Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PC, PS2, PSP)

[GamerDad]

Michael Anderson's Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PC, PS2, PSP) article - http://www.gamerdad.com/detail.cfm?itemID=3746

[GamerDad]

Nice job Mike.
I wonder if the kids today realize how important this game was. I actually just bought it for nostalgia reasons... but if they were going to remake it, I wish they'd done it HD and next gen. Tomb Raider originally sold as a reason to get one of the earliest 3D cards. That and GLQuake.

[SiW]

but if they were going to remake it, I wish they'd done it HD and next gen

Can't get more HD and next gen than the PC, but I assume you're talking consoles

Did you not know about the upcoming (episodic) Xbox 360 version?

[txa1265]

I wonder if the kids today realize how important this game was. I actually just bought it for nostalgia reasons... but if they were going to remake it, I wish they'd done it HD and next gen.

I'm quite happy with the solid PC version, but see your point - this could have been major for the X360 and PS3 if they had tried.

Tomb Raider originally sold as a reason to get one of the earliest 3D cards. That and GLQuake.

Oh man, GLQuake ... I remember attaching my 3DFX card as a slave to my Matrox in those days and playing that ...

[txa1265]

but if they were going to remake it, I wish they'd done it HD and next gen

Can't get more HD and next gen than the PC, but I assume you're talking consoles

Yeah, but the content is basically the same as Legend in terms of quality, so they could definitely have done more in that regard. I had everything cranked and it was far from the best looking game I have seen.

[GamerDad]

Come on Simon, it's built for the PS2 hardware.

[SiW]

Alright, alright!

You have to admit though that it'd be less satisfying to play a next-gen remake of the original game (and that's the goal of Anniversary don't forget), so I'd rather them say "hey look, we know how to do Tomb Raider justice now, let's make a whole new game for the 360/PS3/PC".

[GamerDad]

I disagree. I want to relive the original in modern graphics... but I'm probably weird that way. It might be that I also think that the first TR was the only good one.

[m_hael]

I LOVED the original.. it tailed off considerably after that.

andy

[GamerDad]

They forgot what made it cool. They thought it was breasts and action, when it was actually exploration and beautiful graphics. Swan diving from the top of the waterfall? Awesome.

With Sid's Pirates and this, I hope we enter an age of the graphically upgraded remake. Anyway, I only brought it up because TR was a graphical powerhouse, so it seems weird to celebrate that without using the latest console or technology. It's a 10th anniversary remake using, what? 6 year old hardware? I mean, it was a PS1 game.

[txa1265]

But Pirates! is ~3 years old, right? Not exactly a renaissance, unfortunately. And Bard's Tale didn't help in that regard either ...

[GamerDad]

True enough. Sadly. True enough....

[txa1265]

True enough. Sadly. True enough....

That reads like the sound of hopes being dashed ... which *is* sad, since my review alludes to me wishing more classics could be redone this way.

[GamerDad]

Well, it helps that there are actually few games that truly deserve it, or that would benefit by it. It has to be a game where the game mechanics are perfect... and even then, with most games, you might as well just throw in a new story while you're at it.

[FastCargo]

I hope we enter an age of the graphically upgraded remake.

Amen to that! It's funny that in simulations we are hearing similar laments. The mid to late 90s were the heyday of air simulations, but since then, it's fallen off dramatically, and there are so many titles that guys STILL play almost a decade later, because of the mechanics. And would just drool over a simple graphical update. There are several on my list...

Heck, even some games. Anyone here remember Interstate 76? I'd LOVE to see that one on the Source engine...cutscenes and everything...

FastCargo