Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is a 2024 collection of the first three classic Tomb Raider games, meticulously restored and modernized by Aspyr Media in partnership with Crystal Dynamics. Released fittingly on February 14, 2024 (Lara Croft’s official in-universe birthday), the compilation was celebrated as a masterclass in how to preserve and update retro video games.

The collection includes the foundational PS1-era trilogy that made Lara Croft a global icon: Tomb Raider (1996), Tomb Raider II (1997), and Tomb Raider III (1998). Crucially, the package also includes their respective, notoriously rare PC-exclusive expansion packs: Unfinished Business, The Golden Mask, and The Lost Artifact, bringing them to home consoles for the very first time.

Gameplay

Because the remaster is actually running the original source code underneath a brand-new visual engine, the fundamental physics, enemy AI, and level geometry are entirely identical to the 1990s originals. However, Aspyr introduced massive quality-of-life improvements to make the punishing classics more accessible to modern audiences.

Key gameplay mechanics and additions include:

The On-the-Fly Graphics Toggle: The collection’s most beloved feature. At any moment during gameplay or cutscenes, players can press a single button to instantly switch between the original, blocky 1990s graphics and the beautifully overhauled, modern visual style.
Modernized Control Scheme: The original games required highly rigid, grid-based “tank controls.” The remaster introduces an optional “Modern” control scheme that utilizes the right thumbstick for full camera control and allows Lara to move omnidirectionally based on where the camera is facing (similar to the Legend era). Purists, however, can still opt for the classic tank controls.
Overhauled Visuals: The remastered graphics feature baked-in, realistic lighting, vastly improved water effects, environmental skyboxes, and highly detailed textures. Lara herself received a beautifully updated character model that strikes a perfect balance between her original low-poly look and modern aesthetics.
3D Item Pickups: In the original games, items like medipacks, keys, and ammo were flat, rotating 2D sprites. The remaster replaces all of these with fully modeled 3D objects, and adds subtle visual cues (like an exclamation point) to help players spot items in dark corners.
Photo Mode: A brand-new addition that allows players to freeze the action, freely move the camera, change Lara’s outfits and facial expressions, and toggle between classic and modern graphics to set up the perfect screenshot.
Boss Health Bars: Epic encounters, like the battle against the T-Rex or the Dragon in Tomb Raider II, now feature optional on-screen boss health bars.

Development and Legacy

To ensure the remasters remained incredibly faithful to the source material, Aspyr made a brilliant decision during development: they actively hired prominent members of the passionate Tomb Raider fan and modding community. Most notably, they brought on Timur “Xproger” Gagiev, the creator of the legendary open-source “OpenLara” engine project, to help lead the technical side of the remaster.

By wrapping a new engine around the original code, the team ensured that every single jump, trap, and speedrunning trick worked exactly as it did in the 1990s. The developers meticulously combed through every level, adding environmental storytelling (like adding actual glass ceilings to skylights) without altering the collision geometry that the platforming relies on.

Upon release, the collection was a massive critical and commercial success. Fans and critics hailed it as the “gold standard” for retro remasters, praising the deep respect Aspyr showed for the original games. It successfully introduced a brand-new generation of players to the brutal, lonely, puzzle-heavy origins of the franchise.

The massive success of this package directly greenlit a follow-up compilation, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, which released the following year in February 2025, ensuring that the entirety of the original Core Design era was preserved for modern hardware.

Key Features:

Three Games, Three Expansions — Play the complete classic trilogy alongside Unfinished Business, The Golden Mask, and The Lost Artifact, offering dozens of hours of brutal tomb raiding.
Instant Visual Toggle — Seamlessly flip between the nostalgic 1990s polygonal graphics and the gorgeous, fully remastered 2024 art style with the press of a button.
Play Your Way — Choose between the punishing but precise classic tank controls, or the smoother, camera-oriented modern control scheme.
Community-Led Restoration — Experience a remaster built with deep reverence by a team that included high-profile Tomb Raider modders and community members.
Modern Quality of Life — Enjoy over 200 trophies/achievements, an extensive Photo Mode, modernized health bars, and fully 3D item models.