Now, with the use of TressFX, Lara’s hair flows fluidly through the wind as you venture around the island of Yamatai. TressFX makes Lara look even more realistic between the natural air flow and lighting that hits her hair as you play through the game. Each individual strand of hair appears to have a mind of its own, which is a much welcome addition to gaming, especially one where you will be very up close and personal with the protagonist so often.
Starting very early in the game, you will realize how alive the island of Yamatai feels while playing. Lara of course has important interactions with her crew and enemies, but the island itself is like a character of its own. As you play through, you learn more and more about Yamatai and how each section of it actually feels different from the others. From the forests to the beaches, you will have plenty of areas to explore throughout the game, and the number of collectibles will likely bring you back and forth between them. Just like with Lara, the island itself has been upgraded to feel even more alive, including the more natural movement of the environments, such as grass and bushes.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition adds all of the DLC that was available in the original release, but sadly the original never received an abundance of what I would call great DLC. Very early in the game, you will come across one extra tomb, that was a pre-order bonus and later added as a DLC option. Like most of the tombs in the game, it can be beaten in less than five minutes or so, but it is still a nice addition. However, the rest of the DLC in the game is pretty lackluster. The multiplayer maps really do not add a lot to the game, especially considering the multiplayer is more of a sidenote in of itself. The costumes are a decent addition, but I almost wish they were somehow an unlockable in the game to make them feel more worth having. In my playthrough, I looked through the other costumes, but realized I liked the default costume best and stuck with it.
The story of Tomb Raider is still as good as it was the first time, with you seeing firsthand the trials that Lara Croft must go through in her first adventure. She starts the game off as an innocent researcher who very quickly has her life turned completely upside down and must learn to fend for herself. The Definitive Edition includes a digital comic, that was previously available as a bonus at certain retailers as well as online, called Tomb Raider: The Beginning. This sheds a little more light about the backstory of some of the characters in the game, so I definitely would recommend taking the time to read it before starting the game.
A set of behind the scenes videos, that were previously posted on YouTube, are also included. These are hosted by the always enjoyable Zachary Levi, who was oddly not included as a DLC character like he was in the initial release. These give a good inside look the making of the game, which helps to give a new layer of appreciation to the work they put into this reboot.
For anyone that played the original, you will not really find any changes to the story itself or gameplay, but that isn’t a bad thing. The original release of Tomb Raider has some of the tightest controls in 2013, with a good mix of quick time events and combat. I still love nothing more than sneaking around with my bow and taking out enemies silently, which of course makes me want a Green Arrow game even more. It is very enjoyable that the game gives you the option to play it more stealthily or in a run and gun manner if you wish. Of course you get forced into one or the other sometimes, but most of the time it is your personal choice.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is a shining example of how to remaster a game. Completely rebuilt graphically from the ground up, the game looks absolutely gorgeous the whole way through. The story and combat are exactly what you experienced in the original release, but they really had no need to be changed. None of the included DLC stood out, but luckily there were some other neat additions, such as the aforementioned digital comic book and behind the scenes videos to further enhance the experience. The main drawback of this game is that it is still $60 for a port, albeit a fantastic one. If you never played the game before, it is a must buy as it was one of the best of 2013, but you could probably wait for a price drop if you beat the original.
[Editor’s Note: Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was reviewed on the Xbox One. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]