Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered Review — Restored Treasure

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered continues the Tomb Raider remaster collection with updated versions of Lara Croft’s fourth, fifth, and sixth adventure titles. Masterfully updated yet faithfully true to the original, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is not only a great collection for those who have never experienced the franchise but also a nostalgic return for old-school fans who wish to play these classics as they were, with or without some modern upgrades.

Aspyr seems to be knocking it out of the park with their remasters lately. As the avid readers of Try Hard Guides will be aware, last December I reviewed a phenomenal remaster of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2. In that review, I wrote, “Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered perfectly delivers the original experience of these classic games with updated graphics and bonus content for fans to enjoy. However, playing these remasters left me longing for a full remake of the Soul Reaver games, something I hope to see in the near future.”

I found myself feeling much the same way about Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, and also hope for a dedicated remake of the Tomb Raider games. Notice that I said remake, not reboot. No shame on the 2013 Tomb Raider (the only game in the rebooted franchise I ended up playing), but I think classic Lara deserves a chance to shine in some modern next-gen graphics and new and improved mechanics.

Until we get that full classic Tomb Raider remake, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered comes fairly close.

The first thing fans of the original are likely to notice when booting up Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered for the first time is the upgraded graphics. It bears emphasizing that this is a remaster and not a remake, the game’s graphics were not built from the ground up, maintaining a look very similar to when Tomb Raider IV was released in 1999, at least as far as the physical modeling of things goes. What is new are the textures applied to every model. Much like the Legacy of Kain and Tomb Raider I-III remasters, Aspyr went out of their way to upgrade every texture in the game, giving far more high-res views of Lara and the walls of the tombs she raids.

Said tombs are also further brought to life with the inclusion of next-gen lighting and particle effects. It’s hard to believe just how far a game’s visuals can go with the simple inclusion of fantastic lighting. If you don’t believe me, try booting up the game and comparing the new look to the original.

Doing so shouldn’t be too difficult, either. Fans of the original should be glad to know that the next-gen graphics options in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered are completely optional, and you can switch between either with the push of a button.

You can take advantage of the new graphics with photo mode, which makes a return from Tomb Raider I-III Remastered with all of the same poses and more. Also included in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is a brand new “fly-by-camera” feature, which allows you to set up cinematic shots of Lara with an animated, moving camera. This is a fun little feature that the developers certainly didn’t have to include, but one I highly doubt anyone will be complaining about.

Tomb Raider purists will be happy to know that the original tank controls from the classic Tomb Raider games also make a return in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered. These same players will likely also be thrilled to know that playing with the classic tank controls is totally optional; at any time in the game’s pause menu, you can switch to a more modern, refined control scheme, one that is far more friendly for keyboard and controller players alike.

Even with these modern controls, however, some classic Tomb Raider jankiness is to be expected in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered. Some of the platforming can be particularly difficult to pull off, especially if you’re on a keyboard. Some jumps feel like they end a bit too early, there are some slight inconsistencies with the action button used to latch onto edges, and some platforms have hitboxes that extend beyond the physical dimensions of the platform itself. Lara is particularly hard to control on a keyboard, with her always moving a little further than you wanted her to move with a button press. Controllers operate a little better.

Further quality-of-life changes exist to make Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered a more accessible game for newcomers to the franchise and returning fans alike. One I was particularly fond of was health bars on bosses, something that makes an incredible difference in-game, especially when paired with the new ammo counter. You can also skip cutscenes now, though I’m not sure why you would want to, as they made up a huge part of what makes Tomb Raider, well, Tomb Raider.

Overall, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered delivers precisely what the game’s title promises: a faithful, modern update on the classic fourth, fifth, and sixth Tomb Raider games, combining the three titles into one and packing them full of new graphics, improved controls, brand new animations, and quality-of-life features. On top of it all, faithful fans of the original have the option to play the three games more or less as they were released, with many of the new changes becoming completely optional for those who prefer a truly nostalgic experience.

TryHardGuides received a review code for Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered on PC. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Tomb Raider IV-V-VI Remastered is available on Steam, Epic Games, GoG, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation.