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Preview: Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

If you don’t get to play Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition standing beside a Square Enix PR rep, let me help you out: this re-revamped version of Lara Croft features five times the amount of detail in her face. You’ll be able to note this as you play at 30 frames per second in 1080p native resolution on your next-gen console of choice.

Each of Lara’s individual hairs are controlled by TressFX, a physics engine that sounds more like a shampoo than a piece of technology. Regardless, it’s pretty cool to take note of what her hairdo does when she moves.

The game’s lighting is drastically improved, as are the amounts of particles on the screen. You’ll be able to see dust flying in every direction, or steam coming off of a stream. It looks real.

https://youtu.be/7NUX2rG_u8w

Bushes in the world similarly look true-to-life. No longer individually pre-programmed to move, bushes, pieces of cloth and the like will move dynamically, based on the weather systems they find themselves in. If Lara walks into a bush, it will bend around her movements and snap back into place, thanks to its root structure, when she’s out of the way.

Improvements to physics means that the water in Tomb Raider is ultra-realistic, as evidenced when it reacted to the footsteps of a deer that was walking ahead of me in-game.

You know which deer I’m talking about, right? Yeah… THAT deer. That scene is even more confronting now because it looks all the more as it would if you were actually doing it yourself.

The bottom line? Tomb Raider looked good on last-gen consoles, and it looks amazingly better now. The problem is, you’ll probably take all of its advancements for granted. Sure, Lara’s climbing axe now swings realistically on her belt cause it has its own gravity system, but it’s so normal-looking you’ll swear it’s always done that.

https://youtu.be/z6wvFg-c0Rs

First world problems, am I right?

If I took anything from my time with the game, it’s that those of you who haven’t played it on Xbox 360 or PS3 will get the chance to play a title that’s even more polished than before. According to Square Enix last year, that’s quite a lot of you, as the game wasn’t really classified as a success (noted, it has moved into profit now…). This next-gen version has been in development for a year, and it’s clear that Crystal Dynamics and United Front really care about this adventure.

To those of who have played the game before, we’re in that weird lull period where we’re not getting many next-gen titles. Based on our 9/10 review of the original (well, original reboot, but you know what we meant), you could do far worse with a game that’ll tide you over until big releases in the latter have of February or March.

Pick it up. Just watch that rebar going down.


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About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.