The Lara Croft Collection is a proper treat on Switch

The Lara Croft Collection has just landed on Switch, bringing together top-down arcade treats Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light and Lara Croft & The Temple of Osiris. We decided to have a chat about these fascinating and playful parts of the Tomb Raider back catalogue.

The Lara Croft CollectionPublisher: Feral InteractiveDeveloper: Crystal Dynamics, Feral InteractivePlatform: Played on SwitchAvailability: Out now on (Switch

Chris: Hello! I thought it might be a good opportunity to talk Tomb Raider with you, since it’s a series we both love, and these games that have just come out are a weirdly interesting entry point to them.

I see this series as sitting between the original trilogy that Crystal Dynamics did and then reboot trilogy, which I know you love – except for the last game. Anyway, starting off simply, are you a fan of this style of Tomb Raider? And how would you describe it? It feels like an arcadey, almost twin-stick take on a series which is generally a bit more cinematic, often a bit more willing to take its time with things?

Victoria: I think you pretty much nailed it. These games really do have that arcade feel to them, and are quite different from the other, as you say, more cinematic, Tomb Raider entries.

I actually think they are all the more charming for this, especially when combined with their isometricity. Don’t get me wrong, I love big sweeping adventures with Lara, where we are transported across the globe in a thrilling and mythological adventure, but these more condensed spin-offs feel perhaps more obtainable, or at the very least less intimidating, for someone new to the series.