NINTENDO-64
10
Tomb Raider
Core Design's archaeological action-adventure introduced the world to Lara Croft, one of gaming's most iconic characters. Tomb Raider's blend of environmental puzzle-solving, platform navigation, and intense combat in imaginatively designed ancient ruins was genuinely revolutionary for 1996.
💡 Tomb Raider — Key Facts
- → Tomb Raider was developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive
- → Released in 1996 on PLAYSTATION
- → Genre: Action, Adventure
- → We rate it 8.9/10 — highly recommended
- → Part of the tomb-raider franchise
- → Core Design's archaeological action-adventure introduced the world to Lara Croft, one of gaming's most iconic characters. Tomb Raider's blend of environmental puzzle-solving, platform navigation, and intense combat in imaginatively designed ancient ruins was genuinely revolutionary for 1996.
Overview
In 1993, Core Design programmer Toby Gard began prototyping a 3D action-adventure game. His vision — a capable, independent female archaeologist exploring ancient ruins, platforming through dangerous traps, and battling both animals and human enemies — was unlike anything previously attempted in 3D.
Three years later, Tomb Raider shipped for PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and PC, and Lara Croft instantly became gaming’s most talked-about new character. Her dual pistols, braid, and distinctive athletic silhouette were everywhere — on gaming magazine covers, in television commercials, and in broader culture in a way few video game characters had achieved.
Gameplay
Lara moves on a grid-based system, making precise jumps, ledge grabs, and platform sequences feel deliberate and learnable. The controls are intentionally slow and physical — running, stopping, jumping, and grabbing each execute as distinct actions that require planning rather than reflexive button pressing. This creates a very different pace from contemporary action games: Tomb Raider rewards patience and observation.
Levels are designed around environmental puzzles requiring route-finding through ancient architecture. Levers, pushable blocks, timed platforms, and hidden passages make up the puzzle vocabulary. Combat is present but secondary — Lara faces wild animals, human mercenaries, and eventually supernatural enemies, but the game’s soul is in its exploration.
Why It’s a Classic
Tomb Raider works because its world-building is genuinely atmospheric. Croft Manor’s hidden areas, the vast scale of Vilcabamba’s ruins, the eerie flooded cistern — each environment tells a story through its design. The sense of archaeological discovery is real: finding a hidden passage or secret chamber provides genuine satisfaction.
Lara Croft’s character — confident, physically capable, linguistically accomplished, and defined by her agency rather than her appearance — was genuinely progressive for 1996, however the commercial culture around her image complicated that legacy.
Legacy
Tomb Raider sold over 7 million copies and became one of the most franchised properties in gaming, with numerous sequels, two generations of Core Design games, a Crystal Dynamics reboot trilogy beginning with Tomb Raider: Legend (2006), and another complete reboot beginning with Tomb Raider (2013). The franchise has sold over 88 million units across all entries.
Our Review
8.9
Excellent / 10
🎮
Gameplay
★★★★★
🎨
Graphics
★★★★★
🎵
Audio
★★★★★
🔄
Replay
★★★★★
Gameplay
The tank control system and grid-based movement give Lara a deliberate, physical feel that makes every jump and ledge-grab feel consequential. Level design across Peru, Greece, Egypt, and Atlantis is imaginative and interconnected, with environmental puzzles that reward observation. Combat is functional but secondary to the exploration focus, and the careful camera work builds tension effectively.
Graphics
Visually striking for 1996 — the enormous ancient environments (Peru's tombs, Greco-Roman baths, Egyptian pyramids) are rendered with impressive scale and atmosphere. Lara's model is surprisingly expressive given the polygon counts, and the lighting creates genuine atmosphere in dark underground spaces.
Audio
Nathan McCree's atmospheric score uses orchestral elements and electronic accents to create an ambient tension that sustains throughout the long exploration sequences. Enemy encounter music provides effective adrenaline triggers, and the ambient environmental sound design — dripping water, distant animal cries — adds significant atmosphere.
Replayability
Moderate. The 15 main levels provide 15–25 hours of first-play exploration, and secret locations (each level contains three) reward revisiting. The Lara's Home bonus area offers practice for movement mechanics. Some players enjoy replaying for route optimization or finding all secrets.
Historical Significance
Tomb Raider was one of the defining games of the PlayStation's early years and created one of gaming's most recognizable characters. Lara Croft's impact on gaming culture — including controversies about her character design — made her a subject of broader cultural conversation. The game sold over 7 million copies and spawned a franchise spanning films and television.
✅ Pros
- + Lara Croft is an immediately compelling, iconic protagonist
- + Vast, atmospheric ancient ruins feel genuinely archaeological
- + Grid-based movement system makes complex platforming sequences precise and learnable
- + Diverse world settings — Peru, Greece, Egypt, Atlantis — provide variety
- + Environmental puzzle design rewards patience and observation
- + Secrets system rewards thorough exploration throughout
❌ Cons
- - Tank controls and fixed camera create significant frustration during combat
- - Saving restricted to available crystals — punishing progress loss possible
- - Enemy encounters in the later levels escalate to unfair difficulty spikes
- - The Atlantis levels depart from the archaeological theme in jarring fashion
- - Controls are genuinely difficult to master and alienating to new players
Also Known As
トゥームレイダー
In the Series
Tomb Raider FAQ
Who designed Lara Croft?
Lara Croft was designed by Toby Gard at Core Design. Gard conceived her as a capable, independent female protagonist — initially based loosely on Tank Girl and later influenced by various action heroines. Her iconic dual-pistol fighting style and athletic movement were designed to be immediately distinctive. Gard left Core Design shortly after the game's release due to disagreements about the commercial direction of the character.
What are the save crystals?
In the PlayStation version of Tomb Raider, players cannot save freely — they must find Save Crystals scattered through levels. Each crystal allows one save. On PC and the original Saturn version, unlimited manual saving was available. The crystal-based system creates meaningful tension but can feel punishing when a crystal is missed and a difficult section must be replayed.
How many levels are in Tomb Raider?
Tomb Raider contains 15 levels across four main locations: The Caves, City of Vilcabamba, Lost Valley, Tomb of Qualopec, St. Francis Folly, The Colosseum, Palace Midas, and The Cistern (Peru and Greece), plus Tomb of Tihocan, City of Khamoon, Obelisk of Khamoon, and Sanctuary of the Scion (Egypt), and Natla's Mines, Atlantis, and The Great Pyramid (Atlantis).
Is there an updated version of the original Tomb Raider?
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007) is a full remake developed by Crystal Dynamics that updates the original game's levels with modern graphics and revised controls from the Tomb Raider: Legend engine. It covers all four main locations of the original game. The original game is also available on PC through Steam.
Are there films based on Tomb Raider?
Yes — three films have been produced. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) starred Angelina Jolie and were loosely based on the original game characters. Tomb Raider (2018) starred Alicia Vikander and was based on the 2013 reboot game. A Netflix animated series was also in development.
