Tomb Raider has finally come to the Nintendo Switch – but not in the way that you’d probably expect.
Rather than remastering the current games or even giving us the original PS One/Saturn classic that debuted so long ago, Feral Interactive has chosen to partner with Crystal Dynamics on two spinoffs – the isometric adventures Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. Together, they form The Lara Croft Collection, a compilation that provides hours of fun, whether you go at it alone or with friends in co-op.
That’s right, this is a co-op Tomb Raider adventure. But before you go scoffing that you can’t play as Lara Croft all the time, this is handled very elegantly, thanks to Crystal Dynamics’ development savvy and Feral’s grand remastering skills.
It’s got a few speed bumps on its way to its destination, but this is one Tomb Raider package that fans will certainly enjoy.
Adventure Awaits
In these two different adventures, you, Lara Croft, find yourself at odds with mighty deities that want nothing more than to rule the world. To stop them, you, alongside your earthly cohorts and resurrected warriors (it’s a long story), have to set out across multiple stages, blasting enemies, solving puzzles and, of course, collecting money and other goodies.
What’s great about the Lara Croft Collection is that both games have significant value, even if they follow gameplay basics. It’s isometrically set, so it’s easy to roam around the stages in 3D while not entirely being in 3D. That said, Crystal Dynamics and Feral designed the games tremendously well, with lots of neat puzzles to solve (a gravity-shifting spear is a nice touch in some spots) either on your own or with friends in local co-op.
The action never lets up either, as you can shoot enemies and even drop a few bombs if things get a bit out of hand. That said, there are some cool strategic abilities as well, such as grappling onto giant golden rings to ascend or descend walls, or throwing spears at walls to hop on so you can get to treasures just out of reach.
Along with the main quest, each stage in both games have side challenges. Complete these and you’ll pick up bonuses, like better weapons and health upgrades. They’re not earth-shattering, but they are cool for later stages, which put up quite a fight.
Both games include most of their DLC as well, adding extra challenge rooms and other goodies to explore.
Sadly, there’s no online co-op, so this one’s left to the local parties. But if you’ve got local tomb raiding buddies to join you (and they don’t mind playing as someone besides Lara Croft), dig in.
Why, Yes, These Games Are Tomb Worthy
Feral Interactive did a bang-up job bringing these adventures to Switch, even if it took a little longer than expected (the games were initially announced in 2021). But the wait was worth it, as most of the games’ visual beauty remains intact.
The battles are easy to see on both the portable screen and on TV, and keeping up with the action is nicely handled thanks to the game’s visual presentation. It’s also easy to track down out-of-reach treasures, as well as bonus rooms that offer extra goodies.
That said, Temple of Osiris does have a few visual hiccups here and there, since the game was initially built to perform on PS4 and Xbox One. That’s not to say it’s a loss by any means, but be prepared for a few frame skips.
The audio is top-notch, with awesome voice acting (Lara sounds like her old self here!), along with suspenseful music and thorough sound effects. Get a headset for this one if you can (but only if you’re playing on your own).
Get To Raiding
Although some people may prefer the more modern Tomb Raider adventures to come to the Switch, The Lara Croft Collection is hardly a slouch. The two games presented here are wonderful in their own right, and hours’ worth of fun for yourself and friends. What’s more, the presentation is mostly good, and the gameplay holds up well, though I prefer the Pro Controller for this one. Just saying
Overall, this is a treasure worth collecting. Even if you expected more from Lara Croft’s long-awaited Switch debut. This is good stuff.
