One of the worst reviewed Tomb Raider games is getting the remastered treatment, and I am here for it
Hello Angel of Darkness, my old friend.
Following the release of Tomb Raider 1 - 3 Remastered earlier this year, Aspyr is now continuing Lara's adventures by also remastering the next three games in the series.
Tomb Raider 4 - 6 Remastered, as this collection is called, includes Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999), Tomb Raider: Chronicles (2000), and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003).
As with the original trilogy, each of the next three games will feature improved visuals that bring new life to environments, characters, and artefacts. There will be the option to toggle between classic and modern graphics as well, much like with Tomb Raider 1 - 3 Remastered. You can check out the announcement trailer below.
Angel of Darkness is notorious for being one of the worst reviewed games in the series.
"It's been delayed three times, slapped with a succession of unusually critical previews, and subsequently praised by less than convincing reviews. You could say it's been a rocky road in the build up to the release of the latest Lara Croft adventure," reads the opening paragraph of Euroagmer's Angel of Darkness review, and that's before we even get to our own thoughts on the game.
But, you know what, I am still incredibly excited to give Angel of Darkness another play when this remastered collection releases.
As for when that will be, Tomb Raider 4 - 6 Remastered is set to arrive on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam, Epic and GOG) on 14th February. That's both Lara's birthday and exactly one year since the debut of Tomb Raider 1 - 3 Remastered. It will retail for £24.99, and pre-orders are available now.
For all you virtual treasure hunters, Aspyr notes trophies and achievements will be available on supported platforms.
In addition to the above news, Crystal Dynamics has also announced the Tomb Raider series as a whole has now sold over 100m copies since the first entry was released back in 1996.
"The franchise’s popularity has exploded into a series of blockbuster films based on the original Tomb Raider game and 2013 reboot," the Tomb Raider team wrote.
"Its protagonist Lara Croft has been a contemporary global icon for over two decades and was listed as one of Time Magazine's 15 Most Influential Video Game Characters of All Time. The most recent Survivor Trilogy, comprising Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018), garnered more than 200 'Best of' awards and nominations, and chronicles Lara Croft's remarkable origin story. All of this continues to make Tomb Raider a destination brand for adventure entertainment."
As for the original trilogy, on its release earlier this year, we awarded the Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered collection four stars, while acknowledging some of the dated qualities.
"I still love this collection, because it's carefully made and lovingly updated, but also awkward, elbowy, frustrating and prone to leaving me stuck. It's a collection that understands that Tomb Raider was absolutely a game about its controls, and it still should be - even if it doesn't quite know how to deliver on that," our Donlan wrote in Eurogamer's Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered review.
For more Tomb Raider, Netflix's animated series The Legend of Lara Croft released yesterday on the streaming service.