![tomb-raider-ii-starring-lara-croft-usa-v1-3[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/3eoCkSU.jpg "tomb-raider-ii-starring-lara-croft-usa-v1-3[1].jpg")
>laran
>sidebooban
>tomb exploran
>same fucking jump for 6 times repeat-an
Classic Tomb Raider vidya thread faggots.
I only played 2 and 3 back in the day and I want to know where do the first 5 games stand in order, and also which versions are the best? I am looking to go down the real ps1 route instead of pc and emulation but unsure how viable it is.
Angel of Darkness is not shit edition
Why PS1? The PC versions of these games are just fine.
I've played a fair bit of 2 and 3 (I bought 2 on release based on the hype of the first game) but I only actually finished the first game recently. I've got to say, it basically completely changed my opinion on the series. Tomb Raider is essentially an alternate interpretation of how the 3D platformer is supposed to look and it's quite fun to play. The original game is basically the definition of "too long" -- it's really, truly, mind-bogglingly long for a single-player platformer -- and there's far too much combat in a game where the combat is absolute trash, but it's damn fun to play once you get the hang of it.
I haven't played much of Tomb Raider 3. My biggest complaint about Tomb Raider 2 was the increased prevalence of combat; how does TR 3 do?
>>3021631
There is a lot of combat in 3, on par with 2 probably which isn't too much for my taste. Main thing that 3 has going on for it is that it probably features the biggest variety in levels, you go all around the globe more or less.
Games are visually pretty fucking bad and playing it on pc two feet from the screen is fairly disheartening. PS1 on a real crt that softens the image nicely, couple of meters back on the couch with a gamepad seems a lot more appealing. I played a bit of Last Revelation yesterday (just skimmed through the tutorial to see if the disc works) and, it being my only classic Lara experience for solid 10 years now, didn't feel too bad. FPS is around 20-25, controls are as jerky as I recall but not too bad. The only truly shit thing about ps1 are the loading times but I am willing to put up with it.
>>3021636
Hm. My primary PC monitor is a CRT (...my only PC monitor is a CRT) so perhaps that explains why I recommended that version. Carry on then.
I'm going to try TR3 tonight, then. I like the sound of level variety and I suppose I can put up with the combat. It's hardly game-breakingly bad, and variety would be most welcome.
>>3021640
Also, it might be worth looking into 4 and 5 if you want more of the same formula, for sakae of completion. Both games add some new platforming mechanics, both games are considerably shorter than first 3 and slightly more hub-based and linear in terms of levels. Also they are comfy in the sense that you can save literally any time. Inventory is a bit reworked too.
>>3021646
I haven't played the playstation versions in a long while; is there really not saving anywhere? There is in the PC version. You can save mid-jump if you want to.
>>3021636
bro game looks fine on PC
1=2>3>4>5
It's a shame that there really isn't a modern equivalent of the oldschool Tomb Raiders. There aren't any modern games the require you to scout out and explore the environment like TR did, nor are there games where navigating terrain was itself a puzzle to solve.
Guess I gotta do what I did for Thief; keep playing the fan missions...
>>3021618
I think the PC versions are where it's at. They generally speaking look better at higher resolutions + 3D hardware acceleration, and have better frame rates. Plus, save anywhere in all games, as opposed to the PSX versions, where some of the games have you at the mercy of the save crystals. And the add-on episodes are free on PC.
Though the TR1 engine is running on ancient MS-DOS code, so getting it to boot on modern PCs is gonna be a bit tricky. DOSbox or some other virtual engine maybe? If you just want ease of use, then a Playstation 2 + the PSX version of the game is definitely the way to go.
Definitely do not miss TR1, I still think it's the best of the classics, even in spite of it's limitations. You can tell just by playing it that Core was fully invested in it, heart and soul, when they made it. Truly adventuring in exotic locations at it's finest. Unlike TR: Chronicles which is total poop. I sometimes feel that Core deliberately sabotaged that one just so that Eidos would release them from their Tomb Raider-contract.
>>3022452
i wanna eat that
>>3023387
iPhones aren't food
>>3021650
TR1 have save crystals at certain locations and you can only use them once.
TR2 have save anywhere just like PC
TR3 brings back save crystals but this time they're inventory items and you can use them anywhere
>>3023372
The first game can now be played under windows with hardware acceleration, don't need dosbox for it anymore.
https://github.com/ata4/glrage
so I started TR2 this morning. Got stuck on second fucking level in Venice. I figured out all the shit but then got stuck because I overlook that final gate swtich is on a timer. I pressed it early in the level and forgot about it. Also the entire fucking map was way more confusing to me than it should've been, I was running in circles for half an hour.
I got a bit scrubby with years of modern gaming but the game is still top notch fun.
>>3021636
Tomb raider 3 has definitely less combat than 2. I remind back in pre-release interviews even devs saiad that one of the biggest focuses was to go back to a more exploration oriented game after the shootfest 2 was.
There's still a fair amount of gunfight in 3 but nowhere near the amount of 2.
So, for the best versions of the games:
Tomb raider : PC.
The gog version of the game runs great, you just have to use a software like joy2key to map your controller and then you're golden.
I find that the emulated PSX version, can't resume playing an audio track after its being interrupted (for example, ambience track is playing, you pick up a secret, the tune plays but when it's over the ambience track doesn't start)
If you have money to spend there's a custom glide wrapper made by some jew that allows you to use custom textures, higher quality FMVs and better audio, however this program costs 10$.
Tomb Raider II: PC.
Tomb Raider 2 has a couple difference from the playstation version. First of all the health and oxygen bars, don't look as good as they do on the playstation version, they are thin and red/blue, whereas on the playstation they're thicker and, have gradients.
On the pc, there's a few issues with audio. The first 2 games came on mixed mode cds that separated the data track from the audio track (which is why you could hear the audio if you put the cds into a player) and while for the first it works great now, on the 2, sometimes you have music playing where it shouldn't.
For example in the first level great wall, there's an ambience soundtrack of wind blowing, when you approach the end of the level, just above the huge chasm you should zipline over, the ambience track should not be playing since you are into a cave but, on pc it does, on psx it does not. Not a game breaker but it's there.
-Tomb Raider 3: PSX
I usually am a big fan of tomb raider on pc, god knows how many time I fucked up a jump and then was met with those 15-20 seconds loading screens on the playstation, whereas on pc it was a matter of seconds to get back into action however, things with 3 on PC make this version feel more like an afterthought that a well thought-out port, like pc got some beta code as release.
Cont.
>>3024225
Biggest offender for TR3 is the crystals. On playstation, tomb raider 3 opted to have a hybrid system between the fixed save points of TR1 and the save anywhere of TR2.
This time around you would find crystals in game that you could pick up and then use when you felt like it. On PC however, this mechanic isn't there and, each save crystal is green colored and acts like a small medipack when collected, making the game easier.
Second worst offender is the music, the pc version is bugged and the game can't swap back to any track that isn't the default one for the level if you happen to die.
For example, ambience track is playing, then you enter a new area and a small little music plays, the game in this case will switch back to the track that was playing before, even if it wasn't the one that was playing when the level started.
However, let's say you are in the second level, temple ruins. The level starts in the jungle and you have an ambience sound track playing, once you enter the temple itself, the tune changes to a gloomy one. If you save inside the temple and reload, the game will play the ambience track you heard outside rather than the appropriate track.
Then there are small graphical differences such as Lara not leaving footprints in the snow during the nevada levels and, the train track in the RX mines not being animated (though I think there's a fan made patch that fixes that)
Tomb Raider The Last Revelation: DC.
Those versions are pretty much equal on all consoles, with Dreamcast being given the edge due to its implementation of real time shadows. If you can't get the DC version, PC
Tomb Raider Chronicles: DC
Same as above, if you can't get the DC version play it on pc.
>>3024175
You can cheat the timer by swimming, if you are underwater the bell won't ring and the door won't close.
>>3024231
Thanks for the wall of text. I didn't even know that last two games were on DC too, I will see how it emulates. DC games usually had really neat framerate and occasionally a better animation or two.
I will stick with TR2 on ps1 for now, its really not bad at all though I think I may have burned the disc wrong since there is no music for better part of things, and I cant recall if that is right. In that 2nd Venice level music was present just for the very last racing section with that classical music going on. I don't mind it either way, it gives the game a nice eerie atmospere.
>>3024225
I forgot, PC version of tomb raider 2 is moddable with the textures from the IOS release.
>>3024237
The first 2 tomb raiders are tricky to get the music working, you should burn them only off of a .cue +bin image, otherwise certain thing won't work.
A good way to tell if the game was burnt right is to check for cutscenes. If at the end of the first level you got to see the cutscene with Lara being ambushed, then the game was burnt in the right way.
If the level just ended and you found yourself in venice, you messed up. Though, you said you heard the classical music so I think you've done it right.
Most of the time venice is silent though, there are the occasional sounds of the birds chirping and certain audio cues that play at times.
>>3024240
You mean the dude with the SMG that jumps on her and then poisons himself? Yeah it showed. But as far as FMVs go I just got the very first one for the first level where she fast-ropes down from a chopper.
I got the .bin file with a bunch of separate data tracks. I mounted it and ripped it to a proper bin/cue combo and burned it like that. It's some weird version of the game though, it comes with teasers for Timesplitters and some other game for ps2 iirc.
>>3024254
Yes, most of the cutscenes in tomb raider are made ingame, there are very few fmvs.
>>3021618
I love classic Tomb Raider games and I play them regularly and I fall in love with them everytime. I also like the LAU trilogy.
But I'm embarrassed to admit it. Any other Tomb Raider fan feel this way?
>>3024240
>Most of the time venice is silent though
Tomb Raider is silent for most of the entirety of the series. It's deliberately minimal on the music.
>>3021618
TR1 emphasizes tombs and cavernous environments exclusively. It has a lot of great atmosphere, although the graphics detail is extremely dated even by the standards of later retro TR games. Definitely don't skip it.
TR4 (Last Revelation) returns the game to its original roots and places you in a very vast series of Egyptian environments. There game world is a bit more open, and you have to backtrack to previous levels on occasion.
TR Chronicles is a quick cash-in using the TR4 engine. It's a series of short expeditions chronicling Lara's exploits during her youth. The environments include European cities, a submarine, a high-tech compound and a haunted island. You really won't be missing out on anything if you skip Chronicles, but you still need a TR fix after completing everything else, well... there you go.
>which versions are the best?
I can't comment on the DC ports since I've never played them. As a rule of thumb, the PC versions probably have higher-res textures than the console ports, but the features also different from port to port. I believe all the PC versions allow you to save anywhere, whereas TR1 and 3 on console require you to use limited quantities of save crystals. The only other difference I recall is that the menu screen in the PC version of TR2 doesn't have an animated background like the PS1 version does.
>tfw most people blindly hate AOD for those two instances of RPG-like physical powerups
I loved the game. PC version felt wonky on release, replayed it on ps2 a summer or two ago and it felt better. Framerate is excepctionally smooth on it and it beats m/kb any day.
I liked the urban levels and exploration, it felt nice, with those few examples where you could explore different areas depending on who you talked to. I'd say roughly 40% of areas are urban but there is still a lot of underground cave exploring.
Tastes and subjective opinions aside, it's a remarkably well through-out game.
>>3024519
Thing is, those power-ups are implemented badly, of course due to time costraints but they're just shoe horned in. Finding the right crate to push or the right action to do to increase lara strength so that she can push a statue or jump far enough to clear a gap, is not different from having to find a key to open a door, is just presented in a different way.
That being said, I do enjoy AoD even if, it leaves me bitter knowing it could have been much more wasn't for eidos, though, fuck it, that kurtis boss fight vs that spider near the end of the game made me hate the controls a bit.
>>3024493
That's not what I meant. While the game rarely uses audio cues and soundtracks (think the cue that plays when you start the trap segment in great wall or the violins in venice) most of the time there's an ambience track playing.
Said ambience tracks are so incredibly well done that they add a lot to the atmosphere to the point that when they're absent, it actually hurts the game.
>>3023662
Not a very appealing choice, because it expects me to compile shit from source.
>>3025427
If you looked more carefully you'd figure out there's a link called "releases" on the page with the download links.
>>3025516
https://github.com/ata4/glrage
The instructions for Tomb Raider are all on this page, where are you having the issue?
>>3025516
Installation instructions
For the absolute minimum installation, the original Tomb Raider CD as well as the correct ATI patch besides this wrapper is required:
ATI patch for Tomb Raider
ATI patch for Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business (executable only, requires ESCAPE DLLs included in the patch above)
For a standalone installation without requiring the CD, you'll need to copy the DATA and FMV folders from the CD to the TR directory and set patch_nocd to true in the [Tomb Raider] section of glrage.ini. To have working music in this mode, you'll need a WinMM wrapper and audio track rips as well. To unlock the full soundtrack, you also need to set patch_soundtrack to true and have all tracks set up in the right order. Here's an overview of all TR1 CD audio tracks, GLRage uses "Raw" if patch_soundtrack is enabled.
Also, you'll need to separate folders for TR and TR:UB to avoid clashing files.
If you have the GOG.com or Steam release, you'll find the two folders in GAME.GOG/GAME.DAT, which is actually a BIN/CUE image of the Sold-Out Software release of TR. You can temporary rename GAME.DAT to GAME.cue and mount it with WinCDEmu to access the image.
>>3025542
The links for the ATI patches are on the site. Something to keep in mind is that glrage requires OpenGL 3.3 support. Odds are your GPU supports it but I know some folks here have super old computers.
Oh wait, am I supposed to replace some files that come with the original TR ATI patch? Sorry, I'm on my Linux Thinkpad at the moment, so I can't test this stuff right now.
(I completely forgot that the ATI version is a native Win32 build...)
>>3025618
Yeah, runs under windows. ATI patch + gl rage is all you need for minimum install. The other steps are only if you don't want to require the CD to be mounted/inserted when you play the game.
>>3025626
Allright, thanks senpai. I totally got this one mixed up with the old Voodoo Rush patch that was still a DOS exe.
When I first played TR2 I thought the Venice level was impossible. I didn't know you could go up the ramp in the boat as a shortcut to the door on a timer, I kept going around the long way. Took me a lot of attempts but I finally got to the door the long way around.
TR3 I liked more because of the variety of locations and it just looked a bit better in the graphics and sounds, especially in the jungle levels. The house level was asking better in TR3.
I really liked the expansion to TR3, the Lost Artefact, set in Scottish Highlands with a robot Nessie and later in a zoo, that was lots of fun.
>>3026330
And now I want to play again and just found TR2 for 99p on iPhone. Controls are a bit dodgy but that's so cheap.
First thing I did was find out if that wall jumping glitch can still be exploited. Yup.
>>3026363
I refuse to believe that TR is even remotely playable on a fucking touch screen. Controls are bad enough that you struggle with the gamepad for every jump, let alone this
>>3026370
It's actually totally responsive. Get on with the times, old man.
>>3023071
The curse of modern visuals. TR worked that way because of its very "simple" level structure
>>3024225
>you just have to use a software like joy2key to map your controller
DOSBox comes with its own mapper, press ctrl-F1. It allows to map any modern controller to the virtual joystick emulated by DOSBox, allowing you to use, for example, analog input from analog sticks
>>3026432
>playing TR with analog sticks
literally for what purpose
>>3021631
I'd argue the PS2 is the best way to play them because you can smooth textures but not over-do it to where everything looks blocky.
>>3021618
AOD IS shit.
And for me the second one's best, followed by third, 4th, 5th, and then the first one in the rear. I just really didn't care for the first one.
>>3026491
DOS version had joystick support (and hence analog input), and on quite a few modern controllers the left analog stick took over the position of the d-pad, and the d-pad on them is cheap or bad.
oh, and drop the meme bullshit, you're not on /v/
>>3026427
The curse of modern gamers who define "open world" as simple and easy to figure out.
>>3026427
By which you mean the grid. You could call Tomb Raider the natural evolution of cinematic platformers like Flashback and Prince of Persia.
>>3026503
what meme bullshit, playing ps1 games on anything but dpad is autismal as fuck
>>3026504
not necessarily
>>3026505
yes, but there's a "trick" to the grid.
In Tomb Raider's grid system, most of the properties of a column are inherent. If it slopes, Lara slides. If it doesn't, she doesn't. But she can hold onto the edge then and move along it. Also there's the unit property when it comes to jumps. It's possible to judge whether a jump works, requires a sprint, or won't work, at least on the same elevation level
The key now is, that absolutely everything in this game, be it decoration, or a useful path, uses these exact same primitives. Decorative ledges completely out of reach, are technically possible for grabbing and moving along. Tops of standalone pillars, Lara could stand on them.
For the player the impact is huge. With absolutely everything being a potential path, it's up to the player to "read" the environment, to judge, whether that ledge over there can be reached, or if that ledge and the roof form a path. It makes the player feel like they "discover" a path, because there is no readily seen path, even if the developers may have designed one.
I like to compare it to Anniversary, because it's conceptionally the "same" game. The environment looks much more organic, more natural, but the drawback is huge. How can you distinguish if a damaged ledge can be used or not? You can't, really. The game would turn into frustrating guesswork. So the designers worked around that issue, by using certain stock objects, for ledges, walls that can be climbed, pillars, rings, etc. It helps to get rid of the guess work, but it completely destroys the explorative aspect. No longer is the player "figuring out" a path. They're merely "recognizing" the path the dev put there. Fortunately the devs realized, and turned the explorative focus into an acrobatic focus, the difficulty for the player is now to perform the motion, not to find the path. It's a different game.
>>3026510
>what meme bullshit
>literally
>for what purpose
>playing ps1 games
>DOS version
>>3026502
>I'd argue the PS2 is the best way to play them because you can smooth textures but not over-do it to where everything looks blocky.
How do you make textures look blocky exactly?
Do you even know what textures are?
>>3026520
excessively smooth textures emphasize the low polygonal nature of meshes, making them look blocky. Likewise, pixelated textures and low resolution help to obscure the low polygonal nature.
>>3026520
You know what I mean. PC smoothens it out too much to where everything looks blocky while PS2 smoothens it out just enough to keep it from looking too blocky but still less jaggy than it does on PS1
>>3026518
it's a fucking common expression you sperg
Also, ps1 textures weren't made with filtering in mind and will display seams everywhere.
>>3026542
literally is ironically used wrongly
"for what purpose" is an overly elaborate version of "why", probably based on Bayeux Tapestry memes
>>3026571
For TR it makes her control horribly to where the D-pad is so much better and makes her a lot easier to control.
>>3026571
They take away more than they add to games with tank controls
>>3026578
Eh, I thought the DS edition of RE1 handled them well. That said, that came out a good while after the controller's release while TR was released sometime around.
>>3026584
Mate RE is my favorite series of all time, I played each classic title at least 20 times. I cannot comprehend playing it on the stick, it requires making ten times the movement that is actually needed.
>>3026548
To do texture filtering properly you need to sample texels from adjacent textures when drawing pixels around the edges of textures. This can't be done automatically (well, not without some kind of custom algorithm) because what counts as "adjacent" isn't inherently obvious to the renderer. If don't do it then textures will visibly seem due to the lack of color degradation.
It's also the reason why a lot of N64 emulators look like shit because they don't do the adjacent texture texel sampling, introducing lots of texture seems that didn't exist before. You can totally fix the problem in software, but hardly anybody has bothered.
TR1 is a wonderfully crafted game. It is essentially a mix between survival horror / action / puzzle platforner. On the PS1, the controls are just fine, in fact, if you really know what you are doing, they are perfect. and the game is scary.
TR2: Im stuck on level 2 and every time I come back to it I get stuck. Haven't even gotten to the rest of the series yet. However, I do own Tomb Raider Chronicles for the PS1, I just never played it
>>3026662
where do you get stuck in Venice?
>>3026668
>where do you get stuck?
>in Venice
All your answers in your own post
>>3026679
I meant where precisely, which part is the issue
>>3026681
>which part is the issue
Tomb Raider 2, I think
Sorry, I just don't like the game personally. Tomb Raider 1 was quiet exploration, Tomb Raider 2 was mindless mass slaughter. Still pretty looking level design, I got to give it that.
>>3026683
TR2 is my favorite game in the series. There is an unusual number of foes, but that doesn't mean combat is the emphasis of the game. The levels are larger and more elaborate than those found in TR1, and the puzzles aren't always nearly as obvious.
>>3026798
>that doesn't mean combat is the emphasis of the game
Maybe not, but the combat feels repulsive in its nature. Lara's aggressive, and I don't like that
>>3021654
8k, jesus, is that the downscaling trick avaialbe on later nvidia/ati dynamic/virtual SuperResolution ?
>>3029389
>8k
First the computer manufacturers told you that 8k is 8192
Then the harddisk manufacturers told you that 8k is 8000
Now the display manufacturers are telling you 8k is 7680
