Lara’s back on PlayStation…
Rise of the Tomb Raider came out last year exclusively on Xbox One and I never got around to picking it up, but I was hoping it wouldn’t take them long to bring it to PS4. Around a year later and I finally got my chance with the 20 Year Celebration version which includes all previous released DLC, as well as getting the chance to explore Croft Manor in PSVR for the mission Blood Ties.
Having played the previous entry, which itself was a reboot of the franchise…I saw a lot of similarities to it in it’s play style and design, which is no bad thing. Tomb Raider was an amazing reboot and one that I really need to revisit at some point, but Rise of the Tomb Raider definitely steps it up a considerable notch with the amount of content here.
Since it launched earlier this month, the game has had a few updates to improve performance and lag issues, but also preparing it for the upcoming PS4 Pro so it’ll run in lovely 4K and HDR. I’m picking up a PS4 Pro before the end of the year and I have the Samsung KS7000 (Or 8000 if you’re in the US) for me to test it out when possible. I’ll be sure to report my findings in a separate article, so keep an eye out for it…
The game itself is superb, with a great story and puzzles that are classic Tomb Raider, but still feel modern. It runs a lot smoother since the update and even looks improved visually on a standard HDTV.
The PSVR area is optional, you can play it without if you want to. But I would highly recommend it, as you can examine the whole of Croft Manor while trying to find Lara’s father’s will. The level of detail is incredible and while it may make you sick, it’s great for those who don’t suffer from motion sickness. I did feel a bit odd at times as you can control Lara using both analog sticks, but turning with the right stick like an FPS did feel weird and unnatural, but yet was a much easier way of getting around.
There’s more to the game than the single player, the 20 Year Celebration version also offers co-op support for the Endurance mode, which itself is tough. You can earn credits in the story to unlock cards to use in Endurance, which have benefits to help you through.
The Verdict
It’s nearly impossible to fault Rise of the Tomb Raider. I’d say it’s right up there with Uncharted 4 and in some ways, even surpasses it. It improves upon it’s predecessor in every conceivable way and adds in PSVR support for extra measure. Welcome back to PS4 Lara, it hasn’t been quite the same without you…