Full Disclosure: This Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition review only represents my experiences with the PlayStation 4 version of the game, using a copy of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition that was provided to me free-of-charge by Square Enix.
Roughly one year after Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics rebooted the Tomb Raider franchise, Nixxes and United Front Games have completed work on Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, giving fans another chance to experience the award-winning project on their PlayStation 4 and/or Xbox One.
Few were shocked when the two companies announced plans to release next-gen ports of Tomb Raider, given the regularity with which cross-generational releases take place during the first months after new game hardware debuts, and the popularity of Crystal Dynamics new take on Lara Croft. Unlike many such titles, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition doesn't suffer from any sort of feature-deficiency of most cross-generational projects, and even includes new functions that take advantage of Kinect 2.0 and the PlayStation Camera.
Personally, I can't see myself recommending those I know with a PS4 or Xbox One to pick up a copy of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. Not yet, at least. You see, despite easily being the best looking version of Tomb Raider in existence, I'm just not sold on the prospect of paying full price for a project that doesn't look all that much different than it did twelve months ago.
I suppose jumping into this review with the assumption that everyone played Crystal Dynamics' all-new take on the Tomb Raider franchise would be pretty silly, though; considering the project just start recording net profits late last year. So let's start off with a quick crash course on the rebooted Lara Croft, shall we?
As with all previous entries in the series, Tomb Raider sees players assume the role of legendary archaeologist and explorer Lara Croft, but things are quite a bit different this time around. For starters, players will step into the iconic heroine's shoes during her first post-graduate expedition, long before she's become proficient with the pistols she's known for . Over the course of the game, you'll witness Lara's transformation from wide-eyed student to battle-hardened explorer, and work with those members of your expedition who survived the game-opening shipwreck to find a way off the island where you've all been stranded.
Of course, few things are ever as simple as finding and retrieving a means of transportation from one locale to the next, and there are plenty of obstacles on Lara's path to freedom in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. While some sections will allow Lara to take the "easy" way out, sneakily moving from one bit of cover to the next while dispatching a handful of oblivious enemies along the way, a fair portion of the new Tomb Raider feature all the explosions and gunplay you'd expect from a summer blockbuster.
Thankfully, the gunplay present in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is some of the best I've experienced among recent console releases, and anyone who played Tomb Raider on the PS3 is bound to agree that anything is at least a little bit better once the DualShock 3 is out of the picture. Truth be told, lining up and taking shots felt good enough on the DualShock 4 that I almost didn't miss the level of precision I enjoyed when playing through Tomb Raider for the first time on my computer. Granted, a gamepad is unlikely to ever truly replicate the exactness of a mouse-and-keyboard, but I rarely felt as if I was having to fight the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition's aiming mechanics in my bid to conquer the game's roster of enemies.
Roughly half a dozen hidden tombs are also sprinkled across the island that serves as the game's setting, offering a clear connection between the original Tomb Raider projects and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition without forcing the former's puzzle-heavy gameplay on those who prefer the latter's action-adventure leanings. Players aren't forced to explore many of the burial chambers scattered across the island, but those who do will soon find themselves with extra salvage, experience and in-game collectibles for their troubles.
In another major change for the franchise, Tomb Raider incorporates some of the basic character progression mechanics found in most modern role playing games, allowing players to tailor Lara's skills and abilities to more closely match their own play style. Lara will receive experience from hunting, discovering treasure, killing the enemies encountered on her journey and a handful of other actions. Over time, you'll be rewarded with skill points, which are then allocated into three unique talent trees, and Tomb Raider also tasks players with tracking down the parts and currency derivative (Salvage) needed to complete the many weapon upgrades available at the island's various camp sites.
The campaign itself lasts about ten to twelve hours, depending on your skill level and chosen difficulty setting, but there will obviously be some who finish all of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition's single-player content faster/slower than the majority. Some may even get a few extra hours of entertainment out of competitive multiplayer mode that also debuted in the new Tomb Raider, but can't imagine many people sticking with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for longer than it takes to complete the game's campaign.
All in all, playing Crystal Dynamics rebooted Tomb Raider is an extremely enjoyable way to kill a few hours. The project perfectly meshes the heart-pounding tension common in survival/horror games with the cinematic storytelling that's made the Uncharted franchise a runaway success in recent years, leaving just enough of the classic Tomb Raider formula in the recipe to keep everything feeling familiar to the series' oldest fans. Bottom line, it's not hard to see why Tomb Raider was considered a Game of the Year candidate last year, and the overall gameplay experience hold up quite well one year later. The problem is, there's not really anything significant to set the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition apart from last year's version of the game.
Sure, Crystal Dynamics poured quite a few hours into an updated character model for Lara Croft, one which the studio says brings the character's facial features a bit more in-line with Camilla Luddington, the actress hired to be the first voice of the reimagined Lara Croft. Some have taken issue with alleged attempts to dull the game's portrayals of violence and/or measures purportedly intended to make the character more attractive; however, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have defended the changes on several occasions.
A number of game systems have also been overhauled to make better use of the improved capabilities of the PS4 and Xbox One, and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition even sports some handy voice/motion controls to go along with each next-gen console's respective camera peripheral. Crystal Dynamics also apparently spent a significant period of time overhauling the game's multiplayer architecture, and other systems that won't ever actually be seen by players. I'll stick with the game's new graphics engine for now, though, because holy crap does Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition look good.
The PlayStation 4 continues to provide some of the best-looking lighting effects in the history of console gaming, and the people responsible for updating Tomb Raider's lighting engine have more than stepped up to the plate. According to a recent trailer, quite a bit of work went into updating the physics engine that renders both Lara herself and the various pieces of equipment she carries in the new Tomb Raider, but I'd be lying if I said I noticed any of that stuff while playing the game.
On the technical front, PlayStation 4 owners will be happy to hear that the managed to get Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition running in full 1080p/60fps, giving the PS4 version of the game at least one area where it can claim complete supremacy over all other versions of Tomb Raider. Even those who manage to get Tomb Raider running in full 1080p/60fps on their gaming computers still won't have the added bonus of updated character models and improved engine mechanics, making the PS4 version of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition the go-to purchase for anyone looking to get the absolute most out of the game.
Unfortunately, there's not one iota of new content in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, that wasn't already available for purchase on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or PC. In fact, despite positioning Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition as a next-gen "Game of the Year" release, Square Enix actually shipped Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition without one of the multiplayer characters released after the game's debut. Moreover, of all the Tomb Raider DLC bundled on the disc, only the "Tomb of the Lost Adventurer" actually expands on the single-player campaign found in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.
The rest of the post-launch content is a fairly substantial collection of maps, skins and characters for the Tomb Raider multiplayer component, but I wouldn't expect the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition multiplayer servers to be full for long after the game's debut (if at all). The bundled Tomb Raider DLC might offer something new to casual fans of the game, or those who didn't get a chance to play Tomb Raider last year, anyone who spent cash on a current-gen version of Tomb Raider + DLC will likely be disappointed by Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition's lack of new content.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Review - Final Verdict
Sadly, despite my outright joy at getting a chance to revisit this excellent new take on the Tomb Raider franchise, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition will (for the time being) hold the distinction of being the greatest game I've ever reviewed and simultaneously recommended that you do not purchase. Yes, several aspects of last year's Tomb Raider reboot have clearly been improved for the franchise's PS4/Xbox One debut; however, it's hard to recommend a sixty dollar copy of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition when the a slightly different version of the game was available for less than ten dollars last week.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is the premiere version of an already-outstanding game, but this is also a port made up (primarily) of the exact same art assets used in last year's version of the game. The same goes for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition's writing, voice acting, animations, etc. Bottom line, there's not really anything here to justify jacking the game's price tag back up to sixty dollars.
While some work may have gone into redesigning the simulating physics governing the position of Lara's pickaxe, or the way the titular character's hair waves in the wind, I suspect more than a few gamers would have happily agreed to forego those "enhancements" in the name of saving twenty to thirty dollars on the game itself. The same could be said for the game's multiplayer architecture, which is unlikely to even be relevant within a few weeks/months, and the less-than-popular changes that have been made to Lara Croft's character model certainly don't justify the price hike either. Hell, when asked to justify the price of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, even a senior member of the Crystal Dynamics team couldn't come up with anything more convincing than to say he (and the rest of the team) think Tomb Raider is awesome.
If Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition had shipped for $30 or $40, I'd have told you that you were insane if you didn't buy a copy of Crystal Dynamics latest take on the Tomb Raider franchise. Perhaps, if/when Square Enix manages to get its head on straight, that recommendation will come. For now, all I can do is recommend that you wait until prices come down a bit on Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, or the modern-day classic makes its inevitable PlayStation Now debut. If you absolutely can't be asked to wait any longer, then track down a significantly-cheaper PS3, Xbox 360 or PC copy of the game .
This absolutely remains a Tomb Raider story you don't want to miss. It just comes with a price tag that you do.
Score - 4.5/5
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Were you one of the thousands who managed to track down a copy of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition prior to the game's official launch on Tuesday? Disagree with Scott's final score and/or lack of purchase recommendation? Think the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game look exactly the same?
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