Ben-Dutkawas one of the most accomplished, entertaining games of 2013. A reboot done right, it featured a more realistic and sympathetic heroine; the Lara Croft revamp is part of what made that game so appealing. But as good as it was, it's about to get even better. Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix will bring the Definitive Edition to next-gen consoles at the end of this month, and this new iteration features plenty of upgrades. The only question is whether or not you consider those upgrades worthy of the $60 price tag. The developer has addressed that subject at length, as most of you know.
First and foremost, the game will run natively in 1080p high-definition, which will make the entire experience that much prettier. Much has been made about Lara's "more realistic hair" but don't forget about the myriad of legitimately cool updates. For instance, did you know that the team started work on the PS4 and Xbox One versions the instant they were done with the PS3/360/PC versions? The amount of extra work actually amounts to a full year of development, and they've got a new particle system, new lighting work and "enhanced shadow-casters." Basically, you're looking at a more dynamic environment the whole way ‘round.
We'll see more detail overall, including more debris, more vegetation in the lush forest environments, upgraded characters, and then there's all that extra content. Yep, all previously released downloadable content will be featured in the Definitive Edition, making it all the more attractive. There are even gameplay-related alterations due to the enhanced capabilities of the next-gen consoles: The developer has revealed that this new title will make use of the Dual Shock 4's touchpad, and both the PS4 and Xbox One versions will support voice commands. That's right, you'll actually be able to give orders to Lara with just your voice!
Those who played the original game will also notice enhanced physics, which affect just about every aspect of the adventure. Lara interacts with objects more realistically and her equipment – climbing axe, radio, bow-and-arrow, etc. – will also be utilized in a more authentic fashion. More realistic physics significantly increases the atmospheric charm and immersion, which is why it's so important. If you're going to create something called the "Definitive Edition," you had better live up to the title, right? Gamers should be able to notice improvements everywhere they look when playing the next-gen version of Tomb Raider .
The combination of a myriad of subtle improvements should have a big impact. Texture resolution increased by over 4x, extra nuances, realistic lighting effects, even a "new glow to Lara's skin;" they all make for a true next-gen experience. Added refinement to in-game destruction, dynamic sweat, mud and blood, reactions to attacks, enhanced animations…it just goes on and on. So, while you might question the cost of the game, the amount of work that went into it is undeniable. The Tomb Raider Definitive Edition will go on sale for the PS4 and Xbox One on January 28, 2014. Fans should seriously consider a purchase.
P.S. Not much in the way of official screenshots just yet.
Only played the first 10 mins. and stopped when the upgraded version was announced. Lol. Definitely getting this.
It's been a long while since I've commented on any stories here, but having just 100% completed Tomb Raider on my first playthrough a few days ago, (I love this game!! lol) I feel that I must state my opinion on the definitive edition (DE)
First off, I'm not against the idea of the DE. While the price may be a little high, it will go down in price soon after (as many others here have already stated)
My main beef really is, why did they have to change her face? From a purely technical standpoint, yes it does look better with higher polygon count, better shading, etc.
But from a different viewpoint there are at least 2 distinct reasons why the older face model is better:
1) This game will not even be a year old by the time the DE is released. For anyone that played the original, the new "facelift" might be a bit out of place as they will have accompanied Lara on her journey probably long enough to identify the original face to the character.
2) Credibility. This game built itself on the premise that Lara had not yet become the tomb raider we all know and love. Lara is supposed to be a vulnerable young girl that becomes a battle hardened woman capable of overcoming enormous obstacles. The older face shows an attractive young archaeology student that quickly learns how harsh and frightening survival and fighting for your life can be. The newer model kinda has that too, but it feels like Crystal Dynamics is trying to make her more sexy, or model-ish heroine, opting for a more typical look.
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/198r0bc3a1cq5jpg/original.jpg
Plus there are very subtle differences like the cuts, scrapes, and dirt. The newer model seems like she is coming out of it almost unharmed…
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/198r3t2c5lpzwjpg/original.jpg
Frankly, I think the older model is actually more attractive. That's beside the point. I know this might not be a big deal for most looking to play the DE. It should at least be a minor discussion topic or a thought of "OK, so why did they have to change her face again??".
On a side note, the trophy list is the SAME as the old version. It will just be a separate list since it's a PS4 title.
I didn't see the difference between the two editions until you showed us the pics. I think the new character model is better technically, adn it shows, I think they tried to leave her as similar as possible, but it just ended up being the way it is.
She looks less like a doll and more realistic in a way. Still….I don't know if i need this
Wow I didn't know about this. It does look different there, more model-ish and sultry as you say. Why did they clean up the mud and dirt? We need to organize the gaming community into an ignorant raving mass about this (not being sarcastic, I want the original as intact as possible).
That said, I still own the original so it's not a deal breaker for me.
I think it would be cool to have the original voice actress back for an optional voiceover. I liked her better, she wouldn't have to act all confident, just have her do the new Lara. The new girl is okay but a little whiny.
Speaking of Trophies… I was unable to %100 this game due to 1 lost MINE supposedly in the water on the beach and 1 missing DOCUMENT. Tried everything. Even used a guide to no avail. Any suggestions?
No clue Father, if a guide can't help you I'd try a different guide or walkthrough. Some explain things better than others, and of course many people do full playthroughs on youtube that show locations of things.
There's a mine in the water you're missing? You mean by the cliffs area? There are a couple mines way out in the water that you can only see from certain vantage points.
As for the document, there isn't a guide at GameFAQs that can help?
I'm going to make hard and dirty love to this game.
I hope I get some outfits to play around with 🙂
I was wondering what the new Lara model would look like, with that being said I prefer the original one to this one. So nothing really new with this update as opposed to what I already own with the PC version.
I really hope this isnt a trending we see in gaming for the next year – recent PS3 games getting a 'facelift'. Tomb Raider is more than efficient on the PS3, and its really cheap now anyway, I just dont see how having a PS4 version is more beneficial, maybe being in 1080p but it doesn't feel needed.
This is coming from someone who values highly the PS2 HD collections we have received on the PS3 but with the jump to HD and even widescreen for some of the games it was more than worth the purchase – Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD remasters being my most anticipated game this year. The PS2 games really needed it, especially as there is no good way to use a PS2 on a HDTV in European countries (Our PAL PS2s just cannot have the output to even 480p…) But the PS3 is more than ready for HD and still looks fine.
I hope it isn't a trend too, it extends the cross gen period. The updates to this game seem worth it to me for fans to have it in their PS4 collection. I think a lot of people will want to go through the game again right before Tomb Raider II drops and doing it on PS4 is a nice treat especially if you had to sell your PS3.
All that said, I doubt any of this is happening because it was needed. Square Enix was vocal about expecting more sales out of this game (even though it did astonishingly well for a reboot) so it's no surprise they ordered this version made.
So I should rather play this on the PS4 then on PS3? I`ve been going back and forth if I should rather just wait for the Definitive version or buy it cheap on the PS3.
Depends on how much money you have lying around and how big of a fan you are. It's an amazing game to be certain. If you're only half interested in the game to begin with then I'd say pick it up cheap on PS3, if you loved Uncharted, previous TR games, or are passionate about survival/platforming/shooting adventures then I'd wait for the PS4 one and just play it in its best form. It's coming very soon anyway.
I don't think this game will make me buy it again on PS4, but if The Last of Us make it to PS4, then that's a different story.