Introduction

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis lands on the PS5 like a well-placed grappling hook: familiar, thrilling and just a little bit showy. This is the second proper remake of the 1996 original, and Crystal Dynamics has teamed up with Flying Wild Hog and Amazon Game Studios to dust off Lara Croft's first big outing and remould it for modern players using Unreal Engine 5. Think of it as the original's soul-with new teeth. The premise is delightfully old-school: Lara is on the hunt for the scattered pieces of the Scion, an ancient artefact from the lost civilisation of Atlantis. If that sentence doesn't make you want to punt a few decorative urns off a ledge for fun, then you might be dead inside. The project was revealed at The Game Awards 2025 as part of a nostalgic two-hander alongside Tomb Raider: Catalyst, and comes with all the fan-service and reverence you'd expect. Alix Wilton Regan steps into Lara's boots, replacing Camilla Luddington, and the team has been explicit about their intent: keep the original's DNA, but adapt it to modern tastes. That means fewer infuriating insta-deaths, a gentler learning curve and narrative beats that flesh out what was once a series of wonderfully blocky rooms and pixelated peril. The whole thing is being billed as a love letter to fans timed for the franchise's 30th anniversary-so yes, expect a lot of nods, winks and lovingly reworked puzzles.

Gameplay

Legacy of Atlantis wears its roots proudly: exploration, puzzle-solving and tomb-crawling are the game's bread and butter. The level design leans into the classic Tomb Raider loop-find a way up, fall into an even deeper problem, solve a puzzle involving levers and spikes, then climb to glory while grabbing collectible junk that will probably unlock a gallery image or two. Only now, the traps are smarter, the platforms more forgiving and the save moments less likely to inspire rage-quits at 2 a.m. Combat feels like Lara's grown-up hobby rather than her whole personality. Expect precise but cinematic gunplay interleaved with stealthable sections and environmental takedowns. Puzzles are where the remake shines: the original's cryptic logic is honoured but expanded, with multi-stage contraptions that reward curiosity rather than rote trial-and-error. If you liked staring at a worn mural for ten minutes trying to deduce whether the platform with the jagged teeth should be pressed first, you will still get those delicious brain-tingles-only these puzzles now come with subtle in-world hints so you won't need to consult a walkthrough every two minutes. Exploration is bolstered by tighter traversal and a smoother sense of momentum. Grappling, climbing and ledge-grabbing have been modernised, so the feeling of scaling a collapsing ruin is now cinematic rather than mechanically cruel. There are secrets tucked into almost every chamber, and the thrill of finding a hidden alcove still hits hard. The story has been expanded from the original skeleton, giving greater context to NPCs, occasional moral tugs and a clearer through-line as Lara pieces together the Scion. These narrative additions add emotional weight without turning the game into a moody art flick. The voice casting of Alix Wilton Regan gives Lara a crisp, wry delivery that suits both humour and the occasional gasping monologue when traps insist on making their point. If difficulty was your favourite kind of punishment in the PS1 era, you'll be pleased to know the devs didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Will Kersake, the game director, has said they adapted the difficulty to modern tastes-so you get options. Hardcore fans can dial things up for nostalgia-fuelled brutality, while the standard setting aims to be accessible and fair. That accessibility extends to checkpoints and quality-of-life features: save frequency is generous, instant-death cheapness is tamed, and traversal feels less like punishment and more like empowerment. There are moments that feel explicitly designed to wink at longtime followers: set pieces that recall iconic sequences from the 1996 game, reinterpreted with modern staging and spectacle. But the remake isn't a frame-for-frame homage; it's a careful remix that keeps the bones but adds muscles, costumes and an enviable tricked-out combat rig. The pacing can wobble in the middle act-some tombs overstay their welcome and the story occasionally takes a sidestep of exposition-but these are more like slightly soggy crisps in a mostly gourmet picnic.

Graphics

Running on Unreal Engine 5, Legacy of Atlantis looks like someone finally let Lara pick a high-end filter and an oceanic lighting rig. The PS5 version offers lush environments, rich particle effects and water physics that actually behave like water instead of vaguely wet polygons. Ruins are beautifully detailed: moss, cracked tiles and weathered reliefs all tell stories in textures. Lighting is the real show-off here-sunbeams slanting through temple cracks, bioluminescent pools in subterranean halls and the occasional perfectly timed lantern flare during a tense escape sequence. Character models have benefited from the remastering love too. Lara's animations are fluid without being annoyingly cinematic; she trips, recovers and curses in ways that make her feel like an actual human who has read too many history books. Facial animation for cutscenes is expressive and grounded, which helps the expanded narrative land emotionally. The switching of voice actors is handled seamlessly; Alix Wilton Regan's performance syncs well with the visuals and doesn't feel like an awkward dub. Of course, this isn't a photo-real simulator-there are still moments where texture pop-in or slightly stagy set dressing remind you it's a game. On the PS5, load times are minimal and frame rate is stable in most situations, although extremely particle-heavy set pieces can cause tiny dips. Overall the remake looks fantastic: it's polished enough to be a showpiece for Unreal Engine 5, but retains the slightly exaggerated architectural designs that make classic Tomb Raider locations so memorable.

Conclusion

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is a stylish, affectionate overhaul that will please both die-hard archivists and newcomers who like their exploration with a side of spectacle. It honours the original's spirit-adventure, puzzles and tomb-finding-while smoothing out the sharper edges that made the '90s version a lesson in patience. The modernised traversal, expanded storytelling and graphical polish on PS5 make it a great way to experience Lara's first big quest without needing a time machine or a certain fondness for blocky polygons. There are small pacing issues and a middle act that occasionally meanders, but those are forgivable in a package that otherwise nails the tone: daring, witty and faintly sarcastic at just the right moments. With difficulty options that respect nostalgia without forcing old-school frustration, this remake manages to be both a love letter and a welcome update. If you like ancient artefacts, clever puzzles and the faint possibility of being mauled by a booby trap, bring a torch and a spare pair of gloves. Legacy of Atlantis is well worth your time-and your climbing gloves.

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