The first Tomb Raider on Saturn, decent port of the founding adventure. Lara Croft remains an icon, tomb exploration is still gripping. Technically slightly inferior to PS1 but very playable. A historical gaming document.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player16+
Description
3D action adventure with Lara Croft in ancient temple ruins, Japanese version. Published by Victor Interactive, released in Japan in 1997. Same content as the European version featuring 3D puzzle solving, acrobatics, shooting and exploration of vast levels, interface and text localized in Japanese. Japanese version of Core Design's 3D blockbuster.
Tomb Raiders review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Three-dimensional ruins explored as a pioneer, cold light and monumental architecture: the game laid the foundations of 3D adventure with a striking atmosphere of isolation. The breadth of the settings and the sense of emptiness compose a rare presence. This visual direction, austere and foundational, left a lasting mark on the genre.
Signed by Nathan McCree, the music favours silence and a few orchestral themes to embrace the majestic solitude of the explored ruins. The famous main theme, mysterious and spellbinding, became an instantly recognisable signature. This sonic restraint, of rare elegance, elevates the sense of adventure and discovery.
The Japanese edition of the first Tomb Raider on Saturn, the console that was briefly the lead launch platform before the shift to PlayStation. Its collector interest lies in that historical role as the originating version of a worldwide phenomenon, and in a Japanese run far smaller than the game's Western editions. Sought by fans who value the Saturn footprint of a license that became emblematic of the rival.
Is Tomb Raiders still worth playing in 2026?
A 3D action adventure from Eidos, Tomb Raider has the archaeologist Lara Croft explore ancient temples and forgotten ruins, blending acrobatic platforming, environmental puzzles and shooting against hostile wildlife. The structure of exploration in vast environments, the sense of solitude and the ingenuity of the puzzles founded a genre and marked video game history. The camera and the grid based handling have aged. For a fan of retro 3D adventure or someone curious about a major milestone, the title keeps a remarkable atmosphere and ambition.
