Tomb Raider: Anniversary

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 373 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 271 out of 373
  2. Mixed: 83 out of 373
  3. Negative: 19 out of 373
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  1. Falcon
    Jul 2, 2011
    6
    Fun exploration, good sense of place, nice atmosphere. Even in 2011, the graphics hold up pretty well. The puzzles are usually at a pretty good difficulty. The game really does a good job of making you feel like you're exploring places that have been untouched for years and set up by masterminds.

    However, there are quite a few problems that mar the fun: the camera can be finicky in some    Fun exploration, good sense of place, nice atmosphere. Even in 2011, the graphics hold up pretty well. The puzzles are usually at a pretty good difficulty. The game really does a good job of making you feel like you're exploring places that have been untouched for years and set up by masterminds.

    However, there are quite a few problems that mar the fun: the camera can be finicky in some sections; Lara doesn't always jump in the direction you tell her to go (especially during wall-run sections or when she's turning around from climbing up a ledge right as you try to jump); it's possible to get stuck on sections of terrain which require you to mash the jump button like mad or reload from your last save; enemy AI is atrocious (although hearing epic music while a gorilla runs head-first away into a wall in the wrong direction while trying to attack you is good for a laugh); movement glitches (like clipping terrain during dodges) and camera often get in the way during combat. A number of the climbing platforming sections can get tedious. Instead of making you tap E to go faster while climbing, why not just make Lara move that fast by default? Checkpoints are often spaced too far apart and you can't save at will, so you'll be redoing tedious sections of platforming just to get back to the point where the camera or awkward controls make a jump difficult and doing the same section over and over again.

    The Prince of Persia series has much more fluid platforming (except for the 2008 Prince of Persia, which felt like auto-pilot) and Uncharted has done a much better job at setting up sense of place and managed to make combat more fun and less of a chore. I haven't played the later TR games except for Guardian of Light (which is EXCELLENT and I highly recommend) so for now I'm not sure how much progress in those areas have been made. I'll be playing TR:Legend and Underworld eventually and reviewing them as well.

    In short: I would have given this game an 8/10, but the numerous issues (i.e. dying because of camera problems and controls flaking out and making you repeat sections of the game over at no fault of your own are both incredibly frustrating) and some tedious platforming sections (once I've proven that I know how to do it and it's not difficult nor fun to execute, don't make me do it 2 or 3 more times) bring it down to a 6.    … Expand
  2. Nulla
    Sep 24, 2008
    5
    Deeply disappointing. A classic game experience has been turned into a console wanabe with crap sound. Looks OK. Handles OK. Is repetitive kak.
  3. Sangman
    Aug 5, 2011
    7
    I got this as a gift during the Steam sales recently. The only Tomb Raider games I've played before were 2 and 3, over 10 years ago. So for me Tomb Raider: Anniversary still felt like a fresh game. If you've played every Tomb Raider game there is perhaps your opinion would be different.

    I liked playing it a lot. I enjoyed going through the levels, finding my way through the numerous    I got this as a gift during the Steam sales recently. The only Tomb Raider games I've played before were 2 and 3, over 10 years ago. So for me Tomb Raider: Anniversary still felt like a fresh game. If you've played every Tomb Raider game there is perhaps your opinion would be different.

    I liked playing it a lot. I enjoyed going through the levels, finding my way through the numerous platforming puzzles, and I didn't even feel sad the many times I died because the ragdoll physics in this game are kindof hilarious, where Lara will sometimes bounce off the ground, several feet into the air. I'm not big on physics but I don't think that's how it works.

    The game offers very little outside of that though, there's just jumping, climbing and shooting things on occassion which is enough for me but that, along with sometimes unresponsive controls prevents me from rating it higher. Still, this game is very much worth playing and is a lot of fun, a nice change of pace from the pew pew pew FPS games I usually play.    … Expand
  4. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    7
    If I'm completely honest, I didn't enjoy Tomb Raider Anniversary as much as I thought I would. When you remake an original game, you’re standing on thin grounds and can have a lot of hype to match… Especially with a classic, genre defining game like Tomb Raider! Virtually it’s the same type textures and graphics as Legend and very few other changes except the length, this game isIf I'm completely honest, I didn't enjoy Tomb Raider Anniversary as much as I thought I would. When you remake an original game, you’re standing on thin grounds and can have a lot of hype to match… Especially with a classic, genre defining game like Tomb Raider! Virtually it’s the same type textures and graphics as Legend and very few other changes except the length, this game is considerably longer. I do think the biggest let down was the original challenge type scenarios have disappeared “Tomb Raider” was built on the principle of “Well, I found this, what’s it for?” or “Where the hell am I going?” but as this was a remake original players already knew what everything was for... It is a decent installation for the series, but for Lara to compete properly in today's standards, the series needs a retool.… Expand
  5. Shinigurai
    Jul 1, 2012
    5
    I think this game has such a high User Score because too many players are overly loyal to the series and unwilling to admit that this is a bad game. After playing the game for several hours it feels more like a chore than a delight. Unresponsive controls, terrible camera angles, worthless auto-aim, and awful boss fights. That pretty much sums it up. You will spend more time in loadingI think this game has such a high User Score because too many players are overly loyal to the series and unwilling to admit that this is a bad game. After playing the game for several hours it feels more like a chore than a delight. Unresponsive controls, terrible camera angles, worthless auto-aim, and awful boss fights. That pretty much sums it up. You will spend more time in loading screens then actually playing the game because you will fall to your death so often due to poor camera angles or extreme camera zoom. Often the hitting a button will result in an action delay just long enough to make you mistime your jump or grab and you will end up back at the beginning of whatever climbing puzzle you were on. The enemies often move so fast that you cannot get away and once they are on top of you the auto-aim system refuses to target them. Boss fights are overly complicated and generally one mistake will cause you to become trapped against a wall or in a corner where you will be killed. Overall this game is just frustrating. If there were no enemies and falling from a great height didn't kill you then this would be a wonderful adventure/puzzle solver, but it isn't. The game tries to do too much without giving the player any room for mistakes. Unless you enjoy frustration, save your money.… Expand
  6. Speed4Runs
    Jan 3, 2013
    6
    Nice game, but there are all the bad notes from the previous game, which I'm not going to say here, too. Anyway, the graphics have been improved (although without next gen contents), as well as the performance. The textures are superb. There are some fixes on the gameplay. Graphics and performance: 4+ (4.25. The missing of the Next-Gen contents is inconceivable, in 2007); Longevity: 5Nice game, but there are all the bad notes from the previous game, which I'm not going to say here, too. Anyway, the graphics have been improved (although without next gen contents), as well as the performance. The textures are superb. There are some fixes on the gameplay. Graphics and performance: 4+ (4.25. The missing of the Next-Gen contents is inconceivable, in 2007); Longevity: 5 (much better than Legend); Gameplay: 6+ (6.25); Plot: 7- (6.75). OVERALL SCORE: 5 + ½ [5.56] (5.5 out of 10 [Good]).… Expand
  7. Frokei
    Nov 28, 2012
    6
    Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a classic Tomb Raider game. While at first the game is really enjoyable, and it fills you with excitement and exploration; you soon realize that you do the same thing level after level. The puzzles are rather easy, and the action in the game is extremely lacking. Some of the levels are really dull, but they offer some cool features (Greece in particular).Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a classic Tomb Raider game. While at first the game is really enjoyable, and it fills you with excitement and exploration; you soon realize that you do the same thing level after level. The puzzles are rather easy, and the action in the game is extremely lacking. Some of the levels are really dull, but they offer some cool features (Greece in particular). Overall I gave Tomb Raider: anniversary a 6/10 because it did feel like the classic, and the graphic update was nice. Some of the puzzles were enjoyable, and some of the zones kept me entertained.

    If you don't enjoy doing the same thing over and over I would not recommend this game to you. Otherwise, if you want an Indiana Jones like adventure (with way less action) you might want to give it a try.    … Expand
  8. urisvesk
    Nov 5, 2013
    7
    Could be a better game. Combat is kinda silly, and the controls aren't that good. It has nice puzzles and secrets stuff for exploration. Overall it is worth playing. Its fun, cause of its challenge. Still better than the latest ones in my opinion.
  9. AbeMC
    Feb 21, 2018
    7
    Tomb Raider Anniversary is a solitary puzzle-platformer whose gameplay and atmosphere remain as excellent (and nostalgic) as ever. Visually, it has aged a bit, but the deft platforming and superb atmosphere make this one of the best presentations of “classic” Lara Croft. Worth the full price, but frequently discounts much lower.
    Total size on my hard-drive: 4GB
    + Graphics are simple by    Tomb Raider Anniversary is a solitary puzzle-platformer whose gameplay and atmosphere remain as excellent (and nostalgic) as ever. Visually, it has aged a bit, but the deft platforming and superb atmosphere make this one of the best presentations of “classic” Lara Croft. Worth the full price, but frequently discounts much lower.
    Total size on my hard-drive: 4GB

    + Graphics are simple by today’s standards, but have aged well. (Resolutions go up to 3840x2160.) Lara’s face conveys more expressions than faces in more modern, supposedly more “realistic” games.
    + Stunning soundtrack.
    + Not much voice-acting, but what is there is excellent. Keeley Hawes as Lara is always a plus. Some excellent work from Grey DeLisle as well (more famous as Catwoman in Batman: Arkham City).
    + Excellent platforming puzzles.
    + Great variety of levels and level design. Some are small and linear, others are large and spacious.
    + Ability to replay individual levels.
    + Great enemy variety - gorillas, lions, centaurs, rats, bats, wolves, bears, and others.

    +/- Story works as an excuse to explore ancient dig sites. It improves towards the end.
    +/- Directional QTEs (press the correct WASD key). Stay alert in cutscenes.
    +/- Tomb Raider Anniversary is a game from an age when natural curiosity was a gamer’s guide to progression. There is no map, there are no waypoints. Lara gives you cryptic clues if you bring up her journal, but that’s it. Some gamers will love this self-reliant imperative, others will loathe it.

    - Aim lock-on frustrates as often as it satisfies. Free-aim works well, but Lara cannot move when it is engaged, making it only suitable for puzzles.
    - Unclear boss patterns require trial-and-error – or keeping a walkthrough handy.
    - Inconsistent control scheme, which can lead to high levels of frustration. For instance, sometimes a complicated jump requires pressing the direction key (WASD) + Jump (spacebar). Other times, the exact same maneuver will require pressing Jump followed by the direction key.
    - Inconsistent camera angles (important for executing complicated jumps). Hard sometimes to tell if pressing back or left/right is what the situation requires. Experimentation can result in Lara’s death and loading a checkpoint.    … Expand
  10. WilT.
    Jun 30, 2007
    7
    I tried this out because I really enjoyed the first Tomb Raider a decade ago. This one has a lot of graphic polish and it's neat to see some of the old levels. However, the gameplay isn't always smooth with little bugs popping up here and there. The last two levels are horribly irritating and leave the player with a bad last impression.
  11. 99dolar
    Mar 23, 2023
    5
    Oyun fena değil ancak bazı noktalarda kontrollerin yeteri kadar iyi optimize edilmemesi nedeni ile çıldırdım. Ayrıca bazı bölümlerler ilerlemek için çok fazla item toplamak gerekiyor insanı geriyor bu durum.
  12. gold
    May 5, 2019
    7
    Сюжетно игра является ребутом 1 части, но т.к. я забросил 1 часть (из-за шикарного управления и отличной камеры), скажу что, сюжет клеширован. Графика хуже чем в предыдущей части.
    Итог: 7.066/10
  13. Gelaos
    Jul 12, 2021
    7
    Similarly as TR: Legend, Anniversary is overall a decent modernization of original Tomb Raider formula and more-or-less faithfull re-imagining of 1996's Tomb Raider 1. The game focues on puzzles and exploration which is an improvement from TR:L. The puzzles are harder than in TR:L, but still not at the TR 1 level and enviroments are much more linear/condensed than in TR1. Camera angles andSimilarly as TR: Legend, Anniversary is overall a decent modernization of original Tomb Raider formula and more-or-less faithfull re-imagining of 1996's Tomb Raider 1. The game focues on puzzles and exploration which is an improvement from TR:L. The puzzles are harder than in TR:L, but still not at the TR 1 level and enviroments are much more linear/condensed than in TR1. Camera angles and controls are sometimes frustrating and combat is also annoying at times due to messy auto-targeting.

    Although Anniversary overall isn't better than original TR 1, I enjoyed playing it.    … Expand
  14. Babutto
    Feb 3, 2020
    7
    At the beginning of my play, I wanted to score 10. But after the end credits only 7.

    Pros.: - Remaster of the first TR. It's worth it. - Lara and redesign. - Characters, cut scenes. - Checkpoint. Cons.: - Controls. The more you play, the more troublesome it is. - Quality check. It's obvious the game wasn't properly checked closer to the end of the game. Glitches, bugs,    At the beginning of my play, I wanted to score 10. But after the end credits only 7.

    Pros.:
    - Remaster of the first TR. It's worth it.
    - Lara and redesign.
    - Characters, cut scenes.
    - Checkpoint.

    Cons.:
    - Controls. The more you play, the more troublesome it is.
    - Quality check. It's obvious the game wasn't properly checked closer to the end of the game. Glitches, bugs, especially with grapple. It's unacceptable for the remastered, nonoriginal game. THe final fight is a pain in the ass because of the dodge controls.    … Expand
  15. ExTrapolation
    Jul 16, 2020
    5
    В этой игре один из самых уродских платформингов, что я видел. Расположение платформ, то как Лара прыгает по ним, управление, камера - местами это такая жепа, особенно к концу. Баги повсюду. Боссбатлы... как и сами драки с противниками - не очень. Сюжет с первой части немного изменился, но ради него особо играть не хотелось.В этой игре один из самых уродских платформингов, что я видел. Расположение платформ, то как Лара прыгает по ним, управление, камера - местами это такая жепа, особенно к концу. Баги повсюду. Боссбатлы... как и сами драки с противниками - не очень. Сюжет с первой части немного изменился, но ради него особо играть не хотелось.

Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Best PC Game of 2007
24
#24 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
32
#32 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. PC Zone UK
    83
    It's a good game, a solid remake, but having said that, 11 years on, it was never going to garner the awe-struck plaudits of a gobsmacked world. [July 2007, p.60]
  2. Eurogamer
    90
    It takes the inspirational level design of the original, improves upon the atmosphere, and makes the whole thing so much more fun thanks to the hugely refined control and camera system. Far from being a tired, cynical cash-in exercise of a brand past its prime, Tomb Raider Anniversary goes back to its roots and shows how remakes should be done.
    Read full review
  3. VideoGamer
    80
    Everything a remake should be. It makes the most of modern technology to bring a classic game world up to date, throws in simple but intuitive controls and doesn't rely on constant fire-fights to bring excitement.
    Read full review
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