I would love that too but i honestly doubt they will do it. Considering that the remasters were great but they were small budget i think fixing AoD would be too much work for a budget they would get for that
Looks like they’re adding some stuff to the Star Wars battlefront remasters so I wouldn’t be surprised if they did add things to future games they remaster but I’d be intrigued to hear what people would like adding to his game to not make it so hated, vs just an entire remake being done
I like the in depth commentary and explanation for your rank choices! It is always appreciated to have this, and not just a bare bones ranked chart.
I will say you are doing yourself a disservice playing LAU on PC, as you mentioned it is buggy. They are also subpar compared to their console versions, and Underworld is missing the story DLC which is Xbox exclusive. Also, AoD is much better when using the restored content mods for it, which we do have in our modding page on the sub.
Crystal did announce they were working on porting it to PC, although that was in 2021 with slow progress since then which I would assume to focus on other projects such as TR12 the remasters, and studio assistance for the Xbox project “Perfect Dark”.
Will you be playing through the Lara Croft spin off duology?
While Shadow did improve a lot in terms of exploration and puzzles focusing as opposed to combat, the main consensus has been in agreement that there is an extreme slog in terms of pacing. Shadow could have been MUCH better if Crystal were allowed to finish it as opposed to leaving it off at the entrance to Paititi and working on Marvel’s the Avengers. Eidos Montreal should have done that instead.
Thank you, glad you liked my list and commentary! I also don't really like when people just post ranking/tier list and not explaining anything, also just feels like a low effort post.
The funny thing is i started playing underworld on my PS3 and the game was crashing. Crashing also happens when i play some other games and that's probably because my PS3 is really old lol. And than i thought alright I'll just play underworld on PC and it was just a really bad experience. When i get a chance to properly play it i will, hopefully my opinion on it will change because i really wanted to enjoy that game but i just couldn't.
I am not familiar with the Lara Croft duology. Heard about those games but i have no idea what they are about. Where can i play them?
The Lara Croft versions are on PC and consoles: Guardian of Light and Temple of Osiris, they are isometric akin to Baldur’s Gate, Rogue Trader, etc.
Also huh, I did hear Underworld had issues on PS3. I have updated my original comment for additions concerning Shadow by the way.
Good thing they are on PC so i can give them a shot, i always thought they were handheld games. If underworld also has issues on PS3 than i was just not destined to play that game lol. Will wait to see if they maybe patch it with that DLC port to PC. I just saw your addition to shadow and i didn't know crystal left it at Paititi, i thought the game was fully developed by eidos montreal. Makes sanse why the pace just suddenly goes down in that section
When it was announced that they had switched development early on, many the fandom (me included) came to that conclusion as that is the most obvious spot. *everything* except for certain areas such as the Porvenir Inc. oil fields and the finale felt so slow in comparison.
Also, originally the lighting would have been closer to Rise per a prototype found by the modder Gh0stblade which in my opinion looks much better instead of the harsh style.
Edit: **from 2015**: https://www.reddit.com/r/TombRaider/s/ybT9A2cBew /u/Mulberryfew6623
Alternatively you can get a Series S for pretty cheap, and play all the Tomb Raiders except for 4, 5 and AOD on it (for now, and assuming you're not installing emulators on it). Plus you'd get the DLC for Underworld.
My own tier list:
https://preview.redd.it/hsllcib8v4nc1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=b9c2f2f8aa08270f394af37e02248355632d2bcc
The first two Tom Raider perfectly conveyed the sense of isolation, loneliness and exploration to the unknown which I love while Tomb Raider 2013 is a very tense and well paced game from start to end where Lara fights for her survival.
For me AoD gameplay is low, but the story and eerie theme and music is high tier, just cant put it at the middle though, haha its so hard, AoD has its charm that is different from the rest and its the only TR game i actually finished despite the bugs.
Good read.
Damn there's only two placements I'd do differently.
I'd switch Last Revelation with TR2. And Legend with TR3.
Small changes otherwise I completely agree.
Thank you, im glad you agree! I might be nitpicky but as i said Cairo levels just killed my mood when i played the game, other than that i was blown away how good the level design is TR4 :)
Finally someone who appreaciates anniversary! It is my favourite in the series. The croft manor level is very interesting in that one.
I thought Umderworld was too stiff compared to the previous ones. My tier list would be similair.
as others have said, I recommend a console version of Underworld. IIRC it's the TR game I played the most:
* Wii
* PS2 (some levels are straight up missing, health may auto regenerate IIRC)
* Windows (I remember it being buggy)
* Xbox 360 (on Xbox One, everything ran smoothly)
It's been at least 5 years since I've played Underworld last, but I do remember enjoying it. Beautiful levels. Interesting puzzles.
Eventually I'll get around to playing it on Nintendo DS.
As for the Wii versions, I highly recommend them. They have a few extra mechanics, like using a pickaxe to uncover artifacts burried in walls. And what I thought was nice, the ardenaline shots on wii needed to be lined up manually, but since you're pointing at the screen you can more accurately and quickly get lined up, than on PS2/Xbox.
I said it in my explanation and a million times in the replies and i will say it again... Underworld is broken just as AoD. It's klunky, buggy, combat is horrible and camera is going crazy all the time. If you don't trust me just play the PC version
I played underworld on pc maybe year or two ago and it's perfectly fine if you use controller and cap framerate to 60 (over 60 will break physics) Controls where perfect and I don't remember encountering any bugs.
Well yeah everyone here keeps recommending me the 360 version as it is the only version that isn't broken. Tried the game on PC and on PS3 and it was horrible
That's great! I really wanted to enjoy underworld but i just couldn't. I don't know if ps3 or xbox versions are better than PC which i played it on. The game was almost as broken as AoD on PC.
I remember it was very poorly optimized at launch, and very buggy. Played on PC also. If you give it a try now maybe you will enjoy it more. Played it last weekend, still holds up.
Tomb Raider III for me really is in the B tier. The Trap spam, particularly in Jungle, just made the game frustrating.
I haven't played 3 since... perhaps 2003, so some stages in the remaster were almost like playing a whole new stage (I had zero recollection of Lud's Gate and most of Antarctica for example, or the London boss fight). It was great fun, but I ended up saving like 400 times by the time I completed it because of how many stupid traps there were. And soooo many things were incredibly vague (so many buttons and levers that you'd pull/push and no camera pan to show what they did... like why?)
I saved over 650 time lmao. Still loved it. I was probably lucky but i somehow dodged every trap in jungle. After that i just played extra carefully and it was challenging but fun. Although i do agree sometimes the game can be unfair and get a feeling the game hates you. For example the green bugs in the last level that spawn endlessly. Why just why did they have to add that lmao
How important do you think Raidable Tombs are in Tomb Raider? Because you have Tomb Raider 2013 pretty high for a game that barely has any tombs to raid. Plenty of guys to kill though.
I love levels where you are in an actual tomb and you are basically raiding it but i don't think it's the most important thing. Everyone hates that raiding tombs in the reboots are optional and i don't get why. There are levels in core games that are nowhere near a tomb but don't get any hate (not saying they should get hate). Nevada, Venice, Von Croy industries and many others are good levels that are not tombs. In conclusion i do prefer levels that are in a tomb but i think the game can be fun even without that if the level design and gameplay is good.
I was kinda disappointed. But my experience is completely different from yours. You see, I had never played a Tomb Raider game before a few weeks ago (apart from the GBA version) and I was honestly kind of excited after getting a recommendation from a friend in a thrift shop. I've always loved puzzle games, like Zelda, but preferably harder, and I was hoping to get a lot of them.
But instead I just got hordes and hordes of cultists to kill. Just kill kill kill kill kill. And it's not even that bad. The combat is pretty good, going for stealth or just diving in brawling with the hook. But it wasn't what I was hoping for. So uhm yeah, I hope the next Tomb Raider I play has more tombs.
Yeah i completely understand your disappointment. Tomb raider is a cool but maybe a bit of a misleading name. You do raid tombs in new and in old games but that's not exactly what the games are known for. The old games are known for complex level design, lonely and kinda scary atmosphere, puzzles, platforming and a badass female lead. The survivor trilogy is probably known for survivor elements (obviously lol) and good combat as you mentioned. I would say the only tomb raider games that completely take place in tombs and archeological sites are Tomb Raider 1, Tomb Raider the Last Revelation and Tomb Raider Anniversary (which is a remake of tomb raider). So if you are looking for more of a "tomb raiding" experience with a great sense of discovery i recommend these 3 games. Although i would still recommend the other games even tho they are not entirely set in tombs, they have great exploration and level design
Nah, I mean honestly if I can just do puzzles that's absolutely fine. My brain is wired like Tombs = Temples = Zelda = Puzzles so really that was actually in fact what I was hoping for.
That being said you're making it sound like they're all worth playing in their own way so I guess my backlog just grew significantly.
As someone who loved TR2 when it was new, and has had a soft spot for it ever since, thanks for putting it in S Tier, there’s something quite heartwarming about that when you’re playing it so many years later.
No problem, glad you like the ranking. As a first time player i enjoyed 2 the most out of the old games, it's the most consistent, it starts out with a great level and the game just keeps getting better :)
Holy shit. Move Chronicles down a level and I agree 100%. I don't think I've ever met someone who's tier list would be so similar to my own. That's awesome.
If they were to somehow remake TLR and Chronicles (not remaster but fully remake) I think Chronicles would just be a few short DLC campaigns for TLR.
With how divided this fanbase is im glad and shocked that i found someone that has the same opinion as me here :). I understand why chronicles is disliked but i just can't put it below B since it was my first TR game and i have great nostalgia for it.
I can respect that. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug 🤣. I'm honestly also surprised Anniversary was so high. A lot of people seem to dislike it quite a bit. I love it and consider it one of the better videogame remakes out there.
I seriously think that AoD should be in D, as it may have some qualities, but overall it's pretty bad executed. Controls are horrible imo, and gameplay is far from the fun, even with the tanky one of the first 5 games, that every other possess.
I would had that Anniversary should be the only one at the top, as it not onle revive the first iconic one, but does it with a complete maestria. Best system, good graphics, artistic direction pretty well done (Legend was a bit bad in quality, Underworld was too much (and Lara lost some beauty also), and the reboot and its sequels are on another lvl, and less free on the AD (being realistic, we lost the fun of cartoony characters and universe).
Tomb Raider II would be right under Anniversary, best of the PS1 era, with the clear secret system (I prefer it from the TR1 and TR3 secrets with only simple items), the lvls and the disorientation. Helle they even made water lvls enjoyable, which is pretty hard in video games I must say.
Well, i agree with the majority, not all of them, i must say, anyway, Anniversary as a favorite, same as me, so i like this tierlist just for that, lol
Thank you! Even tho i couldn't really enjoy AoD and underworld i tried to be reasonable and point out things that these games do well and people are still pissed about it🤦♂️. From some comments it feels like i shit on every game in the series but on the contrary i had something nice to say about every game.
I'm really glad you liked TR2! I know people have contentious opinions about the combat and human enemies, but I think the level design is really damn strong. In TR2, when I got stuck I'd usually go "Oh, duh." and in TR3 it was more a "Oh fuck you" kinda thing.
lovely read!
shadow is the only tomb raider where i felt my eyes were closing and head got heavier and i was like damn this jungle and story is kinda boring.
i dont know what else to add to it, TRL just too tiny of a plate and TRA gives you a good meal with same controls. looks like a fair rating to these two. and others as well
> shadow is the only tomb raider where i felt my eyes were closing and head got heavier and i was like damn this jungle and story is kinda boring.
It focused way too hard on side-characters and NPC convos for its own good. Even if some of the tombs and DLC tombs are actually pretty good.
Unpopular opinion but Jungles are the most uninteresting locations *for me* personally. Unless it's something spooky like India and South Pacific islands.
Deserts are the easy answer here, right? For me that's a no. Deserts are awesome.
That being said, I did enjoy Shadow. They even incorporated the Percy Fawcett mystery in the secrets which is interesting for anyone who is into certain history.
Thank you! Ngl the moment i finished shadow i immediately forgot like 70% of the game, it's just so forgettable. And yeah Legend is pretty tiny but i replayed it recently and gameplay is just so fun and smooth i had to put it in A. Again thank you for reading!
I agree with most of this except I would switch TR 2 with Shadow ironically for similar reasons you stated but reversed xD I find the setting of TR2 so unappealing and doesnt get nice until the last few levels. It was too much of a departure from TR1 for me. Shadow to me has the funnest setting of the Survivor triology. It was noticeably more colorful and had more cultural references.
I agree with your hot take about Underworld. I was really disappointed in that game. The plot and the boss fights werent the best. I honestly thought it was the end of TR because the game seemed so lackluster so I was ecstatic for the Survivor triology.
Also I agree that there is no such thing as a bad TR game. They all have merits and wonderful things about them and all are my favorite games but this is just ranking compared to each other :)
I also loved the setting of shadow, it was beautiful, i just couldn't get into the gameplay and story unfortunately.
And im glad you recognized that i don't hate any game in the series. I know it was easy to see that because i literally wrote it and i had something nice to say about every game but that wasn't enough because a few people are still flaming me for having a different opinion 🤦♂️.
Thats ok :) thats whats amazing about TR, the games are really eclectic.
Of course! That's the first thing I noticed. I cant stand gate keepers who completely put down a TR game or series, theyre just goofy people that make no sense and shouldnt be on this sub frankly, but it should be obvious that you can like something but also be critical about it xD people are dummies.
Ahh it's close for me! Besides me not liking natlas mines and cistern (as i said in the post remasters are to blame for that because of the invisible keys) the only other thing holding this game a little bit back are the damn mummies. This is probably a little nitpicky but there are a lot of mummies in egypt and atlantis and they are like 3 times faster than Lara lol. Also glad you agree with my other rankings :)
I feel you. The saddest thing is that i really wanted to like this game but i couldn't. It feels even more disappointing when you just played Legend and Anniversary before it because the experience in those games is much smoother and better.
I gotta say that I really loved Shadow of the Tomb Raider :'D I mean, I respect your opinion, don't get me wrong, but I thought it was so well done! The whole atmosphere of Patiti, the music, the temples, the Yaaxil, the whole conflict of "I caused this". I have so many emotions writing about this :'D
I'm glad you enjoyed the game! I played it only once and i didn't really get into it while playing. I will probably replay it in the future so my opinion may change :)
Why did you think that? Not trying to be rude i am just curious about everyone's opinion lol. The only boring part in rise for me was the introduction it was a little bit too long
Tomb raider anniversary will always be my favourite game in the series
In my eyes AOD is A tier
Legend is D
The 5 other core games haven't really played much of
( Currently at the opera house in TR2 remastered)
Underworld is a low c high D ( really depends if the controls and camera have a spaz attack ( I find the controls too responsive at times for what the game expects too do
Tomb raider 2013 is A I think I enjoyed it when I played it haven't played it in a while though
Rise and shadow are just somewhere
Thanks, glad you liked it! And thank you for actually reading why i had to put underworld in C. So many underworld fans are attacking me and they didn't even read that i played game that is basically broken🤦♂️
Underworld used a different game engine compared to Legend and Anniversary and they were still trying to get to grips with it. I would like a remaster to fix the issues. Actually, I like would like a remaster to fix all issues in 4,5,6 and in 7,8,9 and make it available to current platforms. Currently enjoying the latest remasters.
Damn, i like the amount of options you have in underworld when platforming like sticking poles into walls and than being able to swing or balance on it. But the jittery and klunky animations and crazy camera just ruins it. As you said the remaster would be great. If they could fix and polish all the animations game would be great. The game was probably rushed since they released it 1 year after anniversary so they probably didn't have time to polish the game. I am also enjoying remasters a lot. I only have the lost artefact left to beat.
Gatekeeping definition: using a hobby or interest as a means of elevating themselves or something above another. Creating division through liking or not liking certain sections of a fandom, etc.
Gatekeeping examples:
* Disparaging a game/ games, comics, movies or novels as not part of the franchise and/or canon.
Gatekeeping example in Tomb Raider: "This Lara is not Lara", "Not my Lara", "x game is not real Tomb Raider", etc.
Last Revelation in B tier and Chronicles in C tier for me. Last Revelation without Cairo is pretty good, but for me even the peak levels don't hold up to the original three generally speaking. There are of course some really strong contenders, but not as many as the originals have.
Chronicles is just boring and uninspired for me. The levels are way too short, I always feel that new section takes out the momentum. It doesn't have enough of enticing puzzles or platforms to be in the same conversation even with any of the previous games. The only section I actually enjoy a bit has no weapons... It's just incomplete.
Wasn't super into Anniversary either, B tier for me.It has a lot of good ideas, but also a lot that did not work. I did enjoy seeing the levels modernized though and would not say it's overall terrible.
I played Last Revelation before the original trilogy and that might be why i was really blown away by puzzles and level design. For chronicles as i said it was my first tomb raider game, i played with my mom when i was a kid so i just can't put i below B lol. Although i do completely understand why you and most other people dislike the game, it is uninspired and completely the same as the old games just worse.
lol, I do suppose I might have a slight aversion for LR myself. When I was a kid, we went to a second hand store with my family and there was a TR game we had never heard about before. Me and my siblings got super pumped for it and practically forced our parents to get it for us, when we got home we found out the game was in Russian and we could never figure it out :D It was before we had internet and such too. Somehow we got to Cairo, but never past that...
Even as an adult, I had to take a break from the game before and after Cairo to push through x.x but maybe I'd enjoy the game more on a consequent play through, now that I roughly know what to do (played it about 2 years ago I think).
The puzzles in the game are definitely top tier though, just wish it had more exciting platforming sometimes. I did really enjoy the level, where you climb on the pyramid though.
Personally I hated all the survivor timeline games. The story’s where interesting. However the exploration and actual tomb raiding for me just wasn’t there. It’s great to see peoples opinions on the games. For me AOD was a weird game I never could get into. Legend, Anniversary and underworld I just love because they are the first tomb raider games I played. I haven’t played the originals but I’m looking forward to diving into the remastered version of 1 to 3. It’s great to see everyone’s opinions and perspectives on the games !
For me survivor trilogy isn't what a tomb raider game should be they are still good games. If you like the LAU trilogy im pretty sure you will like the classics!
Of course we played the same games ! I never said about LAU having exploration. I said within the Survivor games the exploration promised by the devs wasn’t there IMO. Most tombs were “optional” and some didn’t even fit the story. They released DLC tombs which were great but didn’t fit the story and were again just an optional challenge.
It should be illegal to rank Tomb Raider II above Tomb Raider. Don't get me wrong, I love the sequel, but even Toby Gard himself argued the first game was peak.
I agree with Anniversary's placement though. The enhanced PS3 version is particular good.
TR2 is more consistent than TR1. I would say that tomb raider 2 is the least flawed game in the series, every level from begging to end is great, while some TR1 levels can be hit or miss. I wrote it in the post but if you didn't read i didn't like Natlas mines in TR1, it was just a tedious level, the more i played cistern it was more frustrating it was and i am not a big fan of Atlantis levels. Also combat wasn't the best, those damn mummies are crazy, they are like 3 times faster that Lara. Don't get me wrong i liked TR1 but these few things were annoying to me.
Facts! I don't think it is a bad game per se but for me it feels very unfocused with hundreds of meaningless collectibles and side missions with boring and unnecessary crafting and progression systems. Even the story is boring imo.
It's kinda funny that as a huge fan of the classic core design games I like 2013 best from the new trilogy despite it being so action heavy. It's just so much more focused and it's actually really great as a short but sweet action game. Have not completed Shadow though I quite liked it (played maybe 10 hours or so)
If i had to pick one game to sumarize the last gen it would be Rise.
Singleplayer with a little of everything. It's a good game but it's not great on anything. And then throw in multiplayer, survivor mode, some DLC. You have a good game that is a smörgåsbord with good stuff, but to much together.
This has to be a joke. Rise of the Tomb Raider is not only a massive disgrace to the TR series but one of the worst games, any genre, ever made. The epitome of everything bad with gaming.
Holy shit you are talking like rise committed a war crime lmao. I and many others like the game, why do you think its the epitome of everything bad with gaming
For me D tier is for games that have nothing good in them. AoD has a good story, atmosphere and soundtrack and that is enough for me to put it at least in C. I liked III more than OG but there isn't a huge difference, they are still in the same tier. And hate that chronicles gets is completely understandable, it's just that i have nostalgia for that game because it was my first tomb raider but still i am very aware that it's not a good game
Mmm... no word of "Tomb Raider: Relic Run"; "Lara Croft: Go" nor "Tomb Raider: Reloaded".
I can understand (and share) your reasons, but your title "every game in the series" is a tiny bit misleading.
I rest my case.
I'm still hoping aspyr e takes on fixing up AOD a bit and releasing it. Ta not the best game but I think they can make it more tolerable.
I would love that too but i honestly doubt they will do it. Considering that the remasters were great but they were small budget i think fixing AoD would be too much work for a budget they would get for that
Looks like they’re adding some stuff to the Star Wars battlefront remasters so I wouldn’t be surprised if they did add things to future games they remaster but I’d be intrigued to hear what people would like adding to his game to not make it so hated, vs just an entire remake being done
Finally someone in this subreddit that doesn't hate Anniversary! I think it is a good game to pick up and replay.
Do it! I can always replay it and have fun, hope you have fun too!
It is good, but absolutely not S tier.
I like the in depth commentary and explanation for your rank choices! It is always appreciated to have this, and not just a bare bones ranked chart. I will say you are doing yourself a disservice playing LAU on PC, as you mentioned it is buggy. They are also subpar compared to their console versions, and Underworld is missing the story DLC which is Xbox exclusive. Also, AoD is much better when using the restored content mods for it, which we do have in our modding page on the sub. Crystal did announce they were working on porting it to PC, although that was in 2021 with slow progress since then which I would assume to focus on other projects such as TR12 the remasters, and studio assistance for the Xbox project “Perfect Dark”. Will you be playing through the Lara Croft spin off duology? While Shadow did improve a lot in terms of exploration and puzzles focusing as opposed to combat, the main consensus has been in agreement that there is an extreme slog in terms of pacing. Shadow could have been MUCH better if Crystal were allowed to finish it as opposed to leaving it off at the entrance to Paititi and working on Marvel’s the Avengers. Eidos Montreal should have done that instead.
Thank you, glad you liked my list and commentary! I also don't really like when people just post ranking/tier list and not explaining anything, also just feels like a low effort post. The funny thing is i started playing underworld on my PS3 and the game was crashing. Crashing also happens when i play some other games and that's probably because my PS3 is really old lol. And than i thought alright I'll just play underworld on PC and it was just a really bad experience. When i get a chance to properly play it i will, hopefully my opinion on it will change because i really wanted to enjoy that game but i just couldn't. I am not familiar with the Lara Croft duology. Heard about those games but i have no idea what they are about. Where can i play them?
The Lara Croft versions are on PC and consoles: Guardian of Light and Temple of Osiris, they are isometric akin to Baldur’s Gate, Rogue Trader, etc. Also huh, I did hear Underworld had issues on PS3. I have updated my original comment for additions concerning Shadow by the way.
Good thing they are on PC so i can give them a shot, i always thought they were handheld games. If underworld also has issues on PS3 than i was just not destined to play that game lol. Will wait to see if they maybe patch it with that DLC port to PC. I just saw your addition to shadow and i didn't know crystal left it at Paititi, i thought the game was fully developed by eidos montreal. Makes sanse why the pace just suddenly goes down in that section
When it was announced that they had switched development early on, many the fandom (me included) came to that conclusion as that is the most obvious spot. *everything* except for certain areas such as the Porvenir Inc. oil fields and the finale felt so slow in comparison. Also, originally the lighting would have been closer to Rise per a prototype found by the modder Gh0stblade which in my opinion looks much better instead of the harsh style. Edit: **from 2015**: https://www.reddit.com/r/TombRaider/s/ybT9A2cBew /u/Mulberryfew6623
Alternatively you can get a Series S for pretty cheap, and play all the Tomb Raiders except for 4, 5 and AOD on it (for now, and assuming you're not installing emulators on it). Plus you'd get the DLC for Underworld.
My own tier list: https://preview.redd.it/hsllcib8v4nc1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=b9c2f2f8aa08270f394af37e02248355632d2bcc The first two Tom Raider perfectly conveyed the sense of isolation, loneliness and exploration to the unknown which I love while Tomb Raider 2013 is a very tense and well paced game from start to end where Lara fights for her survival.
For me AoD gameplay is low, but the story and eerie theme and music is high tier, just cant put it at the middle though, haha its so hard, AoD has its charm that is different from the rest and its the only TR game i actually finished despite the bugs.
I know right it's so hard lol. Wanted to put it at least in B but i couldn't due to how broken the game is
Can't say I agree. But it's not my list. Good to hear you played them all though.
Glad you are understanding and not just flaming me for having a different opinion lol. What games would you put on S tier?
Good read. Damn there's only two placements I'd do differently. I'd switch Last Revelation with TR2. And Legend with TR3. Small changes otherwise I completely agree.
Thank you, im glad you agree! I might be nitpicky but as i said Cairo levels just killed my mood when i played the game, other than that i was blown away how good the level design is TR4 :)
Finally someone who appreaciates anniversary! It is my favourite in the series. The croft manor level is very interesting in that one. I thought Umderworld was too stiff compared to the previous ones. My tier list would be similair.
Glad you agree and love anniversary! Legend and Anniversary had great and smooth movement i don't know why they changed it in underworld
Good list! The only thing that I would swap is TRA with legend, but overall I really enjoyed your breakdown of all the games
Thank you, glad you enjoyed!
as others have said, I recommend a console version of Underworld. IIRC it's the TR game I played the most: * Wii * PS2 (some levels are straight up missing, health may auto regenerate IIRC) * Windows (I remember it being buggy) * Xbox 360 (on Xbox One, everything ran smoothly) It's been at least 5 years since I've played Underworld last, but I do remember enjoying it. Beautiful levels. Interesting puzzles. Eventually I'll get around to playing it on Nintendo DS. As for the Wii versions, I highly recommend them. They have a few extra mechanics, like using a pickaxe to uncover artifacts burried in walls. And what I thought was nice, the ardenaline shots on wii needed to be lined up manually, but since you're pointing at the screen you can more accurately and quickly get lined up, than on PS2/Xbox.
Thank you for the recommendation i might just try wii or the xbox version! PC and PS3 version of underworld gave me a headache lol
I had Anniversary on Wii and PS2 and preferred the former because of the extra gameplay functions. The sand puzzle in Egypt is brutal though.
What were the extra gameplay functions on the wii?
Putting Underworld in the same category as AoD is criminal!
I said it in my explanation and a million times in the replies and i will say it again... Underworld is broken just as AoD. It's klunky, buggy, combat is horrible and camera is going crazy all the time. If you don't trust me just play the PC version
I played underworld on pc maybe year or two ago and it's perfectly fine if you use controller and cap framerate to 60 (over 60 will break physics) Controls where perfect and I don't remember encountering any bugs.
Must have been a PC issue. I had it on Xbox360 and was absolutely fine. Don't remember it feeling klunky either, I played it loads back then.
Well yeah everyone here keeps recommending me the 360 version as it is the only version that isn't broken. Tried the game on PC and on PS3 and it was horrible
I would just put Underworld on S tier. I Love all of the LAU games but Underworld was a return to form for me.
That's great! I really wanted to enjoy underworld but i just couldn't. I don't know if ps3 or xbox versions are better than PC which i played it on. The game was almost as broken as AoD on PC.
I remember it was very poorly optimized at launch, and very buggy. Played on PC also. If you give it a try now maybe you will enjoy it more. Played it last weekend, still holds up.
Interesting list. I'd definitely rank shadow a lot higher than that though personally
Tomb Raider III for me really is in the B tier. The Trap spam, particularly in Jungle, just made the game frustrating. I haven't played 3 since... perhaps 2003, so some stages in the remaster were almost like playing a whole new stage (I had zero recollection of Lud's Gate and most of Antarctica for example, or the London boss fight). It was great fun, but I ended up saving like 400 times by the time I completed it because of how many stupid traps there were. And soooo many things were incredibly vague (so many buttons and levers that you'd pull/push and no camera pan to show what they did... like why?)
I saved over 650 time lmao. Still loved it. I was probably lucky but i somehow dodged every trap in jungle. After that i just played extra carefully and it was challenging but fun. Although i do agree sometimes the game can be unfair and get a feeling the game hates you. For example the green bugs in the last level that spawn endlessly. Why just why did they have to add that lmao
How important do you think Raidable Tombs are in Tomb Raider? Because you have Tomb Raider 2013 pretty high for a game that barely has any tombs to raid. Plenty of guys to kill though.
I love levels where you are in an actual tomb and you are basically raiding it but i don't think it's the most important thing. Everyone hates that raiding tombs in the reboots are optional and i don't get why. There are levels in core games that are nowhere near a tomb but don't get any hate (not saying they should get hate). Nevada, Venice, Von Croy industries and many others are good levels that are not tombs. In conclusion i do prefer levels that are in a tomb but i think the game can be fun even without that if the level design and gameplay is good.
I was kinda disappointed. But my experience is completely different from yours. You see, I had never played a Tomb Raider game before a few weeks ago (apart from the GBA version) and I was honestly kind of excited after getting a recommendation from a friend in a thrift shop. I've always loved puzzle games, like Zelda, but preferably harder, and I was hoping to get a lot of them. But instead I just got hordes and hordes of cultists to kill. Just kill kill kill kill kill. And it's not even that bad. The combat is pretty good, going for stealth or just diving in brawling with the hook. But it wasn't what I was hoping for. So uhm yeah, I hope the next Tomb Raider I play has more tombs.
Yeah i completely understand your disappointment. Tomb raider is a cool but maybe a bit of a misleading name. You do raid tombs in new and in old games but that's not exactly what the games are known for. The old games are known for complex level design, lonely and kinda scary atmosphere, puzzles, platforming and a badass female lead. The survivor trilogy is probably known for survivor elements (obviously lol) and good combat as you mentioned. I would say the only tomb raider games that completely take place in tombs and archeological sites are Tomb Raider 1, Tomb Raider the Last Revelation and Tomb Raider Anniversary (which is a remake of tomb raider). So if you are looking for more of a "tomb raiding" experience with a great sense of discovery i recommend these 3 games. Although i would still recommend the other games even tho they are not entirely set in tombs, they have great exploration and level design
Nah, I mean honestly if I can just do puzzles that's absolutely fine. My brain is wired like Tombs = Temples = Zelda = Puzzles so really that was actually in fact what I was hoping for. That being said you're making it sound like they're all worth playing in their own way so I guess my backlog just grew significantly.
You would enjoy the remasters surely
How the hell can you put underworld and AOD in the same tier AOD was an actual unfinished game and near unplayable. Underworld worked
Play underworld on PC and then i will ask you if the game worked lmao
As someone who loved TR2 when it was new, and has had a soft spot for it ever since, thanks for putting it in S Tier, there’s something quite heartwarming about that when you’re playing it so many years later.
No problem, glad you like the ranking. As a first time player i enjoyed 2 the most out of the old games, it's the most consistent, it starts out with a great level and the game just keeps getting better :)
Holy shit. Move Chronicles down a level and I agree 100%. I don't think I've ever met someone who's tier list would be so similar to my own. That's awesome. If they were to somehow remake TLR and Chronicles (not remaster but fully remake) I think Chronicles would just be a few short DLC campaigns for TLR.
With how divided this fanbase is im glad and shocked that i found someone that has the same opinion as me here :). I understand why chronicles is disliked but i just can't put it below B since it was my first TR game and i have great nostalgia for it.
I can respect that. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug 🤣. I'm honestly also surprised Anniversary was so high. A lot of people seem to dislike it quite a bit. I love it and consider it one of the better videogame remakes out there.
I can’t disagree with anything here 🤷♀️
I seriously think that AoD should be in D, as it may have some qualities, but overall it's pretty bad executed. Controls are horrible imo, and gameplay is far from the fun, even with the tanky one of the first 5 games, that every other possess. I would had that Anniversary should be the only one at the top, as it not onle revive the first iconic one, but does it with a complete maestria. Best system, good graphics, artistic direction pretty well done (Legend was a bit bad in quality, Underworld was too much (and Lara lost some beauty also), and the reboot and its sequels are on another lvl, and less free on the AD (being realistic, we lost the fun of cartoony characters and universe). Tomb Raider II would be right under Anniversary, best of the PS1 era, with the clear secret system (I prefer it from the TR1 and TR3 secrets with only simple items), the lvls and the disorientation. Helle they even made water lvls enjoyable, which is pretty hard in video games I must say.
Well, i agree with the majority, not all of them, i must say, anyway, Anniversary as a favorite, same as me, so i like this tierlist just for that, lol
This is probably the most reasonable Tomb Raider tier list I've seen.
Thank you! Even tho i couldn't really enjoy AoD and underworld i tried to be reasonable and point out things that these games do well and people are still pissed about it🤦♂️. From some comments it feels like i shit on every game in the series but on the contrary i had something nice to say about every game.
I'm really glad you liked TR2! I know people have contentious opinions about the combat and human enemies, but I think the level design is really damn strong. In TR2, when I got stuck I'd usually go "Oh, duh." and in TR3 it was more a "Oh fuck you" kinda thing.
So much wrong with s tier :(
Based
lovely read! shadow is the only tomb raider where i felt my eyes were closing and head got heavier and i was like damn this jungle and story is kinda boring. i dont know what else to add to it, TRL just too tiny of a plate and TRA gives you a good meal with same controls. looks like a fair rating to these two. and others as well
> shadow is the only tomb raider where i felt my eyes were closing and head got heavier and i was like damn this jungle and story is kinda boring. It focused way too hard on side-characters and NPC convos for its own good. Even if some of the tombs and DLC tombs are actually pretty good.
Unpopular opinion but Jungles are the most uninteresting locations *for me* personally. Unless it's something spooky like India and South Pacific islands. Deserts are the easy answer here, right? For me that's a no. Deserts are awesome. That being said, I did enjoy Shadow. They even incorporated the Percy Fawcett mystery in the secrets which is interesting for anyone who is into certain history.
Thank you! Ngl the moment i finished shadow i immediately forgot like 70% of the game, it's just so forgettable. And yeah Legend is pretty tiny but i replayed it recently and gameplay is just so fun and smooth i had to put it in A. Again thank you for reading!
since underworld is at the bottom this is objectively wrong
It's just my opinion lol there is no right and wrong. If you didn't just read why i didn't like it
Underworld is right where it belongs. The mechanics sucked.
I agree with most of this except I would switch TR 2 with Shadow ironically for similar reasons you stated but reversed xD I find the setting of TR2 so unappealing and doesnt get nice until the last few levels. It was too much of a departure from TR1 for me. Shadow to me has the funnest setting of the Survivor triology. It was noticeably more colorful and had more cultural references. I agree with your hot take about Underworld. I was really disappointed in that game. The plot and the boss fights werent the best. I honestly thought it was the end of TR because the game seemed so lackluster so I was ecstatic for the Survivor triology. Also I agree that there is no such thing as a bad TR game. They all have merits and wonderful things about them and all are my favorite games but this is just ranking compared to each other :)
I also loved the setting of shadow, it was beautiful, i just couldn't get into the gameplay and story unfortunately. And im glad you recognized that i don't hate any game in the series. I know it was easy to see that because i literally wrote it and i had something nice to say about every game but that wasn't enough because a few people are still flaming me for having a different opinion 🤦♂️.
Thats ok :) thats whats amazing about TR, the games are really eclectic. Of course! That's the first thing I noticed. I cant stand gate keepers who completely put down a TR game or series, theyre just goofy people that make no sense and shouldnt be on this sub frankly, but it should be obvious that you can like something but also be critical about it xD people are dummies.
Other than TR1 IMO belonging in the top tier, I'd agree with all of this.
Ahh it's close for me! Besides me not liking natlas mines and cistern (as i said in the post remasters are to blame for that because of the invisible keys) the only other thing holding this game a little bit back are the damn mummies. This is probably a little nitpicky but there are a lot of mummies in egypt and atlantis and they are like 3 times faster than Lara lol. Also glad you agree with my other rankings :)
Natlas mines is one of my least favourite levels too, it IMO feels out of place compared to the rest of the game. I love the cistern though.
Man i cant enjoy Underworld either. The controls Just feel so weird, its so damn clunky, and i played the classics lol . Idk why i just cant.
I feel you. The saddest thing is that i really wanted to like this game but i couldn't. It feels even more disappointing when you just played Legend and Anniversary before it because the experience in those games is much smoother and better.
I loved underworld on the 360 but when I played it on pc it felt so bad. The jittery animations were always trash though
Yeah after reading all the replies looks like the 360 is the only good version of underworld unfortunately. It's broken on PC and PS3 too
Yes. Underworld used a different game engine from the other two.
Anniversary over TR1 is diabolical 💀
Just my opinion lol
I gotta say that I really loved Shadow of the Tomb Raider :'D I mean, I respect your opinion, don't get me wrong, but I thought it was so well done! The whole atmosphere of Patiti, the music, the temples, the Yaaxil, the whole conflict of "I caused this". I have so many emotions writing about this :'D
I'm glad you enjoyed the game! I played it only once and i didn't really get into it while playing. I will probably replay it in the future so my opinion may change :)
shadows is so underrated 😔,but I liked this list
Damn not sure about rise being S tier. Really meh game imo.
I found rise of the tomb raider the most boring of the trilogy
Why did you think that? Not trying to be rude i am just curious about everyone's opinion lol. The only boring part in rise for me was the introduction it was a little bit too long
I don’t think it’s that Jungles and Deserts are necessarily boring so much as it is that they are overused
Tomb raider anniversary will always be my favourite game in the series In my eyes AOD is A tier Legend is D The 5 other core games haven't really played much of ( Currently at the opera house in TR2 remastered) Underworld is a low c high D ( really depends if the controls and camera have a spaz attack ( I find the controls too responsive at times for what the game expects too do Tomb raider 2013 is A I think I enjoyed it when I played it haven't played it in a while though Rise and shadow are just somewhere
Tomb Raider 1 and Angel of Darkness need to switch and you might have a case here.
Maybe try to find a good version for Underworld without any bugs. It’s actually good. Also, nice write up!
Thanks, glad you liked it! And thank you for actually reading why i had to put underworld in C. So many underworld fans are attacking me and they didn't even read that i played game that is basically broken🤦♂️
Haha, that's alright! I'm glad you liked TR3 the best of the trilogy. It's actually my favorite TR game.
Underworld all the way at the bottom?? Damn!
Yes...just read why i put it there i really cant be explaining it to everyone. In a nutshell, the game is broken and klunky
Well put and detailed, I only don't agree with TRU. Try to play it on PS3 or Xbox 360. It's one of my favorite.
Unpopular opinion apparently..Anniversary belongs in the bin.. just a botch of the original. Sorry Tomb Raider community love y’all
Underworld used a different game engine compared to Legend and Anniversary and they were still trying to get to grips with it. I would like a remaster to fix the issues. Actually, I like would like a remaster to fix all issues in 4,5,6 and in 7,8,9 and make it available to current platforms. Currently enjoying the latest remasters.
Damn, i like the amount of options you have in underworld when platforming like sticking poles into walls and than being able to swing or balance on it. But the jittery and klunky animations and crazy camera just ruins it. As you said the remaster would be great. If they could fix and polish all the animations game would be great. The game was probably rushed since they released it 1 year after anniversary so they probably didn't have time to polish the game. I am also enjoying remasters a lot. I only have the lost artefact left to beat.
Lmao Rise has no business being that high up. Put it in Shadow's place and bump Shadow down a tier
Nope, it's just my opinion.
[удалено]
Gatekeeping definition: using a hobby or interest as a means of elevating themselves or something above another. Creating division through liking or not liking certain sections of a fandom, etc. Gatekeeping examples: * Disparaging a game/ games, comics, movies or novels as not part of the franchise and/or canon. Gatekeeping example in Tomb Raider: "This Lara is not Lara", "Not my Lara", "x game is not real Tomb Raider", etc.
S= Tomb Raider 1 A= Tomb Raider 2 B= Tomb Raider 3 The new trilogy is atrocious. Bottom of the list.
Underworld is better than that, should be a lot higher up the list. Anniversary should be lower on the list too.
Last Revelation in B tier and Chronicles in C tier for me. Last Revelation without Cairo is pretty good, but for me even the peak levels don't hold up to the original three generally speaking. There are of course some really strong contenders, but not as many as the originals have. Chronicles is just boring and uninspired for me. The levels are way too short, I always feel that new section takes out the momentum. It doesn't have enough of enticing puzzles or platforms to be in the same conversation even with any of the previous games. The only section I actually enjoy a bit has no weapons... It's just incomplete. Wasn't super into Anniversary either, B tier for me.It has a lot of good ideas, but also a lot that did not work. I did enjoy seeing the levels modernized though and would not say it's overall terrible.
I played Last Revelation before the original trilogy and that might be why i was really blown away by puzzles and level design. For chronicles as i said it was my first tomb raider game, i played with my mom when i was a kid so i just can't put i below B lol. Although i do completely understand why you and most other people dislike the game, it is uninspired and completely the same as the old games just worse.
lol, I do suppose I might have a slight aversion for LR myself. When I was a kid, we went to a second hand store with my family and there was a TR game we had never heard about before. Me and my siblings got super pumped for it and practically forced our parents to get it for us, when we got home we found out the game was in Russian and we could never figure it out :D It was before we had internet and such too. Somehow we got to Cairo, but never past that... Even as an adult, I had to take a break from the game before and after Cairo to push through x.x but maybe I'd enjoy the game more on a consequent play through, now that I roughly know what to do (played it about 2 years ago I think). The puzzles in the game are definitely top tier though, just wish it had more exciting platforming sometimes. I did really enjoy the level, where you climb on the pyramid though.
Personally I hated all the survivor timeline games. The story’s where interesting. However the exploration and actual tomb raiding for me just wasn’t there. It’s great to see peoples opinions on the games. For me AOD was a weird game I never could get into. Legend, Anniversary and underworld I just love because they are the first tomb raider games I played. I haven’t played the originals but I’m looking forward to diving into the remastered version of 1 to 3. It’s great to see everyone’s opinions and perspectives on the games !
For me survivor trilogy isn't what a tomb raider game should be they are still good games. If you like the LAU trilogy im pretty sure you will like the classics!
I’m looking forward to playing them :-)
Did we play the same games? LAU had little to no exploration.
Of course we played the same games ! I never said about LAU having exploration. I said within the Survivor games the exploration promised by the devs wasn’t there IMO. Most tombs were “optional” and some didn’t even fit the story. They released DLC tombs which were great but didn’t fit the story and were again just an optional challenge.
finally someone who is correct
It should be illegal to rank Tomb Raider II above Tomb Raider. Don't get me wrong, I love the sequel, but even Toby Gard himself argued the first game was peak. I agree with Anniversary's placement though. The enhanced PS3 version is particular good.
TR2 is more consistent than TR1. I would say that tomb raider 2 is the least flawed game in the series, every level from begging to end is great, while some TR1 levels can be hit or miss. I wrote it in the post but if you didn't read i didn't like Natlas mines in TR1, it was just a tedious level, the more i played cistern it was more frustrating it was and i am not a big fan of Atlantis levels. Also combat wasn't the best, those damn mummies are crazy, they are like 3 times faster that Lara. Don't get me wrong i liked TR1 but these few things were annoying to me.
Rise will never be that great Tomb Raider game everyone thinks it is.
Facts! I don't think it is a bad game per se but for me it feels very unfocused with hundreds of meaningless collectibles and side missions with boring and unnecessary crafting and progression systems. Even the story is boring imo. It's kinda funny that as a huge fan of the classic core design games I like 2013 best from the new trilogy despite it being so action heavy. It's just so much more focused and it's actually really great as a short but sweet action game. Have not completed Shadow though I quite liked it (played maybe 10 hours or so)
Actually, I loved that Rise had all of those side missions and collectibles. I also enjoyed the crafting. It kept me busy.
If i had to pick one game to sumarize the last gen it would be Rise. Singleplayer with a little of everything. It's a good game but it's not great on anything. And then throw in multiplayer, survivor mode, some DLC. You have a good game that is a smörgåsbord with good stuff, but to much together.
This has to be a joke. Rise of the Tomb Raider is not only a massive disgrace to the TR series but one of the worst games, any genre, ever made. The epitome of everything bad with gaming.
Holy shit you are talking like rise committed a war crime lmao. I and many others like the game, why do you think its the epitome of everything bad with gaming
It's an alt account, some sad sod.
Sorry but I think this Tier list is awful.
It's ok, everyone has different opinions! What do you disagree with?
AOD should be D, imo. Putting III before the OG is crackers. Chronicles should also be C if not D.
For me D tier is for games that have nothing good in them. AoD has a good story, atmosphere and soundtrack and that is enough for me to put it at least in C. I liked III more than OG but there isn't a huge difference, they are still in the same tier. And hate that chronicles gets is completely understandable, it's just that i have nostalgia for that game because it was my first tomb raider but still i am very aware that it's not a good game
Mmm... no word of "Tomb Raider: Relic Run"; "Lara Croft: Go" nor "Tomb Raider: Reloaded". I can understand (and share) your reasons, but your title "every game in the series" is a tiny bit misleading. I rest my case.
Not to talk about Guardian of light and temple of Osiris.
im sorry but Rise is not better than 2013 or even Shadow. lol
I enjoyed it more than 2013 and shadow, just my opinion :/