Raycevick's Recommendations: Open Lara

I'm strange when it comes to old games.

For Deus Ex, and Metal Gear Solid, I must've started them up seven or eight times before finally clicking with the dated controls, visuals, and menus. I repeated this process very recently with Tomb Raider. Having recently explored the series after pondering over its lost potential, I decided to finally see what all the fuss was about, and play the originals made by CORE Design, rather than Crystal Dynamics.

And thankfully, at least for the original, you can play most of the original in a far superior fashion, than dusting off the Playstation, or modding a PC copy.

Open Lara is port that attempts to rebuild the entire game with modern resolutions, optimization, controller support, new features, enhanced visuals, and all at 60 FPS from just your browser of choice. It's quite a remarkable piece of software, and while occasionally buggy, with some stages near the end being impossible to complete at time of recording, has tons of potential, much of which is already display.

As for Tomb Raider I itself? Don't get me wrong, it is dated. However, in terms of gameplay, it's left a void that hasn't been filled, not even by its successors. It is a puzzle platformer, requiring far more critical thinking than trigger fingering. Combat's a rarity, levels are quiet, and platforming requires precision.

It's oddly relaxing, and when you've finally mastered the controls, quite satisfying.

While the newer games may be far more accessible, there's an enjoyable learning curve here that's really been missing in platformers, with exception to the most punishing of indies.

If you're on the fence, you can play the first two levels for free on Open Lara's Website, so see for yourself if these controls are something you can use, and don't be afraid to save-scum.