Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Detailed, Hits PS4 January 28th

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Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Detailed, Hits PS4 January 28th
Tomb Raider

Hi everyone, I’m Scot Amos, executive producer at Crystal Dynamics. On January 28th of 2014, we’re bringing the award-winning Tomb Raider experience to PS4 in the form of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.

Recreating our franchise for PS4 was a true labor of love for the team. The critically acclaimed story and action adventure remain solidly intact and as riveting as ever. However, we took the opportunity to use the increased horsepower of the hardware to create the Tomb Raider we always envisioned.

We had a core team here at Crystal collaborating with the super talented teams at United Front Games (who worked with Square Enix on Sleeping Dogs) and Nixxes (whom Crystal has partnered with since the Legacy of Kain days). Together, we pulled the game apart and painstakingly rebuilt it with enhanced visual fidelity, realism, and a new immersive richness to the world.

Getting our gameplay up to native 1080p meant increasing all of our texture resolutions by over 4x so the details and nuances can be seen in their full glory. However, it’s subtleties like our subsurface scattering technology — how we manage realistic lighting effects through solid/semi-solid matter — that we’re so proud of, which bring a new glow to Lara’s skin. All of these elements working in conjunction drive a much more realistic world than we’ve ever had.

The entire game world — the perilous island of Yamatai — is alive as well. Foliage bends as Lara pushes through it; trees whip in the wind; even cloth moves courtesy of new, more sophisticated physics modeling. Weather effects lash the island with unprecedented levels of venom, and rain particles are dynamically lit as they slice through piercing searchlights. The in-game cast has also enjoyed an upgrade — characters and enemies alike have been enhanced visually, while in-game destructibility has been given additional refinement to increase the sense that you are leaving a mark on this world.

However, as always, it’s Lara who’s the star of the show. As such, one of our boldest changes was to handcraft an all new, even more realistic head and face model for her, taking advantage of the increased power of PS4. This is our first glimpse of our next-generation Lara. We also drastically improved shader and lighting effects, adding dynamic sweat, mud, and even blood for a new level of visual acuity that reacts on Lara in different situations. Objects on Lara’s person like her climbing axe or arrows now independently react to her movements and sway or jostle with an obsessive eye for detail, further adding that nothing was too small for us to tackle.

Lara’s hair now benefits from TressFX technology — her hair strands are independently simulated and interact with environmental effects, as well as react to her every movement, delivering unprecedented, lifelike motion. This all-new Lara is Crystal’s first steps towards the future. It’s a promising, compelling beginning.

“Promising, compelling beginning” is a good description for our first few weeks in the PS4 era. We’re very proud of what our combined teams at Crystal, United Front Games, and Nixxes have accomplished with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. Whether you’re a diehard fan who collects every Tomb Raider title, or just looking for a gripping, cinematic action-adventure to recommend to friends, we’ve got a great game for you. We’re thrilled to launch the game and hear your reactions. It’s been a privilege and a labor of love for us, and we hope you relish playing it as much as we did making it.

All the best for the holiday season.

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164 Comments

  • Oh, and sorry to post 49. Didn’t realize you were quoting someone else. The person you are quoting is the sucker.

  • haha I was about to say…. I was like wth? :p

  • Yeah, it’s been said before, but let me repeat: drop online trophies, and I’m in.

  • Just drop the online… AC Liberation did it for their port to ps3. I’m sure you can do the same just add some single player trophy and you will get MUCH more buyer this way. Nobody want to play this online sorry.

  • I hope it’s a $10 upgrade for people who already have the PS3 version and DLC because why would i want to pay again for a PC port with a different Lara Croft face?

    Also the big question is have they fixed the terrible Multiplayer because no point in upgrading if the MP is still borked.

  • i never got this the first time around, so aslong as its 40 dollars or less i might pick it up this time, its not like its the ps2 HD remakes that are just cleaned up alittle and put in 1080 and then resold, they said they made veerything from the ground up, so im pretty sure its 60fps, not that you could even tell the difference

  • I haven’t even finished the game yet and I should have waited if you guys were going to port over the game to the PS4. I did get the game at a discounted price but I don’t think I’ll buy it again at full price of $60 bucks.

  • ITS $60 GUYS HERE IS A LINK ALL MAIN GAME RETAILERS HAVE IT UP FOR SIXTY BUCKS.
    http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/category/ps4-games/33629.aspx?type=product&page=2&sortBy=name&sortDir=asc

  • Soooo…it’s going to be the PC version, then.

  • Make it as DEUS EX SQUARE ENIX did, for owners of PS3 a discounted price……don’t sell it for 59.99$ because you won’t sell 0. This must be 39,99$ max…..90% of people already own it on STEAM, it’s been 9,99€ recently or cheaper……
    CD: Don’t make mistake please or you’ll regret it.

  • @dragon irons. you keep saying the majority have already played thegame. do you realize there are 80 million ps3s out there? tomb raider only sold a couple million copies so im not sure where your pulling this 90% number from. quit being so negative and realize theMAJORITY have NOT played this game and now have another chance too. lol…i spit my drink out when you said 90% have it. no game ever has that high of an attatch rate

  • 60 nolson: have you not considered many people still pirate games?

  • @dragonirons, because your head is too far up your a** to read them.

  • God you guys are frame rate snobs. listen to you all ******** about all kinds of things. Let them give you more info as it comes, patience children.

  • Glad I never bought that game on the PS3. That’s only because Sony Santa Monica made a mistake not to put Lara Croft on PlayStation All-Stars. I know that’s a stupid reason, but that would be the motivation I need to buy Tomb Raider.

    @D-Squad3 Tell us why or don’t bother commenting at all. I hate people who type less than 2 words and don’t bother to explain.

  • “60 nolson on December 8th, 2013 at 12:36 am said:

    @dragon irons. you keep saying the majority have already played thegame. do you realize there are 80 million ps3s out there? tomb raider only sold a couple million copies so im not sure where your pulling this 90% number from. quit being so negative and realize theMAJORITY have NOT played this game and now have another chance too. lol…i spit my drink out when you said 90% have it. no game ever has that high of an attatch rate”

    Ya there’s 80 million consoles….. like the other guy said, people DO pirate games, oh and another thing, not everyone’s a tomb raider fan genius. I’d be willing to bet most fans HAVE already bought it on PS3, now it’s just the few who were on the fence since it’s not really a typical TR. If you honestly think they’re going to sell a lot of the PS4 versions of the SAME game that’s been out awhile now, you’re delusional. The number of people that said they’ll get it on this page alone AND in the sony forum I can count on one hand. Just about every post is along the same lines as mine, why bother………. we already have it.

  • Comment number 13 is spot on!

    If it has that horrible wreck, that so-called multiplayer that’s even emptier than BioShock 2’s MP, or if it has online Trophies of any kind, i am avoiding this game like the Black Plague and the Spanish flu combined. Even if I got it for free AND with a 100 PSN gift card I am not getting it.

    Sorry, that MP is so horrible beyond words. I’d rather watch paint dry for days than go through that again.

  • hey Supvic, if my head’s up my arse, then why don’t you show me where people are clamoring for 3-D? huh? huh? I mean a lot of people…… I dont’ mean like this “thread” where it’s just YOU and one other person a few posts after.

  • Oh Nolson, to clarify if you’re too stupid to figure it out, when I said 90% I meant the fans, not 90% of the freaking planet’s population who own a PS3…….. genius I tell ya…. lmao

  • >.> Wish you could edit posts on here……. Supvic one more thing buddy. Not a lot of people even HAVE a 3-D tv still, so guess what that means? Not much demand…..

  • Please patch in stereoscopic 3D support.

  • Bought it, beat it, still own it for xbawks. Unless it releases for 14.99, which it won’t, I doubt I’ll ever pick it up. Great game tho.

  • I hope this help us get TLoU and Uncharted Definitive Editions as well.

  • Scott, you “however” too much. I’ve counted 3 of them and it makes the subject sounding negative.

    Anyway, is this just the PC port or it has innovative things? The Lara model I understood is new. But the PC already had higher resolution textures and better lightning and shadowing. As well as TressFX.

  • does this mean they could do this to other games that were pc based
    from 2012-2013. like tom clancy’s splinter cell blacklist or resident evil 6 .

  • Please have a PS3 to PS4 upgrade option available. Many of us already own the prior version, but don’t want to be required to pay another $60 for the same game, only prettier.

  • Loved this game on the PS3. Really nice that PS4 is getting it! Any chance of PS3-PS4 upgrade for the digital version on this one? :P

  • @Dragonirons the troll of PS blog

    What ? Dude your’e the one in every thread thinking you know all when you really just an annoying troll..

    Look at this guy in the PS4 support thread where people need help and he belittles them..You show how intelligent you are with every post.. Please , go away.

    Then you are attacking everyone who say’s something positive and twisting things for your own trollish agenda…Okay, get a life, keyboard warrior.

    You seriously need to get a grip and realize you don’t have a PS4, yet. Don’t speak for people with 3D. I got the 3D tv from Sony (“24) and just waiting for more support..Movies look awesome.

    Dragonirons called me a little kid before so I can’t trust anything he says. Especially when everytime I see him post he’s just putting down other players like he’s on a high horse.. Troll harder. Unbelievable when trolls get away with this.

  • Well, guess its time to sell my copy of Tomb Raider for PS3 and get this for PS4. Luckily I still have not played it, so I can just enjoy this definitive version on my PS4!

  • I’d love to know if there are any PS3 to PS4 discounts as well. I really want this but don’t want to pay 60 additional dollars for it.

  • Ok, vou anotar aqui sony.

  • I’d also like to know about trophy transfer. I have a platinum in the PS3 version. Will any of those achievements transfer at all? If not will there be a separate trophy list on the PS4 for the Definitive Edition?

  • Make a VITA version and I’d totally be in :P

  • Because the PS4 doesn’t have enough ports.

  • you kids that complain it’s a retail price are the same ones that buy call of duty every 7 months for the same exact thing at 70 or more. suck it up and move on.

  • I hope you all come back to play the online mode now nobody plays and quite funny

  • @84 do you have any idea how big of an idiot you sound like?

    I agree with previous posters. This is a port, no matter how you look at it, and should not be charged a full $60. I say the same for Diablo 3 when it comes out on ps4 as well.

    Also, please take out the worthless online. It will save you guys the resources and time, as well as get rid of the obnoxious online trophies that nobody likes.

  • Doesn’t matter what anyone thinks it should cost, or how many synonyms for “idiot” one uses/resembles; it’s up for pre-order right now on Amazon for $60.

    Interesting that the art book packaging doesn’t raise the cost vs. the standard edition. I’m sure this will sell very well among PS4 owners regardless of whether or not they played on PS3. There’s not much else available on PS4 and won’t be before this releases in late January.

    Cheers.

  • @86 do you have any idea how big of an idiot you sound like?

  • Just to add to the choir: If you would, please…

    * 60 fps.
    * Don’t charge 60 USD for an upgrade of a game I’ve already played. Simply not worth it.
    * Remove the horrendous multiplayer… Save your money (translate that into some savings onto us, as per the point above).

    That is not even close to being “all”, but it is definitely a very decent start.

  • Loved the game the first time around. It looked beautiful on PS3 and will probably be the best looking game on the PS4 for a good while. The single player story and gameplay was easily one of the best I played last year. Can not say enough good things about this game and want to play it again. Like most, I didn’t care for multiplayer and wouldn’t be sad to see it go. 3D would be great, seeing as it is the definitive edition. None of these are dealbreakers though, keep the multiplayer, no 3D, 30/fps, I will still buy.

    That being said; while full price is justified for new players, without some kind of upgrade option and separate trophy list count me out. One of my favorite games but won’t pay over $20 (maybe more for 3D patch) for improved graphics when there is nothing wrong with my PS3 version. I have digital so this would be easy to implement, but the same deal for disc owners could prove to be difficult to pull off so I don’t see this being an option. Even with a lack of PS4 games its still not worth it.

    Thanks to Crystal Dynamics for the effort and if you don’t already own this I would definitely pick it up.

  • @WesHouston: Great post. Guys, this is how you make a point.

  • This is great for people that never had the chance to play this title. I can’t see paying for this again, even though it was one of my favorite games this year. Hope this becomes a cross buy.

  • where are the new games for PS4, remakes are pointless especially if the game is only a year old

  • all of you that are asking if this is a pc port, did you not read this post or what? they said they REMADE EVERYTHING, plus back when the game was made it was multiplatform, so the pc version will not be as good looking as this PS4 only version, thats if it is ps4 only, most mutliplatform games dont look as good as they could because of the fact they have to worry about other consoles, but if this is a ps4 only upgrade job it will look better than it ever has

  • @DragonIrons – comment 49

    Im sorry for being so blunt and I swear I mean no offense but people like you REALLY get on my nerves. Just because YOU don’t own or cant afford a 3Dtv or have never tried 3D gaming, you always automatically think that everyone doesn’t want 3D for its games. For your information, there are COUNTLESS people out there that LOVE 3D gaming, it is leaps and BOUNDS better and more immersive than standard 2D gaming.

    Also, almost every simgle TV that’s on sale nowadays has Stereoscopic 3D built in as standard and its nowhere near as expensive as it used to be to purchase a tv with stereoscopic 3D.

    Not to mention the fact that Sony themselves released a Playstation branded 3DTV so by definition they OWE those people continued 3D support in all of its future games, at least in its 1st party Sony exclusive games.
    3D was brilliant on PS3 but it had its issues like a slight loss in resolution but all of those issues would be non existent on the PS4 with its power being so far ahead of the PS3.

    There are a huge amount of gamers that LOVE stereoscopic 3D gaming and I also would love to see its continued support in gaming now we have a console that would really do it justice.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKuYhe1PWr8

    here’s the trailer and your answers besides to price

  • When I get a PS4, I might get this game too, since I’ve yet to play the PS3 version.

    I can see why most folks who’ve already played the PS3 version won’t be interested in a graphics upgrade for $60, that’s understandable, but I can’t believe someone actually said “30fps = No buy”. That’s unbelievable. I wonder if people like that will continue to take that absurd stance with every game from here on out. Ridiculous.

    Gamers are getting more and more petty every day.

  • I’m in the same boat as everyone else as far as 60fps. PS4’s specs are far and away more powerful than what the specs for a PC requires to run the game with max graphics at 60fps. If they want the full price, I hope they’ve put in the full effort, and not made the $10 PC version superior out of the gate.

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