Recently, the development team behind Tomb Raider: Atlantis Legacy explained their decisions in remaking the 1996 original: the new version will strive to preserve scenes and spaces that hold emotional memories for players, while updating details that don't meet modern presentation standards or internal logic, rather than copying the original item by item.
Michał Kuk, Creative Director at Flying Wild Hog, stated that when players close their eyes after finishing the original game, what they remember most are usually the moments with strong emotional impact, along with the associated locations, landscapes, and objects. The team believes that these elements, which form collective memory, should remain nearly unchanged in the new version, but the overall experience will still be based on the classic story and atmosphere, creating a somewhat different feel.
This approach is closer to the remake philosophy of Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII Remake, differing from Metal Gear Delta: Snake Eater and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which emphasize faithful reproduction. Some players have already criticized the new version for adding crafting systems and skill trees common in modern AAA games, mechanics that also appeared in the Tomb Raider "Survivor" trilogy.
Jeff Adams, Experience Director at Crystal Dynamics, explained that the more realistic the graphics and world become, the harder it is to justify certain elements from the original. He cited the example of finding a medkit in a tomb sealed for ten thousand years as illogical, even if the same scene involves gunfights against dinosaurs. The team aims to maintain the series' identity while avoiding making the new version a frame-by-frame copy of the old one.