Review of Rise of the Tomb Raider PS4 - The 20th Anniversary Edition is Packed with bonuses!
It has not turned into somewhat of a habit, when a videogame loses its exclusivity with a console, we allow you to catch a glimpse of the differences between both versions, while also letting you decide on your own which version may suit you best. For Rise of the Tomb Raider, you may find the full review at this address. In this article we will zoom in on the new features for this twentieth anniversary edition, the PSVR functionality, and the new graphics on PS4. Can this new PS4 edition fix what turned out to last year’s slight disappointment? Find the answer below in the review of Rise of the tomb raider – 20th anniversary edition.
Is Lara Croft better-looking than last year?
All in all, Rise of The Tomb Raider will have seen 4 different versions of her adventures on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC and PS4. The PC version will obviously remain the slickest and most beautiful one , especially if you have the power it takes to play the game in 4K / 60fps. However, the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the title by Crystal Dynamics does not have to blush with embarrassment. The PS4 version might even be a tad more precise, with less aliasing, more fluidity, better light. The difference between both consoles’ versions is by no means huge, those who have already tried the Xbox One version will not be astounded at the difference in the graphics.
Not to re-use the same sentences as in our Xbox One review of Rise of The Tomb Raider, we will have you know that the variety of the landscapes has gone AWOL. While the reboot released in 2013 showed great dignity and aplomb, RotTB is finding itself short of things to be amazed at. The first two hours of the game are pretty good, but the game keeps going at a much-slower pace, to finally end with two hours that lack rhythm and originality. This PS4 version does not change the game design of Rise of The Tomb Raider, but may reduce the disappointment as it gathers all the DLC’s and a nice VR compatibility as a bonus.
The opening of Rise of the Tomb Raider has not lost its grandeur
A game full of goodies and bonuses
Let us be clear: this “++” version of Rise of The Tomb Raider on PS4 is in fact nothing more than a “ Definitive edition” featuring what the season pass gave the PC and Xbox One versions ( the Xbox 360 version was not eligible to the additional content). The much-awaited Blood Ties offers PSVR compatibility and turns out to be a very nice bonus. Do not expect it to be full of action and shooting as Blood Ties is more exploration-based. In the family mansion, Lara Croft will have to lookf for objects, solve a few puzzles and find out secrets about her family. For gamers who have played the first version of the mansion back in the 1990’s the nostalgia effect does strike a chord, although the whole experience is short-lived.
When it comes to the other bonuses, they do represent a real added value. You wil find the first DLC Lara’s nightmare that will have you play through a Zombie invasion in the mansion, the new co-op Endurance mode and will be able to play RotTB again with an additional level of difficulty. Additional temples will also be part of the game as well as some retro skins which will see Lara go back to the PSone graphics.
The verdict: 16/20
As you might have understood, this edition of Rise of Tomb Raider is very thorough. It is however not more thorough than the Xbox one or PC twentieth anniversary versions that also feature the same advantages as this PS4 version, VR compatibility excluded of course. Whatever the platform you choose, we strongly advise you to choose this twentieth anniversary edition. However, in spite of the additional content, we cannot shake this feeling that Rise of Tomb Raider struggle to hold a candle to its older brother released in 2013. We strongly hope that inspiration will strike Crystal Dynamics again for the continuation of Lara’s adventures. 2018 holds the answer …
Additional content of the twentieth anniversary edition