Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The immediate pleasure of The Tomb Raider Trilogy is simple: you are not buying a sampler. This is three complete Tomb Raider games from Crystal Dynamics, and that gives the collection a proper sense of momentum. Finish one adventure and another is waiting, without the usual hunt for separate discs or storefront listings.

Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld make this feel like a sustained Lara Croft binge rather than a single-game purchase padded with bonuses. That matters if you enjoy settling into a series over several sessions. The first hour is less about a special compilation feature than the comforting knowledge that you have a substantial run ahead of you.

The compromise is equally straightforward. This package does not promise a new unified version of the games: Legend and Anniversary are PC ports on PS3, while Underworld had already been available there. If you already own all three, the practical reason to return is thin. If you have gaps in your shelf, though, the all-in-one format is genuinely handy.

Graphics

The collection mixes two PC-to-PS3 ports—Legend and Anniversary—with Underworld, a game that had already been released for PS3. That uneven route into the package is worth knowing before you buy: it is a compilation assembled from existing versions, not a ground-up visual overhaul.

Outside the games, the PS3 edition includes a dynamic XMB theme and Lara Croft and Temple Guardian costumes for PlayStation Home. They are pleasant period extras, but the three games are the reason to own the set.

Story

What works best here is the chance to spend extended time with one version of Lara Croft across three separate games. Rather than asking one title to carry the whole purchase, the trilogy gives you room to move from Legend to Anniversary to Underworld at your own pace.

Anniversary’s place in the middle is especially useful from a collection standpoint. It keeps the package from feeling like a simple pair of sequential releases with a bonus attached; each included game has enough individual weight to justify its slot.

Do not come in expecting a newly written wraparound story or compilation-specific material. The narrative value lies in having three Tomb Raider adventures together, and in being able to continue with another Lara Croft game when one set of credits rolls.

Overall Experience

The Tomb Raider Trilogy earns its recommendation as a clean, practical bundle. Three games give it far more staying power than a typical reissue, and the selection is focused: you know exactly what you are getting, with no filler masquerading as a major feature.

Its age shows most in the format of the release rather than in any lack of substance. This is a 2011 PS3 compilation built from existing editions, so the excitement comes from access and completeness, not from remaster-level reworking. That can be frustrating if you expected a heavily refreshed collection, but it is easy to appreciate once you judge it on its actual terms.

Pick it up if you want Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld together, especially if you missed one or more of them the first time around. Skip it if your library already covers the trio and the PlayStation Home costumes and XMB theme do not move the needle. For everyone else, it remains a worthwhile way to put a sizable stretch of Tomb Raider on one shelf.

Retro Replay Score

7.8/10