Released in 96, 97 and 98 Tomb Raider I, II and III are being remastered and publisher by Aspyr Media. Slated to release Feb 14, 2024. I have not tried any of them but would give these remastered versions a shot

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

Tomb Raider Franchise

Aspyr Media

Wikipedia

Thanks for the news, Orion! I remember buying the very first Tomb Raider game when it was released.

I wonder if I would still have the patience! I remember spending hours over just one series of jumps in TR 1. I played 1,2 and 3 at least twice. At one point I was having weird TR dreams. I might check these out, though.

Speaking of Tomb Raider... Has anyone here ever tried the amateur-built, free-to-play TRLE (Tomb Raider Level Editor) games?

Available on a couple of dedicated sites, such as... https://www.trle.net/sc/levelfeatures.php?lid=3135

and... https://trcustoms.org/levels/1758

The TRLE forum for discussion here... http://forum.trle.net/

Some are of exceptional quality and beauty, especially those by experienced authors with review scores above 9 out of 10.

They don't need installation, just download the zip file, extract and click on the exe file to play. Beware though: exiting a game is a little tricky and can be confusing at first. Pressing keyboard Esc doesn't work. You have to press P (for Pause), then scroll down to Exit, then Enter to take you back to Windows. Learn this beforehand.

Many play these with keyboard only - using wasd or arrow keys, but I find a gamepad (an old Microsoft USB one in my case) much easier and more fluent, and it doesn't have to be an expensive one either. Lara's movement and various actions need much practice to master however... a necessary learning curve for those who are only point and clickers.

There are also countless written and YouTube video walkthroughs should you ever get stuck!

Very cool! Nice sites Pugwash

These amature built Tomb Raider games look very good. Anyone needing a TR fix, I would think, can get that there

Thank you

Thanks, Pugwash! I had never heard of TRLE. Definitely worth looking into.

Thank You both!

The TRLE site established by Michael Prager from Germany has been running for many years, while other International hosts have fallen by the wayside. The second site I referenced is a recent startup, which usually contains the same games as the former.

I tend to choose high-scoring TR4 versions by established Level designers which use a later engine than those labelled TR1, 2 and 3. Lara appears more adult and human in face and body in these and the higher pixel count of the surrounding landscapes adds to the realism (like the official games). Also, a simple gamepad whose buttons can be programmed when in-game is ideal... but it has to be a USB2 version which will work on most modern computers. When set for a first game, the buttons don't usually need re-setting for the next one you decide to play...

Such as this USB one... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145329856868?hash=item21d655a164:g:G-EAAOSwolFlEqds

NOT one with an old-fashioned connector like this... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235220526792?epid=1804830692&hash=item36c43c66c8:g:ZdUAAOSwLPRlDoI9

Having said that, I guess any other simple USB-connected gamepad will work.

I'm just seeing this post today. I still have the original Tomb Raider Games I, II and III on disk and still have them installed and play them occasionally on my very old Sony Computer!

I would love to be able to play them remastered with better graphics!

Gerry

Nice to see that your Sony computer is still up and running, that's cool!

We don't have to wait too much longer Kaki's Sister. As you have seen this remastered version should release Feb 14th

Me too Orion...my Sony is so old it has a "floppy drive' that still works too! I have all the old games on it and can still play them...bit it no longer can go on the internet. I do hope all is wll and they will be released on Feb 14th.

Gerry

I have a 95 computer that has a 6 CD changer that came in very handy with a few games from that era. It's back up and running. There was one game that had 8 disks, Black Dahlia. It was the only multi-disk game that I had to still swap out disks. Another was Darkside of the moon. It came with 6 CD's which was just perfect for that changer. Both were two of the best FMV games I have ever played. It's a shame they were never updated

Enjoy that Sony Kaki's Sister, 10 days and counting down!

TR1 had a remake in 2007 called Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Steam page), with then-advanced graphics. But even 2007 graphics now looks dated today. The upcoming game is an enhanced TR1 that retains most of its old graphics style for a "retro" feel.

Now that you mention it Orion I still have some old games that have multiple disks. Weren't there multiple disks with some of the first URU games? GamingGhreak I have Tomb Raider Anniversary...it was much harder then the original TR1. I had a lot of trouble using the controls on the keyboard.

I am looking forward to Feb 14th!

There were 2 URU games released on CD both containing 2 CD's - URU: Ages Beyond Myst and then with added expansions, scroll down to "Expansion packs and URU: Complete Chronicles", came the Complete Chronicles. I have the Complete Chronicles but never finished it. I took interest in URU Live which to this day is still up and running but has become a 4 player Co-op instead of a massive online player game. Playing single is the only way to go. The online version is huge. Many "Ages" where added as time went by. You will locate many linking books that will take you to many locations

URU Live Screens

URU Live Walkthrough - Chapters are on the right, TheMystPlayers version

Chronicles can be purchased on Steam or GOG

Those 2 URU games came with 2 CD's each Kaki's Sister. I thought you might be interested in URU Online since you asked about URU thinking you might have played it


10 days and counting

Revamped Black Dahlia which works on modern Windows OS is freely available at both The Collection Chamber and Zomb's Lair...

https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2017/12/black-dahlia.html

https://www.zombs-lair.com/black-dahlia

Quite long downloads, although dependent on the speed of your internet connection.

Thanks Orion for the links.

I do have the 2 CD versions of URU games and the original boxes. I will have to get them out and see if I can still play. I have Windows 95 and upgrade to 98 on my old Sony.

I never played Black Dahila, Pugwash, I will check out those links too. Thanks.

Gerry

You should be able to get the Chronicles up and running if you choose to do so. Older computers become very valuable when it comes to playing older games that have not been upgraded to todays standards. Its nice to have them Kaki's Sister.

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Thanks for the links Pugwash. I have never heard of either site. I will consider downloading it. Looking around both sites I found a few games I am interested in. Have you downloaded any games from them?

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10 days and counting

Yes, I downloaded quite a few just in case the two owners remove the links if and when GOG and other pay sites get their hands on them and start charging when both have taken the time, effort and hard graft to make them playable for free.

For example - 9 The Last Resort, Alida, Discworld I & 2, Discworld Noir (which for me was notoriously difficult trying to install and play on Windows 10 from the original discs), Lighthouse - The Dark Being and the very weird but enjoyable Faust - Seven Games of the Soul... amongst others.

They also give their valuable views and pitfalls on each game so you can decide whether to download or not.

Thank you Pugwash

I will check a few games out that I am interested in and go from there

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1 day and counting to the release of Tomb Raider I-II-III Remastered

Tomb Raider I-II-III Remastered has released - Launch Trailer

Steam

GOG

Humble

EPIC


TR Franchise

Thanks, Orion!

Has anyone got the remastered TR games yet?

I just got the remastered version and there are pros and cons. All the music tracks (about 60 tracks) from the console version are present. As boomers and Xers recall, the original game had CD music tracks ("redbook" tracks in the lingo of the day), because there was no room to put music in the game files. The original PC CD version had only 10 tracks for some reason, but the console (Playstation) version had 60 tracks. The current Steam version is a duplicate of the PC version, and only has 10 tracks also. So this remastered version restores all the tracks that had been unavailable to PC users. Some of the restored tracks are "battle music" and ambient sound clips.

The cut scenes of the remastered version seem to look sharper and better, but they are just artificially enhanced versions of the original videos -- artificially smoothed, filtered, up-rezzed, etc. Some people hate that look, and I sort of do too. But of course these clips are not the reason to buy this game.

The improved texture and lighting look very nice. Of course, texture mods have existed for years. But the new game has realistic lighting that only a significant remastering can provide. The original game looks bright everywhere, but the new version looks dark when it needs to be, such as in a dark cave or corridor with no apparent light source. You don't have a flash light in the game, so a "realistically dark" environment could make puzzle-solving difficult. I don't know if this is a deal-breaker yet as I'm still early in the game. There are no graphics settings you can adjust in the game.

The new game adds a photo mode (press the F3 key on PC) where Lara can have different outfits, poses, and facial expressions.

The new game lets you switch between old and new graphics (by pressing F1) anytime and anywhere, in gameplay, in menus, and even in cut scenes.

The new game gives you the original keyboard control (called "tank control" here), and a "modern control," which is the biggest "con" in the game. You can't back flip, side-step, side jump, or jump off a cliff and grab the ledge with the modern WASD-mouse control. If you equip a weapon, you can do some of those moves, but it is inconvenient. It's probably best to play with the original control, unless the developer fixes this.

Nice info GamingPhreak! I have never heard of being able to switch between old and new graphics IN GAME with a hit of a key. I don't know why you would want to do that unless you just wanted to see the differences between new and old graphics.

It sounds like "tank control' may be the way to go. I am puzzled as to why you cannot perform certain moves in "modern control". Those moves you mentioned were needed in the game, at least in the original. Have the developers changed how the game plays out if in "modern control"?

Thank you

The switching between old and new graphics has become something of a standard feature in this type of games. I think it started in 2009, when The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition came out. After that, many remastered games have done the same thing: Command and Conquer, Starcraft, Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle, etc. Some games have done it as Easter Eggs, like the Doom remakes.

The problem with the modern control in TR Remastered is that Lara turns her body to do backward or side movements. In the original control, Lara does not turn her body: she always faces forward when she moves backward or sideward. But in the new control, Lara makes a 180-degree body turn before going backward, or 90-degree turn before moving sideward.