Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered happened because “it just didn’t feel right” to do 4 and push the other entries aside, Aspyr says
Core Design’s Tomb Raider games were (and still are) an odd bunch. After the critical success of the original trilogy, which Aspyr brought back with a strong remastered re-release last year, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation did well enough, and then Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness crashed the IP (and the studio) until Crystal Dynamics came along. However, Aspyr says the plan always was to refresh all of them with Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered.
We talked to Jordon Reese, Product Manager at Aspyr, to learn a bit more about the company’s approach to a bumpier second set of games and what the vision behind the entire effort was. So far, we’re fairly confident this second remastered collection will be every bit as carefully crafted as the first one.
The following Q&A has been editorialized, trimmed, and rearranged for clarity and cohesion.
“From the start, we always envisioned giving fans the complete classic Tomb Raider experience, encompassing all six of the original Core Design games. However, the overwhelmingly positive response to Tomb Raider I-III Remastered truly solidified our commitment to this vision,” Reese explained. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered exceeded expectations last year according to Embracer, which definitely explains this second collection being fast-tracked… as well as the excitement surrounding the Soul Reaver 1+2 remaster that arrived back in December.
Reese added the reception was “a powerful reminder of how much these games really mean to this passionate community,” which pushed the dev team “to tell a complete narrative.” While Aspyr acknowledges that the fifth and sixth entries aren’t nearly as beloved, the company also decided this was the perfect the opportunity to improve them as much as possible while keeping the original vision alive. “It just didn’t feel right coming from Tomb Raider I-III Remastered to only do IV,” the product manager added.
While we wait for the next Tomb Raider to be unveiled, all eyes are set on the upcoming TV show from Amazon and this new remastered collection. Needless to say, the OG Tomb Raider fans are extremely protective of Lara Croft and the IP as a whole. In fact, many of them would argue returning to Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness is a waste of time for everyone involved. How does Aspyr plan to win them over while inviting fresh newcomers into Lara Croft’s “darkest adventures”?
“The pressure that we feel is self-imposed as we’re trying to bring these games back into the market for both veteran gamers and gamers today,” Reese confirmed to us. If you’re familiar with Aspyr’s remasters, they’re known for being quite traditional. Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles is only the latest example, and it sounds like the company will be sticking to that approach for the foreseeable: “Our primary focus with these titles is to both preserve the original look and feel while giving gamers something additional to be excited about with updated graphics and functionality.”
Core Design is, of course, no more, but what about Crystal Dynamics? Have they lent a hand to ensure consistency across all Tomb Raider games, old and new? Aspyr admits they’re “a collaborative effort throughout,” suggesting communication has been fluid from start to finish, and that also includes the Tomb Raider I-III remasters.
“We work closely with Crystal Dynamics to make sure we’re keeping true to the original vision of the game while also adding enhancements where we can. It’s of the utmost importance to maintain the visual tone and style of these original classics so working with the IP holder helps make sure we’re hitting that mark.” This also includes the Embracer Group, the current rights holder, while Crystal Dynamics is the studio actively developing Lara Croft’s upcoming all-new adventure.
Veterans fans might also remember, even if they haven’t replayed these installments as many times as the first three, that things get very weird very fast, presenting a number of challenges during the transformation into retro games with a more modern sensibility. This affects level and character design across the board, and I asked Reese about such difficulties. The secret to getting it right? Going back and forth on many elements and tweaking things until it all comes together: “We spend many hours fine-tuning color, lighting, ambiance, and fidelity so the experience we’re providing is the experience people remember from all those years ago.” But, you know, less blocky and pixelated.
On the matter of how these three revisited entries will actually play in 2025, we’ve yet to experience the results for ourselves, but considering how Aspyr has improved middling releases with a cult following in the past (and we’re talking about other IPs here), we’re optimistic about a positive reevaluation of Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness thanks to this second trip down memory lane with Ms. Croft.
Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is coming to PC (Steam, Epic Games, and GOG), PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S plus One, and Nintendo Switch on February 14.