Cloud Monday - Tomb Raider: Anniversary - Part 2 - Well Worth Playing From The Cloud

This week's new Cloud Monday video is part 2 of playing the PS4 version of the emulated PS2 game Tomb Raider: Anniversary via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

In Part 1 it was clear that the ability to save at any point by using the emulators save feature was great. in this part i made use of another emulator exclusive feature that isn't in the game itself and that's the Rewind feature.

In some respects, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a little difficult in that there are times jumps are a little unclear and there are other times when you're ambushed by predators. i can imagine back in the day the complaints about the game's difficulty were accurate. apparently the game gets more tough towards the end with puzzles as well as gameplay. having the ability to rewind was very nice. i was able to make the mistakes and immediately learn from them. at times, this lead to some really nice flowing platforming sequences. i think i remarked in the game it's like the Sands of Time from Prince of Persia. if anyone tried Tomb Raider: Anniversary back on PS2, or even PSP, but put it down 'cause it was a challenge then playing it this way via emulation is a revelation.

The streaming experience in this part was much more consistent than in Part 1. only once did a warning appear in the top right. but even if was better, the lag in the controls was still noticeable. i think what helps is having to do the tutorial with the lag. if you watch Part 1 you'll see i immediately have trouble but quite quickly adjust to the lag. without playing the game on PS2 it's hard to say if it's solely down to the game being streamed. in my experience, these emulated games do seem to suffer from lag more than the native PS3 and PS4 games i've played via the cloud. i wonder if this is down to the PS1, PS2, and PSP controls being directly tied to the console and the PS3 and PS4 being wireless. Like, the lag i'm feeling is because the controls are wireless and the games aren't built around the lag from these controls. the games are built with quicker responses in-mind, maybe 2-6ms instead of the 10+ that modern consoles have.

After two Parts, i can say that i think Tomb Raider: Anniversary is well worth playing from the Cloud. because of how the emulator save features work and the bonus of the Rewind features, it'd make a great game for PlayStation Portal too.

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/9oWARFopVBQ

Cloud Monday - Tomb Raider: Anniversary - Part 1 - Can Save Anywhere, Possible Control Lag, But Fun

This week's new Cloud Monday video is part 1 of playing the PS4 version of the emulated PS2 game Tomb Raider: Anniversary via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

We have already seen from previous PS1, PSP, and PS2 that have been emulated on PS4 and PS5 that their ability to save anywhere at any time makes them a fantastic choice to be streamed from the cloud. the added benefit of being able to rewind time also makes the experience as a whole feel more casual or approachable. so when looking at these emulated games the question changes more to is it worth your time playing these games.

For Tomb Raider: Anniversary i would say that yes, it's worth your time. this is a remake of the original PS1 game that was released across many consoles and handhelds from 2007. it was released late enough in the PS2 console life cycle that it probably benefited from some of the game design being shown on PS3. this helps make Tomb Raider: Anniversary still feel fresh. a couple of the controls are a little odd by today's standards but fine when compared to games like Resistance, a game released around this time.

I read a little about this remake. it seems like it's not just a PS2 skinned version of the PS1 game. the developers took time to bring over the classic elements of the original game whilst also expanding others, introducing some changes, modernising the controls, and fleshing out the story, as someone who hasn't played the original game, so far it's going great and the open flow of the levels have been fun to run around in.

The only criticism i have so far, as a game being streamed from the cloud, is that there appears to be some lag in the controls. every now and then i came across some platforming that didn't quite go as planned and took a couple of tries or rewinds. right from the start i noticed how i could move the left stick or right stick and it felt like a second passed before something happened on screen. it's difficult to say if it's the developers going for some sort of momentum based movement, but it does take a bit of time to get used to.