Tomb Raider console comparison pits PlayStation 3 against PlayStation 4

By Adam Rosenberg January 14, 2014

tomb raider console comparison pits playstation 3 4 definitive edition — Image used with permission by copyright holder

You know how this works. Old game comes to new console, spit-shined with that next-gen sheen. We crowd around video comparisons to get a look at what’s new and, in doing so, hopefully validate our rush to buy a new gaming machine despite a paltry launch lineup.

Enter Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. As you can see in IGN’s video below, there’s quite a dramatic difference between the PlayStation 3 version and the updated PlayStation 4 version (it’s also coming to Xbox One) that will be here on January 28. Even Lara Croft’s face seems to have transformed! You’ll see more detail in everything from the way light strikes the star’s skin to the distant features in the open world that surrounds her. If you watch the comparison video, you can hear Crystal Dynamics’ Scot Amos use all sorts of fancy technical terms like “dynamic lighting” and “subsurface scattering” to describe what’s new.

Tomb Raider is a kickass game. This Definitive Edition doesn’t fundamentally change anything – a fact you should be aware of if you played the 2013 release – but it’s the version to get if you skipped the initial release and have been curious to see how the rebooted Lara fares. In addition to the game, the upcoming re-release also includes all previously released multiplayer DLC, the “Tomb of the Lost Adventurer” add-on that was originally a pre-order bonus, and a handful of new outfits for our shipwrecked tomb raider.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

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