Review - Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition, Single Player Reviewby Chris Murray
Format Reviewed on XboxOne |
Developers; Crystal Dynamics
Publisher; Square Enix Formats; PS4, XboxOne For a video Impressions you can follow this link
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When I was younger, Tomb Raider was something I only ever heard good things about. Strangely enough, up until now, I had never played any of the games in the series; I had only ever watched friends play, or messed around with the display cabinets demos at electrical stores. The only gameplay experience I actually remember was trying to complete the obstacle course in Lara's mansion and not being very good at it. I found the controls hard to grasp, constantly vaulting off the obstacles the wrong way.
Some fourteen years or so later it seemed I would finally get to see what the fuss was all about with the release of the new reboot. Developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix, Tomb Raider's original release was on the 5th of March, 2013. The title was released on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. Once again, I was surrounded by the high praise and good reviews the game had received. However, I somehow missed the opportunity to play it. |
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With the next generation of consoles in full swing, the good folks at Square Enix decided to release a "Definitive Edition" for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This version of the game has all the bells and whistles you would expect from a next generation title. A rebuilt graphics engine, higher resolution textures and a smoother frame rate. Even Lara's character model has been changed drastically, with the addition of more geometry and a higher poly count to make her look more realistic. Furthermore, her clothing has more natural movement, and isn't as static as I saw in previous versions of the game. The pick-axe, for example, hangs and moves as it would in real life. Even Lara’s hair now bounces and flows with more lifelike behaviour, thanks to an advanced physics engine previously utilised in the PC version of the game. The PlayStation 4 version runs at the 60fps, 1080p while the Xbox One runs at 30fps, 720p. When the two are side-by-side, the PlayStation 4's performance advantage is noticeable, however, the Xbox One edition is just as playable. I played the latter version.
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Tomb Raider is a very pretty game. On multiple occasions, I found myself taking a few minutes just to admire the visuals. One section I found particularly beautiful was a scene in which Lara must ascend a huge radio tower; the tower is so big, in fact, it takes a good couple of minutes to climb to the top. This is where the rebuilt graphics engine really shines. Clouds pass quickly overhead as flurries of snow fall around the mountainous terrain. Together with falling beams of sunlight and the odd lens flare, it makes for a truly memorable spectacle.
The main premise of the reboot sees Lara off on her first major expedition with a cast of various other characters. Unfortunately, things go very wrong, very fast as Lara is quickly thrown into a tough situation, and soon wakes to find herself tied from the ceiling of a cave. During her escape from the cave – which comprises the game's tutorial - quick time events are introduced, which involve familiar mechanics such as having to thrash sticks, or press the correct button at the right time. This type of gameplay appears throughout. Frustratingly, my first few attempts at this ended in failure, but as I progressed through the story, I soon realised that the Y button is the only input necessary, and soon got the hang of things as a result.
The main premise of the reboot sees Lara off on her first major expedition with a cast of various other characters. Unfortunately, things go very wrong, very fast as Lara is quickly thrown into a tough situation, and soon wakes to find herself tied from the ceiling of a cave. During her escape from the cave – which comprises the game's tutorial - quick time events are introduced, which involve familiar mechanics such as having to thrash sticks, or press the correct button at the right time. This type of gameplay appears throughout. Frustratingly, my first few attempts at this ended in failure, but as I progressed through the story, I soon realised that the Y button is the only input necessary, and soon got the hang of things as a result.
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In the first few hours of the game's story, Lara is constantly placed into situations she has not previously encountered, and is clearly uncomfortable with; she is not yet the iconic heroine we've come to know. An early scene perfectly demonstrates this. After Lara has escaped the tutorial cave, she finds a hunting bow she can use to her advantage (one of the main upgradable weapons in the game) and finds herself having to hunt a wild deer in order to survive.
It's very clear she is somewhat phased and distressed by this. In a later scene, once the game's combat has become more frequent, Lara is forced to shoot and kill somebody. Again, she is clearly overwhelmed with emotion, and distressed as a result. These scenes are effective, as they show Lara having to adapt to new situations in order to survive. However, I found it strange that the taking of life was never touched upon in the same way for the remainder of the play-through. Sadly, this affects the game's continuity a little, as by the end of Lara’s journey, she has become an unstoppable killing machine, wracking up a huge body count. Moreover, I found some of the kill animations to be a little over the top, though satisfying to pull off. |
Furthermore, the aforementioned characters didn't do much for me. I was more interested in Lara’s story than any of the supporting cast, and wasn't really concerned who else lived or died.
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The game's combat system and controls are what you would expect from a third-person action adventure. Left trigger aims, while the right shoots, the directional pad switches between weapons and analog controls movement and so on. This version also has Kinect Support this time around. Saying words like “Shotgun”, or “Bow” will switch between weapons, or saying “Map” will bring up the area map. However during my play-through, I found it just as easy to use the buttons and never used the voice commands very often, if at all. For the most part, controlling Lara is no problem, though on quite a few instances I found myself getting caught on the geometry and certain environmental objects, occasionally causing me to miss a ledge, or even fall off the edge of a cliff.
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Tomb Raider is a very combat-heavy game, especially from the middle section onwards. More often than I would like to admit there were times when I felt a little overwhelmed and sometimes exhausted with the experience. Some sections require you to hold off a wave-by-wave advance of multiple enemies, some of which go on far longer than they probably should. For the most part, I didn't enjoy these moments, and felt the only reason I had to play them was to advance the story.
Nonetheless, the game uses a clever system to keep the player on the right tracks in terms of where they need to go. For example, walls and planks used to climb to progress through the environment will be painted in bright shades of white, making them easy to spot from a distance. These will glow when Lara is in her hunting state as well as enemies and hidden collectables . This is activated by pressing the left bumper. Also scattered throughout the game are hidden tombs to explore. To complete these, the player is tasked with solving puzzles of varying difficulty. While all of these tombs are all optional, they are worth exploring for the loot (weapon upgrades and “salvage”) gained from the treasure chests.
Nonetheless, the game uses a clever system to keep the player on the right tracks in terms of where they need to go. For example, walls and planks used to climb to progress through the environment will be painted in bright shades of white, making them easy to spot from a distance. These will glow when Lara is in her hunting state as well as enemies and hidden collectables . This is activated by pressing the left bumper. Also scattered throughout the game are hidden tombs to explore. To complete these, the player is tasked with solving puzzles of varying difficulty. While all of these tombs are all optional, they are worth exploring for the loot (weapon upgrades and “salvage”) gained from the treasure chests.
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“Salvage” is the game's form of currency. While there are no vendors or shops to buy items from, salvage is used to upgrade Lara's weapons and equipment. Upgrading the weapons is definitely worth while, as some the perks offer useful increases in damage, rate of fire etc., and some even enable a secondary firing option. For my shotgun, I purchased an upgrade that allowed me to shoot incendiary ammo, using the directional pad to switch back and forth between that and the standard ammunition.
Tomb Raider uses a fast travel mechanic that takes you to and from all the areas on the island known as 'Base Camps', handy for picking up salvage and collectables that may have been missed the first time around. Believe me, there is a lot to find! In one location near the end of the game, you will receive a message stating you cannot return to a particular Base Camp once you have passed this point, and so, before I finished the game I used this as a motivation to find as many collectables and as much salvage (as well as Achievements) as I could to upgrade Lara's remaining skills and weapons. The game's climax is set on top of a snowy monastery with yet more combat against a heavy wave of enemies. Luckily by this point, I had upgraded the majority of my weapons and skills as high as they could go, thus making the combat less of a grind. But sadly, I felt a little disappointed with the final battle. Unfortunately, it fell a little short of my expectations considering the amount of time I had put into it (just under 19 hours). |
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Overall, Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition is a title worth playing if you have not already played the original release. I definitely enjoyed my time with it, even if I was a little disappointed with the game's ending.
Although this version of Tomb Raider boasts improved visuals and a better frame rate, I don't think its enough to persuade those who have already played the original to come back for more.
It's exciting to think where this newly-rebooted series will take Lara next. I can only welcome the thought of playing another Tomb Raider game. Hopefully this time, I wont be as late to the party as I was all those years ago.
Although this version of Tomb Raider boasts improved visuals and a better frame rate, I don't think its enough to persuade those who have already played the original to come back for more.
It's exciting to think where this newly-rebooted series will take Lara next. I can only welcome the thought of playing another Tomb Raider game. Hopefully this time, I wont be as late to the party as I was all those years ago.
Wrap Up
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The Good - Deep Gamplay, Graphic upgrade (although maybe not enough to really make it an essential second purchase)
The Bad - End Set Piece |
Score - 4/5 |
Images courtesy of Square Enix UK
Game - reviewer's own copy, XboxOne version
Game - reviewer's own copy, XboxOne version
