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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Tomb Raider I–III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is a preservation-first restoration, not a remake. Aspyr used the original source code and engine to keep the 1996–1998 trilogy’s level layouts, jumps, secrets, enemies and puzzles intact, then layered on optional modern graphics, camera-relative controls and presentation features.
You can switch between remastered and classic visuals during play, choose modern or original tank controls, and access all three games with their major expansion campaigns. The result is a collection designed to make the original adventures easier to approach without replacing the way they were authored.
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At a glance: remaster versus original
| Area | Original games | Tomb Raider I–III Remastered |
|---|---|---|
| Core content | The three original Core Design adventures, released from 1996 to 1998, with expansions distributed separately. | Tomb Raider I + Unfinished Business, Tomb Raider II + Golden Mask, and Tomb Raider III + The Lost Artifact in one collection. |
| Graphics | Original polygon models, textures, lighting and 2D pickup sprites. | Optional updated models, textures, animation and effects, plus baked and real-time lighting. Classic visuals remain available. |
| Controls | Original tank-style movement and camera behavior. | Tank controls remain selectable; optional modern controls use camera-relative movement and a right-stick camera. |
| Convenience features | No modern photo mode, outfit selector or remaster-specific quick-save shortcuts. | Photo Mode, additional presentation options, controller quick-save/reload hotkeys and post-launch improvements. |
| Boss feedback | No modern boss-health display. | Boss health bars clarify damage and weapon choices; Update 4 added a toggle. |
| Trophies | Original releases did not include the remaster’s trophy set. | More than 200 trophies are listed for the collection. |
The important distinction is that the remaster adds selectable layers around the original games rather than redesigning their underlying encounters.
What games and expansions are included?
The collection packages the complete original trilogy and its associated expansion stories:
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Tomb Raider I and Unfinished Business
The first adventure is accompanied by Unfinished Business, an expansion campaign with additional levels and challenges. Both are included in the remastered package rather than requiring a separate purchase.
Tomb Raider II and Golden Mask
Golden Mask adds its own levels to the second game. The remaster presents the main adventure and expansion together, preserving the distinct content associated with the original release.
Tomb Raider III and The Lost Artifact
The third game is paired with The Lost Artifact, giving the collection the complete Tomb Raider III package as described by the official PlayStation listing.
Because each expansion is part of the same collection, you do not need to track down the original add-on releases to experience this content. The remaster does not, however, turn these campaigns into newly designed episodes; their original level structures and gameplay logic are preserved.
Visual changes: a new layer over the original polygon art
The most immediately visible change is the optional remastered presentation. Aspyr created new models for Lara, environments and enemies, while also adjusting textures, animations and visual effects. Lighting combines baked and real-time effects to give rooms, outdoor areas and surfaces more depth than the original hardware presentation could provide.
Classic and remastered views can be compared instantly
A graphics toggle lets you move between the two visual styles during gameplay. This is not a one-time setting that requires restarting a level: the classic polygon look remains available at any time, making it possible to inspect the same room or encounter in both modes.
The same comparison is available in Photo Mode. You can pause the action, switch visual styles and examine how the updated models and lighting differ from the original presentation without relying on memory or screenshots from another version.
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Models, effects and pickups
Lara, enemies and environmental assets receive rebuilt or adjusted models in remastered mode. Textures, animations and effects were also revised as part of the presentation update. Health-kit and ammunition pickups are represented as three-dimensional models instead of the flat two-dimensional sprites used by the original games.
These changes affect appearance, not the authored placement of items or the purpose of each pickup. A medkit still occupies the same gameplay role; it simply uses a different visual representation when remastered graphics are enabled.
What the visual update does not establish
No controlled comparison has established a universal frame-rate advantage, input-latency figure, image-quality measurement or completion-time difference against original hardware. The documented changes are the asset, lighting and effects updates described above. Your preference between the two modes is therefore partly subjective: remastered mode is clearer and more contemporary, while classic mode preserves the original low-polygon character.
Controls and camera: tank movement is still an option
The original tank-style controls remain selectable. In that scheme, Lara’s movement follows the deliberate, grid-like handling familiar from the 1990s games, and camera behavior remains part of the challenge of lining up jumps, ledges and combat encounters.
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How modern controls work
The optional modern scheme takes inspiration from the controls used in the Legend, Anniversary and Underworld era. The right stick controls the camera, while Lara moves directionally relative to the camera. Push forward and she travels in the direction the camera is facing; steer the camera and her movement reference changes with it.
This can make ordinary traversal feel more familiar to players who started with later Tomb Raider games, but it also changes the way you approach the original geometry. Jump timing, ledge alignment and combat positioning are no longer based on exactly the same directional relationships as tank controls. A jump that feels automatic with one scheme may require deliberate camera positioning with the other.
Combat implications
Modern controls are not merely a cosmetic remapping. Camera-relative movement changes how you turn while under fire and how you line up a target, so players should choose a scheme before judging the trilogy’s handling. Update 3 improved modern-control combat, and Update 4 further improved modern-control aiming, turning and sprinting.
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If you want to reproduce the original movement challenge, select tank controls. If you prefer a contemporary right-stick camera and directional movement, select modern controls. You can treat the remaster as two handling options for the same levels rather than as a replacement of the original system.
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Boss-health bars
The remaster adds boss-health bars to make damage feedback and weapon-choice decisions clearer. The bar gives you a visible indication of progress instead of requiring you to infer it solely from animations and combat behavior.
Update 4 added a toggle for boss bars. You can therefore keep the extra feedback enabled for accessibility and clarity or disable it when you want a presentation closer to the original games.
Photo Mode
Photo Mode can freeze gameplay and lets you pose Lara, change her weapon and change her outfit. It also supports switching between classic and remastered graphics while the scene is paused. This is a presentation and capture tool, not a redesign of the level or a way to bypass its puzzles.
Trophies
Aspyr lists more than 200 trophies for the collection. The trophy set adds a modern achievement layer across the trilogy and its additional content; it does not alter the original objectives or level layouts.
Controller shortcuts
Update 3 added controller quick-save and reload hotkeys. These shortcuts reduce menu navigation when you are retrying a jump, experimenting with a route or recovering from a combat mistake. They are a convenience around the existing save system, not a change to the underlying encounters.
Outfit selector
Update 3, released June 5, 2024, added an outfit selector. It unlocks after you complete each individual game and then allows outfits from all three adventures to be selected. The unlock condition means the feature is not an unrestricted costume menu from the first minute of a new save.
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Post-launch updates that changed the experience
| Update | Date | Documented changes |
|---|---|---|
| Update 3 | June 5, 2024 | Added the outfit selector after completing each game; improved modern-control combat, Lara’s model, water-caustic effects and fire effects; added controller quick-save/reload hotkeys. |
| Update 4 | November 4, 2024 | Further improved modern-control aiming, turning and sprinting; fixed FMV stuttering and several visual-effects issues; added the boss-health-bar toggle. |
If you played at launch, the post-launch versions are materially more polished in the areas covered by these notes. The updates improve handling and presentation without changing the preservation-first direction.
Is this a remake?
No. Aspyr’s stated approach was to use the original source code and engine. The goal was to preserve the gameplay of Tomb Raider I, II and III, which the studio described as timeless, while allowing players to toggle back to the original look and feel.
That means the remaster does not redesign levels, rewrite puzzles or replace the original authored encounters. Enemy placement, secrets, traversal challenges and puzzle logic remain the reference experience. Modern graphics, camera-relative controls, boss bars, Photo Mode and other additions sit around that foundation.
The distinction matters when you encounter an awkward jump, a demanding camera angle or an unusual puzzle solution. Those moments are generally part of the preserved design rather than evidence that a remade level was poorly rebuilt. Switching to classic visuals and tank controls can help you identify whether your difficulty comes from the original game’s design or from your chosen modern control scheme.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Platform, release and purchase details
The official PlayStation listing gives the collection a February 14, 2024 release on PS4 and PS5. That listing showed a price of $29.99 when accessed, but prices, promotions and stock can vary by platform and retailer, so treat that figure as a dated listing price rather than a permanent worldwide price.
Physical editions were also announced, including a Limited Run Games Collector’s Edition featuring Lara’s dual pistols. Availability is dependent on production, region and current stock. Check the retailer and platform page for the edition you are considering rather than assuming every physical or collector package remains available.
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A compatible game controller is the relevant accessory for players who want analog-camera modern controls or who simply prefer a gamepad for tank controls. The collection’s documented features do not establish a requirement for a particular controller model.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Which version should you play?
Choose remastered graphics when you want readability
- You are new to the trilogy and want updated character, enemy and environment models.
- You prefer modern lighting and effects that make rooms and surfaces easier to parse.
- You want to compare the restoration directly with the original by toggling views during play.
Choose classic graphics when authenticity matters most
- You want the original polygon silhouettes, textures, lighting character and pickup sprites.
- You are replaying the games for historical accuracy or to match your memory of the original releases.
- You want to inspect whether a visual impression comes from the original design rather than the updated assets.
Choose modern controls when camera-relative movement suits you
- You are accustomed to the right-stick camera and directional movement of later third-person action games.
- You want contemporary aiming, turning and sprinting behavior, especially after Updates 3 and 4.
- You are comfortable recalibrating jump alignment because camera direction now influences movement.
Choose tank controls when you want the original handling
- You want the movement system associated with the 1996–1998 releases.
- You prefer deliberate, predictable directional inputs for jumps and ledge positioning.
- You are comparing the remaster with original hardware or an original PC installation.
Is it worth buying if you already own the originals?
The answer depends on whether the added presentation and convenience features solve a problem for you. The remaster is most compelling for an existing owner who wants all three games and their expansions in one current package, updated graphics that can be compared instantly with the classic look, a choice between tank and modern controls, Photo Mode, trophy support, controller quick-save/reload shortcuts and the post-launch fixes.
It is less compelling as a purchase motivated by a wholly new campaign or redesigned gameplay, because it does not provide those things. The levels, secrets, puzzles, enemies and traversal remain the original trilogy’s authored content. If your main goal is to preserve the exact original appearance and handling, you can select classic graphics and tank controls; if you already have a way to play the originals and do not value the collection’s convenience features, the upgrade is primarily about accessibility, presentation and consolidation.
Common questions
Can I use the original tank controls?
Yes. Tank-style controls remain selectable alongside the optional modern scheme.
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Yes. The classic visual style can be toggled during gameplay and in Photo Mode.
Does the collection include the expansion levels?
Yes. It includes Unfinished Business, Golden Mask and The Lost Artifact alongside the three main games.
Does modern control mode change the levels?
No. It changes movement and camera behavior, not the original level layouts, puzzles, secrets or enemy encounters.
Can boss-health bars be removed?
Yes. Update 4 added a boss-health-bar toggle.
When do the additional outfits unlock?
Update 3’s outfit selector unlocks after you complete each individual game, after which outfits from all three adventures can be selected.
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Verdict
Tomb Raider I–III Remastered is best understood as the original trilogy with a reversible presentation upgrade. Its strongest feature is choice: modern lighting and models or classic polygons, camera-relative controls or tank handling, with the same underlying levels and puzzles either way. The complete expansion content, Photo Mode, trophy set, boss-bar option and post-launch control improvements make it a practical way to play the trilogy today, while the source-code and engine approach keeps the historical gameplay intact.
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