Year: 1996
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST)
Composer(s): Nathan McCree
Number of tracks: 23

★★★★★

A leap into adventure

'Revolutionary', 'groundbreaking' and 'the action game of the year' - these were all descriptions thrown around by the gaming press when the very first Tomb Raider was released in 1996. Developed for the Sega Saturn, MS-DOS and PlayStation at the time, it was one of the first 3D games and looked fantastic by the standards of the day. Not only because of its graphics, but also the combination of optimized controls and the mix of action and puzzles, Tomb Raider is still considered one of the best games of all time.

The action-adventure genre was not only made more attractive to a more adult target group in terms of gameplay; no, male gamers in particular were served up pixel eroticism in a triangular shape with protagonist Lara Croft. Unfortunately, I didn't have the pleasure of playing myself back then, but was condemned to watching others play ... until my parents walked in at some point and we hastily popped Hugo into the CD drive. No, not the Prosecco.

It's hard to imagine pop culture today without the cultural influence of the amateur archaeologist - I'll spare you the usual reference to the music video of the German band Die Ärzte at this point. And thanks to the very good reboot from 2013, Tomb Raider is still relevant today. Meanwhile, I got my start in the series with Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007), which retells Lara's first adventure in contemporary graphics and came as a bonus for our new graphics card.

However, as usual for this site, this review is about the music. In my opinion, its effect depends largely on whether you played the game at the time or, like me, got a taste of it afterwards. I can well imagine the associations you have with the first notes of the emotional “Tomb Raider” theme that play on the main screen. Especially when you imagine the groaning and moaning of the PC, the crackling of the speakers and the flickering of the CRT screen. After all, it's hardly any different for me, even if my games were more Anno 1602, The Settlers II or Command and Conquer 2: Tiberian Sun.

But even without the historical setting, Nathan McCree's composition has a certain magic. In the 23-track-long score, the composer combines a hopeful thirst for discovery with fast-paced action, without relying on the heroic pathos of the Indiana Jones-movies. In view of the inspiration, this was of course an obvious choice, but the focus on almost childlike curiosity instead provides a pleasant contrast between the two heroes.

While on the big screen Harrison Ford's university professor glides from one shootout to the next in search of legendary treasures, the wealthy amateur archaeologist is more cautious and headstrong. Of course, Lara's adventures also involved a lot of shooting, and certainly not too little since Tomb Raider in 2015, but the games are naturally slower paced.

This is reflected acoustically in large parts of the OST - although not in the length, which is very manageable at just under 19 minutes. This is due not only to the short stinger interludes (“Tomb of Qulaopec”, “Anticipation”, “Danger”, “Revealed”, “Secret”), but also to the last four tracks, which turn out to be recordings of the cutscenes. In my opinion, this has no place in a soundtrack, although the question of whether it is in fact an original soundtrack remains unanswered.

Nevertheless, there are a few highlights in the composition, not least the main theme, which starts with a combination of harp, strings and flute, coming across as sweet and thoughtful at the same time, then later taking on a little touch of mystery and finally becoming almost spherical thanks to the vocals ... quite different from Indi. It's also nice that it's taken up again in tracks like “Authentic Tomb Raider” and “The City of Khamoon” - leitmotif and all.

In general, the MIDIs unfold a wonderful retro charm, which makes the fast “St. Francis Folly” and “Miss Jacqueline Natla” seem driven. Conversely, “Epilogue”, “Tomb Beauty” and “The Plot Thickens” are more restrained and could almost have been taken from a Heroes of Might and Magic-game. My personal favorite, however, is the hectic “The Chase”, whose simple and repetitive structure, accentuated by synths and bass, captures that certain thrill of a chase very well.

Fans will cry out at the end of this review as to how I can't let the main theme go without top marks - and I get that. McCree's composition has an undeniable charm, breaks with today's expectations and was certainly groundbreaking for the early days of 3D games. Unfortunately, I personally don't have the connection to let myself fall completely into the sounds. This will change for me as we continue down the series' path, but for the time being I'll 'only' give an appreciative nod for the early days of the franchise.

Nr.	Title	Interpret(en)	Ratings
01	Tomb Raider	Nathan McCree	4
02	St. Francis Folly	Nathan McCree	4
03	Tomb of Tihocan	Nathan McCree	2
04	Showdown	Nathan McCree	4
05	The Lost Valley	Nathan McCree	2
06	Tomb of Qulaopec	Nathan McCree	1
07	Sanctuary of the Scion	Nathan McCree	2
08	Authentic Tomb Raider	Nathan McCree	3
09	Anticipation	Nathan McCree	1
10	Epilogue	Nathan McCree	3
11	The City of Khamoon	Nathan McCree	3
12	Danger	Nathan McCree	1
13	Revealed	Nathan McCree	1
14	Secret	Nathan McCree	1
15	Tomb Beauty	Nathan McCree	3
16	Puzzling	Nathan McCree	3
17	The Plot Thickens	Nathan McCree	4
18	The Chase	Nathan McCree	5
19	Miss Jacqueline Natla	Nathan McCree	4
20	Shock	Nathan McCree	2
21	You Have My Attention	Nathan McCree	1
22	Rulers of Atlantis	Nathan McCree	1
23	A Grand Reopening	Nathan McCree	1