Next-gen Tomb Raider trumps PC version – dev

While next-gen console owners can rightly look forward to the fantastic 2013 Tomb Raider reboot launching in January 2014 as the “Definitive Edition”, some have raised eyebrows at the US$60 price for a tarted up re-release of a year-old game.

Crystal Dynamics executive producer Scot Amos was active on the Eidos forums yesterday, answering questions around this and other topics, and promised that the next-gen console versions of Tomb Raider go beyond a simple port.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition will run at 1080p on PS4 and Xbox One, but Amos was not willing to commit on a frame rate as the game is still being optimised. It will support console specific inputs, such as the touch pad on PS4’s DualShock 4, and the Kinect on Xbox One. Both versions will support voice commands.

It is not clear whether the Definitive Edition improvements will be rolled out to other platforms, and there are currently no plans to give current owners a discounted upgrade path.

Amos described how the Definitive Edition goes beyond the heights achieved by the PC version of the game.

The work that went into the PS4 and Xbox One versions started at the end of the X360/PS3/PC versions. They were our foundation that we then built on top of. The amount of extra work – 3 studios and a full year of development – have pushed the boundaries beyond just TressFX and upgraded textures. We now have a new particle system, new lighting work and enhanced shadow-casters, tons of more visual storytelling elements (more debris, more details on walls, more density in the environment for vegetation), upgraded characters (Lara and main story NPCs), and we’ve also put all of the DLC materials into this version for PS4/Xbox One. We are very happy with the PC version we released and felt these new additions and changes were something custom just for next-gen consoles at the moment.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition will be released for Xbox One and PS4 on 28 January 2014 (and we presume 31 January 2014 in our region). The game is priced at $60.

The Definitive Edition includes all of the original downloadable content, plus digital versions of the Dark Horse comic, Brady Games mini-art book, and the Final Hours developer videos. A special art book will be offered to pre-orders.

Improvements in the next-gen console version according to Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics:

Lara Croft presented in “unprecedented” high definition detail:
- An all new Lara model created to take advantage of the power of next-gen consoles;
- TRESS FX technology that delivers realistic hair simulation and motion with every strand being physically active; and
- Shader and lighting reworked to showcase the raw physicality of Lara’s journey through sweat, mud, and blood materials and effects.

The world has been dynamically brought to life using complex physical world simulation on trees, foliage, cloth, weather, lighting, and effects.
All texture resolutions have been created at 4x resolution for maximum resolution and detail.
In-game characters, enemies and destructability have been enhanced for added depth and realism.
Subsurface scattering technology implemented to capture the most physically accurate lighting simulation and deliver a great sense of believability.
Native 1080p gameplay gives outstanding visual fidelity and showcases the beauty of Yamatai in all its high definition glory.