is perhaps best known for its polygonal graphics of the PS1 and how they came to help define the console era with developers even de-making games to reflect that style.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered not only features more contemporary polished visuals but also gives players the option to emulate the original style with a classic graphical mode.

Photo mode

Click to enlarge

Alongside these updated graphics, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered also features a photo mode that will allow you to take in your surroundings and capture some iconic shots of Lara as she dives from waterfalls in Tomb Raider 1 or jumps across city rooftops in Tomb Raider 3.

Control options

Tank controls were the control scheme in vogue during the early PlayStation era, used by the likes of Silent Hill, Resident Evil and, of course, Tomb Raider. However, these remastered allow you a little more control over Lara and how she navigates the world with a free camera.

However, if you’re a traditionalist or want to embrace the nostalgia of the games, then tank controls are still completely viable. If you’re anything like me when I played the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, that muscle memory will kick in from the moment you take control.

Health bars

Click to enlarge

Tomb Raider isn’t particularly known for having a flashy UI, and it certainly didn’t need it. However, if you find yourself fighting a T-Rex, a Dragon or a winged Atlantean God, a health bar to show you’re hitting your mark wouldn’t go amiss.

In the original games, you would just have to pepper your opponents with bullets until they were felled and hope for the best. However, the remastered trilogy gives you the option to show these health bars so that you can make sure you’re taking them all down.

Achievements

With three games ready to play, Tomb Raider I-III is going to be chock full of trophies. It’s believed that there could be as many as 300 trophies in total. Finally, tomb raiders and trophy hunters alike can come together to secure some excellent achievements.

Those are some of the biggest differences you’ll find in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. There are plenty of releases to look forward to in 2024, so be sure to check out our release guide for some of the year’s biggest releases, like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth or Foamstars.