Tomb Raider: Anniversary

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 60 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 60
  3. Negative: 2 out of 60
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  1. TobyO.
    Dec 19, 2007
    5
    When a next-gen remake is buggier and more broken than the PSone original, it's trouble. This game has so many bugs, I felt dirty playing it. Combined with the insane amount of backtracking required in the "improved" levels, I'd seriously rather bust out Tomb Raider 1. Big disappointment here.
  2. genesisdoes
    Oct 2, 2020
    6
    Tomb Raider Anniversary is a remake of the 1996 classic made for the modern audiences at the time. It looks better, controls better and stays true to to core values of Tomb Raider while offering something new to old fans. It's not fantastic but I don't regret my time with it.

    I played through TR1 and this game simultaneously, completing the levels of each game back to back. I played level    Tomb Raider Anniversary is a remake of the 1996 classic made for the modern audiences at the time. It looks better, controls better and stays true to to core values of Tomb Raider while offering something new to old fans. It's not fantastic but I don't regret my time with it.

    I played through TR1 and this game simultaneously, completing the levels of each game back to back. I played level 1 of the original and then the remade version of level 1, did the same with level 2 and so on. The level design is familiar enough that you'll remember every area but it won't feel like you're playing in the exact same places as the original. The map design, while familiar, is very different. Tomb Raider 1 was on a grid system which forced very primitive design in terms of the environments, some areas of the original flat out resembling Minecraft. This game takes inspiration but, as advertised, adds some updates and upgrades.


    The gameplay was pretty similar to the reboot trilogy which I completed before this game. It felt fine for the most part but there were many times where the game was really finicky. I'd jump to a ledge, pole, etc. that I know for a fact that I'm supposed to go to in order to progress, but because I jumped a step too early, I miss the thing and fall to my death. This happened quite a lot in the original as well but this was 10 whole years later. They could've polished the gameplay a little more. The only reason I didn't really mind this as much as I could have was because of the very frequent checkpoints. Frequent checkpoints were absent from the original so this is a nice upgrade, but sometimes it makes the game a little too easy.

    Lara can do a lot of things she couldn't in the original such swing with her grappling hook and climb up ladders. What's weird to me is there are Tomb Raider games in the reboot trilogy that lack some of the abilities Lara has in this much older game. It took the reboot trilogy several games in order to give Lara the ability to swing on walls with a grappling hook-esque mechanic.

    I wouldn't use this as a replacement for the original but it stands on it's own just fine as an homage to the roots of the franchise. It's rated lower than TR1 simply because of the innovation of the original. This may be a more appealing game to the average person nowadays but there's no denying that, by this point, the 3D platformer genre had come a long way since TR1. Most of the ideas from this game started with the original Tomb Raider and to me, innovation is a decently important aspect to consider when rating a game. Essentially, this game is good, but it didn't add much new to the table upon it's release.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2007
92
#92 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Eurogamer
    90
    For the price, and for the quality of offer, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is easily one the best games released all year. Blessed with an excellent control system and chock full of masterfully designed levels, as far as puzzle-based action adventures go, there have been none finer for years.
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  2. VideoGamer
    80
    It brings a classic game world up to date, throws in simple but intuitive controls and doesn't rely on constant fire-fights to bring excitement.
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  3. TeamXbox
    77
    It’s almost the lack of innovation that makes this fun, as it’s a throwback to the original TR game of 1996. It just doesn’t take a lot of chances either.
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