larafan's Tomb Raider Remaster Guidelines & Discussion

[larafan25]

Please keep this thread respectful to the creations of Crystal Dynamics. As a fan myself, I know how it feels. However they may not.

Recently there has been a trend of developers brilliantly & accurately (mostly) remastering old gaming favorites.

While the Tomb Raider series has held it's fair share of remakes and ports, the fans find themselves still yearning for the original Tomb Raider experience.

Recently there have been attempts to remaster (to a degree) original Tomb Raider games with new textures, shading and lighting effects. However, these attempts have been cautiously put to sleep by Square Enix & Crystal Dynamics. While we're sure this was done rightfully, many fans were very excited and are now distraught and frustrated.

There is slight speculation that there may already be plans in the work for a more ambitious Tomb Raider Remaster of sorts, and this has peaked our interest.

The purpose of this thread is to channel that energy and interest into a guideline for the potential treatment of Tomb Raider. Nobody understands Tomb Raider like the fans, and there is no interest in a remaster without the fans. So, as a fan I will post my interest, desires and perhaps pleas for the graceful handling of gaming's most precious treasure.

What is a remaster?

A remaster is mostly a visual & technical enhancement or overhaul of an older game who's appearance would be greatly affected by a re-rendering of the original assets.

Design versus Render

The intention of my Tomb Raider Remaster Guidelines is to differentiate between the design of Tomb Raider & the presentation of Tomb Raider. While some might think that Lara Croft would look better with bigger boots, the size of her boots is ingrained in the design of Lara Croft. Because we all love Lara Croft, we don't want to change that. However, Lara has been represented both in-game and during pre-rendered movies. In-game, we can connect-the-dots with the vertices making up the shape of her silhouette, but we know that there is a smoother, more natural line which can be drawn between these vertices thanks to the implications of re-rendered artwork and the pre-rendered movies. The two most integral parts of a Tomb Raider Remaster are Tomb Raider and Remaster. Our desire for a Tomb Raider Remaster is a symbol of our increased interest in Tomb Raider, and so we want more of it. We want to see those objects existing within the flattened textures of the game, to be fully-rendered in 3D, so we can have a more enveloping experience of the Tomb Raider world.

The Vault:

This is a list and explanation of what should be held sacred, and left unchanged or touched with care, for the sake of all Tomb Raider fan experiences.

- Original visual style of Tomb Raider should be respected
- Original Voice Actresses or voice recordings should be maintained
- Original sounds should remain while only being enhanced for clarity
- Speed and handling of Lara's movements should remain untouched

Platforms:
- Playstation 4
- XboxOne
- PC

List of Tomb Raider Remaster Enhancements:

- Enhanced audio files
- Enhanced graphical detailing
- New dynamic materials to render the world with greater believability
- Smoother, nuanced animations via expanded points of articulation
- More frames per-second
- Dynamic lighting effects underwater
- More varied water surface movement between pools, some still, some disturbed
- Depth of field
- Lara appears wet after swimming and will dry over time
- Backpack and holsters have subtle animated jostle with movement

List of Tomb Raider Remaster Additions:

- Extras menu with developer artwork and files displaying the creative process
- Potentially an option for PC save system on TR1
- Slight motion blur
- Tomb Raider Suite - Remastered soundtracks (suggestion by Aquabird)
- Tomb Raider Suite - Newly recorded bonus tracks (suggestion by Aquabird)
- Extras: Original Character biographies (suggestion by Aquadird)
- Extras: Background information about plot and mythology (suggestion by aquabird)
- Extra costumes worn throughout the original adventures (suggestion by Aquadird)
- Bun & Braid variations of Lara's original outfit (suggestion by Aquadird)
- Additional detailing (piles of dirt & debris, lighting rays, cracks, spiderwebs, footsteps, falling pebbles, dust particles, distance fog)
- Lara contracts dirt & scratches as she moves about the world
- Original Developer interviews and insight in the form of audio tracks within the game provides background on the designer's intentions and their reactions to the remastered version

Who's interested in a Tomb Raider Remaster?
- larafan25
- TR1249
- Sarah7777
- LuigiEspadachin

[Aquabird]

Mostly all I really want from a remaster is a graphics update. The Crash Bandicoot remaster is a perfect example of how I'd like the old TRs done; everything was exactly as I remembered and I literally just picked up the controller and dived straight in as though I'd never been away because nothing had changed in terms of controls, gameplay, levels, etc. It was unashamed nostalgia overload brought into the modern day and I loved it.

As for extras, well, you could go to town on that. For a start, link it up with the Tomb Raider Suite - wasn't one of the stretch goals of the Kickstarter to remaster the original game tracks? Put those into the games, and include a couple of the newly recorded ones from the Suite as a bonus feature. You could maybe also give the option to toggle between playing with Lara's hair in the TR1 bun or the braid, and to change her outfit to any of the ones that appear in the Classic games. You could also include bios of the characters from each game and some extra background information on each of the stories and artifacts, voice actor cast lists, behind the scenes footage, all sorts of cool stuff for the discerning Classic fan.

[larafan25]

Originally Posted by Aquabird

Mostly all I really want from a remaster is a graphics update. The Crash Bandicoot remaster is a perfect example of how I'd like the old TRs done; everything was exactly as I remembered and I literally just picked up the controller and dived straight in as though I'd never been away because nothing had changed in terms of controls, gameplay, levels, etc. It was unashamed nostalgia overload brought into the modern day and I loved it.

As for extras, well, you could go to town on that. For a start, link it up with the Tomb Raider Suite - wasn't one of the stretch goals of the Kickstarter to remaster the original game tracks? Put those into the games, and include a couple of the newly recorded ones from the Suite as a bonus feature. You could maybe also give the option to toggle between playing with Lara's hair in the TR1 bun or the braid, and to change her outfit to any of the ones that appear in the Classic games. You could also include bios of the characters from each game and some extra background information on each of the stories and artifacts, voice actor cast lists, behind the scenes footage, all sorts of cool stuff for the discerning Classic fan.

omg. These are flawless ideas.

I agree about the Crash Remaster. Though I could detect some slight movement changes, it felt almost identical to the original game, but with a beautifully modern graphics.

edit: If anyone wants to vote on particular listings, just add them to your post and put a yes or no, and I can start counting the support for each idea.

[RAID]

Originally Posted by Aquabird

Mostly all I really want from a remaster is a graphics update. The Crash Bandicoot remaster is a perfect example of how I'd like the old TRs done; everything was exactly as I remembered and I literally just picked up the controller and dived straight in as though I'd never been away because nothing had changed in terms of controls, gameplay, levels, etc. It was unashamed nostalgia overload brought into the modern day and I loved it.

As for extras, well, you could go to town on that. For a start, link it up with the Tomb Raider Suite - wasn't one of the stretch goals of the Kickstarter to remaster the original game tracks? Put those into the games, and include a couple of the newly recorded ones from the Suite as a bonus feature. You could maybe also give the option to toggle between playing with Lara's hair in the TR1 bun or the braid, and to change her outfit to any of the ones that appear in the Classic games. You could also include bios of the characters from each game and some extra background information on each of the stories and artifacts, voice actor cast lists, behind the scenes footage, all sorts of cool stuff for the discerning Classic fan.

Exactly my thoughts and feelings

And if there will ever be a remaster, it had better be like Crash was: faithful to the original.
Anniversary was a simplified and shortened version of TR/Prince of Persia: an insult to fans, series and old developers alike.

EDIT: Sign me up OP.

[NoahCrofRaider]

I agree with all that's in the OP. Sign me up.

[Sarah7777]

Sign me up OP and this is very interesting Remaster.

[lizardspock110]

I like the idea of something like this



Additionally, maybe with modern controls, better lighting, graphics, effects and details it would work well. With the current popularity of the movie/shadow atm it can be successful

[dcw123]

While I love this idea - I am confused as to what people actually want here..

The Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy is NOT a remaster - it is a remake. It also featured new physics (which some argue makes the game WAY too hard and V.V admit they botched it up.. its pressure sensitive now which was not in the originals etc - Crash has rounded collision causing slipping..
There is a massive difference. N Sane uses a new engine and only uses the original levels as reference - nothing is from the original assets at all..

Now, something like Resident Evil 2 and 3 on the Gamecube - is technically a remaster. It uses the original graphics, sounds, FMV - but it has higher sound quality, crisper graphics and added costumes and game modes not in the original PSX release..

So - back on topic - is this thread asking for a remaster of TR1-5 - or something in vain of Crash and Spyro using a newer engine (like AOD styled or whatever)

[sackboy123]

N Sane Trilogy might not be a "remaster" to some but it was advertised as one. Since nothing really changed. It's just a 1:1 Remake and personally a 1:1 Remake is a remaster in my eyes.

Something that is completely different like Tomb Raider: Anniversary. I dare to say it. But this is a Remake. Same with REmake. These are completely different games and are not 1:1 Remakes.

[LuigiEspadachin]

It sounds like what people want is more akin to say, the HD remixes you got in the PS3 era (The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection being a pretty good example of this.) The same game just touched up to look and sound prettier. That's the simplest way of "exactly as you left it".

Of course there could be room somewhere to accommodate people wanting to get into the classics (like how the mobile TR1 port incorporated autograb, or how the REmake and RE Zero Remasters included alternate control schemes)

Edit: Sign me up