The Tomb Raider has its roots in the 1996 PS1 game. Since then, the series and the female British adventurer, Lara Croft, have become one of the most globally recognized franchises and gaming icons of all time. The Tomb Raider series has gone on to inspire many sequels and reboots, as well as feature films, much to the delight of fans.
With the abundance of Lara Croft renditions saturating the gaming market, ranging from mobile games to her standard PS1 adventures, players may be wondering where to get their Lara Croft fix. Whether they want to play the classics for pure nostalgia or want to enjoy young Lara's evolution into the iconic Tomb Raider with the Crystal Dynamics rebooted Survivor trilogy, these are the best Tomb Raider games with the most replay value.
8 Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Available to play on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS, and Android devices.
Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light switches up the Tomb Raider scene, transforming the traditional third-person perspective into an over-head isometric one. This makes the gunfights much more precise and satisfying.
The abundant nature of perks and upgrades add almost RPG-like elements to the game. Completing all the challenges and earning all the achievements requires players to have played each level at least twice, truly lending itself to replayability. This isn’t Tomb Raider as fans know it, but it is a worthy bite-sized piece of the famous female adventurer that leaves players wanting more.
7 Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Available to play on PC, Nintendo Wii, PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary is the remake of the original Tomb Raider (1996) game, released on its 10th anniversary. It is also the second entry in Crystal Dynamic’s first rebooted trilogy of the series, bringing a new lease of life to Lara Croft.
The replay value of Anniversary is dependent upon the player. There are many artifacts to discover if players want to unleash their inner completionist. They can also take the time to appreciate the detailed environments, ranging from the Lost City of Atlantis to the Great Pyramids of Egypt. The combination of the original Tomb Raider’s level design and Anniversary’s modernized combat and platforming, plus the sparkly new graphics, created an almost-perfect Tomb Raider game that many fans of the series fondly remember.
6 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Available to play on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
In Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, players can experience Lara Croft’s defining moments as she becomes the iconic Tomb Raider to save the world from an apocalypse she set into motion. In addition to the story campaign, there are many NPC side missions to complete and survivalist aspects the players can indulge in, meaning hours of fun to be had!
With Shadow Of The Tomb Raider being released on Steam and Xbox, perfectionist gamers may dedicate hours to this game to get 100% completion. This will involve locating the hidden in-game collectibles and completing all the optional Challenge Tombs.
5 Tomb Raider (2013)
Available to play on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Tomb Raider was rebooted again in 2013 as the first game in the Survivor trilogy by Crystal Dynamics that explores Lara Croft's adventurer origins. It expands upon Lara's flair and the classic Tomb Raider platforming and puzzle-solving to become more of a Nathan Drake/Uncharted game style.
It allows for an open-world feel, with quick travel and a map, allowing players to explore their surroundings in-depth while maintaining a linear storyline. Tomb Raider (2013)'s crafting system lends a sense of progression that the series had never felt before, making players feel as though they were getting stronger on this male-dominated island. She becomes the iconic bow-wielding female heroine that many gamers are now growing up with.
4 Lara Croft GO
Available to play on PC, PS4, iOS, and Android devices.
This Tomb Raider edition isn’t the standard Lara Croft players know and love. This game plays on the traditionally styled gameplay to utilize turn-based gameplay. Lara Croft GO is entirely puzzle-based, as Lara is basically considered a piece in a board game. The player must maneuver her around while avoiding obstacles and manipulating the environment.
To keep that Tomb Raider feel, the developers used classic Tomb Raider tropes like boulder chases and quick-time gameplay. There are also adventure elements, as when Lara discovers enough treasure, players can unlock costumes from the original games, like her wetsuit in Tomb Raider 2. For the nostalgia value and ingenuity of these puzzles, there is some replay value, and gamers can complete the game in only three hours.
3 Tomb Raider 2
Available to play on PC, iOS, and Android devices.
Tomb Raider 2 has some of the most iconic level designs, puzzles, and enemies. The Opera House level immediately jumps to mind. It combines hardcore parkour, a complex landscape, and perplexing puzzles to create the ultimate Tomb Raider experience. Tomb Raider 2 is also the game that introduces Lara’s iconic butler, Wilson. Many childhood hours were spent locking this farting butler in the fridge at the tutorial level.
In each level, players can discover secrets in the form of dragon statues – silver, jade, and gold. These statues can be well hidden or sometimes in plain sight. Players may be rewarded with bonus items, like extra ammo or a medkit, when they find all three statues. Though it adds no different content to the game, it is satisfying for players to 100% collect all of these collectibles.
2 Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Available to play on PC, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Rise of The Tomb Raider is the second installment in Crystal Dynamics' new rebooted series. Like Tomb Raider (2013), this game has many achievements to complete, which is ideal for perfectionists. There are plenty of awe-inspiring tombs to explore, filled with deadly traps, environmental puzzles, and ancient treasures to discover, truly returning to Tomb Raider’s roots.
Rise of The Tomb Raider has Expeditions with a Score Attack mode. This allows players to replay different portions of the game with quirky modifiers like enemies morphed into having gigantic-sized bobbleheads. Some of these Expeditions make the game more challenging, while others make it easier. Lara’s Nightmare mode is also set in Croft Manor with waves of zombies – makes a change from exploring tombs!
1 Tomb Raider (1996)
Available to play on PC, iOS, and Android devices.
The original Tomb Raider game, by far, has the most replay value, purely for nostalgia purposes. Though it features some pretty outdated graphics by today’s standards, the nostalgia levels are unparalleled. It's a great game for a trip down memory lane, with the iconic soundtrack playing in the background.
Tomb Raider (1996) was one of the first action-adventure games to reach celebrated commercial success. The game creatively blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat to create a fun, action-packed game. The eccentric storyline and the albeit clunky gameplay adds to the game's charm and show how it has truly withstood the test of time, 25 years since it was originally released!