Tomb Raider Reviews
Tomb Raider is one of the games of the last generation and now it's that little bit prettier, and better for it. More realistic, more visceral as a result and an absolute delight to play through one more time. If you missed it first time around buy it now, if you loved it originally it's better the second time around and if you are still on the fence, trust us when we say you really should pick up the definitive version as soon as your wallet allows for it. A great release to fill the void before some decent games come out on both next gen platforms.
Thankfully this isn't a quick or cheap port that does a disservice to the original experience. This is still one of the best games of last year, and the enhancements make it one of the best looking games to come out in a while.
It's one of the best Tomb Raider games ever made, and it'll live up to the Definitive Edition moniker for those gamers who never set foot on Yamatai Island last year.
As an action-adventure game, Tomb Raider needs to have you spend eight to ten hours shooting people in the face. That the developer at least tries to address this dissonance in earnest is perhaps commendable—so few games strive to account for the expected incongruities that even the ambition distinguishes the effort. And yet their attempt makes their failure more pronounced.
I was absolutely wowed by this game the first time I played it through because I was paying so much attention to the cut scenes and redesigned Lara Croft was a joy to behold. The Definitive Edition adds a few neat little features like alternative costumes and a comic book describing the events before the game, and I can't remember that being in the original game release. But having had a year to sit and consider the game's broader meaning, the second time around the game's flaws are all the more apparent.
This is a fantastic game, but for anyone who previously played it on last year's consoles, this version could go amiss. For everyone else with a next gen console wanting to take it for a spin whilst waiting for some true next-gen games, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition will thoroughly entertain and leave you an instant fan of this re-booted series.
If you never had the chance to experience the game a year ago, then the Definitive Edition is an absolute no-brainer. In fact, we're even slightly envious of those people that waited, because Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is one of the Xbox One's best games.
The different gameplay elements that comprise Tomb Raider are very well done, and they are a lot of fun. During the TPS parts, Tomb Raider is competent. During the survival horror parts, Tomb Raider is competent. During the survival crafting parts, Tomb Raider is competent. This doesn't leave the whole package as competent, though. Even if someone used the best noodles possible, the best chocolate syrup, a lavish Lamborghini steering wheel, and a $900 pair of shoes, a lasagne made out of these ingredients wouldn't be very good—even if all the different parts are high quality. Tomb Raider needed someone to stand up and tell the marketing department that disparate gameplay elements weren't going to be shoehorned in simply to increase sales by 0.025%. Lara Croft does a wonderful job of redeeming Tomb Raider, and is the only reason it's playable, but it's only marginally more fleshed out than the myriad of mini-game collections found for the Kinect and Move.