What Tomb Raider did you like the most?

[Flame_Knights]

Originally Posted by Chamayoo

I absolutely agree and one of the reasons it's so high in my list, with how it manages to merge action, plateforming and exploration perfectly with a very good level design.

I found TR2 better, love almost all the levels and additions, while TR1 has Tomb of Tihocan and Atlantis that I'm not find of, but I don't hate them. The only thing that the game does wrong, it's the abusive number of human encounters but it's still bearable as there are plenty of different enemies as well.

TR2 is also good, but in retrospect, I prefer the vibe of TR1.

[Tombraider95]

Originally Posted by trfan16

Tomb Raider II - It takes all the great stuff from the first game and expands on it all while still being faithful to the Classic formula. Improved save system, outdoor environments, new stunts for Lara, better weapon variety, vehicles that can be driven, etc. It also contains some of my favorite levels in the series - the Deck, Barkhang Monastery, Wrect of the Maria Doria, Temple of Xian, and Floating Islands.

The original TR game is very close behind though.

I agree with this.

TR2 is just a more fun experience for me. I think since I always played TR1 on PS1, it feels sloggy to me, and there's a lot of cave climbing in the later parts of the game.

However TR1 needs to be the go-to as reference for future games in the series. It's the perfect blueprint, to which you then expand on.

[redfox45]

Purely for nostalgia reasons, my first will always be my personal favorite. Tomb Raider 2. Closely tied with Legend for being the game that made me a fan again.

But I definitely wouldn't class either as the best Tomb Raider game.
That would probably have to be The Lost Artifact. The level design on the Gold series was simply a cut above and TLA was the best of the 3.
So when it comes to the future of Tomb Raider, bring Phil Campbell back, even if it's just as an advisor

TR4 was also really really good once I got over my long long long gripes against it and finally gave it a fair chance.
It says a lot when a game you want to hate wins you over completely.

[trfan16]

Originally Posted by Mr. Mr.

All valid points. The tiebreaking element for me is that there are a few levels in TR2 that I'm not crazy about and don't replay very much. Whereas the original game had no bad levels- even the somewhat aesthetically redundant Tomb of Tihocan is pretty fun.

I agree that TRI has a better level balance than TRII. The only level I'm not a fan of is Tomb of Tihocan, mostly because it feels way too similar to Cistern and I'm ready for Greece to be over by the time the level starts. The ending battle against the centaurs is pretty epic though. Also, TRI has a nice level curve where there is a gradual increase in difficulty as the levels progress.

One other thing that TRI does better than TRII is the whole isolation feeling. There are way too many human enemies in TRII and they appear in levels where there really shouldn't be any humans. Catacombs of the Talion, Wreck of the Maria Doria, and the Deck could do without the human enemies.

Originally Posted by Tombraider95

I agree with this.

TR2 is just a more fun experience for me. I think since I always played TR1 on PS1, it feels sloggy to me, and there's a lot of cave climbing in the later parts of the game.

However TR1 needs to be the go-to as reference for future games in the series. It's the perfect blueprint, to which you then expand on.

TRI does feel basic at times, especiallly if you play it after playing the other Classic games. The later games definitely had more creative challenges and more action compared to the first game. Although I appreciate the simplicity of TRI at the same time. I don't really notice it by the time you get to Egypt since the challenge starts to take off.

[.snake.]

I think in order to love TR2 as the best title in the series you have to love the underwater levels. They take up such a large portion of the game, and so they make or break the game for many people.

I believe it was Rai who once said they are the marmite of TR2 - you either love them or hate them. I hate marmite, but I love the underwater levels and could've easily had 2 or 3 more of them.

While I agree with everyone's sentiments that TR1 is the ultimate TR and a good go-to reference for the series as a whole, I think constantly looking towards TR1 is one of Crystal's biggest flaws and holdbacks - and I blame this on the LAU era and Toby Gard. TR1 is an amazing game and put the series on the world stage, but it was really TRs 2/3/4 that made the series and Lara the renowned icon she is today.

I think it would be refreshing if Crystal actually acknowledge the greatness of some of the other Core titles, rather than mostly ignoring them by saying "Only TR1 was great and everything after was just a re-hash". I think taking inspiration from 2 and 3 would be best for Crystal at this stage in time. I love 4 the most, but they need to get out of one-location-rut they are in.

[Tombraider95]

Originally Posted by trfan16

One other thing that TRI does better than TRII is the whole isolation feeling. There are way too many human enemies in TRII and they appear in levels where there really shouldn't be any humans. Catacombs of the Talion, Wreck of the Maria Doria, and the Deck could do without the human enemies.

This is very true. I think after the action section of the rig levels (and somewhat Venice) there shouldn't have been any human enemies until maybe.. The Deck. The flamethrower guys work nicely as a battle before the Seraph is collected. But also with Catacombs and Ice Palace. Keep those humanless.

Originally Posted by .snake.

I believe it was Rai who once said they are the marmite of TR2 - you either love them or hate them. I hate marmite, but I love the underwater levels and could've easily had 2 or 3 more of them.

I think from childhood I really liked the UW levels because it was Lara's first official outfit change, and I just really loved the blue wetsuit. Plus the harpoon was fun. But yes, these levels would be sooo much better without the human enemies.

Originally Posted by .snake.

While I agree with everyone's sentiments that TR1 is the ultimate TR and a good go-to reference for the series as a whole, I think constantly looking towards TR1 is one of Crystal's biggest flaws and holdbacks - and I blame this on the LAU era and Toby Gard. TR1 is an amazing game and put the series on the world stage, but it was really TRs 2/3/4 that made the series and Lara the renowned icon she is today.

I think it would be refreshing if Crystal actually acknowledge the greatness of some of the other Core titles, rather than mostly ignoring them by saying "Only TR1 was great and everything after was just a re-hash". I think taking inspiration from 2 and 3 would be best for Crystal at this stage in time. I love 4 the most, but they need to get out of one-location-rut they are in.

Actually yes, it's true they should look at the sequels as well and work out what also made those games great, but also what didn't work so well. However, when Crystal can't even seem to get the basics right after all these years, looking at multiple titles would only confuse them more I'm sure.

[Chamayoo]

I thought Legend had a TR3 vibe, the fun and self-assured adventure romp, with the varied globetrotting. And while Underworld carry on about Natla and Doppie, I could see some TR2 with Med Sea about Crystal wanted to do their underwater level, with sharks and a harpoon gun. Oh and also the return of the tigers and spiders, they shared some enemies we didn't see much elsewhere in the series, at the time.

Oddly, the TR1 fatigue I only have just now, with the rumoured and scrapped 4th reboot game being another reimagination of the game or TR Reloaded full about it right now.

[HarleyCroft]

I neither love nor hate the underwater levels.. but they do seem to overstay every time I go through them. Maybe its the flamethrower dude that kills Lara if she doesn't react right away once The Deck begins I hate that one guy more than the giant eel.

Originally Posted by Tombraider95

Plus the harpoon was fun

It was! The harpoon gun has a reputation for being slow and useless (until the Floating Islands ) but the type of section it was designed for; shooting at frogmen while swimming like some sort of submarine battle were great. I always made sure to fight those heaving-breathing creeps in the water and sometimes reloaded my save afterwards to do it again

Originally Posted by Chamayoo

their underwater level, with sharks and a harpoon gun. Oh and also the return of the tigers and spiders, they shared some enemies we didn't see much elsewhere in the series, at the time.

I never noticed how many similarities

[ANoDE]

I'm in the TR3 lovers club. It's the epitome of Tomb Raider for me, and I really love the diverse locations, the enemies and the absurdity of it all.

TR1 and TR2 come in close second.

If we're talking trilogies, the next one after the classics would be the LAU trilogy, whereas I feel like Underworld would have deserved better. It's a solid game but has grwat potential for fine-tuning.

Not the biggest fan of the Reboots, to be honest. TR2013 was a nice survival horror game, but that just doesn't click with my view of Tomb Raider.
Rise and Shadow were closer to that, but still didn't capture the TR vibe from the previous iterations. Also - Reboot Lara is ... certainly an acquired taste - one I have not acquired yet, to be honest.

Honorary mentions go to the Lara Croft spinoff titles - especially LC:Go. GoL and ToO were fun, as they shook up the TR formula while still feelimg somehow TR to me.

P.S: I didn't forget the second classics trilogy, but I'm unsure where to put them. TR4 was cool, but way too long and a bit confusing, TR5 was ... well ... something (while I must say I loved the Ireland part). And AoD ... yeah, I love the game it COULD have been, but not so much the game it actually was.

[.snake.]

Originally Posted by Tombraider95

This is very true. I think after the action section of the rig levels (and somewhat Venice) there shouldn't have been any human enemies until maybe.. The Deck. The flamethrower guys work nicely as a battle before the Seraph is collected. But also with Catacombs and Ice Palace. Keep those humanless.



I think from childhood I really liked the UW levels because it was Lara's first official outfit change, and I just really loved the blue wetsuit. Plus the harpoon was fun. But yes, these levels would be sooo much better without the human enemies.



Actually yes, it's true they should look at the sequels as well and work out what also made those games great, but also what didn't work so well. However, when Crystal can't even seem to get the basics right after all these years, looking at multiple titles would only confuse them more I'm sure.

What? No! The human enemies were perfection.

Little Lara all by herself in her barefeet running through a sunken ship with scary heavily breathing thugs with wrenches, shotguns, and flamethrowers around every corner? So creepy and total TR-horror/isolation-vibes in my opinion.