Review: Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Since writing about and reviewing games, my gaming habits have changed. I simply don’t get the time to play a lot of games for sheer fun. Trust me, I’m not complaining; far from it. I think that anyone who writes about games will concur when I say playing games for fun versus playing them to review is a vastly different experience. Playing for fun is all about that one adjective: fun. My brain is not constantly engaged, assessing, comparing and making notes. It’s along for the ride and enjoying every moment.

One of the games I  was fortunate enough to play simply for fun last year was Tomb Raider. I absolutely adored it and wholeheartedly agree with our original review. A year has passed since the reboot’s release and now Square Enix has served up Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. This new version contains all of the released DLC and some updated graphics. So does it demand your attention? Yes and no. It’s still a brilliantly designed game, but it’s the same brilliantly designed game that was released last March. How much mileage you get out of it will vary on your experience with the original and desire for something to play on your next-gen console.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition certainly makes use of the power of the next-gen consoles. Textures are smoother and crisper. Details like fire, smoke, dust, water and even sweat stand out like never before. It’s all built on last gen tech, but running on the new consoles you could almost be fooled into thinking the game was designed with PS4 and Xbox One in mind. Lara benefits from some new physics and animations, making her move and look more fluid and realistic than ever. One downside though is that while on first impression everything looks and runs with great improvement over the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, after only 20 minutes playing I’d already stopped noticing as Definitive Edition became the new normal.

The Tress FX technology that has been applied to her hair is particularly impressive. However, having each strand of Lara’s hair be individually affected by physics — while looking fantastic — also serves to make every other character’s helmet head stand out like a sore thumb. Tomb Raider was always very pretty and now even more so, however Definitive Edition exists in the odd cross-gen space and while for the most part looks incredible there are occasional low-res textures, awkward animation and artefact to remind you you’re playing a year old game.

Everyone can take something different away from Tomb Raider. As much as I love the combat and the game’s rewarding plot, I was most enamoured with uncovering its world. Secret tombs are fun to discover, with their puzzles inside ranging from downright easy to head-scratchin’ hard. Each of the game’s set pieces offers a large area to explore, and you’ll be tasked with finding relics and documents that not only help you understand what’s unfolding around you, but offer insight into the relationships between Lara and the game’s supporting characters. The more you play and interact with the world, the more you’ll enjoy it. Best yet, investing in learning as much as you can from what’s around you – and really, being an archaeologist in doing so — means you really get to understand and care about the supporting cast. Before the end of the game, they really feel like your friends… which is something Far Cry 3 never quite mastered.

While most of the game’s collectibles don’t feel like a chore to collect, having to grab GPS markers sure does. Tomb Raider was almost a game about collectibles being done right, until Crystal Dynamics decided to throw just one more type in there. The story’s quite tight, but does have its flaws – in a couple places in story, enemies would simply decide to cease their aggressions and disappear from sight so you could explore bonds between characters. On top of that, one of the game’s secondary villains is so telegraphed it’s almost painful. Lastly, far too many multiplayer achievements — a way of saying, “please, PLEASE play multiplayer!” — and a vanilla listing of single-player ones really show that while Crystal Dynamics have done a great job in making Lara their own, they still have elements to improve upon.

Multiplayer is very polished and could be quite enjoyable with bouts full of people. It was great fun to zip around going after fellow gamers in Team Deathmatch and Free for All. Rescue — where one team tries to collect and deliver health packs to their base, and the other team tries to stop them — will be just as fun if people are prepared to play such an objective-based game. Ultimately, Tomb Raider still feels like a single-player title and a year on it’s even more obvious just how lackluster the multiplayer is. If only some of the DLC was story-based. Oh well, we’ll just have to wait for the sequel.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is a prettier, shinier version of one of 2013’s very best games. I’ve really enjoyed playing again as Lara since it’s been almost 12 months since I played it last and it’s given me something to play on my next-gen consoles. One major sticking point is the price. Albeit this package includes all of the released DLC and a graphically overhauled game, but charging almost full retail price is asking a little much. If there had been some new single player content or some other draw for those who’ve already played then a higher price point could be excused. As it stands though, TR: Definitive Edition should be priced at the budget level.

That being said, it’s still a phenomenally good game. If you haven’t played the original reboot and have a next-gen console then I  implore you to go out and get Definitive Edition. If you’re a massive fan of the original with not much else to play on your next-gen console then you can’t really go wrong. More of this Lara Croft is only a good thing, but I’m betting a lot of you are waiting for a proper sequel. This is the Definitive Edition of Tomb Raider and is a very well put together package. It may be the exact same game, but when it’s this good it almost doesn’t matter.

TL;DR? Check out our video review!

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